Chapter 74The call with Mum ended. I sat on the bed, sweating all over. Shawn really meant it when he said he’d wanted to make things right with Calista. How did he find my parents?Hell, I was overjoyed that Mum and Dad respected my boundaries and decided to check with me first. Things would have gotten sideways otherwise.I was one lucky goose. Damn.Too many things were simultaneously happening. I needed to offload. I couldn't take all of these in by myself anymore. Gabe, right. I was about to call Gabe.“Gabe.” I breathed immediately he picked up the call. I didn't know I sounded too restless until he mentioned it.“Did something go wrong?” He asked with a tone laced with worry.Well, things were wrong and weren't wrong at the same time. “Which do I tell you first?” I scratched my hair. “The good news or bad news?” “Argh.” Gabe groaned. “I hate that there's a bed news but let's have it first.”“Okay. Shawn found my parents. Mum just…” I couldn't finish before Gabe cut in.I coul
As Shawn told me something horrible had happened at the office, goosebumps attacked my pores. I spoke back into my own phone.“Jacob, what disaster?” I asked, tensed.However, the silence that answered back at me indicated that Jacob had hung up. Exasperated, I trembled, lost for what to do.“Why do you have that look? Who called you?” Shawn, who had already begun to get ready to go tend to his own crisis asked.Thankfully, I was naked. I headed to the bathroom. “It’s Jacob.”“Who is Jacob?”“The site’s supervisor. Said there’s a disaster.” “Oh, fuck. Not the site. You should go now.”“Yes. Isn't that what I'm doing?!” I hollered. I was getting paranoid.“Easy, easy,” Shawn whispered and waited for me to be done showering before doing so himself.I bet I didn't use up to a minute before stepping out of the shower. I used even less to get dressed. My hair was messy from all the overnight sex but I let it be. I drove like a mad woman to the site.On getting there, I found that the disa
SHAWN DONNELLY~~“Your office has been burglarized again, Mr. Donnelly.” Gina reported to him over the phone.Disappointment chewed at Shawn’s stomach. This meant only one thing; that Landers was the spy. Sunny’s smart plan involved him making up false information as he did. He didn't even tell Sunny what it was that he was going to say to Landers. He talked about the keys only in the presence of Landers too.As anger simmered within him, so did concern. Serenity also said there was a disaster at the site. What disaster? His mind was in disarray but he’d trust Serenity to handle the issue with the site. For now, he had to go confirm if Landers was indeed the spy.For some reason, this was making his heartache. Stepping out of the mansion, he found Landers waiting by his car, the usual respectful smile on his face. Now, Shawn knew that was a malicious one.“Good morning, Mr. Donnelly.” He greeted as usual.Shawn almost didn't reply but he didn't want to give the man a hint of what was
“Call the site. Inquire of of Ms. Fairchild. Her line is disconnected. Find out why.” He grimly instructed Gina over the phone.The technicians seemed to be done fixing the door. In came some maids, ready to clean the office. Things were all busy and tacky in his office. The air was dusty too.He’d rather just go home and go have that conversation with Sunny. But before then, he had to check up on Serenity and what went down at the site.“Good morning, sir.” The maids were all greeted before they commenced with the cleaning. Shawn waved at them, anticipating Gina’s call. When the desk phone rang, he picked it up immediately. “I’m listening.” He said.“Mr. Donnelly, the — site has been sabotaged.” Gina’s voice shook.What the?!No, no — not the site. That was the gravest of setbacks there could ever be. The launch had been globally announced. Nothing must get in the way of it.Shawn lunged out of the office and headed straight for the parking lot. Thankfully, Landers was waiting around
The two maids arrived shortly after. Shawn didn't waste time in throwing the question at them as sternly as he could. “Who came into my study apart from you two?”The two maids exchanged glances. That piqued Shawn’s annoyance the more. “Answer the damn question! Who did you give the keys to my study TO?!”“Sir, I do not know if this is what you mean but Ms. Fairchild said you asked for her to come get some books in here. I gave the keys to her yesterday while you were away.” Selene answered.If the girl had minced words, Shawn would have doubted the truthfulness of her words. “Serenity did what?!” He couldn't believe his ears.He never spoke to Serenity about his study before. Where did the lie about the books come from then? Why would Serenity lie anyway?His tone seemed to have shaken Selene as the poor girl quivered. “I — I thought… she said you wanted her to have the book as company since you were away and she was sick.” In a crying tone now, “I’m sorry, sir.” She pleaded.“What d
Landers' voice crackled over the phone. "M—Mr Donnelly? what's going on? Why are you firing me?"Shawn's eyes narrowed. "Don't play dumb, Landers. You know exactly what you did." He tapped on his desk.“No, I don't, sir!" Landers protested. "Tell me what I did wrong!"Even when he did wrong, he took accountability for his actions; Shawn thought. Landers was here trying to feign oblivion. Definitely won't work with him!“You work for Sinclair, Landers. How dare you?!," Shawn spat. "You're a traitor, just like Gina." He might as well hit the nail on the head.Landers gasped. "Gina? What are you talking about, Mr. Donnelly?”“Don't play coy with me," Shawn snarled. "I know you were both in on it. You lots are betrayals!”Landers stammered, "But — but why would we do that, sir? We've been serving you for years. If we worked for your opponents, I'm sure we would have caused you more harm for a very long time.”ARGH!This was only getting on Shawn’s nerves the more. How dare Landers try to
Too lost in thought, Shawn wasn't aware of his surroundings until it felt like the drive to the office was taking longer than usual.He glanced out the window and saw that they were not going in the direction of the company. His heart lurched.“Sunny, where are we going?" he asked.Sunny didn't answer.Shawn's eyes widened. "Sunny, what's going on?"His heart began to beat so fast that Shawn was convinced that it’d burst out of his rib cage soon. This couldn't be happening. Shawn's mind raced with fear and regret. He felt an overwhelming weight on his chest, thinking about all the bad things he’d done. Back when he was still a teenager and now when he was grown.Everything seemed to be catching up with him now. Oh, lord. Not Sunny too.His eyes met Sunny's through the rearview mirror, and there was a moment of epiphany. Shawn knew right there and then by the sinister glare in Sunny’s eyes that he had allowed himself to be played.“You are a fool, Shawn.” Sunny erupted a chuckle that s
CALISTA [SERRNITY]I saw that he wasn't anyone I knew. He was a complete stranger.“Who sent you?” I asked, ignoring his previous warning.He pressed on the trigger slightly but not enough to shoot me. That was more than enough of a warning I needed. I swallowed a lump down my throat as I struggled to drive the car further.He gave me directions until we arrived at a base near a secluded seaside that was locked in by bushes.“Move!” He tossed me further when I hesitated to enter the metallic door that led to God knows where.I groaned, clenching my fist. “Did Sinclair send you?”He didn't answer but continued to guide me on until we arrived at a huge collapsible door. My breath caught in my throat as I was unaware of the fate that awaited me inside.The man leading me on who had a scar on his cheekbone pushed me inside the dark basement or whatever the room behind the door was.The moment I stepped inside, the lights came on, revealing a motley crew of hooligans, all dressed rascally l
~~Two years later~~I could finally say that I had almost everything I ever desired In life. Love, children of my own, peace of mind after everything that happened in the past...it was all a dream come true.After Ava, I had another child, a son who we named 'Donald', after Shawn's grandfather. We'd been living life together, exploring all the hurdles that came with being young parents. But yet, something still felt missing....On a warm spring morning, I ate some toast, skimming through my phone. Ava was in school, while Donald was sleeping soundly upstairs. Shawn had gone to work, leaving me, the unemployed housewife here.It's been two years and I still didn't know what career path to chase. I had been so comfortable all these while cause Shawn kept assuring me I didn't need to work, but I didn't want to work simply because I wanted to help with finances. I wanted to work for me. As I scrolled through my phone, an ad suddenly popped up, showing a video done by some kids to sprea
Seven months after our honeymoon, it was finally time. The due date was here.I was currently in Shawn's room, his maids surrounding me and trying to get me to breathe. I bit my lips, struggling to hold in a scream that was going to come out any minute now.Just then, Shawn burst into the room, rushing to my side in an instant. "Doctor Ryan is close now. Hang on babe." Shawn parted my hair slightly, looking into my eyes as if trying to get me to stay. To not slip away.I shook my head repeatedly, trying to pull myself together. But then, I felt a sharp pain inside me, and I couldn't hold it in anymore."Ahhhhh!" I screamed, holding– or rather, squeezing– Shawn's arm for support. A maid came to face me, holding my hands gently."Ma'am, look at me. Look at me." She tried desperately to get my attention. When I finally managed to look at her, she took in a deep breath and then breathed out. "Take in deep breaths. And exhale." I nodded vigorously, before following her words. Breathe in,
Warning: Mature content ahead!Shawn's eyes bulged, as he looked at my face and then at my belly, and finally at my face again. He covered his mouth, his eyes beaming with pure joy and excitement."You- you're pregnant?" He repeated, placing a palm on my belly. I nodded in reply, my face flushing from all the excitement. "It's almost around two months gone now. I went to do a test two days ago but wanted to surprise you." I admitted, my gaze diverting away from his eyes. I was afraid he would get mad at me for keeping it away, but his reaction completely took me off guard.He drew me in for a hug, making sounds that further showed his excitement. It was almost like he was squealing. "And surprised I am." He whispered into my ears. "But next time though, maybe keep me involved with the delivery, okay?"I ended up giggling, nodding in agreement. "It's a deal."We finally broke the hug, as I looked into Shawn's eyes again, seeing the love in them. He seemed like he'd gotten a few years
After Gabe was arrested, Shawn and I decided to give it another month before we had another wedding. With that time, we were able to make the right preparations, as well as apologize to all our friends and family about the drama at the last wedding. It was necessary after the... traumatizing things they witnessed thanks to Sage. Speaking of Sage, she was paid off by Shawn, who also placed a warrant on her to never be within a hundred meters radius of either me or him. ..The wedding venue was nowhere else than our hometown...the place where it all began. It would be held on a beach, and this time, we'd decided to invite all our old high school classmates.At a hotel, which was about a twenty-minute drive away from the beach, I was getting ready for my wedding, with help from Brielle, Alice, and my whole bridal train. I was anxious, fidgeting constantly as Alice helped me with my make-up."Snugglebug, could you just relax for one second?" Alice groaned In mock annoyance when I move
The next day, I and Shawn set out to find Gabe. Reaching his house, it was obvious that he'd escaped, probably after hearing Brielle's announcement on the radio.I low-key felt bad that our trio had lost a friend, but it was for the best. Gabe needed to be stopped and held accountable.With help from a hesitant Sage, we were eventually able to find Gabe at an airport, about to book a flight. But we'd brought some police officers along and were ready for him."Gabe!" I called his name when I spotted him trying to enter a queue. He turned to find me, and when our eyes eventually met, I felt my heart stop. This man, someone I'd seen as one of my only friends, had tried to ruin my life... all because he wanted to get me for himself.While I was lost in my thoughts, Shawn pointed at Gabe, recognizing his face from some pictures I showed him."That's him, officers." His tone seemed to carry a mix of amusement and irritation, giving off a chilly vibe. He definitely wanted to get back at Gab
After minutes of hugging, I and Shawn finally let go of each other. His warm smile met my gaze, but I could see that his eyes were a bit swollen, likely from crying.I felt guilty seeing that, knowing I'd been willing to abandon him forever because I didn't trust him. But yet, he was still just glad to see me."Where did you even run off to?" Shawn finally asked, squinting his eyebrows in worry. But before I could begin explaining, he spoke again. "You know what? Never mind that. What matters now is that you're okay and you're here, in my arms."I smiled wryly, gripping his shoulders, subconsciously caressing them. I noticed that they'd gotten leaner, and I instantly knew why."Hey, how come you haven't been eating for a whole week? All because I was ignoring your calls?" I couldn't help but frown at the thought that he had starved himself because I was missing. Shawn chuckled awkwardly but tried to shift the subject. "So, you admit to ignoring my calls?" He pulled me closer, sniffi
It has been exactly one week since the unexpected turn of events on what was supposed to be my wedding day. Everyone had been worried, but I wasn't in the mood to pick up any of their calls, only sending a few texts assuring Alice and my parents that I was okay. I felt awkward talking to Brielle now, especially after what Gabe tried to do a few days back. I didn't go to work, I rarely stepped outside except at night to get some basic needs... my daily routine had become a depressing bore of me spending long hours on the couch watching TV. My mind was slipping away, I could feel it. The feeling of hopelessness, the finding peace in solitude and isolation while also feeling like the world had turned its back on me. I felt alone.Today, I went through some of the stuff that I'd managed to smuggle out of Gran Gran's place. Most of it was stuff from my college days, but some was also stuff that reminded me of Shawn. Amongst those things, was a videotape, containing clips of special mo
SERENITY FAIRCHILD {CALISTA}~~Everything had been going just fine. I had prepared in the mansion for my big day, with help from Brielle and my other bridesmaids. I'd driven to the church compound, entered the church, and received a reception like a princess, and then stood in front of my love, Shawn, waiting to become his wife.Until she showed up...Hearing this 'Sage's' allegations, I wanted to defend Shawn, I wanted to cling desperately to the hope that it was all a lie. But this bitch came prepared. "Oh, honey, I have proof," Sage had said with a sly smile on her face, pulling out her phone.At that point, my heart had begun pounding in my chest. Nothing could beat video evidence. When the painful clip of my so-called fiancee and Sage having sex played on the church's LED screen, I couldn't take it anymore.I ran off the altar, ignoring Shawn's pleading voice and the pitiful gazes from the congregation on me. I felt my breath cease and my heart felt like I was suffocating. Bef
It all felt like a bad dream. Shawn watched as Sage got closer to the altar, a mocking look on her face. "So, this is Serenity Fairchild." She had her eyes on Serenity. "Or, should I say 'Calista Whitaker '?"Shawn clenched his fists, trying to quell the anger boiling inside him. He looked at Serenity, watching her eyebrows contort into a frown. She turned her gaze to him now, "Shawn, who's this?" Shawn felt his mouth quivering, as he struggled to come up with a perfect way to explain all this. However, Sage beat him to it."I must say, after spending that night with me, I was quite surprised that you didn't try to reach out." Sage feigned a dejected look. The woman deserved an Oscar.Shawn glanced to see Serenity's reaction and watched as her face turned pale. But then, she took in a deep breath, as she faced Sage with renewed confidence.“Excuse me, but who are you? And what do you mean you 'spent a night with Shawn'?” Her voice was oddly calm and calculative, but laced with an u