For the last five years, laughter has echoed in the Farwell mansion and tonight is no different.
At the center of the room, Sherah and Ethan Farwell, a perfect couple in the eyes of many, moved in perfect harmony.
The delicate sound of classical music filled the air, the melody weaving a spell that seemed to halt time itself. Sherah, the lady of the house, was radiant in her white silk pajamas, the fabric shimmering in the chandelier’s glow with each graceful turn.
Her husband, Ethan, looks dashing, with his perfect smile, brown eyes, and dark brown hair, clad in a tailored suit that emphasizes his strong frame. He held her close. His movements were fluid, his touch tender yet confident.
Their eyes met, and the world beyond the mansion faded into insignificance. Ethan’s hand rested lightly on Sherah's back, guiding her effortlessly across the floor. Her fingers curled around his shoulder, their connection intimate and unspoken.
Though their dance seemed choreographed by years of practice, it felt vibrant and fresh, each step a renewed declaration of love.
As the music swelled, Ethan spun Sherah, her soft chuckles mingling with the notes—a more precious melody than the classical piece. The chandeliers caught the shimmering waves of her long dark hair, making her seem almost ethereal.
When he drew her back into his arms, she rested her head against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat aligning perfectly with the waltz’s tempo.
The grandeur of the room seemed to fade into the background, a mere stage for the couple’s connection. Velvet drapes, gilded mirrors, and lush floral arrangements became silent witnesses to a love that required no adornment.
As the final notes of the melody faded, they slowed their steps, lingering in the serene silence that followed.
Ethan brushed a loose strand of hair from Sherah’s cheek, his voice low and tender. “You make everything special,” he murmured. “Even waiting for my tremendously late driver seems magical. Without you beside me, I'd be frustrated and yelling now.” He whispered in her ear.
Sherah smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling and filled with admiration. “And you make me the happiest wife in the world,” she replied, resting her head once more against his chest.
She feels like she is in a dream.
Their moment was interrupted by the blaring honk of a car. Ethan sighed, his arms tightening around her. “My ride’s here,” he said, his voice tinged with disappointment.
Sherah giggled. “Do you really have to go?” she asked in a sultry voice, her fingers drawing lazy circles on his chest.
Ethan laughed, leaning close until their noses touched. “Don’t use that voice on me, Mrs. Farwell,” he teased. “I might miss my flight.”
She pouted playfully. “Can’t you send Noel instead?”
“I wish I could, darling, but it's an important business trip,” he replied while planting a soft kiss on her nose. “Go to sleep, and I’ll call you when I land.” He suggested as he made his way to the door.
Sherah waved him goodbye as he left, but the moment Ethan entered the backseat of the waiting car, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by a shadow of guilt as his phone continuously buzzed with messages.
He stared at the messages and sighed deeply. The guilt began to fade, replaced by a fluttering excitement he hadn’t felt in years.
-Can't wait to see you again- he replied to the mountain of messages he received. Lips curled up in glee and anticipation.
When Sherah saw the car speed away, she returned to her knitting, crafting gloves for Ethan’s upcoming birthday.
Hours turned to a day, and Ethan’s promised call never came. Concerned, she tried his number, only to find it switched off. Worry gnawed at her, but she reassured herself that he had likely arrived safely in Australia.
She continued with her day and soon a call from Ethan came. “Hello, darling!” she answered, relief flooding her voice.
Ethan’s tone was apologetic. “Hey, sorry. I didn’t call. I fell asleep.” He explains while caressing the back of his neck with unease.
“It’s okay,” Sherah said with a soft voice. “Have you eaten? What time is it there?”
Before he could answer, a familiar female voice echoed faintly in the background. Soon, the call abruptly ended. Moments later, a text arrived: -In a meeting. I’ll call you later.-
Sherah's brows furrowed. The incident passed through her mind like a dark cloud, but she chose to brush it off.
Two days passed before Ethan returned, but something was different. He seemed distant, his warmth replaced by a cold detachment.
He goes to work early and arrives late. It is as if he is avoiding her.
But Sherah ignored it, attributing it to stress from work. Hoping to lift his spirits, she decided to prepare his favorite seafood Paella, and surprise him at work.
With glee on her face, she went to the supermarket and bought all the ingredients she needed.
Clueless that the moment she got out of her car she was marked and targeted.
In an hour, she was wheeling her shopping cart out of the supermarket’s open parking lot when she abruptly encountered a group of masked men.
“Give us your bag and car keys.” The man demanded as the other two men inched closer to her.
She swiveled her head as if searching for help, but there were no other people in the area.
Her eyes flickered in fear as she stepped back till her back collided with her car. “Please don’t hurt me,” she pleaded as she handed her bag.
The leader took it and touched her face, “Aren’t you too cute with those pretty eyes of yours,” he smirked, showing his yellow nicotine-stained teeth.
Fear gripped her when the man turned violent, held her tightly at the waist, and aimed a knife at her arm.
“Why don’t we drive for a bit and have a good time together?” he uttered maliciously while blowing air on her skin.
Startled, she yelled in disgust. Fortunately for her, a man heard her scream.
“Hey!” A man walking his dog yelled, his voice so dominating that the masked men were startled by his presence.
Sherah took advantage of it and pushed the man holding her, almost getting her arm cut in the process.
The bystander then released his dog, a huge German Shepard.
It barked loudly, sharp fangs gritting with pure hostility and easily driving the attackers away.
Shaken but unharmed, Sherah walked to the man. “T… thank you so much, sir.” She said stutteringly.
Her cheeks reddened and tears at the edge of her eyes.
“Are you okay, miss?” The man asks while checking her for injuries.
She nodded. “I… I am.” She extended her pallid arm to shake his hand, “My name is Sherah… Farwell. Again, I couldn’t thank you and your dog enough sir—”
He gladly shook her hand, “You are welcome... I'm Eliot Carlisle… You can call me Eliot, and this good boy right here is Max. We should call the police,” he suggested.
She gasped and then shook her head, “No… No need. I’m unharmed, and I really need to return home.” She explains as she pets the dog. “I didn’t even see their faces or where they went. I don’t want to waste the police’s time.”
“Are you sure?” He asks while picking up her bag on the ground.
Despite his insistence on involving the police, Sherah chose to let the matter go, not wanting to add to Ethan’s stress.
But beneath her composed exterior, a quiet unease began to stir—a feeling that the life she cherished might not be as secure as it seemed.
After mustering all her courage, she drove home to cook lunch for Ethan. Acting as if nothing threatening happened, she starts humming while cutting the ingredients.
But no matter how much she pushed the memory, her hands couldn't stop trembling as her body could still remember the terror from earlier.
Preoccupied, she accidentally cut her finger. She winces in pain as she watches her blood drip on the floor.
She hurriedly went to their room to clean and bandage her wound when suddenly she remembered she hadn't drunk her vitamins.
She took it out of the bathroom cabinet but when she opened it, it was empty.
She sighed, "Ethan was so busy with work that he forgot to refill my vitamins," she said while caressing her belly.
The vitamins were bought by Ethan for her to help them conceive a child as it was a dream of theirs to have kids.
They've been married for 5 years and tried conceiving for the last 3 years, but it held nothing. Despite that, Ethan did not pressure her and instead gave her the vitamins and even hired a dietitian to create a meal plan for them.
By 11:30 am she headed to Farwell Incorporated, Ethan's company, with a freshly cooked seafood Paella.
Where she was greeted by everyone with respect and was well-loved by everyone in the company.
"Good morning, Mrs. Farwell." The concierge welcomed her while bowing her head.
In the elevator, she saw Noel, Ethan's secretary.
"Good morning, Noel." She greeted him with a smile on her face.
Noel's face was pale as if he was caught doing something wrong.
He opened his mouth but couldn't form any words. In the end, all he could do was bow his head and watch her get off the CEO floor.
She was about to knock on Ethan's office with the Seafood Paella in hand when she heard James' voice talking to Ethan.
She's not the type of person to eavesdrop, but she felt compelled to listen to their conversation.
"You've been married to Sherah for five years. What are your plans? Did the topic of having a baby enter your mind?" James asked curiously. "You need an heir after all."
She smiled at James's question and eagerly awaited Ethan’s response, but soon the glee on her face disappeared as she heard Ethan’s chilling confession.
She stood frozen in place and felt her world fall apart.
Sherah almost stumbled to the floor when Ethan said, "She wants to, but I don't..." He uttered with certainty. James' brows furrowed in confusion, "Does she know about this?""No. She thought I was up for it. She didn’t know that I made sure she wouldn't carry my child. I paid a doctor to prescribe strong contraceptives to her. I told her it's vitamins to help us conceive," he explains proudly.James felt sick in his stomach. "You're a terrible person. It's because of Sophia again, isn't it? She left you broken when you needed her the most; have you forgotten that?" he pointed out."Yeah, she did, but we spoke about it when we met in Australia. She told me why she left. She said she was sick and didn't want to hinder my success.“—And you believe her?” James intervenes. He is clearly not pleased with his friend's choices.Ethan nodded vigorously, “Yes. I do. I should have waited for her instead of using her sister to spite her." He answered in disappointment.James shook his head in
James’s heart pounded loudly on his chest. At the same time, Sherah clenches the hem of her dress tightly and pretends to be oblivious.She lets out a faint smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. "Good afternoon, Mr. Lee. Is Ethan inside?" She asks as she shoves all the things she hears in the depths of her mind.James grinned awkwardly, "What's with calling me Mister? James would suffice." He then nods in guilt. “Yes, he is. I think you arrived just in time. He said he was starving... He's so hungry that he starts talking nonsense,” he added playfully while staring at the lunchbox in her hand. "Poor woman," he uttered to himself.She bowed her head, hiding the ache in her heart, and headed to Ethan’s office.When she got inside, she displayed her best smile as if she heard nothing.But deep inside, her mind was in chaos. Her mind is racing. Everything she knew about him went down the drain. Like a shattered mirage that kept her blind for 5 years.“I’m a stand-in.”"He never loved me?"
As Ethan ate a spoonful of the lunch Sherah had prepared, he couldn’t help but recollect James’ comments.~How do you think she would react? She loves you dearly, Ethan. All these years she thought you felt the same.~The memory made it hard for him to swallow his meal. He soon realizes that in the near future, he won’t get to eat any of her food.He almost choked when he recollected her weird behavior, and as he thought deeply he could no longer brush it off.She always greets him with a kiss when she sees him, and before leaving, she even sits on his lap while reading documents on his table—earlier she did none of that. He bit his lower lip, “Did she hear the conversation I had with James?” He contemplated and felt a sore spot in his chest. He shook his head, trying to remove the idea from his mind, “If she did. She’ll be mad for sure.” Ethan knows that Sherah always speaks her mind when she’s happy or sad, especially when she's mad. During their five years of marriage, Sherah alwa
After hours of being monitored for any concussion, Sherah was released from the hospital.At the same time, Ethan had just arrived in Australia. Sherah wanted to call her husband to tell him she was released, but she knew she would only be a nuisance to him. She can’t help but feel the harsh reality of overstaying her welcome.With that, she swallowed the gnawing feeling in her chest, signed her release forms, and processed everything on her own. She felt the weight of Ethan’s betrayal, but she couldn’t do anything but shove everything into the depths of her mind and wait it out.Mindlessly, she entered the elevator and soon encountered Eliot on his way to check on her.Eliot’s eyes lit up upon seeing her, but it was soon changed to concern when he saw the sadness in her eyes. He cleared his throat and plastered a friendly smile, “Good god, I got hold of you.” He uttered it politely.She gasped in surprise. Her hand shook slightly, “Why? Is there something wrong?” She asks casually
Ethan’s words rang harshly in Sherah’s ears, “I don’t think our marriage is working well, Sherah,” Ethan muttered in a low voice. Despite that, she felt a heavy punch in her stomach.She gasped, she was aware it would happen, but it still hurt so badly that she felt his words slap her hard.Before she could react, a maid announced Rosalie Farwell— Ethan’s grandmother’s arrival at the mansion.Hearing that and the situation they were in, Ethan hurriedly got up and held Sherah by the arm tightly, and she winced in pain.He then whispered in her ear, “Don’t tell grandma.” His voice was cold, distant, and threatening, far from the husband she had known for five years.It was the first time he held her with such force and spoke to her in such a tone.For the first time, she was frightened to stand near him, and there was a voice inside her head repeating Eliot’s words. ~Someone might want you dead.~She felt a cold bucket of water thrown at her. She glances at him in suspicion and nods unh
Ethan stared blankly at the door. Everything felt surreal, and he didn’t anticipate that the repercussions of his decisions would be this fast.He sighed deeply, and his gaze moved from the door to the stairs.Soon, he reluctantly made his way to the master’s bedroom.Inside, he saw Sherah seated in front of the vanity mirror, brushing her long black hair.She stared directly at his eyes and extended her arm as if reaching for him. He glanced at her with longing, thinking she was concerned about the cut on his face he got from his grandma.He walks to her to hold her hand, but she avoids his touch. “Where are the documents?” She asks casually. He gasped in surprise, “Documents?” he repeated.She nods. “The divorce papers…” Startled, he was taken aback. “Divorce papers!?” He mumbled with a hitch of breath. He was caught off guard that she'd open up the conversation as if it was nothing. She nodded. “You said our marriage is not working…” She muttered, acting strongly as if it didn
In the bar…James and Allan were already seated and drinking in one of the booths when Ethan arrived. When they saw their friend, he looked exhausted, frustrated, and in despair. Shortly after, he starts telling them what had happened. “Aren’t you supposed to be happy? Your wife set you free easily. Just like what you wanted, but your face looks like someone has died,” James says mockingly. "Do you want her to be hysterical? Bawls her eyes out. Kneel in front of you and beg? Cry herself to sleep."“Of course not… but…” he sighs as he clasps his chest, and using his other hand, he picks up his beer. “I felt so lost, and there’s a part of me that doesn’t want her to go—”James scoffed, “What do you mean? Take the sisters for yourself?” Ethan lifted his head. “No! That would be unfair to Sophia,” he chuckles awkwardly. “I guess I just got used to Sherah being around me every time.”Allan and James stared at each other in bewilderment. “You mean unfair to Sherah, right?” Allan questio
After their steamy encounter, Ethan can’t help but stare at the bitemark Sherah left on his skin.He winces in pain as he touches his crimson throbbing flesh, but instead of annoyance or anger, he feels satisfied with her reactions.Every moan, movement, and action she makes boosts his ego as he feels how much she loves him, even after learning she is nothing but a mere stand-in. Meanwhile, Sherah sat on the toilet seat and began cleaning herself using the bidet, trying her best to remove his release from her.Ethan frowned.In his drunken, stressed state, he found it disrespectful, and his mood turned 180 on her.He got mad, and something snapped in his mind, “Do you feel disgusted with my cum inside you? It's because of that doctor, isn't it?” Sherah gasped, “What are you talking about?” She asked in annoyance. “Do you like him? Have you slept with him?” He questioned accusingly.“I haven't seen him in days. If I start dating him, isn't that what you want? You literally left me wi
As the rain mellowed, the guests, one by one, left the villa.Grandma, exhausted from everything, talked to James and Allan to continue entertaining the guests who were still in the villa while she rested upstairs. The two men gladly agreed.Before Grandma left the living room, Eliot and Harlene stood up and spoke to bid her goodbye and once again give their condolences.Madam Farwell smiled at them. "Aren't you Anders Carlisle's son?" She asked curiously. Eliot nods. “And this is my fiancée, Harlene Campbell. We are Sherah's friends."“Really?” Madam Farwell expressed in disbelief, then smiled faintly, “I’m glad you could come. I never thought this day would come that Ethan would let a Carlisle inside his home.” She mumbled with exhaustion in her voice. Eliot bowed his head while Harlene gave a faint smile as they headed to the door when suddenly Dahlia ran towards them and handed Eliot a small paper bag. “The young master said this belongs to you.”He opened it and saw the gloves S
The Farwell Villa living room was hushed, steeped in mourning. It began to rain as if the world was in sync with Ethan’s sorrow. Simple drizzle became something stronger as if the gods were in a rage. The wild wind howled forcefully, pushing the windows and doors to open. The servants hurriedly check every door and window in the villa, ensuring that the rainwater won’t damage anything. The wind kept whistling, almost drowning the mourner's sobs and small talks about how they met the deceased. Amid everything, Ethan remained seated near the urn. His face expressed grief, and the dark circles in his eyes showed that sleep had eluded him. Aside from that, there was something dangerous in his eyes—something that only a man who had lost everything could understand—a taste for blood. The urge to hunt down the people who did it. As Ethan’s thoughts flew somewhere else.Farwell Group employees, stakeholders, and investors arrived to give their condolences. Despite that, none of them wan
Somewhere in Canada…Nathan sat comfortably on the chair near the bedside, book in hand, and seemed bored out of his mind. His mother specifically ordered him to watch over Sherah and never leave her side. “And they live happily ever after…” he expressed in an unimpressed tone as he read the ending of Cinderella out loud and then closed the book forcefully.Aside from his voice and the buzzing and occasional beeping sound of the machine, everything is silent, and it's driving him insane. He bit his lower lip, “Might as well put me inside a mental ward.” He mumbled as he glanced around the sterile white room.He inched close to Sherah, who was in a coma. “Hey!” he whispered in her ear. “You already woke up days ago. Why did you sleep again?” he asks playfully. Beneath the thick bandages, he noticed her eyelashes fluttering. He smiled, “They say coma patients can hear.” He stated as he held her cold hand. “Let me tell you something… You need to wake up as soon as possible because if
Days passed, and as Sophia expected, Sebastian dodged the police.Sophia smiled from ear to ear while staring at her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the luxury boutique fitting area. “He didn’t even try to clear his name and accuse me of orchestrating everything,” she mumbled under her breath with a glimmer of satisfaction and pride while she happily tried on different expensive clothes.She was planning to purchase the most daring colorful dress she could find. Without a care in the world that her actions are inappropriate—but why would she care if she was the person who planned it? Now that the biggest obstacle is gone, she is scheming to win Ethan back, and she is going all out. As she got out of the fitting room, she tossed the clothes to the sales clerk stationed in the lounge.“I hate everything. The designs look outdated.” She snarled.The sales clerk nodded and hastily left to get a new set of wardrobes Sophia could try.While waiting, she sat in the lounge area
Dahlia hurriedly returned to the living room. “Sir, Sebastian’s not in his room,” she announced.“He is not in the kitchen,” Johanna chimed in.Jon, who was breathing heavily, blurted out, “He is not in the garden either.” Ethan’s face contorted in rage, and he ran to Sebastian's room.Allan and James trailing behind him. Ethan rummages through the cabinets; most of his things are still inside, but his documents are gone.“He ran off. God knows where! ” Ethan clamored.James took out his phone. “I’m going to notify the police about this and make sure they’ll put out a BOLO for Sebastian,” he muttered in urgency. “Not good enough,” Ethan mumbled, then gestured to Allan, “You have connections with different news outlets. Put it on the news, and put a 1 million reward on whoever could find him.” He demanded.Allan nodded, and he too began dialing different numbers on his phone. Then Ethan decided to call Brooke for additional help. It's a hard reality to swallow, but he needs to get h
The moment Detective Danville stepped foot in the Newark Police Department, Detective Scott hurriedly ushered her to the break room. She didn’t even have the time to sit or utter any pleasantries when Detective Scott asked. “What do you mean you don’t trust the Hawke family? ” His voice was too low as if he was telling a secret.She watched how he glanced around as if afraid that someone might overhear them.She finds it weird but brushes it off, “I mean they… The victim's stepmother, Rebecca, and the half-sister, Sophia… Their reactions seemed rehearsed.”Her statement caught his attention. He sat on the chair and then propped his hands on the table while gesturing to her to sit beside him. “Rehearsed, how? ”She breathes deeply as she recollects the weird conversation she had with them. “Too much whining and wailing far too few tears, and if there were, they look forced… And the father of the victim.” She pouted her lips. “He seemed genuinely distraught but… detached. It’s weird… T
James drove the devastated Ethan back to Farwell Villa.“She’s… She’s pregnant… We’re about to have our child.” Ethan muttered. His voice was breaking and filled with grief. James remained silent and focused on driving. This was not because of his lack of sympathy but because of uncertainty. He had no idea what to say, as there was nothing he could say to make his friend feel better.“I should have listened to you and Allan. If…” He swallowed deeply and words seemed to elude him. “... If only… I stayed with her and stopped being stupid. We should be welcoming our first child.” He covered his mouth with his trembling, cold, sweating hands when he realized their last conversation, *Let's talk again tomorrow... There’s something I want to tell you too.*“She’s planning to tell me we're having a child,” he mumbled.“What did you say?” James asked curiously.“We spoke the night before she went missing. I told her I wanted her in my life and that I didn’t want a divorce. She told me there’s
In Newark Police Department.Detective Scott ushered Ethan inside the interrogation room. The detective left him alone as another set of new evidence was sent to him by the crime lab.Meanwhile, Ethan quietly sat in a metal chair in front of a wooden table in a dimly lit room. The two-way mirror on his left side. The situation brought back memories of when he let Sherah spend the night in NYPD–the difference he’s on the other side and Sherah is not watching him through the two-way mirror. But he actually wishes she had been there laughing at him with her over-the-top cackles. The sound of footsteps shattered his thoughts.Shortly, Detective Amadeus Scott pushed open the door, breaking the eerie silence in the room. He needed to interrogate Ethan before his lawyer arrived, and with the evidence with him, he knew he could break the cold, aloof CEO of New York.“Apologies for the wait, Mr. Farwell. The DNA results of the victim just arrived at my desk," he says as he walks towards the
The sound of a phone notification resonates in the quiet sterile of the hospital's private ward. *$150k received from an unknown sender.* Transaction message: “May we never meet again.”The mystery woman sneered at the message, “For $150k those scums of the Earth violated her.” She muttered as she turned off the phone and handed it to her son.“Should we go to the police, Mother?” he asks, placing the phone in his pocket.The woman laughs, “Police? For what? Our retribution does not involve the use of the law.” She stops walking and turns to him, “You must remember, Nathan, violence is short-lived. Pain fades away, bruises heal, and the law will take time. Time in prison is too nice for a payback. Revenge should be permanent, and for that, we need patience.” Nathan lowered his head, “How sure are you she’ll survive? And by some miracle that she does, how certain are you she’ll help us against our common enemies?” he asked.“Because they broke her… There’s nothing else keeping her al