The next day, Desmond arrived at his family home. The familiar sight of the large storey building, with its well-tended garden and the comforting scent of his mother's cooking wafting through the air, gave him a fleeting sense of nostalgia. He took a deep breath before stepping inside. "Mom? Bella?" Desmond called out as he closed the door behind him.His mother sauntered from the kitchen while wiping her hands over the apron. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. "Desmond, my son! It's been a while," she said, pulling him into a warm embrace. Desmond had thought she would be angry at him but she wasn't. She was happy to see him. Even though he had not been visiting them, he had been sending money for their upkeep. "It's good to see you, Mom," Desmond replied, hugging her tightly. Bella, his younger sister, bounded down the stairs with her usual exuberance. "Desmond! You are here!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "I thought you won't visit us again." Desmond chuckled.
Sylvester arrived at Akylace restaurant thirty minutes early. He had a date with Anabel that evening. He had planned to convince her to be his girlfriend. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and tailored suit. Looking at him, one could easy say that he was a gentle man. He looked every bit the gentleman he wasn't. He had choosing a secluded corner table that offered some sense of privacy. Sylvester called one of the waitress. "Can I have a bottle of LA. Tache and two glass cups?" Sylvester asked. "Right away, Sir." The waitress replied and went to get it. A couple of minutes later, the waitress arrived with the bottle of the red wine and two glass cup. "This wine costs three thousand dollars. Should I go ahead and open it?" The waitress asked. "Do I look like someone that cannot afford it?" He asked. "Go ahead and open it." "I'm sorry sir. I just found the need to let you know." The waitress said and went ahead to open it. She pop it open and poured a good amount in the gla
She had been hurt before, and the idea of opening herself up to someone new was daunting. But Sylvester's words were convincing, and his sincerity seemed genuine. "I don't know, Sylvester." she said quietly. "It's a lot to consider." "I know it's a big decision. I understand how you are feeling." Sylvester said tightened his grip on her hand slightly. "But think about it. I will show you how it feels like to be loved. I will show you the love you always fantasize. I will cherish you and your baby. We could be a family and live happily ever after." Anabel's mind began to race, thinking about his confessions. She had to admit, the idea of having someone to share her life with, someone who would care for her and her child, was appealing. But she couldn't shake the nagging doubt that gnawed at her. "Sylvester, I need to be sure that this is what you truly want." She said with a mean voice. "I can't go through another heartbreak." Sylvester's heart began to pound in his chest. H
Daniella was talking while they were walking and noticed that Desmond was no longer responding. She stopped talking and turned to Desmond. She saw that his attention was focused on something and followed his gaze. That was when she knew what was going on. He was looking at Anabel who was now breaking off from a hug and sittting down. Daniella quickly made a beeline towards their table. Her face was twisted with disdain. Desmond tried to stop her, grabbing her arm gently. "Daniella, where are you going?" He asked with a hint of exasperation in his voice. But Daniella shrugged him off and continued her march towards Anabel and Sylvester. "Well, well, well," Daniella sneered when she reached their table. "What are you doing here, Anabel? With a man." "And who invited you here? What is your business with what I'm doing here?" Anabel asked. "This restaurant is meant for important people, not for the likes of you." Daniella replied. Anabel got angry. She wasn't ready to banter any
As they continued to talk, the other waitress arrived with the ordered food and dropped it on the table. "Hey, take that food to my reserved table. They are not eating here anymore." Daniella said and the waitress was confused. "I don't understand. They ordered the food. You are not the one that ordered the food." The waitress said. "I know but I need the food. There is no point serving it to them because they will be leaving soon." "Anabel can you stop this drama?" Desmond said. "You are causing a scene already. Remember you are pregnant and so she is. This is not good for your pregnancy. I will leave here if you don't behave yourself." "Ohhh! You are standing for her? You still love her? You are standing for this cheating prostitute?" "Hey, Mind your words." Sylvester spoke up. "I won't sit here and watch you call my girlfriend a prostitute when you are worst than her." "Hey, you choiceless human being that goes for the rejected ones.You should be hiding yourself in shame. I'
Sylvester sat back down and Anabel smiled to him. "Thank you very much for standing up for me, baby." Anabel said and Sylvester reached across the table and took her hand in his. "You don't need to tell me. My priority is to make sure you are haply. No one has the right to treat you that way. Not on my watch. I will always stand for you. Now let's eat." Sylvester said and they began to eat. It was a romantic dinner. Sylvester fed her just like Desmond used to feed her before Daniella came into their. She was happy that she had finally found true love. After they finished eating, Sylvester signaled for the check. When the waiter brought the bill, he casually reached for his wallet and pulled out a card as if he really wanted to pay. The card was fake and it was all planned. His intention was to make it appear as if he was genuinely attempting to pay without disturbing Anabel. He handed the card to the cashier while maintaining a calm and confident demeanor. The cashier took the
"Thank you so much, my baby." Sylvester said. "I will make it up to you, I promise." "Don't worry about it, babe. I'm just happy we had a wonderful evening together." Anabel replied. As they left the restaurant, Sylvester couldn't help but smile to himself. He had successfully manipulated Anabel into paying for the meal. He walked beside her, feeling satisfied. They got to their car, and Sylvester hugged and kissed her before entering their different cars. On her way home, her mind drifted back to what Daniella said to her. She began to feel worried that she was finally losing Desmond forever. She took a deep breath and tried to wave it off. She had Sylvester now, and he seemed to be the one for her.. .. Sylvester arrived home. His mind was still buzzing with what just happened. He had played his part perfectly, and Anabel had fallen for it. As he settled into his apartment, he quickly sent a message to his fiancée, Vanessa, asking her to come over. They had a lot to talk about
It was on a bright Monday morning. Daniella was standing in front of her large mirror, checking herself out. She could barely contain her excitement as she kept turning from side to side.She and Desmond were preparing to visit the civil affairs bureau to process their marriage certificate. Daniella was exceptionally happy. She would finally marry Desmond. She had been dreaming of this moment for months, not because of love, but because of a better life she saw beyond the wedding. A life where she would divorce him and walk away with half of his properties for her and her boyfriend. The wedding was set for next week, but today was the first step toward securing her future.Desmond, on the other hand, seemed calm as he waited for Daniella in the living room. "Ready?" he asked when she finally showed up.She nodded, and they both headed out to the car. They got to the driveway, and Daniella slipped into the passenger seat.Desmond drove to the civil affairs bureau in silence. Each of th
The room went silent. Everyone was surprised. At this point, they knew they were all in trouble if she eventually became the CEO. Kane stared at the broken remains of his phone. He never dreamt of having such a bad day. The employees around him remained silent. They looked scared and surprised. Mr. Barnard, meanwhile, stood smugly to the side. He had his arms crossed as though he had already won. He knew that what she did was bad, but since he wasn't affected, he was satisfied. "First, I don't care who you are. You are going to buy a brand new phone for me. Secondly, I’m not leaving, not until the CEO comes and explains himself. He’s the one who hired me, and only he has the right to kick me out." Kane said but Daniella only smiled. "It won’t change anything, Kane. Don’t you understand? By tomorrow, I will be taking over this company. I will be the new boss, and my decisions will stand. Your days here are already over. You can pick up the pieces of your phone and leave." "That ma
"That’s not true, and you know it! I was the one who stayed up all night working on the system. You left, leaving me here all alone." Kane said, but unfortunately for him, no one could stand up for him. Mr. Barnard and Kane were the last persons to remain in the office. No one knew the person who slept and the one who stayed behind. This morning , they came to work and met both of them in the office and also learned that everything has been fixed. "Kane, let’s not make this more embarrassing for yourself. The truth is, I’m the one who restored the system functionality. I’ve been monitoring the situation closely, and it was my intervention that resolved the issue. You are new here, and clearly, you know you are not even qualified to handle something like that. You are just here because the CEO employed you." "That’s a lie!" Kane shot back in frustration. "I was employed here because you couldn't handle all the tasks. I've saved your ass a few times, and you know it. Yesterday, you
Kane stood up slowly to defend himself. "I think there has been a misunderstanding here." He began. "I didn't know when I slept off. Besides, I wasn’t sleeping because I’m lazy. I’ve been working all night to restore the system after it was attacked by hackers. I finished fixing it very early this morning and must have dozed off." He finished, but Daniella crossed her arms to show she was unimpressed or even buying his stories."Do you really expect me to believe that excuse? Sleeping while work is going on is unacceptable, no matter how you try to spin it. Your incompetence is very clear, and you are done here.""I don't think so. This company needs me here to function properly. Mr. Desmond needs me. You can't just fire me like this. I stressed myself to restore things to order, and you want to pay me back by kicking me out? That's ruthless.""Do you want to tell me you are better than everyone here? Just pack your personal belongings and leave. I won't repeat myself. Leave when you
Daniella seemed entirely unfazed by the attention. That was what she was expecting. She love the way people stared at her. In her mind, she was already the CEO, and these employees were her subjects.The whispers grew louder as she continued down the hallway. "Isn’t that Mrs. Daniella?" one worker murmured to a colleague, trying to hide his voice behind his hand. "Why is she here?" "I thought she was just the CEO’s lover." Another worker replied quietly. "Why is she walking around like she owns the place?" Daniella overheard some of their conversations as she passed by and smirked to herself. She was enjoying the subtle power of being at the center of attention. It was clear that Daniella’s unexpected arrival had sent ripples through the company. Even at that, she remained entirely focused on her mission. To assert herself and make her presence felt. For her, every gaze was a silent acknowledgment of the authority she believed was already hers. Tomorrow, once Desmond signed t
As he was walking closer, his eyes were darting between Daniella and the security man.When he got to the entrance door, Daniella spun around to face him. Her demeanor shifted slightly as she realized someone in authority had showed up. Someone who may know who she is. "Finally," she said with exaggerated exasperation. "Someone who I know will have some common sense."The deputy manager frowned slightly as he looked at Daniella. He has not seen her physically before. Desmond has once shown them his woman on the phone."You must be Mrs. Daniella." He said cautiously. "The CEO’s wife.""Exactly! I know you will know who I am." Daniella snapped and pointed her finger at the security guard. "This man has been keeping me from entering the building, treating me like some kind of intruder!""Are you serious?" The deputy manager asked."Why will I be standing here if not that he's blocking my way? I went on to explain myself to him, and he went on to threaten that he will kick me out." Danie
She stared at him from head to his shoes before saying, "Who are you to ask me who I am?" "I'm the security officer here. I need to know who you are, or rather, an identification, before you can enter the building."Daniella stopped abruptly. She couldn’t believe the words she had just heard. "Identification?" she repeated. "Do you even know who I am?" She asked, and the guard shook his head. "I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t. That’s why I need to see some ID or confirmation of an appointment before I can let you in. It’s standard protocol for security purposes.""Standard protocol? Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" Daniella asked. "Anyway, let me tell you who I am because it's obvious you don't know who is standing before you. My name is Daniella, Desmond's wife and soon-to-be ex-wife. But more importantly, I am the new potential CEO of this company. This building, this business, it will all be mine by tomorrow." Daniella finished, but the security guard’s expression didn'
Vanessa smiled faintly but didn’t respond immediately. She took another slow bite of fruit before speaking. "It’s been... hard. But I’m trying to stay positive. I just want to get better." "You will," Anabel assured her. "You are strong, Vanessa. And you have me and Sylvester here to take care of you. Just make sure you adhere to the doctor’s instructions and don’t push yourself too hard." Vanessa nodded again. "I will." For the next several minutes, Vanessa continued to eat the fruit salad slowly, pausing every so often to adjust her posture or to make it seem as though she was in discomfort. Once it was ten minutes, Vanessa slowly dropped the food and laid back on the bed. "Sorry, you will be fine." Sha said and gave Vanessa’s hand a gentle squeeze before turning to Sylvester. "I will be going now. Take good care of her," she said and turned to Vanessa. "Remember—no overdoing it. Rest as much as you can." "I will." Thank you for everything, Anabel." Vanessa replied.
Few minutes later, Anabel got to the hospital and made her way down the bright hospital hallway. She was carrying the fruit salad she had bought for Vanessa. She believed it was what she needed and that it would help her recover faster. It was a way of showing how concerned and how caring she was. The few staff members that saw her the other day were confused. Some were assuming she was the billionaire lady look-alike, while others were believing it was the same person. When she reached Vanessa's hospital room, she hesitated only briefly before pushing the door open. She had grown comfortable enough during her visits to skip knocking. Besides, she was her cousin's girlfriend. When she stepped into the room, the sight that greeted her made her pause in her tracks, her brow furrowing in confusion. Vanessa was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her legs were dangling loosely, and she looked more comfortable than she had expected from someone who had surgery the previous day. She wasn't
Anabel couldn't help but laugh at Daniella's words. "This is so funny. I didn't know you were a comedian.""What's funny about what I said now? You should be thanking me for informing you on time. You should be grateful to me for letting you know." Daniella said."I’m not sure where you are getting your ideas, Daniella, but let me make one thing clear. I don’t need Desmond in my life anymore. I've found a man who will be a better father to my unborn child. I'm even wondering why you left the man you snatched from someone. He's no longer taking good care of you?"Well, let me give you the full picture, since you are clearly out of the loop." Daniella began. "I never wanted to marry Desmond and live with him forever after. My intention was to marry and divorce him, then take half of his wealth, and it worked. I never loved him, and he's not even the father of my baby.""You must be joking.""I'm serious. I have a boyfriend, and he's the father. We just used Desmond, and soon, we will be