Author's pov Charlotte left the kitchen, still wearing the apron Tyler had given her, and made her way to the sitting room to open the door for Ava. As soon as Ava heard the key turning in the lock, she stopped knocking, and Charlotte was the one who grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. "Welcome, Ava," Charlotte greeted her with a light embrace. "Did you see your mom?" she asked. "No, but we talked on the phone. By the time I arrived at my grandparents' house, she had already left. But we had a conversation, and I felt somewhat satisfied with what she told me." Ava spoke impulsively, raising her voice as she noticed they were taking a while to stand in the sitting room. "I thought you were cooking. Won't it burn? Let's go to the kitchen." Unknowingly to Ava, her dad was the one cooking. They left the sitting room and headed to the kitchen. As soon as they entered, Ava was taken aback to see her dad wearing an apron and staring at something in the frying pan. "What? Dad?
Author's pov On the same day, Brenda visited her friend Danielle at noon. Luke drove his car and stopped in front of a bar. Still inside his car, he took out his phone and called Aiden, his closest friend. He was wearing strip sleeves and dark eyeglasses. "Hi Aiden, where are you?" Luke asked. "I'm already at the bar, talking to one of the female bartenders. Where are you?" Aiden replied. "I'm about to get out of my car." "Okay, I'm waiting," Aiden responded. As Luke stopped in front of the bar, a security guard assumed he didn't know where to park and approached his car. The uniformed man pointed to an available parking spot, indicating that Luke could park there. Luke followed the directions, parked his car, and got out. "Thanks!" Luke waved his right hand at the security guard and entered the bar. A few seconds later, he found Aiden. "Aiden..."Aiden turned and they shook hands. Aiden was already engrossed in a deep conversation with someone. "When are you closing?"
Charlotte's pov The moment I saw the message on the dating app saying, "Dear Susan, we apologize..." I immediately closed it. I knew something had gone terribly wrong. Those weren't the words they used in their initial message to me. Then It said, "Dear Susan, congratulations..." Changing "congratulations" to "apologies" indicated that there was a major twist from what I was expecting. My mind was flooded with thoughts. Did they reject my application? What went wrong? Did they pair me with an older man despite me specifying the serial number of the man I had initially met? Why did they break my heart? Does this mean I can't travel anymore? I couldn't just leave the dining table or retreat to my room while Ava and Tyler were waiting for me. However, I didn't want to read the message at the table. I didn't know how I would react. The message from the dating app felt like a romantic message from someone I deeply loved. Its content would have a profound impact on me, both emotionall
Tyler's pov "Dad, you look so excited. What's going on?" Ava asked me after Charlotte had left the dining table, teasing me playfully. How could I not be happy when I was about to meet someone so intriguing? All I needed to do was open the message still on my phone. I purposely postponed reading it because I was afraid it would overwhelm me with emotions. And the thought of it seemed like the day I would finally meet that beautiful young lady. "Dad, you haven't answered my question. You seem really happy. Don't tell me it's because Mum has left home?" Ava asked. "No, no, no," I shook my head and I didn't want to give that impression. "Then why are you so happy?" "If I told you, you wouldn't believe it," I replied. "Tell me, I want to know." She stopped eating and focused on me. "I'm happy because the meal I cooked turned out delicious and was well-received. I hope you know that if your mum were here, she wouldn't appreciate my effort. You know how she reacts to anything
Tyler's pov "Dad?" Ava called my name again, and this time I immediately held Charlotte's hand and asked, "Charlotte, are you feeling alright?"However, there was a noticeable difference in how I felt when I touched Charlotte's hand with Ava around and when Ava wasn't present. I didn't experience the same sensations as before. "She's perfectly fine. I know what's wrong with her," Ava said. "What's wrong with her?" I turned to face Ava, hoping she would give me some insight. "Don't worry, Dad," she replied, and to my surprise, both Charlotte and Ava burst into laughter. "What's going on?" I asked, and Ava responded, "Dad, it's a little secret between me and Charlotte. Don't worry. She'll be fine when we go out and come back late, or maybe by tomorrow morning." "You ladies and your secrets," I said, and they laughed again. "Charlotte, get up," Ava said, and in my presence, she held a dress on herself and she said, "You really need to try on this dress and see how it
Charlotte's pov Did he say I should come inside or should I wait a minute? That question kept bothering me. What will he think of me? I barged into his privacy and even caught a glimpse of his naked body before he quickly grabbed his towel and started apologizing. But why was he apologizing to me? It was my fault for not listening carefully and entering his room while he was getting dressed. I almost turned back, but he called me back. "Charlotte, where are you going?" he said. It's been over thirty minutes since I left Tyler's room, and all those events keep replaying in my mind. When he told me to come inside and not to leave the room, I froze, feeling like I had been struck by lightning. This wasn't what I expected, and I can't tell Ava what I saw. He could see that I felt guilty, and he didn't know how to help me. All he could do was come closer to me and give me a hug. I think he believed that his embrace could bring me comfort. It's all my fault. I should have listened
Charlotte's pov It's been about ten to fifteen minutes since we left the bar, and Ava has been giving me the silent treatment ever since we got into her car. It's clear that she's angry with me. We had a small argument before getting in the car, and once she started driving, she remained silent even when I tried to start a conversation. This wasn't how Ava had planned our night at the bar to go. She had wanted me to have a one-night stand as a way to get over my crush on Harry. But it wasn't my fault. It was the six men who approached me, showing interest from the beginning, only to leave without coming back after a few minutes. Deep down, I was actually relieved they left because my crush happened to be my best friend's dad, someone I couldn't even mention, or let Ava know about. After driving for another ten minutes or so, I felt that the silence in the car wasn't healthy, and I knew I had to change the situation. I tried and turned my face towards her face, but she purposely tu
Author's pov It was Saturday morning, and Danielle and Luke were lying on the bed, covered by a white blanket from their chests to their feet, and both were facing each other. "Stop! Stop!! Stop tickling me," she laughed. The blanket made it hard to see where Luke was actually touching her until Danielle said, "Is this how you used to tickle your ex?" She looked at Luke's face and waited for his response. "No, she never allowed me this kind of freedom with her body, and I hated that." "What's one thing I could do to signal the end of this relationship?" "Hmmm..." Luke shifted his legs and head. "I'm waiting," Danielle used her left hand to stroke his beard. "Depriving me of touching you when I want to?" "Wait a minute, can't you go without sex for a few days? What if I have to travel? Can I rely on you? Don't act like you'll die without it." "I won't die, but please, don't do it." He smiled at her. "What's the worst thing you hate, the one thing you don't want y
Author’s pov Taylor was very anxious and he was very uncomfortable as things were going. This wasn't what he and Gabriel and the nurse they had already paid had planned. The high ranking doctor wasn't around and no one could administer any drug to Larisa without his approval. When the time was 4pm, Taylor took Gabriel for the third time and they went out. “What's happening? I'm running out of patience. This is not what we planned. Larisa and the baby are doing fine. What are you waiting for?” “I don't think we can do anything now. I guess it will be tomorrow.” “Tomorrow? I overheard the doctor saying that she is strong and she can go home tomorrow. Is this what we planned?” Taylor asked. “Why can't we give her the drug in your house? It will be very easy that time. The nurse we are using will be the one to administer it.” “I am getting the feeling that something is going wrong somewhere.” Taylor said. “Don't have that thinking.” “Why will I not have that thinking? This
Author's pov It’s now nine months later and Larisa had started sensing the sign of giving birth and it started very early in the morning. Then Dylan got up from the bed. “We need to go back to your city.” “Then call your brother that we are coming.”Dylan immediately called Taylor and informed him of their coming. Before now, Taylor had begged Dylan to bring Larisa so that he could sign the birth certificate after she delivers. About two hours after Taylor had finished talking to Dylan, he quickly called Gabriel's phone number."HelloGabriel, the time has come. Larisa is finally coming, but there is a littleproblem." "What's the problem?" Gabriel askedas he sensed Taylor's panic. "I guess Larisa is in labor." "How do you know?" Gabriel asked. "Dylan called me and told me to collect to the airport with an ambulance. It's obvious. What if she gives birth at the plane or airport? Larisa has killed me. The thought out plan is about to be ruined." Taylor and his friend,
Larisa's pov Why wouldn't I continue to love Dylan? Initially, I had my doubts about whether he would accept what I had to tell him. Deep down, it was a test, and he didn't know that I was about to judge him based on his response. From what I gathered from Dylan's parents, he didn't like visiting his hometown. And after he shared with me what Taylor had done to him, I understood why he rarely went there. But because of the love he had for me, he had decided to accompany me to Taylor's house when it’s due for me to give birth. I still remember when Dylan took his phone and called Taylor, saying, "Hi Taylor, I have seen Larisa..." "That's wonderful," Taylor sounded genuinely excited, and Dylan put his phone on speaker mode so that I could hear their conversation clearly. "But she mentioned something that makes it difficult for her to come." "What's that?" Taylor asked eagerly. "She said she can't come alone to your house. Why is she so afraid? Have you ever hit her whe
Larisa’s pov It's been eight hours since Dylan told me about his relationship with Tessy. Now I understand why Dylan hesitated to pursue me, even though he had feelings for me. He was afraid it would seem like payback if he chose me. I can see his concerns clearly. It doesn't mean he doesn't love me, but it would appear calculated and vengeful. If I were the judge in his case with Taylor, I would say Taylor deserves the payback. Why would he act so wickedly? Jealousy! But it's not anyone's fault if he couldn't treat a woman well. Right now, I can't stay with Taylor anymore. It's like those girls he dated who ended the relationship and ran away. It also justifies my decision to escape from his manipulative hostility. As I continued to reflect on every word Dylan said and compared it to his and Taylor's past, I noticed a clear contrast. I couldn't sit on my bed any longer, analyzing my thoughts. My feet urged me to move around the house. Dylan had left for an important appointment,
Dyan’s pov The next day, by coincidence, I called Tessy in the morning and asked her to come to my place at 5 pm. This happened without Taylor's knowledge. However, it sparked Tessy's desire to meet Taylor at the bar at 4 pm, and she kept it a secret from me.At 3:30 pm, Taylor got ready, took a shower, and dressed nicely. As he was about to leave the house, I jokingly said, "Looks like you found someone new." He smiled at me and left in his car. Our dad was wealthy and made sure we had everything we needed.Because Tessy was eager, she arrived at Keans bar before Taylor, who was driving. Taylor called Tessy from his car, asking, "Where are you?" "I'm already inside the bar," she replied. "Please come out," he said when he spotted someone he knew, and that person also knew Tessy as my girlfriend.Tessy came out, wearing a brown dress with black dots on the front. When she saw Taylor's car, she walked closer to it. "Get inside. Come inside," he said quickly, opening the car doo
Dylan’s pov "Quit being envious of what your brother has..." These were the words spoken by my mother when Taylor and I were still very young. She was talking to Taylor, and as a mother, she had noticed our contrasting personalities. She observed that whatever belonged to me always caught Taylor's attention. Taylor was never content with his own possessions and often neglected to take care of them. When we were kids, Taylor had a strong, muscular physique, which gave him an advantage over me when it came to forcefully claiming ownership. In the absence of our parents, he would become domineering, and I would quickly give up what was mine to avoid any physical confrontation. At first, I thought this was normal, but as we entered our teenage years, I realized it was escalating. It felt like I was living in bondage, where the only way to escape was by willingly giving away what was rightfully mine. When our parents were around, he would behave appropriately, and everything I had woul
Author's pov "It's not about whether I read the text, but it's the content of the text and the urgency to talk to you. She called you ten times. I saw her myself. I was the one who opened the door for her when she came to your parents' house when your mom invited me. Your mum even wanted us to get to know each other. She introduced her as your girlfriend and introduced me as Taylor's girlfriend." Larisa paused and looked at Dylan. "Aren't you going to say anything?" she asked. "You've been the one talking," he responded. "Okay, let me ask you the question again. Who is Tessy?"Dylan let out a big sigh and tried to stomp his foot on the floor. "My love, this isn't the right time to tell you about her. It's too early. It's only the second day of your stay here..." "Are you hiding something from me? Don't you know that as women, we don't like secrets in a relationship? We want to know everything about our partner. It gives us a sense of security. Let's be honest with each oth
Author’s pov Dylan was still taken aback by Taylor's sudden appearance and didn't have a moment to go inside and inform Larisa. He tried to gather himself and opened the door, allowing Taylor to enter, assuming Larisa hadn't heard them. "How did you manage to get to New York so early?" Dylan kept his gaze fixed on Taylor as he took a seat on the chair to the right. "Excuse me, let me change my clothes," Dylan quickly said, leaving the living room and heading inside, where he spotted Larisa standing near the door, eavesdropping. "How did he find out I was in New York?" Larisa whispered, her voice hushed. "I don't know, he must have taken the night flight. Stay calm, stay here. Let me go and talk to him. I came here to inform you," Dylan replied, forgetting to change out of his nightwear. His primary intention was to let Larisa know that his brother was around, unaware that she had overheard their conversation.When Dylan returned to the living room, still clad in his nightgow
Larisa’s pov There's no greater feeling than knowing that the mission you're about to take will lead you to see the most enchanting person in your life. That's exactly how I felt when I left Taylor's parents' house, pretending I was going to a nearby grocery store to pick up a few things. The escape was smooth, and neither Tyler nor Charlotte suspected a thing. They trusted me and didn't feel the need to accompany me. What should have been just an hour or two journey took me far away. Dyan had already booked a flight for me. All I had to do was leave the house and make my way to the airport. It was as simple as that. Out of love and affection, I left my clothes and bag behind, not wanting to leave any traces of my departure. What can compare to the bliss of love and laughter? Nothing! Not even the expensive clothes Taylor bought for me. Material possessions can be replaced anytime, but my love for Dyan is irreplaceable. There's nothing sweeter than being forgiven by someone you de