DAMIENThis can't be true at all, there's no way this is true, I don't just know what to believe, but what Shawna said just made me believe that it's not true at all.“No, no, no! Shawna can't cheat on me." I shook my head repeatedly as I tried to grasp the fact that she said it herself.I've known her for years since we got married, and the little time I spent with her when we got back together wouldn't make me believe that she did that.She wouldn't cheat on me with anyone, maybe what she was trying to say was that she got together with him when we were divorced.Even at that, I don't want to believe that she got with him. Was she under pressure to say it? Could she have been forced to say it?Do I have to do something? I'll try to see if I can get something from my end. I mumbled as I brought out my phone. I immediately called my private investigator.He picked up the call almost immediately, he's just one investigator I am newly employed, and he's pretty good through.“Boss, good
LIAMShit, that was a very hard slip-off, I shouldn't have said or let that out at all. He released me immediately I said that, glaring very hard at me. I looked at him, fervently praying within myself that he wouldn't ask me anything.“What did you just say? What do you mean by believing that trash” He asked me, looking at me pointedly. I swallowed thickly and tried to come up with a response, I needed to reply to him."Forget it, I was just spewing rubbish. You also weren't helping matters with how you held me up by the collar.” I tried to divert the topic.He surely didn't believe that, I racked my head to think of another response to that. He glared hard at me at my last response."Don't even try to tell me that, it wasn't a mistake. You're hiding something from me.” He said to me. I let out a very deep sigh and ran my hand through my hair.To say that I'm frustrated would be an understatement, I should have just calmed down and allowed him to leave.If I hadn't replied to him, he
DAMIENI just wish life wasn't this hard, I wish things were different and it's just a world where I live in peace with Shawna and my children.My children, that just sounds right. I honestly should be happy about that information, but I'm mad because our world isn't in any way normal.This just feels like a fairytale or something, but in this context, my fairytale is just me and my family. I imagined a world and situation where it's just me and them.I drove out of Liam's premises and went to the flower shop. I picked one of the random ones I could lay my hand on. It's not like they're not all beautiful.After paying for the flowers, I drove to the airport straight up. I just hope there's no traffic or anything that'll slow down this journey at all.I just want to get this over with already, I don't know if I'll still be able to stand Stacey after everything I heard from Liam, I don't even think I'll be able to do that.With a hardened mind, I got out of the car after getting to the
DAMIENI drove us around the city before I realized that I didn't know where I'd take her.“Do you have anywhere you’re going?” I asked her.Instead of replying to me, she started sobbing. I had to pull the car into a mall I saw.She was sobbing so loud that anyone who saw her would think I had done something to her. Tears flowed freely down her face as she sobbed loud.“What's wrong? Why are you crying?" I asked her, a frown etched into my face. She kept crying even more as I asked that question, and the frown on my face deepened even more.“Are you going to talk or what? You're scaring me at this point, why are you crying?” I asked things as much as possible to not sound like I was mad.She stopped crying a bit, hiccups took over the sobs in no time.“Can I have a tissue please?" She asked, her voice sounding cracked. I took some tissues from the ones I have in the car, I have such necessities with me here."Thank you." She said, dabbing her face with the tissues. I watched as she j
SHAWNA“So, you can take her home now. She's very fine now, the antidote worked wonders on her." The doctor told me.“Thank you, we'll take her home now." I stood up and walked out of his office with a warm smile on my face. I'm happy that Phoebe is back, I'm very happy she's fine but I don't think I regret saying those words to Damien.To think that I was contemplating what to do, I didn't want to tell him that kind of thing and at the same time didn't want anything wrong to happen to my daughter.I went to make all the necessary arrangements I had to make before I could take her out of there, we didn't need to pay since the hospital belongs to us.After that, I walked into my daughter's room to see her awake already, she looked at the door as I entered and smiled on seeing me.“Hey, baby." I smiled, walking closer to her. I'm happy to see her back and healthy, I don't want anything to happen to her at all."Mom.” She mumbled, smiling weakly at me."I was looking for you, where did y
SHAWNAI stood rooted on the spot, Phoebe is now standing before me and she looks like she needs a response immediately. My throat suddenly felt clogged and I didn't know what to do or say next.Everyone before me was awaiting my response but I was too gobsmacked to let out any sound.“Baby, how about you go in to meet your brothers first? This is a grown-up conversation. I'll come and meet you all later." I told her, trying as much as possible to sound normal even though I'm a mess internally."No, mom. All I just need is a yes or no. Is he our father?” She asked, looking at me like a mother would look at her child when they want to go through a rigorous questions session."But now is not the best time to say this, just go for now.” I pressed harder but it seems she's just as stubborn as her father. It didn't even seem like it, she was as stubborn as her father."You're my dad." She said, facing Damien now. Neither I nor Damien debunked what she just said and that was enough for her
SHAWNA“What? What's she looking for this time around and how did she know this place?" I asked with a shocked expression on my face.“I also don't know, my assistant that I asked to keep an eye on her just texted me to tell me that," Liam answered.“What if she's just visiting someone in this building and not us, we're not the only ones living here," I said.As if on cue, the doorbell rang. We looked at each other with an alarmed look on our faces. She's right here outside the door! I looked at Damien first, he had to hide.“Come with me." I grabbed his hand and took him to my room. There's really no way Stacey would know he's here if he stays here.“Don't come out till I say you should," I told him, walking back to the living room to see my children gone too, they left with my mother so I'm just alone with Liam now.I looked at Liam and he nodded at me before I went to answer the door. Truly, Stacey stood at the other side of the door. I wouldn't just allow her to come in like that.
EUGENE“Only God knows where she is and what she's up to right now," I mumbled to myself as different thoughts started running in my head.Stacey brought me to this penthouse and left minutes after, she only said she was ‘going to settle things with Shawna’ and nothing more.It's so different with her now, all she's talking about now is getting Damien back. She seems to have taken care of Shawna already and all that matters is Damien.And that's the problem, I have a very huge problem with that. I paced the floor of the room she gave me with my hand running through my hair.My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, followed by the doorbell. A frown came up on my face at that. Stacey already told me to not go out or answer the door for anyone.But that doesn't mean I won't still check who it is, I want to know who's behind the door so badly. I looked through the peephole and saw that it was Kyle.Kyle? I should be able to open the door for him, it's not like he doesn't know
SHAWNAI watched as Damien loaded the last of the suitcases into the car, his movements quick and efficient. There was something about the way he handled everything that made me smile. He had a way of taking charge, but at the same time, he always made sure I was comfortable with every decision."You know," I said, folding my arms and leaning against the car. "I never thought I'd be this excited to leave. But I am."Damien turned to me, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh? And here I thought you’d be all sentimental and teary-eyed about leaving everything behind."I shook my head. "Not a chance. I’m ready for a fresh start. No baggage, no bad memories, no regrets. Just you, me, and a new beginning."His smirk widened, and he pulled me close. "That’s what I love about you, Shawna. No hesitation. No second-guessing. Just full speed ahead."I looked up at him and grinned. "Speaking of full speed ahead, you do realize you haven’t mentioned any honeymoon plans, right?"Damien blinked, then ru
SHAWNAThe day had been long and full of emotions. Damien had disappeared early in the morning with the kids, leaving me to spend time with my mother. I appreciated the quiet moments with her, but I couldn't shake the curiosity about where he had gone. He hadn’t said much before leaving, just kissed my forehead and told me he had plans.Later in the day, I was surprised when Damien’s mother showed up at the house. I had expected tension, maybe another disagreement, but instead, she looked almost... apologetic.“I owe you an apology,” she said, sitting across from me in the living room.I blinked, surprised. “For what?”“For how I spoke to you yesterday. I wasn’t being fair. I was so caught up in my own vision of the wedding that I didn’t stop to consider what you and Damien truly wanted.”I exhaled softly, the weight of our previous conversation still lingering. “I appreciate you saying that.”She sighed. “I see how much Damien loves you, how much the kids adore you. I was wrong to tr
DAMIENI stood in the middle of the beach, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore filling the air. The sun was beginning its descent, casting a golden glow over everything. It was perfect. Simple yet breathtaking, just the way I knew Shawna would love it.The gentle breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean, blending with the faint fragrance of the flowers we had carefully arranged along the aisle. White chairs stood neatly in rows, facing the beautifully decorated arch where we would say our vows. Fairy lights twinkled in the early evening light, creating a magical ambiance. The entire setting was intimate, just family and a few close friends, exactly what I wanted for Shawna.“Dad, are we sure this is enough?” Phoebe asked, looking around with excitement. Her small hands clutched onto the hem of her dress as she took in the scene.I turned to her with a smile, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.“It’s perfect,” I assured her, ruffling her hair. “Your mom doesn’t
SHAWNAWalking into Damien’s house, I felt a mix of nerves and determination swirling inside me. This conversation with his mother needed to happen. I couldn’t keep pretending to be okay with her making every decision for our wedding.As we stepped into the living room, his mother turned to face us, her expression unreadable. “To what do I owe this visit?” she asked, her tone clipped.I took a deep breath and smiled politely. “I wanted to talk to you about the wedding.”Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Oh? Have you finally realized that I know what’s best?”I shook my head. “Actually, no. I wanted to let you know that the plans I have for the wedding are different from what you want.”Damien shifted beside me, but he didn’t say anything. This was my fight to handle, and he knew it.His mother exhaled sharply, clearly displeased. “Go on,” she said reluctantly, folding her arms across her chest.“I want a beach wedding,” I announced, watching her closely for a reaction.Her brows lifted. “A
DAMIENI watched Shawna pace back and forth, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The frustration in her eyes was impossible to miss, and I hated seeing her like this.“Maybe,” I said carefully, “we’re moving too fast with everything.”She stopped mid-step and turned to look at me, her lips pressing together in thought.“Are you saying you don’t want the wedding anymore?” she asked, her voice softer than before, but there was an edge to it.I shook my head. “No. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I want to marry you, Shawna. I just don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by all of this. If you need a break, we can take a step back.”She let out a deep sigh, running a hand through her hair. “I do want the wedding, Damien. I really do. But I feel like we need to change our environment. Just get away from everything, from everyone. Just for a little while, so we can focus on us.”I studied her, understanding exactly what she meant. “You mean away from my mother.”She gave me a pointed loo
DAMIENI watched Shawna pace back and forth, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The frustration in her eyes was impossible to miss, and I hated seeing her like this.“Maybe,” I said carefully, “we’re moving too fast with everything.”She stopped mid-step and turned to look at me, her lips pressing together in thought.“Are you saying you don’t want the wedding anymore?” she asked, her voice softer than before, but there was an edge to it.I shook my head. “No. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I want to marry you, Shawna. I just don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by all of this. If you need a break, we can take a step back.”She let out a deep sigh, running a hand through her hair. “I do want the wedding, Damien. I really do. But I feel like we need to change our environment. Just get away from everything, from everyone. Just for a little while, so we can focus on us.”I studied her, understanding exactly what she meant. “You mean away from my mother.”She gave me a pointed loo
DAMIENI watched Shawna pace back and forth, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The frustration in her eyes was impossible to miss, and I hated seeing her like this.“Maybe,” I said carefully, “we’re moving too fast with everything.”She stopped mid-step and turned to look at me, her lips pressing together in thought.“Are you saying you don’t want the wedding anymore?” she asked, her voice softer than before, but there was an edge to it.I shook my head. “No. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I want to marry you, Shawna. I just don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by all of this. If you need a break, we can take a step back.”She let out a deep sigh, running a hand through her hair. “I do want the wedding, Damien. I really do. But I feel like we need to change our environment. Just get away from everything, from everyone. Just for a little while, so we can focus on us.”I studied her, understanding exactly what she meant. “You mean away from my mother.”She gave me a pointed loo
DAMIENThe moment I walked in, Mom turned to face me, arms crossed, her expression already set in irritation.“What did you say to Shawna?” I asked, my voice calm but firm.She scoffed, shaking her head. “Oh, so now I’m the villain?”“I didn’t say that,” I replied, crossing my arms as well. “I just want to know what happened.”She let out a dry laugh, her eyes flashing. “You should be certain you want to marry her, Damien. It seems like she’s still holding onto the past.”I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay composed. “You’re not making things any easier by controlling every little thing about our wedding. This is supposed to be for us, not you.”“For us?” she repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. “You mean for her. Because it seems to me that she’s getting everything her way while I’m being cast aside. Do you think that’s fair?”I exhaled sharply. “Mom, Shawna isn’t trying to push you out. She just wants to have a say in her own wedding.”Mom scoffed again. “A small wedding?
SHAWNAI could feel the weight of it all pressing down on me. The constant decisions, the expectations that seemed to build up faster than I could keep track of. I just wanted a small wedding, simple and quiet, with the people who mattered most. But it felt like every step I took toward what I wanted was met with resistance.“Shawna, you need to speak up if you’re not being treated the way you deserve,” my mother had said earlier, concern thick in her voice. “You can’t let them walk all over you.”“I’m not being walked all over,” I’d snapped back, though I wasn’t sure if that was entirely true. “It’s just... the wedding. It’s a lot of pressure.”She sighed, her hand resting gently on my shoulder. “I know it’s a big deal, but you need to be honest about what you want, honey. If they’re making you uncomfortable—”“I’m fine, Mom,” I cut in, though I wasn’t. “I just want a small wedding. Is that too much to ask?”“Nothing wrong with that,” she said, squeezing my shoulder. “You deserve to