CHAPTER 26 About 2 years later… “Wow Mummy, you look so beautiful!” Liam complimented, his brown eyes widening with sparkle and excitement on seeing me. “Yes mummy, you are the most beautiful mummy and the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world!!” Lila added exaggeratingly in a carefree way, causing my cheeks to overheat with a blush as I walked down the stairs. Leaving my past life behind, I embraced a new look. I dyed my black hair a rich chestnut brown and reduced the length to my neck level. I dressed more sophisticated now, always in designers from hair to toe, looking like a modern-day goddess. My once parched and shrivelled skin is now glowing, smooth and creamy like silk, and my face is more beautiful than ever, with light but well-done makeup and a radiant smile that could melt hearts. People can’t believe I’m a single mother of two and not dating anyone when I tell them. Men, both rich and poor won’t stop asking me out. But after experiencing so much heartbrea
CHAPTER 27 With a serious yet light expression on my face, I sat in front of my laptop, crafting a pitch for a potential client regarding our company managing their advertising campaign when I noticed Noah peeping at me from the doorway. He thought I hadn’t noticed him but I did. “I see you, boss,” I said with a sly curl of my lips while still looking at my laptop screen and typing fervently. “I know it’s you. If you continue peeping at me like that, then I might not get this job done and I might also start charging you for spying,” I finished with a flash of playful grin to him. “I’m sorry,” he raised his hand in a playful surrender as he came out of his hiding place. “I can assure you it won’t happen again.” “That’s like the hundredth time you’ve said that,” I shot him a teasing glance, taking a sip of the coffee beside me before turning my full attention to him. “But apology accepted. Now, what can I do for you, boss?” “Is it just me or do you keep getting more bea
Chapter 28ROBERT’S POV“Please exercise a little more patience,” I said with an awkward smile to the client waiting. “She’ll be here any moment from now.”The client rolled her eyes away angrily, impatiently tapping her feet against the floor. She’d been waiting for almost an hour now. Anyone in her position will be angry. And she was a new client, the owner of a five-star restaurant with branches all over the country. The offer she made us was very good. I won’t want to lose it at all.Beads of sweat were forming on top of my brows and my tie suddenly felt like it was too tight around my neck, almost to the point of choking me. Glancing around nervously and restlessly, I loosened it a bit. I checked my wristwatch for the umpteenth time to see it was almost mid-day. This appointment was scheduled to take place in the morning to accommodate other appointments that will be coming later in the afternoon. We were running dangerously behind.“I will be back shortly,” I said to the client
Chapter 29ROBERT’S POV“Scarlett! Scarlett!! What are you doing?” I couldn’t believe the sight before me as I rushed in to intervene. The client was thrashing under Scarlett’s grip around her neck. Her eyes had become bulgy and her face red as she was gasping for breath.I managed to free her from Scarlett. I moved Scarlett away from her to the corner of the room. The client cradled her neck, coughing violently and trying to catch her breath.“You tried to kill me…” she said through laboured breath, her face only reddening more with fear and utter disbelief. “You all in this company are crazy!” Grabbing her handbag, she scurried out of the room.Returning my attention to Scarlett who was glowering in the direction the client left as if she wanted to chase after her, I scolded her harshly. “What has gotten into you? You almost killed our client…what if she presses charges?”“I couldn’t just sit back and watch her bad mouth the company like that,” she said, looking away defiantly.“Sh
CHAPTER 30LILY’S POVThe boardroom fell silent, tension hanging in the air like a heavy cloud. I could feel that almost everyone wanted to say something but was holding back as if something was stopping them.Noah remained calm and firm. “Cassandra, I understand you’re upset, but this decision is based on performance. Lily has consistently gone above and beyond.”“So you mean to say I haven’t gone above and beyond?” She used his words against him, making it seem like she was being treated unfairly. “You mean to say everyone in this room that deserved this promotion more than her hasn’t gone above and beyond? That we haven’t been putting in our best over the years.”“I didn’t say that…” Noah tried to say but Cassandra cut him off.“You didn’t have to say it for us to understand. Everyone here knows you have been all over her from the first day she stepped foot into this company. You think we haven’t noticed how you favour her more than anyone else in the company. I mean she didn’t ev
Chapter 31LILY’S POVI was momentarily rebuffed from what Miley said. Relocating to this part of the country, my only intentions were to start a new away from my ugly past and take care of my children. I didn’t want to be considered a threat to anybody neither did I want to make anybody feel angry or jealous.I always knew Noah had feelings for me, but I have always been beating around the bush with him, never giving in to the feelings. And I didn’t even know Cassandra liked him. The last thing I want is to fight over a man with another woman. That was what got me into the mess with Scarlett. Cassandra can have Noah for all I cared. I wasn’t interested in him. I wasn’t interested in falling in love again.“Poor thing,” Miley looked at me with a pitiful gaze. “Don’t feel bad. It’s not your fault Boss Noah likes you. I won’t blame him either. You’re very pretty. Any man will like you at first sight.”She reached across the table for my hands, trying to rub them and make me feel better
CHAPTER 32ROBERT’S POV“What confession are you talking about Frank?” My brows furrowed as I asked.He looked away in somewhat fear, hesitant to talk. I couldn't help but notice that colour had drained from his face and his eyes looked like they were on the verge of tears.Realizing I had to make him feel comfortable to open up to me, I stopped what I was doing and got up from my seat. I approached him like a father to a worried son and held him by the shoulder, reassuring him. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”He looked back at me but struggled to maintain eye contact and nodded slowly. Whatever was bothering him must be something very serious because, in his nine years of working here, I have never seen him like this. He was an important member of this company. I didn’t want anything that would derail and make him not give his best for the company.“So then talk to me,” I said gently as I came closer to him, trying my best not to put pressure. “Whatever the problem is, I
CHAPTER 33ROBERT’S POVWhen Frank mentioned Scarlett was behind this, I thought perhaps it was one of Lily’s schemes to get back at her and make me hate her for exposing her deeds now that she was probably out of prison. But that phone recording proved me wrong beyond measure. Now it was all making sense why Scarlett has been spending a lot and constantly asking for a raise in her salary lately. Once I came across her transferring a huge sum of money to an unknown bank account. When I asked her who it was for and the reason for it, she had lied, saying she was repaying a loan she borrowed from a friend years back. I didn’t make a big deal out of it because I loved and trusted her. Little did I know the money was for silencing Frank and keeping his betrayal hidden.As Frank’s voice broke with regret, the weight of his guilt was palpable, raw and unfiltered. His remorse was genuine, so deep that he might have even accepted death as penance. But none of it mattered now. The damage has