CARLTON’S POV It's been three days since my encounter with Dahlia at the hospital. She still asks about Andre's health and I admire her for being so invested in his well being, something his own mother can never do. But that's about it. She has no interest in reiterating the conversation we were having that day and I respect that. It's a sensitive topic for her and I will be as patient as I can be. My patience seems to be wearing out as I stare at her while she assesses the beet roots on the shelves. We are at a raw food materials store. It's one of our events to prepare for the physical classes. After this we will converge at the front of the store to take pictures. So far everything has been going well except the constant urge to speak to Dahlia. Ever since the day at the hospital, I keep getting intrigued by her. The little things she does, how her fingers gently caress the fruits, how her lips curve into a slight smile as she assesses vegetables. She must really like the thin
DAHLIA'S POV Again, Carlton has said something to implicate himself and me in the presence of Marigold. I should be elated but I don't feel like having a back and forth with Marigold. The look in her eyes shows that she wants to engage in a fight and any moment from now she'd have an outburst because of my presence here. My kids are here and the last thing I want to do is fight with Marigold in front of them. The last time that happened, it didn't end well for me. I'm not about to repeat it. So before Marigold can utter a word, I excuse myself from the situation. “I can see now is not a good time, we’ll just go.”I hold my kids by their hands and turn around to leave but Carlton stops me. He's suddenly beside me and his hands are on mine, holding me back. My eyes open in shock because of his actions. I don't know if he's trying to get Marigold infuriated because it's working. The look in her eyes shows that she could kill me right now. Her eyes are fixated on the contact betw
CARLTON’S POV Dahlia is probably the mother Andre wishes for. And I know that's an awful thing to say, but I've never seen react around any woman the way he does with her. He lets her speak, he listens to her and obeys her. Like Father, like son right?He sees something in her just like I do. I am still in awe at how Dahlia's kids were able to get Andre to laugh. I haven't seen my son laugh in months. And that speaks volumes. Am I a bad parent? Am I going about everything wrong?I'd have to get a parenting manual from Dahlia because how does she do that? Her kids bring a certain kind of joy with them that is just contagious, and Andre is no exception. When they live it always feels like the mood has been dulled, or the atmosphere is suddenly gloomy. Again, Andre is no exception, because since they left he has been salty and bitter. He went back to being the Andre that I'm used to but in a more intense level. I took everything in me to not call Dahlia and plead with her to bri
DAHLIA'S POV I am in the kitchen, making dinner, when Carlton's call comes in. It was shocking at first, why would Carlton call me by this time. Why would he even call me at all? As far as I know we've finalized all our plans for our classes. Except he has some new ideas, there's no reason for him to call me. I contemplated between answering the call or not. I was reluctant to answer it, especially since I didn't want to be caught off guard with what his reason might me. I did tell him about his mom's investigation. What if he's calling because she found something and he wants to query me. I let the phone ring for a while, weighing my options. It will be suspicious if I don't pick and I do have to go to work so whatever it is, he'll still find a way to ask me. Taking a deep breath, I swiped on call and put the phone to my ear. To my surprise, Carlton asked to speak with my kids for the sake of Andre. I was both relieved and agitated at the same time. But my kids will be sp
DAHLIA'S POV Why does Tristan have a picture of me when I was pregnant? He did say he kept tabs on me while I was in jail. But why is he showing me this? Did something happen?“Where did you get these?” I ask, picking up the pictures to examine them. I don't know what to think. Yes, these are pictures of my very pregnant self but why would anyone want these, let alone Tristan. “I got them from the investigator, Mrs. Stewart hired” He says with a satisfied look on his face. If only he knows how much he's comment is making me panic. My palms get sweaty and the pictures feels sticky on my hands. I drop them back on the counter and wipe my hands on my dress. “Wh…why would she want it? What is she doing with it?” I am stammering now. I stammer when I'm nervous or anxious just like every other person and Tristan notices. “Relax Dahlia. Remember I told you she was investigating your kids?”“Oh my God,” I gasp, interrupting him. That sneaky woman. Why can't she just let me be? “I int
DAHLIA'S POV Carlton and I get down from his car and make our way to the restaurant. I received the text if the address 30 minutes ago from Mrs. Stewart. The moment in the car was a bit awkward since none of us uttered a word. So I used that moment to check out the restaurant online. I mean, the woman could have arranged for us to meet a cafe, or Starbucks. But a Michelin star restaurant? I almost scared of what she wants to say now. What's the point of meeting a fancy restaurant like that? Well, Mrs. Stewart has always been one to flaunt her money so I'm not surprised. The exterior of the restaurant gives off an old 90’s vibe. As we move closer I can see the extravagant and expensive cars parked in the restaurants own car park. Valets are everywhere catching tossed keys and all. This looks like a restaurant for extremely wealthy people and from the look of things ngs not many people are inside. I mean, it's not a restaurant that just anybody can afford. We reach the
CARLTON'S POV The sound of sirens blaring seems all too familiar to me. I've been here one to many times, but now it's for a different purpose. A different person. I had received a call from my Father, he was breathing heavily and when he finally spoke, he said something no child will ever want to hear. “Your mom got into an accident, we are at the hospital,” he had said. It felt like my whole world was crumbling. Dahlia insisted on following, and frankly I wanted her too, I need her support, emotionally and physically. Dad didn't explain the nature of the accident. So I'm just panicking because I don't know if it's mild or chronic. Dahlia and I run quickly through the door of the hospital, passing my a few patients who are being rolled in with stretchers. I scan the room looking for any medical personnel I can find. Thankfully I see a doctor in scrubs and I quickly rush to him, with Dahlia following me every step of the way. “Mrs. Stewart, what room is she admitted in?” I a
DAHLIA'S POV My legs hurt, and they are giving in. I can feel the pain everywhere. If I don't stop now, I'll collapse. But I can't. I keep running, away from everything, away from my past. Why did I think things would change? I will always get blamed, I will always be the bad person. They will never accept me. Soon my feelings transit from hurt and pain to anger and frustration. I know I despised them for what they did to me in the past. But deep down I thought things would be different. But I was wrong. I can't keep running anymore, I stop by the reception and look around at all the commotions. My thoughts are all over the place I can't stay here. I push through a door and I continue running down a quiet passageway. After a while my legs give in and I fall to the floor. Then the tears come pouring down like a flood. I don't wipe them, I just let them fall, to remind me of this day and why I need to get my revenge on that family. Even after all these years they still hurt m
Carlton “How could you Marigold? How could you be so devilish to pull up such a stunt on me and dahlia?!” I vibrates with visible rage radiating all around me. Right now we are back at my mansion. Andre is upstairs in his room as I’ve instructed him to do so before I began lashing out on marigold. After Tristan explained all that had transpired in Marigold’s party leading on to how the table turned, I had been in shock. Honestly, I know marigold is capable of the worst things but guess I have underrated her way too much. I could never imagine that her obsessive insecurity over dahlia would ever push her to framing dahlia up to get her sex tape and spread all over the net. She even involved me! Her husband. I’m seriously blowing off steams and I can’t control my fucking temper. It’s taking my will power to restrain myself from slapping marigold. “You caused it Carlton!” Marigold dares to yells back at me. Her eyes glistening with aggressive tears. Anyone who walks in now would th
Carlton’s pov “The hell was that for?” That’s marigold. Her voice booms the whole place as I approaches the place that slapped just came from. And turns out in the kitchen area. I burst into it and I meet the ugly scenerio of my mother and marigold in a heated fight. With the way marigold is rubbing her reddish cheek, difinately she’s the one that just received the slap from my mother. I release a sigh of frustration. “What exactly is going on here?” I asks and that’s when they apparently notices my presence. “What does it matter? You would definitely take your mother’s sides anyways!” Marigold yelled as she speaks first, undiluted anger brewing all over her. “Carlton good thing you are here. It’s high time you come back to your senses and realize the kind of snake you are married to!” “What happened?” I groan, honestly not in the mood to accommodate their banter. “Do you know your wife was telling someone over the phone that she’s going to steal from the company’s funds?” M
Carlton’s pov “The hell was that for?” That’s marigold. Her voice booms the whole place as I approaches the place that slapped just came from. And turns out it’s the kitchen area. I burst into it and I meet the ugly scenerio of my mother and marigold in a heated fight. With the way marigold is rubbing her reddish cheek, difinately she’s the one that just received the slap from my mother. I release a sigh of frustration. “What exactly is going on here?” I asks and that’s when they apparently notices my presence. “What does it matter? You would definitely take your mother’s sides anyways!” Marigold yelled as she speaks first, undiluted anger brewing all over her. “Carlton good thing you are here. It’s high time you come back to your senses and realize the kind of snake you are married to!” “What happened?” I groan, honestly not in the mood to accommodate their banter. “Do you know your wife was telling someone over the phone that she’s going to steal from the company’s funds?”
Dahlia POV, I’ve been a panicking mess right from the moment I enters the guest room with Carlton. More like I rushed in. Grayson’s condition had heightened. The coughing stopped while I was carrying him up but his body is all swollen, red and his body temperature is burning like hot coals. I can’t even recognize his face as I lay him on the bed… he’s barely breathing. Gosh, Grayson is barely breathing. And the worst part is that I don’t know what the hell is happening to him. “I think it’s an allergy reaction dahlia. Stop panicking. He would be fine.” Carlton had been trying to pacify me since the past few seconds but nothing he’s saying had made any sense to me. I’m busy touching different parts of Grayson’s body, my hands trembling and fear taking the major part of my heart. Thankfully It doesn’t take long before Mrs. Stewart arrive in the room with a nurse. I stands up from the bed immediately paving way for the nurse to attend to Grayson. As the nurse checks out Grayson’s
Dahlia’s POV, Sunny was discharged from the hospital in the evening. Perfect time for Tristian as he is serious about escorting me to the Stewart’s Mansion. When we returned to the house with sunny, we and the kids got prepared and zoomed off to the Stewarts villa. We are walking into the mansion and as we gets in, I bump into someone who seem to be angrily storming out. Marigold. “The hell!” She barks, Anger marring her face. I don’t respond to her before my kids shrilling voices booms the whole place. They all chorus Andre’s name as they gleefully runs towards him. Andre Is watching the tv with his grand father Mr. Stewart. The whole mansion is actually bustling with life. the tv sounds filling the place. Carlton and Mrs Stewart are setting up the table and for some reasons marigold was storming out. But our presence brings everything to a halt. Everyone makes different reactions, starting with marigold who just yelled at me, raw anger radiating around her. Everyone els
Marigold’s POV, After a long and quiet drive, we finally arrived at the Stewart’s compound. As soon as Carlton pulls over, he vacates the car like he’s being pursued. He walks to the back and opens the car for Andre to step out. I’m pretty sure his next move is to proceed to the mansion without me. Which he actually try to but I don’t let him. Slamming the door open, I also steps out and catches up with him. We end up walking side by side, obvious indignation radiant all around him but I cared less.When we arrives at the mansion, Andre first shocks me with his instant switching of mood. He had been so moody and annoyed throughout the drive down but the moment he sees Mr. and Mrs. Stewarts, he squeals gleefully like a siren and ran towards them. More like he runs towards Mr. Stewart who’s on the couch reading news paper. “Grandpa!!!” Is what he screams as he runs off to him and Mr. Stewart immediately drops his papers to receive him. “My boy!” He mused, taking Andre into his ar
Marigold pov ‘Dear Mrs. Stewart, this is a reminder that New Dimension Academy’s kids BOOTCAMP is in Four days time. Please we employ you to make the necessary preparations for your kids as it is a parents - kids BOOTCAMP.’After reading the message from my phone, the anger I’m already feeling intensifies. Scoffing, I angrily flings the phone to the couch. “Really now!” I snaps out. “What’s wrong?” Chloe inquires as my other friends who’ve been keenly watching me has curiosity on their faces. “It’s nothing important… It’s Andre’s school sending a reminder of their bootcamp or whatever nonsense!” I lash and takes one gulp from the glass of liquor in my grip. I’m presently in a bar with my all three friends. Last night when I left home, I headed straight to Chloe’s house solely because I was completely loosing it. I either needed money urgently or an idea on how to raise such an amount in couple of hours. But unfortunately I got absolutely nothing tangible from Chloe other tha
Dahlia’s POV, My kids did a great job cheering sunny up for the rest part of the morning. Griffin, the last of my Quadruplets wrote an heart warming letter for sunny which he read out loud to her. Dear Aunt Sunny,Hi!Don't be sad anymore, okay? You're the best Aunt Sunny in the whole wide world! I love you so, so much! You're the loveliest person in the world, and nobody should ever make you think you're not. You're super beautiful, inside and out!Don't be sad, Aunt Sunny. You're amazing, and I love you more than ice cream!With Love,Griffin. After reading the letter, sunny was moved to tear up. She purs like a kid and give griffin a very big hug. Gianna showed a painting to sunny which she had been sketching for days. It’s the portrait of a very pretty woman who has her hair adored with flowers. A big heart symbol is etched on her chest. Gianna named the lady Aunt sunny and presented it to her. Sunny was now reeling with amusement and she’s grinning from ear to ear as she obs
Dahlia’s POV,—Next morning—It’s weekend Today which means the kids are all at home causing a ruckus as usual. And me, I have no schedules for today. Neither with Carlton or anyone else. When I woke up this morning, I had prepared to a host of scolding to pour on sunny for getting drunk last night but reverse became the case when I walked in on her to meet a gloomy version of her. It was so unlikely for sunny to be in stuck in her room, not joining me to prepare breakfast nor eating with me and my kids. I had thought she couldn’t wake up due to the hangover, but I walk into the room, I’m stunned to meet her sobbing. Another heartbreak? That was My first assumption but After series of persuasion, she finally opened up the me the reason why she ended up in some bar to drown herself in Alcohol. “Am I a horrible person?” She started, sniffling as I’m sitting beside her on her bed. Her eyes is so red, huge bags under her eyes and her face horribly puffy. Evidence that she had cried so