Crimson couldn't shake Cleo's words from his mind; they felt like a puzzle he needed to solve, with the most important piece still missing.He pondered the idea that the child may have misheard what Celestine had said. However, his four-year-old daughter insisted with absolute conviction that she had correctly heard her name being mentioned.“You can ask Suh-les-teen’s pet. She knows it too,” Cleo had challenged him.“Suh-les-teen’s pet?”“You don't know, Daddy? The one who follows her like a doggie wherever she goes.”Crimson had trouble believing what came out of his daughter's mouth. The words seemed surreal and detailed, making it hard to dismiss the possibility that the child was telling the truth.If his assumption was correct, Cleo must have been talking about Amy, Celestine's personal assistant, who constantly moved like her shadow and complied with her every command.But even if he were to question Amy about it, he doubted she would ever reveal anything. As he could see, she
I never saw the divorce coming. It had been a perfect night. I watched my husband, Crimson Phoenix, dance with the birthday celebrant—my friend Celestine—while enjoying a glass of champagne. His arm was wrapped around her waist, and they moved effortlessly to the rhythm of the music. I was enjoying the moment until an unsettling feeling settled in my chest as I realized they were dancing a little too close. “Are you okay?” a voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned and saw Mia, another close friend. I forced a smile, nodding, but inside, I felt a bit troubled. “You sure?” She tilted her head and crossed her arms underneath her breasts. “You’ve been a bit quiet.” I reasoned I was a bit tipsy from drinking Champagne. She bought the alibi and left to mingle with the guests. Once I'm alone, I sat down on the table and refilled my glass. A short while later, my husband joined me. "I think it's time we talked." He began. I set the glass down, preparing myself for what was comin
I left the hotel in a hurry. Once I arrived at home, the headlines of the newspaper greeted me. PHOENIX CORPORATION's HEIR'S WIFE SPOTTED WITH MYSTERY LOVER"No!"I grasped the newspaper, my hands shaking uncontrollably.There, taking up nearly the entire front page, was a photo of me leaning intimately with a man. The image would be burned into the minds of everyone who saw it.I had never thought — not even in my worst nightmare — I would see myself in such a negative light, let alone on the front page of a newspaper.As I peered out of the window, I could see a swarm of paparazzi eagerly waiting outside the door, like a pack of hungry wolves ready to pounce at me. The mere thought of facing them sent shivers down my spine, as I knew they were just waiting to snap a picture and tear me apart in the headlines.I'm not sure if Crimson had read the newspaper but if the whole Flintstone City had read it, it is likely that he has and I couldn't couldn't imagine how he must be feeling
"Miss?" The driver snapped me back to reality. A beat passed before he asked my destination.I pulled myself together and told him where I wanted to go. He nodded and said not a word for the rest of the trip.Minutes passed by in a blur. But then the silence was shattered when the driver spoke. “We arrived.”The cab skidded into a stop to the place I had promised myself never to step foot ever again. But promises are always meant to be broken, much like Crimson broke his promises and threw them away like a pile of trash.I handed the fee and hastened out of the car, before I changed my mind and fled. I've been fleeing all my life — fleeing from things that pains me, and I'm getting tired of it. Time has come for me to face my fears and this might be a good start.The family ancestral house looked exactly the same as I stored it in my memory and although a long time had passed, the memories of what took place the day I left played in my memory in clear, vivid details."Elizabeth, he wi
I've always dreamed of having children, always wondering what it would be like to have a child of my own, to feel their tiny fingers curl around mine as they drift off to sleep.But my husband didn't want a child. The first time I broached the subject, he grew quiet and distant. I couldn't blame him for it. His father had abandoned him before he was even born, leaving him to grow up with a single mother. Perhaps he feared repeating the same pattern, becoming a terrible father—much worse than his own.However, Crimson got Celestine pregnant. He must have been so in love with her to have broken his promise of not wanting a baby."Move on, Elizabeth. Leave yourself a bit of self-respect and stop chasing a man. Had he truly loved you, he wouldn't have fallen for me!"My friend's words stung, but it's still not an excuse for her to snatch another woman's husband. “Crimson is still my husband,” I spat firmly. She wasn't in a position to be proud in front of me since she's not even the legal
The nurse was gone, but I was still shaken by the news.“Do you want me to call a family member?” the man offered. He introduced himself as Grey Cameron.I shook my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. My grandfather wouldn't be pleased with the news, especially when he learned that the father had already abandoned me. He would undoubtedly come looking for my husband with a shotgun in hand. To avoid the worst-case scenario, I replied, “No, thank you… I'm fine anyway.”Grey's mouth opened. He looked as though he wanted to argue or ask questions, but in the end, he closed it, realizing he wasn't in a position to pry.“I’m going to go back to the bar,” Grey said as he rose from his seat. “I won’t be coming back. However, in case you might need my help, I'll leave you my number.” After scribbling his number on a piece of paper, he left.—The next day, I was discharged from the hospital and went back to work. I couldn't afford to slack off since I had bills to pay.It was a busy day, a
At first, I resisted and met his gaze with a defiant glare. There were more important things to attend to than deal with him. However, I reminded myself that he was still my boss and had authority over me.I let out a deep sigh and took the seat across from him while wondering what he wanted to talk about.“Sign the divorce papers, Elizabeth.” He placed the papers on the table.“Sure,” I replied, which surprised him. I wasn't acting on impulse; I had thought long and hard about this for a few days and had come to the conclusion that divorce was the only solution for us.I took the pen and signed where needed.He stared at me in silence for what felt like an eternity.Finally, he took a deep breath and mustered the courage to speak. "Who's Grey Cameron?" he asked, his voice strained. "Is he your lover?"I rose from my chair after the signing was done."Respectfully, Sir, you don't have the right to know. It's my personal business." After saying that, I turned to leave, but he rose fr
A few months later.My morning sickness had been becoming severe, and it was particularly troublesome every morning. Today was one of those days.With my palms pressed firmly against my mouth, I rushed to the bathroom, my head spinning and my stomach churning with a ferocity that was almost unbearable.I spilled the contents of my stomach into the sink.I hated mornings like this. I hated the onslaught of morning sickness that usually lasted for hours, leaving my body drained like a plant withered by the season.“Elizabeth! Are you alright?”The old wooden panel rattled with each intense knock.My heartbeat skittered, and my face turned several shades paler with fear. I wasn't expecting Grandpa to come, and I didn’t want him to see me in this condition.I hadn't told him yet that I was pregnant because I'm afraid of how he'd react. Being abandoned by a man was one thing, but bearing his child was another. My grandfather would undoubtedly confront Crimson and demand that he take respon
Crimson couldn't shake Cleo's words from his mind; they felt like a puzzle he needed to solve, with the most important piece still missing.He pondered the idea that the child may have misheard what Celestine had said. However, his four-year-old daughter insisted with absolute conviction that she had correctly heard her name being mentioned.“You can ask Suh-les-teen’s pet. She knows it too,” Cleo had challenged him.“Suh-les-teen’s pet?”“You don't know, Daddy? The one who follows her like a doggie wherever she goes.”Crimson had trouble believing what came out of his daughter's mouth. The words seemed surreal and detailed, making it hard to dismiss the possibility that the child was telling the truth.If his assumption was correct, Cleo must have been talking about Amy, Celestine's personal assistant, who constantly moved like her shadow and complied with her every command.But even if he were to question Amy about it, he doubted she would ever reveal anything. As he could see, she
When Sapphire and I got back home, it was already past midnight.I headed straight to my room, taking a quick shower before changing into my favorite pajamas and collapsing face down onto my cozy queen-size bed.Despite feeling exhausted from the day's work and partying, sleep eluded me. My thoughts were consumed by Flintstone City and what awaited me there upon my return.Unfortunately, Grandpa couldn't go back to the city with me as he had passed away a month ago. He peacefully died in his bed, surrounded by friends and family. Grandpa lived a happy and fulfilled life, which may have been the reason he lived longer than the doctor had anticipated.However, before his death, I couldn't resist asking him the question that had plagued me for a long time: Who was responsible for Philip Phoenix's death?"Let go of what happened in the past. Uncovering what's buried will not do you any good." That's what he said to me.Grandpa had been unjustly scorned and accused of a crime he never comm
"Elizabeth Everheart, will you marry me?"I blinked in astonishment at the question. It was the fourth proposal I had received in a week, making it the 150th one in the last four years.Since arriving in the US, my family—brothers, Mom, and Dad—had persistently set me up on blind dates, which I occasionally declined.The blind dates eventually fizzled out, but my family's desire for me to settle down did not wane. Soon enough, marriage proposals were coming at me one after another. After turning them down I was branded the 'ice queen’. This should have deterred further proposals, but it only seemed to make other admirers persistent."Elizabeth, you're 28 years old, for heaven's sake, it's time to choose a man and settle down," Mom would constantly urge me to get married.However, I would always manage to win the argument by pointing out that if Louis, Henry, or David finds a wife first, then I would find a husband. Fortunately for me, none of them were in a rush to settle down just ye
Four years later."Daddy! Daddy! Celestine bonked my face!"A little girl, with shoulder-length curly blonde hair, dressed in a pink sleeveless lace dress, hurried past the doorway and approached the chair where her father sat. Her emerald green eyes filled with tears as she buried her face in his lap."She did what?" Her father asked calmly, but his eyes simmered with hidden anger, like a volcano ready to explode.Standing up, the little girl mimicked a slapping motion with her hand. "She did it like this," she demonstrated, her palms colliding with her right cheek.At only four years old, the child exhibited an impressive ability to converse like an adult, a trait likely influenced by her limited interactions with children her age and constant company of older people.Her father gently lifted her chin to look at her face. Sure enough, there was a red mark on her cheek."What happened, sweetheart?" he asked, his voice ominously composed."I spilled juice on her favorite dress! I didn
When I woke up Mom was gone. I had expected her to be there and felt a little disappointed that she left the room already.When I got up, the beautiful French evening white dress laid out on the edge of bed caught my attention. It was stunning, with delicate lace detailing and a flowing skirt. Next to it were sparkly silver shoes. There was also a note that read: Please put on the dress, sweetie. Love, mom.The dress and shoes fit perfectly. I felt like a princess and spun around in front of the mirror.Leaving the presidential suite, I noticed how quiet the halls were. No footsteps or hotel staff anywhere. Walking through the long halls, I found a rose on the floor. Then another one a few steps away.Following the roses, I reached the banquet hall. The silence behind the door felt strange.I pushed the door open, the darkness inside made me pause, causing me to briefly doubt if I should enter at all.When I turned to leave, the lights suddenly flickered on, the grand banquet hall was
Camilla sat on the bedside, her heart breaking with every word coming from Elizabeth's lips.It had been six long years since she had held her daughter like this, and now, as she listened to her recount the events of her life, she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret for all the time they had lost.Her heart ached with the pain of knowing that she had missed out on so much.She had missed Elizabeth's graduation, her first job, her first love. She had missed out on all the little moments that made up a life.Elizabeth's voice was soft and tired, the words flowing out in a slow, steady stream. She spoke of the struggles she had faced, the challenges she had overcome, and the acquaintances who had stood by her through those difficult times."But you know, Mom, the pain of being shunned as an outcast by almost everyone for years was nothing compared to the hurt I felt when my own best friend betrayed me.”Camilla reached out and took her daughter's dainty hand, offering comfort a
"You're still a crybaby.” I heard a voice, and my attention was immediately drawn to the door."Louis!" I gasped, almost not recognizing his face. He seemed so different from the tall, skinny boy I once knew. The slim arms had been replaced by muscles, and the boyish charm had transformed into a manliness that could make girls weak in the knees.Tears welled in my eyes, and my lips quivered with emotion. "I never thought a moment like this would ever come," I sniffled."Have I told you that you look ugly when you cry?" It was David, my youngest brother, with whom I was close but didn't get along so well because he never wanted to play with me when we were kids.David and I, being close in age, often ended up spending a lot of time together in the house. Whenever we got into arguments, Louis would always step in as a referee to prevent us from tearing each other apart.Through my tears, I pursed my lips. "You're even uglier when you cry. That's why you're trying to hold back your tears
As Grandpa began to tell me about what had happened to my family over the past six years, I couldn't believe my ears.It all started with the day my three brothers didn't make it to the airport and were spared from the airplane crash that took the lives of so many others.It was a miracle that they had missed their flight, and that changed their lives.My mother, Alicia Stone, had made it onto the plane that day, but the crash had left her severely injured. Her face was disfigured beyond recognition, and she had to undergo major plastic surgery to reconstruct it.Grandpa warned me that she looked completely different now, and I might not be able to recognize her once I saw her.I was shocked to hear that my mother had taken on a new identity, Camilla Everheart, after marrying Edward Everheart, my father's best friend.Mom had managed to make it big in the business industry with little help from Edward, and now she owned chains of restaurants, hotels, and resorts all over the world. Sh
My eyes opened slowly. When my vision adjusted, the first thing I saw was my grandfather standing before me in a white suit. "Happy birthday, Elizabeth," he said, his voice gentle and familiar.Tears fell down my cheeks.He held out a bouquet of fresh pink roses, their sweet scent filling the room. I reached out a trembling hand to take them, my fingers brushing against the soft petals, and I was surprised they felt so real against my skin.Grandpa approached the bed. Despite my usual fear of ghosts, at that moment, I wasn't terrified—just keenly aware of how much I had missed him.Then he took my hand; his hands were thin but surprisingly warm against my palms. "I'm not dead," he spoke as though he read my thoughts.I blinked rapidly.Impossible.My grandfather had died in the fire that destroyed the ancestral house.I remembered the day vividly, as if it had happened yesterday: the flames engulfing the house, the billowing smoke, my silent scream of anguish as I watched his motionl