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
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
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
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
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
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
RhysFate was funny like that.It had never quite caught onto the fact that you could change your fates if you wanted to. Sometimes it claimed that it was in control but really it was just another form of manipulation, just one more thing that you couldn't stop. The last person I expected to call me was Liam.We spoke casually and it was almost like we didn't fight.“How's your wife?” He asked me. The was no hidden message, just a question of concern.“She is fine” I lied casually, I couldnt tell him that she was missing, that Tessa had left me with an empty house and a dead heart and I wasn't sure how long i would be able to hold the weight of that on my shoulders, that i knew exactly what her absence felt like,.Why? Why was I bothered that she was not here? We fought all the time and it did nothing, but sometimes we didnt and that was okay, I guess. Bloody liar.I heard that voice whisper in my head. Tessa had resurrected something in me, something I didn't think was even possib
Rhys“Can we go home?” I asked her and she looked at me how hesistantly.“I am not sure that's a good idea” her reply is cautious, hesitant.“What do you mean?” I sounded too offended. I was trying to be understanding. But I just couldn't wrap my head around why she’d disagree. I thought we were doing just fine.“We are always fighting and I am not sure where we stand anymore… so maybe it would be better if we stop now before something else happens” My head felt light, my stomach hurt, as if I just had a big meal or even a really bad hangover and I don’t know. “How could something happen when everything we’ve been doing has been perfect?” My voice was hoarse, “I shouldn't have said the things I said but you didn't have any right going through my stuff either” Her expression softened and her fingers gently caressed my skin. “I'm sorry” she mumbled.We both went quiet for a while and then she said something very unexpected. “It was just a lot of information…it took some time. Did you
Rhys“Almighty Rhys Madigan, pleading for mercy? Who would have thought?” Cory said, mocking me and chuckling.“Come on Rhys, we both know who is the stronger of us” Vincent added.“You guys don't even deserve mercy. You're nothing but bad news” he sneered.“Listen...” I warned them “I am willing to surrender, you can't hurt me or she, you know that” I motioned to Tessa.Vincent started laughing. “Oh please,” he scoffed “like anyone would ever trust her over you”“Let Tessa go, you want me right? Let her live please” A smile crept up in Cory’s expression “You really wanna save this whore?” she asked rhetorically. “That's very charming considering that you didn't find it difficult to kill three people without remorse” “What do you mean?” She snorted “don't play dumb with me boy. You killed my parents and my little sister, remember you got into an accident and you fled, left the scene, left us to die! My parents died because of you, my little sister died because of you!” she screamed
Rhys “What are you doing?” I asked Blair.“Calling for backup, do you think a single gun would save you from your brother? If you did, then you don't know the kind of brother you have. He's dangerous” “I don't need your help. I'm in control, and you're the problem.”Blair laughed.“You're a fool Rhys… they are watching you! better make use of this chance and let me do what I know how to do.I swallowed her insults like bitter lemon drops. “Where is she?”“At an abandoned warehouse out of town”, Blair said as if we'd been discussing the weather.Speaking of the weather, it had begun to rain. A light mist that made it impossible to see anything beyond thirty feet or so, but enough to make me feel uneasy.It also meant that I couldn't see anything outside of the car. And I had to pull over into the parking lot before stepping out. It was a miracle Blair followed and the rain took longer than I expected.I watched as Blair dozed off beside me and a silly idea came into my mind.I gently
DarcyI was tired of fighting, my body was extremely weak, my throat dry from dehydration and the constant ringing in my ears made me almost blind. I felt completely lost and I couldn’t understand why. What did these people want from me? Was this happening to me? Why were these people staring at me? Where did they come from? How had they taken me here? “I am thirsty” I cried out for the hundredth time. “Please” I begged again. “Just give me something to drink, anything at all. Please”. My voice cracked, and I was surprised I didn’t feel any pain anymore. The silence only amplified the sound in my head. It was deafening. So quiet, so peaceful now. The ringing was gone.“That's your punishment for pulling that stupid stunt” One of them hissed. They looked angry. Yes, I had tried to escape again but I didn't even make it past the day.I got punched hard across the face, my head snapped to the left and back to the right, the ringing grew louder but not quite as painful as before, and I
Rhys When I drove down to Vincent’s house, I didn't know what to expect but I made sure I kept my gun closed.Someone whom I assumed was the nanny opened the door and she was holding a baby.For the first time in a long time, I paid attention to their son. He was a spitting image of Tessa... I mean Darcy. He had her eyes. Her beautiful, greyish blue, wide, soulful eyes. He looked just like her. And that terrified me for some reason.It also made sense why she had been fooling me the whole time. I would have probably done the same thing if I was her or done even worse.The nanny looked at me as if she was skeptical of my being there or something equally dumb and stupid because she didn't let me inside. “Tell Vincent I am here”, I demanded. “He's not here” she said. She wasn't rude by any means, she just seemed completely unimpressed with my presence at all.I wanted to tell her to fuck off, but my mouth wasn't cooperating. What a fucking mess.“Who is at the door?” I heard Vincent as
Rhys“What do you want?” I typed and waited for a reply while I began to drive down to the police station.The car was silent on its way there, but the ride didn't last long since it soon became apparent that my phone was ringing. It was the sound of my cell phone ringing that alerted me to where I was. I stopped the car and reached for it.“We said don't go to the police and you are parked in front of one? You really must think we are unserious right?” The voice said from the other line.I looked in the streets but everyone was going about with their business, there was no sign that I was being followed.How did they know where I was?“What do you want?” I yelled through the line as loud as possible just to make sure my message wasn't lost in the noise from the cars passing by.“You already disobeyed us and now your darling wife would pay for it” He sneered “Do not test our patience” “No, no, no” I heard Tessa scream from the background. I could only imagine her franticness and dang
Darcy“Why? You are supposed to be his friend. Why would you do this to Rhys?” I asked the man in front of me. My hands were shaking from trying to break free and my body was trembling with rage. He stood staring at me.“You see my dear, life is not always black and white. There are people who can love others, and those that do will be remembered for eternity. The difference between you and them is that you choose to stay with the light and I decided to go to darkness. That, or it takes too much effort” His face was twisted in amused expression, as though he was watching a child trying to figure out their math homework. But he was serious about what he said.“Rhys has always had things easy, he was always good at everything, he had the women, they loved him, and he loved them back.” He shook his head sadly ‘The thing is, there is no such thing as perfect men, only ideal ones. And unfortunately, there isn't any such thing as perfection in this world, and there's nothing you can do to c
DarcySomeone pulled the fabric that blinded my eyes open, and I squinted as a bright light invaded my mind and consciousness. My body ached, it felt as though someone had taken a hammer to me. I could barely breathe. It seemed impossible that such an intense pain existed in this world, especially in my own body. My heart felt like it was going to burst with every beat.“Hello there Darcy” Cory’s voice sounded so cheerful yet it was laced with malice, it didn’t help at all to calm me down.Beside her was her husband, and him… the least person I expected and when Cory forcefully pulled the duct tape away from my mouth, I let it hang loose. Could he?“I can tell you are familiar with all of us, aren't you?” It was Vincent. A smug smile stretched his face as he said these words, as if he were about to play a cruel prank. “Well, you could imagine the surprise when my wife told me the person I thought was Tessa had been Darcy all along and it made sense. How every move I tried to make was
Rhys“Hello” I yelled into the receiver, the alcohol in my system had immediately taken a halt as the sound of someone speaking filtered through to my ears. I thought I had heard wrong.“We have your wife” the voice on the other end said, it was almost robotic, as though this had been practiced in front of the mirror so many times that it felt natural. I heard Tessa… I mean Darcy scream again . She sounded so frightened and alone, like she was in pain and terrified of everything happening around her. “Is… Is she okay ?” My words stumbled across my tongue as I struggled to keep them together, “Tess…”“She is unharmed, for now” I heard, again from whoever was speaking to me.Suddenly anger course through my veins, like lightning through dry leaves, burning the insides of my skin with heat.“What do you want?” I asked, my voice low but sharp as a knife. My words were laced with hatred, and rage, like poison as they seeped out from the ends of my lips. It wasn’t often I spoke to people li
Rhys It felt like Tessa took the life of the house along with her when I asked her to leave.The house felt empty, dead and void of warmth. I had gotten used to the way the walls vibrated with her laugh, the light touch of her hand on my arm, or her voice, but she’d never taken it away before, she was always there. And yet, now, she seemed so far away, a ghost who would never really be. It didn’t feel right that she wasn’t still here. My chest constricted in a way I’ve never experienced before and I wondered if maybe she could hear me, even though I knew there was no sound to reach her ears. She’d left me, after all. Just like everyone else has. Except she didn’t just leave, she left with everything that mattered to her me. Everything that mattered was lost forever. When you lose something that matters, it hurts like hell. You’re alone, but at least the other person knows. But this time, it hurt in a different way, because she took that with her, too. The only thing I have left is m