Darcy “Wear the dress, we have a gala to attend tonight, don't embarrass me” Those were Rhys' words once he got home. He dropped the bag beside me in the living room and made his way upstairs.I stared at him wondering why he was so grumpy and if something had crawled up and died in his ass.Regardless, I wore the dress he got. It was a simple armless black dress but something about it made me uncomfortable. Maybe it was the thigh-high slit or maybe it was simply because I was still insecure about how I looked even though my face was a whole new one.I could feel Rhys eyes on me when I walked towards him in the dress. I felt slightly flustered but I didn't show it. He didn't deserve to know he made me feel weird.Without a word, I followed him to the car, and he drove.“Smile and act like you are my wife when you get there. Don't act stiff beside me” , he spoke, barely sparing me an eye as he kept his gaze fixed forward on the road.I nodded my head in response. I wanted to say that t
RhysWhen we got inside, I saw Alex, Clarissa and Sophia. We had all gone to Harvard Business School together and were familiar with each other. Clarissa clung to me like a second skin. She and I had a thing once too many times and sometimes we still fuck whenever we found it convenient but right now I was not in the mood.“Did you hear that he bought Event 45?”One of the men randomly chirped in and the conversation kept moving from one subject to another.“Are you avoiding me?” Clarissa asked me after a failed attempt to urge me for a quickie. She was still clinging to me.“Of course not, why would you think that?” I tried to act innocent, I really did. But my heart wasn’t there either. It just felt cold and lifeless at the moment. This was how life usually goes, I didn't feel anything other than sexual attraction to all the women I had been with.“So you are really married?” she continued in a tone of voice that implied she already knew the answer but wanted me to confirm it anyway.
RhysDialled her number couple of times but wasn’t connecting, " It hasn’t been up to 24 hours I left and I’m pretty sure she still within the premises, which I know there’s definitely no down time with network that I’m pretty sure of".I muttered to myself and continued dialling her number cause I wasn’t ready to give up either, I deperately needed someone to help get me out of the feelings I was at the moment and Clarissa was the only person I could think of." Thank goodness" I said exhaling deeply" Hey Rhys, what’s up with the calls, is everything alright?" Clarissa said sounding tensed but I seriously do not want her knowing my reasons over the phone so I tried to make it look like I forgot something back there at the gala." Yeah, everything is fine Clarissa I just wanted to find out if you are leaving the gala soon?" I stuttered but she doesn’t seem to buy that, to her it’s actually a silly reason to give someone such a number of missed call, " Please Rhys come off it already,
RhysLickily there was no scratch in the both cars and no injury was sustained, slowly I removed my seatbelt and about to open the car door to go apologise to the guy I batched his car, then I noticed my phone was vibrating.I reached out to pick up the call but something seem really odd, I was trying to pick up the call when I heard another phone ringing right inside the car, " What is going?" i said to my confused self then turned to search where the sound is coming from.It was then I found myself lying on the bed, " My goodness, have I been dreaming all this while?" when I tried standing up from the bed I realised my phone has been ringing non stop, I quickly grabbed it to know who the caller was," Gosh it’s Clarissa!" I quickly got up not minding the sleep that was still in my eyes." Hold on Rhys, are you gonna make me call you forever?" She said fuming in anger" Not that Okay, is not really what you think trust me" I said hoping that would make her calm or feel a little bette
DarcyI couldn’t believe he just left me standing there like that. I thought it was a joke, I expected him to drive back and tell me to hop in the car again. He didn’t even do a double take when he saw my expression. Rhys was an asshole but accusing and trying to gaslight me when he was the one at fault seemed like overkill. I didn't do anything except stuffing my face with food. He was the one smiling with little Miss Perfect, whoever she was, I didn't care, but the whole time it was him.Breathe, Darcy, breathe. I thought to myself but it barely helped.“Asshole” I muttered under my breath while I kicked at a random rock by my feet while thinking about how much of a jerk I had also been.But he started it. Fhe grip on my purse was tighter as my hands shook from anxiety. But I managed to take out my phone to order a ride.“Trouble in paradise?”Someone asked behind me. I jumped and looked up, surprised at how close they came so suddenly.It turned out to be Bruce.“What trouble?” I
RhysI felt the pause in my system, "What is that sound?” I asked myself while standing and still wondering where the sound came from. Having stood for some time gazing where the sound came from, I decided to let it go and proceeded to Tessa’s room, probably finding out later when I’m sure she’s in the house.I stood at the door for quite a long period of time, still battling with my head if it was right to meet her or just let her be, ‘She disrespected me right? yeah so she definitely needs to apologize to me, imagine messing around with my enemy, I just can’t imagine what that monster must have filled her head with?’.I got totally discouraged and was about to turn around and start going back to my room, when a voice screamed to me, "Rhys you're such a coward!" With anger in me, I just can’t leave my room to this place only to hear such a God forsaken voice, "No way!" I screamed out loud, held the door handle and forcefully opened the door even without knocking, "Knock? no way I hav
RhysTessa stood right there looking at me with confusion written all over her face, I felt I was rather too forward, maybe I shouldn’t have said that yet I thought to myself regretting every step I had taken already. Maybe I could just return to my room with the same nonchalant attitude and I could leave her guessing, right?"Rhys?" She finally called out my name after a while staring at me in confusion, " What? Do you want to deny that too?" I quickly asked. There was no need to go back. I could deal with it once and for all."Deny what exactly Rhys, wait are you accusing me of having an affair with Bruce?" She asked quietly, I could sense amusement and disappointment in her tone, but It was too late. I couldn't undo it. All I needed at that point was answers, I wanted to be sure I hadn’t been a fool all the while. What if this was all a silly game and she was sent to set me up?" Yes Tessa you heard me right, is there something you want me to know?".She quietly moved close to her b
DarcyThere was no sign of Rhys when I woke up the next day. My whole body felt like it was weighed down with lead weights. My eyelids were heavy and my joints stiff. It took me a while to get out of bed. And I had no idea when he even left.“Good morning Ma” A voice startled me when I made it into the kitchen.“Morning?” I was confused. It was the same elderly lady I had been seeing around the house. She looked uncomfortable with my presence, like there was something she wanted to say but couldn't.“Do you want to say something?” I asked when I noticed how she seemed lost in thought.Her face lit up then and her features softened. “Oh no I didn't mean to bother you... Just that I'm at your services and you are not supposed to be in the kitchen, I can make whatever you want” She said.Her gaze lowered to the counter top. Her cheeks colored slightly and her hands began wringing in front of her.I smiled at her kindly. “Making a cup of coffee wouldn't hurt me and it wouldn't hurt you ei
Rhys“You have five minutes” I wasn't bluffing when I said this, I needed to understand why she was truly here. This could not all be a coincidence, I knew better than to think that. This could be some sort of trap and I wasn't going to fall for it.“Rhys…” She began stepping closer to me and I moved back.“Tell me why you are here” I repeated my request “And for the love of God don't try to touch me or lie” I added a last part for good measure. “I am here because I want you back, I want to be better for you, for us ” She replied.I stared at her with disbelief etched in my features but she had an unbreakable determination that she was not going to budge from her stance. “We could do this now if it weren't so inconvenient…” She continued “I am prepared to wait if you aren't ready” I looked at her to be sure this was not some sort of silly joke.“You cheated on me Blair, with my best friend of all men. I did everything for you, every fucking thing you asked...and then I find out you
RhysThe voice note was blank. I turned my volume to its highest to be sure I wasn't deaf and I didn't hear anyone's voice, only quiet breathing.'Is this some kind of joke?' I asked myself. 'Is she trying to tease me or what? Why will she send me a fifteen minute voice message of nothing. I'm worried sick for her and she is busy making jokes.''Or maybe she was trying to say something then, she slept off?' A different thought came to my mind.I checked my other phone to know if Aspen had responded to my last email. She hasn't too.'Something is wrong somewhere.'I was about sending Aspen another email when my mom called.'Shit!' I said a silent curse as I put the call through. I haven't called her since I got to Los Angeles."Hey Mom. I..." I bit my lips trying to find the right excuse to say to her.She didn't even wait for me to speak. "Do you know how worried I was? I have been trying to reach you and you didn't bother to pick. It seems to me that your work is more important.""Mo
RhysI took a break from work today and it felt like it was the longest break I had taken since forever and my phone was buzzing continuously. I didn't dare check who was calling until I let the battery die and refused to charge it on purpose.I wanted to stay invincible, to pretend that none of this was real like the rest of the world was oblivious of my troubles. But I couldn't. This was my life now, and the most recent development in my personal hell was that Tessa was slowly starting to notice.I mean, she doesn't know anything, I told myself as I typed on my keyboard but she had been spending a whole lot of time asking if I was alright, and when I couldn't take it anymore, I avoided her as well. Thank God she was in a different room now.It wasn't working, the meds were not working, and the painful throb in my head didn't seem to disappear, and the voices?They had grown a thousand times larger than the last, each louder than the other and making me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t
RhysFor a lady who was 5 '3 she sure did have a lot stored up in her. And while I took her for the late-night drive, just to make it up to her, she dozed off from all the anger she was trying to keep inside her. Her mouth was partly wide and I chuckled at how adorable she looked. Weird. I didn't go around chuckling at ladies.Suddenly her eyes slowly fluttered open. as if she felt herself being gently shaken. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and squinted them to try and focus on what was happening. And she realized that she was still in my car.Her light blue eyes met mine and I drew in sharp breaths, taking notice of their color. They were deep and captivating, and they gave everything a certain mysterious quality I couldn't - can't explain.“We are here” I forced myself to say. Turning my attention from her eyes and lips. I would have kissed her right now and taken her back home to do all of the sinful things running through my mind. if she was one of those girls. But she
Darcy “I want to go alone” I said loudly looking at Rhys as if that would change his mind. I was tired of repeating the same routine, tired of being watched like a child. It didn't give me enough room to think of what to do next. I didn't know the updates on Vincent and Cory and most especially of my son. It was like like moving in endless circles.“You can’t go alone, I can't let that happen”“Why? You don't own me Rhys and you know it. You can't force me not to be myself."“No one is stopping you from being yourself. Being yourself doesn't include being reckless when you know someone out there probably wants you dead” he snapped in a low voice. His eyes were hard. Rhys knew how stubborn I could get and even though he was right, it still angered me.“I am tired, I need time alone!”“Time alone only to end up almost half dead again? or almost raped or pounced on by your demons, which of them?” His words cut through me like a knife. He knew damn well what those thoughts did to me. I
Darcy“You need to stop watching me like a hawk” I was finally free to leave the hospital and Rhys was acting differently and it made me uncomfortable.“The plan was to pretend that we are married and not for you to die. So no, I wouldn't stop watching you like a hawk. You can't leave this house without the driver and two able men outside, at least until your condition is stable enough to be left alone. We don’t know who or what we are truly dealing with. I would never allow something like that to happen again, especially from recklessness” He had said it as he walked through the room, going through his closet.I looked at him and felt so out of place here. “This isn't my life” I wanted to scream but I didn't.Claire treated me as if I was an egg shell, scared I'd break at the slightest touch. And she always seemed to be watching me when we were together. I was just... stuck in this house, watching Vincent work his way around while I tried not to think about what happened next.His col
RhysNever had I seen anyone struggle so hard with their demons as Tesaa demons struggled with hers. Even if it were only for a few moments. It wasn't like seeing the woman who was fast to give comebacks once I said a word, it was like seeing someone different, broken, and damaged beyond belief. Even worse because she looked like such an easy target that my first instinct was not kill but rather help her escape the hell that held her prisoner. “Are you alright?” By now she was awake again after falling into unconsciousness.She didn't say anything, she didn't look at my face, she was staring into nothingness with no recognition on her face, only in her eyes. She could have been looking directly into an abyss or straight through to another dimension.“Tessa?” I called out but she didn't acknowledge me. I stood up and went to sit by her bedside but she curled up as if afraid of being touched. “Hey, hey,” I put my hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her, “What's wrong? What's wr
DarcyWhen I opened my eyes, the lights seemed too bright for me and I groaned.It felt like I couldn't move as I tried to look around at the unfamiliar surroundings, trying not to be dizzy from the lack of movement. Did I die? Was I in heaven? Was this after life? Why did afterlife feel so small and the walls too plain? The air smelled wrong and the floor look too hard. l Where am I supposed to be?As my vision focused in on what was before my eyes, it was a door and it moved.A person appeared behind it and she was dressed in white, like a nurse.She looked stunned to see me, one minute she disappeared through the door only to return with a doctor.They both stared at each other for who knows how long until the man spoke up, “Hello? Who are you?” his tone was more curious than anything else. It was only when he moved beside me that I noticed the machines connected to my body.He checked my the machines, my pulse, my eyes, everything.“How many fingers am I holding up?” He asked aft
Rhys“What do you mean by she just left the house? Did she say where she was going? Why did you let her leave?” I asked Claire, who was cooking in the kitchen. She shook her head and sighed, “No Sir, she didn’t say anything about when she left but she was worried that you were not home yet” she paused for a second before turning around to face me.I walked out of the kitchen.Where could she have gone to? I dialed her number again and it rang but no answer. It was already getting dark and I had not gotten over the fact that truly she was right and there was someone watching us. I dialed the number again and it rang for a while before she answered.“Where are you?”“Hello?” A masculine voice answered instead.I took my phone away from my ear and stared at it again, still unable to believe what I had heard“Who is this?”“I…uhh, I don’t know. The owner of this phone just got wheeled into an ambulance, I found her lying in her own blood”. My mouth felt dry as I spoke and I tried to swal