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 can't go in there Sir, he is busy” I heard my secretary protest outside my office and I knew for a fact that I wasn't expecting anyone. I also told her not to let anyone in.Why the door slammed open, Vincent stood glaring at me.“I am sorry sir, I tried to stop him” My secretary, a tall blonde woman with a pretty face apologized, she didn't look sorry at all. She looked angry and annoyed. he must have stressed her. That's usually my reaction to people interrupting my work. “That's okay Vanessa, leave us” She nodded patiently before leaving but not without giving me an apologetic glance as well,Once the door closed behind her I raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here Vincent,” I asked him.He ignored my question. And I focused on the screen of my computer. If he wasn't going to say anything, he could just stand there and glare at me. I'd rather that than the alternative. I couldn't be bothered with that right now anyway. My mind was too preoccupied with another matte
RhysI kept pacing back and forth in the hallway of the hospital. Grandfather had been in there for too long.Vicent had an eye that was now purple and I could taste blood on the side of my lips but that was nothing compared to what Grandfather's fate was currently sporting. “What did you do my husband? What did you do?” Cory came running towards me as soon as she saw me. But Vincent held her back but that didn't stop her from yelling even at me, despite the stares she was getting, she kept shouting.“You asshole! You are insane you stupid fuck! What did you do?” Her fists were balled and all I could do was stare at her. I was never one to fight with a woman. “You are bad luck, haven't you noticed how everything you touch ends in ruins? You are a greedy asshole” She continued yelling and the anger in me kept growing unapologetically. What did she know about being greedy? I was a lot of things but greedy wasn't one of them.Somehow she managed to slip through Vincent’s grip and charge
RhysThe first time I was called a bastard was when I was five. I didn't know what it meant but I had one of the kids say it to me and I thought it was funny. I laughed a lot. I used to love to laugh so much. I used to have lots of friends. I used to love playing with them. When I turned seven, the kids in the neighbourhood had begun to avoid me, and when I asked me, he told me his mom said I was a “bastard”. It was the first time I realized that bastard wasn't a good word.I had gone home that day to ask my mom what it meant and she just shrugged. “I don't know honey. That's how they talk now, you can’t change it.” She always tried to be comforting because I was her baby boy. But I knew after that day and I began to ask her for my father. One day I came back crying and she knew it had gotten out of hand and the next day we were driving to the next town with bigger buildings.“I don't know her or the child she is with, she's a liar!” The man who I later found out to be my Father yell
DarcyRhys was not home and I couldn't exactly tell what the update was with his grandfather.He had been acting very off and I could recognize the smell of guilt that oozed from him. I didn't care, he wasn't exactly my problem, and the little time I tried to be empathetic, he acted as though I were the problem. My presence was annoying, it just didn't fit in here with his so I let him be.I stared at myself in the mirror and even though everyone thought of how perfect my face was, I could still see traces of my old self. Not all things change, but some do. Like the way I could feel pain somewhere inside me every time I looked into those big eyes, I could see myself staring back at them. My real self, the old one everyone hated.I went for a run because I needed one to come up with the next plan. The whole thing with Jude Madigan had slowed down what was supposed to happen next. On my way back from running, it was around evening around 7 pm and as I ran through the street of estate
Darcy My throat suddenly felt dry as I stared at this stranger hoping that maybe I didn’t hear him properly. I expected him to take back what he said but he didn't and he continued to stare at me.“Uhmm… my husband?”“Yes, your husband. What's your name?” He continued, unperturbed by my unwavering stare.“Dar…Tessa” I answered as meekly as I could, still not used to the fact that I was being questioned by a stranger.“Do you remember what happened last night?”Again my mind immediately jumped and I bit back the instinctive response, knowing it would just make this man more suspicious of me. I took a deep breath before answering him “I don't remember much…”“You don't?” His grey eyes bore into mine as if trying to dig through my skull to find whatever memory he was looking for. It was unsettling how he seemed almost fascinated with me, even though I had no idea what he wanted to know. I didn't think I should tell him anything about myself because his reaction to the name was too odd f
Darcy The next morning, I moved after two days. I couldn’t stay there, not after the strange incident that had happened the first night I was there repeated itself.Claire called me several times but I didn't answer, I wanted him to call me.If I could just see one missed call from him, I would turn and go back to him but I didn't receive anything so I turned off my phone.I didn't know where to go next. Maybe I could go back home, but I left that house, my mother’s presence had somehow still managed to linger and it held a lot of bad memories.Soon it was nighttime and I was still roaming with a traveling box.I had decided that I was going to get a different room in another hotel when a car drove towards me, it was speeding off and I was too slow , the car's brake pads screeched and shock overpowered me . I hit the ground and rolled a few times before hitting the concrete. My back hit hard against the ground and pain flared all over. I groaned at the pain and tried to open my eyes
RhysI stared at Claire as if she had just spoken a foreign language. The migraine and dizziness I had been feeling all week were starting to become overwhelming. I had never experienced anything like it before.“Why did you let her leave?” I yelled at the older woman in front of me. She looked scared and was trembling uncontrollably. It took her several moments to calm down enough to explain herself to my bewildered eyes and slightly throbbing temples. “She said her mom was sick Sir, I had seen her with a big bag but I didn't think she was leaving …”“She wasn't leaving, she left for good,” I muttered through gritted teeth, trying not to lose my balance.Everything felt strange, there was a loud ringing in my head and a stabbing pain in my forehead every time I moved too fast. I tried to focus on my breathing, which was becoming erratic. This was a completely new experience for me. There was no way this could be happening to me because of someone who I had just met.I could hear Clai
Vincent You see, the best thing one could be in this life is to be rich. If you’re rich enough, you can have anything you want, you can go where and when you want without having to ask permission or ask for money—you don’t need to worry about anyone telling you no. But not everyone has that luxury. Some people live by their own rules and follow only their own codes and morals.After the bathroom incident, at the hospital, Cory and I found someone who would take care of it for us, one of the male nurses and it was barely 24 hours. We didn't search for long.You see what I said about money? Everyone wanted it and we had people who were more desperate than the others, people who would willingly do anything if they thought it would get them what they wanted. And this male nurse was among them.I had paid him of the money we agreed on, I was going to pay the other half when he completed the job.The next evening, I waited for the good news from our “partner.” A little after seven I ca
Rhys Her bed was neatly made. The pillows were perfectly arranged on their respective corners, the sheets were smooth and her closet wasn’t empty except for a few spaces. There was nothing to indicate that any one of her possessions had been missing but I didn’t feel alright.I closed the door slowly and leaned against it. My chest was tightening with every breath. It wasn't the fear from seeing her room empty but something darker and colder. A chill ran down my spine. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself, hugging myself tightly. I took a couple steps closer to the bed. I needed to breathe, just breathe.Tessa was probably just in the garden or in the kitchen with Claire but none of it helped with the way I was feeling.It was as if I was going to pass out. Why?I began to move towards the kitchen, the maids froze when they saw me.“Where is Tessa?” I said in a sharp voice. They all stood silent. Their faces were grim and fearful. “Where is she!” I demanded, taking another t
RhysI returned to my room after leaving Tessa’s room. She had seen the newspaper, she had called me a murderer, she had gone through my stuff. How dare she? Rage led me out of the house. The last thing I wanted to do was something we would both regret.“Hello, Rhys…” That familiar voice that I had almost forgotten said from the end of the phone. It made me freeze but quickly recovered.Why was he here?“What do you want?” I asked, trying to sound indifferent, even though I was on edge. “Is that how to say hello to an old friend?” his voice reeked of fake sincerity and I felt a shiver run down my spine. “I thought we were friends now after all these years?”I didn’t reply and then added in a cold tone: “If you wanted anything you could have just told me.”He sighed, “Of course, of course...” and then laughed lightly. “Well I guess you don't have much time today anyway, so I'll get straight to the point. I called to congratulate you”I knew him too well, I was familiar with the sick g
Darcy“Are you going somewhere?” Claire got up immediately I came downstairs holding my box.Her eyes moved between me and the box I was holding several times, I could see the questions running in her mind as well. She finally asked, “What’s all that?” when I gave no answer at first.“My mother…she is ill, she wants me to come home” I lied without meeting her gaze. I was ashamed of it, but I didn’t know what else to do at the moment. “But that's a lot, do you want me to rearrange them in a smaller bag for you?” Claire asked still looking at me with those eyes full of concern. I could tell how she wanted so badly to help me. But she was too kind to make assumptions about this situation without any evidence and she had no way to be sure whether or not the information I just shared was true. I stared at the smallish woman in front of me, I had grown fond of her.“No Claire, that wouldn't be necessary” By now my eyes were threatening to tear up so I forced myself to look up again. I swa
Darcy“What is this?” Rhys's face was as stoic as ever, but a slight tremor in his fingers betrayed his nervousness. I was in deep shit.“Why are you going through my stuff?” I asked instead even though I was trembling terribly inside and had not yet taken the first breath. He'd been at it forever.He stared at me, looking like he might explode any moment. “I don't see why that should be a surprise to you, considering that you enjoy snooping around in my belongings! You've been prying into them since we got here! Now tell me what's going on in your little head! What do you want?”I tried to open my mouth but nothing came out so all I could do was gape uselessly. It made no sense, this whole situation. He'd never spoken to me with such vitriol before. This was different.“You can't say? Exactly what I thought”He said dismissingly and began to walk away clutching the paper tightly.I reached my hand out to touch him, but stopped myself because I didn't know if it would be received wel
DarcyHe was there, on the other side of the street, staring straight at me, and if I hadn't known better I might have thought he was going to walk over to say hello. Then that truck drove past us in the middle of nowhere and he was gone. A gust of wind blew his way and I shivered, even though it wasn’t particularly chilly out. It felt as if I was standing on a precipice looking down at a bottomless pit, and no amount of willpower or will could keep me from falling off. There was nothing here for me except my own thoughts and memories. He had been there, and now he wasn’t, and it had all happened before I could even get started. The sound of the front door opening brought me back to earth. “Tessa! Are you ready yet?” Claire’s voice echoed around me but only made it worse somehow because I knew exactly what kind of energy she had to bring with her into a room like this. She came into view, her arms filled with plastic bags, and looked up at me expectantly. When she saw me standin