EUGENEHe looked at me tentatively before handing over his phone to me, he didn't look comfortable with that but he gave me the phone anyway.“Here it is." He said and took the phone from him. I took it from him with a smile on my face.“Thank you. I'm just going to…” I trailed off as I did the things I wanted to, I already prepared everything, all I needed to do on his phone was to accept it there.I was done in a minute and handed over the phone to him.“I just resaved my name on your phone, that was all," I said when I noticed that he wanted to check his phone to see what was going on.I did change my name on his phone to make this more believable. He stopped looking at the phone immediately I said that.“I think you should go to the registry to book a date for us so we'll get married as soon as possible,” I told him.“I don't think I understand you, why do we have to rush?" He asked.“Didn’t you agree to us getting married immediately?" I pouted, hoping I just gave him my best pou
SHAWNATerror gripped my entire form as whoever was with the gun started chasing us, the gunshots were getting closer and we kept running too.“Go faster! They're getting closer! You're both too slow!” Henry yelled. I felt like I was holding them back, especially Liam. He's a great runner, but right now he's being so slow.I tried to rub as fast as I could but it just felt like I wasn't doing enough, those people are too fast.At some point, it seems we lost them because no one was behind us anymore. I wanted to stop but Henry was greatly against that.“Don’t stop till I say you should.” He said, proceeding further. It's just that he seems to know about this very well and we just have to follow his instructions if we want to get out of here alive.He soon stopped at some point, the place was just in between two stores, one could run if they wanted to here, it's an open space. Going forward would be a street while going back is that alley.“Why are you two even here? You're only compli
SHAWNAI looked away from him when I heard another groan from Liam, he's bleeding again, blood was seeping from the bandage and he looked like he'd lose his breath anytime soon.“Stay with me, Liam. You have to fight this with everything in you, you have to keep your eyes open now." I tried as much as possible to keep my voice stable even though I was practically shaking.I looked up from Liam when I heard departing voices she footsteps. It seems the people Henry said were around us just left.“They're gone." He said and I went back to being relieved a bit, Liam is my utmost priority now, we need to find help for him.“Did Damien say he's coming for you?" Henry asked."Yes, he's the only one that can get us out of here now. He said people are coming to get us out of here.” The tears were falling on my face freely.I've never felt this useless, it just feels like I'm just here useless while he's dying. I should be able to do something to help him, he has always been the one helping me,
SHAWNA“I think I'll just present it to my grandfather now, he's inside." He'll know what to do to the evidence.“Who’s your grandfather?” Henry asked, frowning.“He's someone you know, but I'd rather not say it. Just know that he'll be able to get Eugene out of the way with this." I smirked.“Okay then, just do anything that'll get her locked up for good.” He shrugged."Yeah, so I guess it's a goodbye turn,” I said, looking majorly at Damien."Unfortunately, I'll miss you so much. I wish we had more time now." Damien mumbled, he sounded so much like someone sad.“We'll still see tomorrow or something," I said.“We will, it's just not today. Goodbye anyways, I'm leaving with him." He pointed at Henry.I bade them goodbye then I ran into the house with a bright smile on my face. I really can't wait to tell Grandfather about this, he'll be so happy.I went upstairs and got to our floor in no time, opening the door with my card. They were all settled before the television, watching a sho
SHAWNAI stared at her with nothing coming to my mind as a response to her, she had a smirk on her face and was assessing me as if she expected me to lose my cool or something.Because of that look, I had to suppress the emotions coursing through me. I cleared my throat and put on the best smiling expression I could come up with.“When is the wedding? When is it meant to hold?" I asked her.“In two days, I'm doing it with the company's anniversary. So, you're specially invited, here's your invitation card." She collected a card from the person behind her and handed it over to me.“Here you go." She said as I took the card from her.I stared at the said card, the design was beautiful, obviously made by one of the best graphic designers in town.“So I'm expecting you as my maid of honor, you'll have everything you need, including dresses delivered to you before the day. Just come and be behind me as my maid of honor, sister."That last word sounded more like a mocking one from her, she
EUGENEThe kind of anger that surfaced through me when I saw Shawna and Liam at the mall was unmatched, I just wanted to smash their faces, but I had to control the anger.Smiling with her was harder than I thought it would be, especially when all I just wanted to do was end her existence.And Kyle told me that they've been taken care of, I've been waiting for the news of their death since I've been expecting to hear that they were killed in a gang shooting or something.Only for me to see them at the mall when I came to get something, I was more than shocked to see them there.But maybe I'll just end Shawna's chapter when she comes to the event.I didn't think twice before inviting her to the wedding, I just knew I'd have to do something about her when she came there since Kyle was too useless to do that.“Ma'am? Are you okay?" The lady I came here with is meant to assist me all through today with my dresses and other things I'll need to be said.“Do I look any different? Just do you
EUGENEI picked up my phone immediately after Kyle left, dialing my assistant. I put her in charge of that man and I expect to hear about it if there's any update on him at least.“Good afternoon ma'am." She said as soon as she picked up the call.“What's the update on Bryan Lancaster?"There was silence on the other end of the call immediately, I even heard a sharp breath, like a gasp.“Ma, I can explain." Those words just meant that what Kyle said was right. He's gone.“You better do, and don't you dare tell me that you can't find him, I won't take it lightly with you if you tell me that.”“He disappeared, he left the hospital without any traces and he hasn't been found since then. I wanted to find him myself before telling you that he was gone." She rushed out the words as if she didn't want me to interrupt her.Lines of profanities left my mouth as she said that, I was fervently hoping that it wasn't true and she still knew where he was.“What you're trying to say in essence is th
SHAWNAIt's today, the wedding ceremony and anniversary that I've been anticipating for so long. The hall used has been decorated so well since it serves two purposes and it's meant to work for both.As Eugene's maid of honor, I'm meant to be with her before she goes up, though I'm currently on my way there. She already sent the room number to me, so I'm on my way there.On a normal day, we should do all the planning and dressing up together. But things between me and Eugene are never normal.She sent the dress to me yesterday, and I didn't even bother to wear it, I went for the one Liam and I later went to check yesterday, and he said I couldn't wear the one I picked two days ago.I opened the room with the pin she sent to me, stepping in to see her all ready and dressed up even though there were a lot of people in the room with her.“Why are you dressed this way? You aren't the one getting married here? And why did you not wear the dress I sent over yesterday? It's way prettier than
RAMONI couldn’t stop thinking about her.Phoebe.Her smile, her voice, the way her fingers touched mine so gently, like she was scared I’d disappear. The way she looked at me last night, I wasn’t just some guy with a messed-up plan and a fake relationship. No, she looked at me like I mattered. Like I was someone worth trusting.I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to focus on anything else. But her face kept flashing in my mind. Her laugh. The way her lips felt on mine. The way she pulled me close like she didn’t want to let go.God, I didn’t want to let go either.“I’m glad we made up,” I whispered to no one. “I really am.”My phone was on my chest, and I kept picking it up every two seconds just to look at her texts from last night. She’d sent a smiley face and a “get home safe,” and for some reason, that meant the world to me. It wasn’t much, but it felt real. Everything about last night felt real.But still… my uncle’s warning kept gnawing at the back of my mind
PHOEBEI walked through the front door, trying to act normal. But I couldn’t hide the smile tugging at my lips, or the way my body felt light, like I was floating. I hadn’t felt this… happy in a long time.Billy and Jasper were on the couch playing video games, but the second they saw me, they both paused the game and turned their heads slowly.“Well, well, well,” Billy said, grinning. “Look who’s glowing.”Jasper leaned forward and squinted at me. “You’re smiling way too much for someone who just got back from grocery shopping.”I rolled my eyes. “Mind your business.”Billy stood and crossed his arms like he was interrogating me. “We didn’t mind our business. That’s exactly why you’re blushing like that.”“I’m not blushing,” I said quickly, covering my cheeks even though I totally was. I could feel the heat rising, and that only made it worse.Jasper laughed and nudged Billy. “You totally are. And we know why.”I narrowed my eyes at both of them. “What are you two talking about?”Bil
RAMONI stared at the screen for a long time after the call ended. Phoebe’s dad? Golf? What was that even about? The man barely looked at me when I was dating his daughter. Why now?I paced the room, trying to make sense of it. Was it a trap? A test? Did he know something?I grabbed my phone, heart thumping. My fingers hovered over Phoebe’s contact."Don’t do it," I whispered to myself. "She doesn’t want to talk to you."Still, my thumb hit the call button.It rang.And rang.I was about to hang up when her voice came through, sharp and cold.“What do you want, Ramon?”I hesitated. “I…I know you don’t want to hear from me, and I get that. I just... I thought you should know something.”“What?”“Your dad. He called me. He invited me to golf with him tomorrow evening.”There was silence on the other end.“You’re kidding,” she said finally.“I’m not. I don’t even know what to make of it.”“That’s... weird,” she admitted. “But you should go.”I blinked. “Really?”“Yes. He’s not the type t
RAMONHis face was tight with anger, every muscle in his jaw flexing like he was holding himself back from exploding.“You’ve disappointed me, Ramon,” he said, voice cold and sharp. “You’ve truly disappointed me.”I stayed silent, standing stiff, hands clenched at my sides.He shook his head slowly, eyes filled with disgust. “I should’ve known. I should’ve known you weren’t ready for this. That you weren’t cut out for anything that required real strength or discipline.”I swallowed hard but didn’t speak. I knew better. I’d learned over the years that interrupting him when he got like this only made it worse.“You’re not worthy,” he spat. “I never should’ve put my trust in you. You were supposed to finish this. You were supposed to be the one who handled it all without catching feelings like a weak little boy.”He stepped closer, jabbing a finger in my chest. “But no. You let a girl unravel everything. One spoiled, privileged girl and suddenly your loyalty goes out the window? Are you
RAMONI leaned against the wall, arms still crossed as I watched Billy and Jasper circle my living room like they were on some episode of a home makeover show gone wrong. Their snide comments still echoed in my ears, but what hurt more wasn’t the jokes, it was the reason they were here. Phoebe.I exhaled slowly and finally said, “I didn’t mean to hurt her.”Billy paused, turning back to face me. “Yeah? Could’ve fooled us.”Jasper added, “She cried, man. You know how hard it is to make Phoebe cry? That girl could watch a sad movie and still hold it together.”“I didn’t try to hurt her,” I said, louder this time. My chest tightened. “Things got messed up. I made mistakes, yeah. But I never meant for it to end like this.”Billy folded his arms. “So, what? It just happened? You just ‘accidentally’ broke her heart?”Before I could even defend myself, that familiar, smug voice chimed in from behind me.“Alright, that’s enough.”I flinched.My uncle stepped forward, arms folded across his ch
RAMONI slammed the door behind me and let out a heavy sigh. The silence in the house was louder than ever. My shoes echoed on the floor as I walked into the living room. Everything felt tight in my chest. My throat burned, and I kept replaying her face in my mind…Phoebe was hurt, angry, her eyes watery like she was holding everything back.“Idiot,” I muttered to myself. “You really messed that one up.”I pulled off my jacket and tossed it on the couch. “You told her to walk away. Like some fool. Like she meant nothing.”I paced the room, dragging both hands down my face. “She told you to leave and you actually listened? What the hell, man? Who does that? Who actually walks out on someone they…” I stopped short, heart pounding. “Someone they…”I didn’t finish the sentence. Couldn’t. Saying it out loud would make everything worse. Realer.I clenched my fists, frustrated. “You just hurt the only woman who gave a damn about you. Congratulations.”Then, out of nowhere, I heard a creak beh
PHOEBEThe shoe flew faster than I expected. I was aiming for Billy, but the timing was just bad, really bad. The door opened right as I let go, and instead of hitting one of my annoying brothers, it smacked right into my assistant’s face.“Oh my God!” I gasped, rushing toward her. “Maya! I didn’t…I wasn’t…oh my God, I’m so sorry!”She just stood there, frozen, one hand on her cheek, eyes wide like she was still trying to figure out what just happened. Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.“That… really hurt,” she finally said, her voice small.“I know, I know,” I said quickly, flustered. “I’m such a mess right now. I swear I didn’t mean to hit you. It was meant for that idiot over there!” I pointed at Billy, who had now crouched behind the chair like he was in the middle of a war zone.“I was just walking in,” Maya muttered, still stunned. “I didn’t even say anything yet…”“I know!” I said again, practically tripping over my words. “And now your cheek is red, and I’m the
PHOEBEI couldn’t believe it. I actually couldn’t believe it.One second he was standing there in my office, all quiet and acting like everything was done and final, and the next, he was gone. Just like that. Gone.I stood in the middle of the room, staring at the spot where Ramon had stood minutes ago, and my chest felt like it was being crushed.And then the anger came.I grabbed the pen holder from my desk and hurled it across the room. Pens scattered everywhere. I didn’t care.He was supposed to fight for me.I picked up a stack of files and flung them on the floor. Papers floated in the air like leaves. Still didn’t care.“He was supposed to fight,” I mumbled under my breath, kicking the side of my chair.Then I reached for the mug he got me last week, the stupid one that said ‘Don’t Talk to Me Until I’ve Had Coffee’ and smashed it against the wall. The crash made me feel slightly better. Only slightly.The door creaked open.“Phoebe?” Billy’s voice.“No,” I said quickly, not tur
RAMONI stood in front of her, feeling like I’d stepped into a storm I wasn’t ready for.Phoebe looked at me with her arms crossed, her eyes sharp and guarded. Not like before. Not soft. Not kind. Just cold.“What are you doing here?” she asked. Her voice was sharp. Distant.I swallowed hard. “I came to pick up my things.”Her face changed for a second. Hurt, I think. But she blinked it away. “So you’re really leaving then?”I shifted on my feet. “Phoebe… you asked me to leave. I’m just respecting that.”She scoffed and looked away, shaking her head like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “So that’s it? You’re just walking away like a coward?”My chest tightened. “It’s not like that.”She turned back to me fast. “Then what is it like, Ramon? Huh? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you just gave up on me.”I took a step forward. “I didn’t give up.”“Then what are you doing?” she snapped. “I was angry. I was hurt. But I still expected you to… I don’t know, fight a li