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SHAWNA “Fucking Stacey!” I glanced at Eugene and let out a sigh, “Perhaps if you curse less I will be able to figure out a way for us to leave here.” Eugene scoffed, “Oh please, speak for yourself.” I glared at her, “You’re the one who got us into this!” “Yes, I shouldn't have come to warn you about the psychopath that has been unleashed on you! Maybe I wouldn't be in this hellhole again,” Eugene sneered. I let out a grunt as I relaxed on the wall. I felt a prick and I moved away to see cockroaches crawling out of the wall. Everything about this place disgusts me and I had no business being here. I was locked up in the same cell with Eugene. I had no idea where they've locked up Liam and I hoped for Stacey’s sake that he's alright because if she hurt him then she will have to deal with me. “How did it come to this?” I muttered. I heard voices outside and I grabbed hold of the iron bars as I shook it furiously. “I need to speak with the inspector!” I yelled. “Quiet!” a
SHAWNA“Our handcuffs, they're off,” I mumbled, surprised.Eugene sat across from me in the police van, her smug face still managing to twist with anxiety. Liam leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, shooting her a sharp glare that could cut glass.“Relax, Shawna,” Eugene said, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. You did this. You led us right into Stacey’s trap.”Eugene rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop blaming me for your poor decisions. Maybe you would have seen it coming if you weren’t so naïve.”“Enough,” Liam snapped. “We’re all in this mess, thanks to her,” he said, pointing at Eugene, “so let’s focus on getting out.”Eugene scoffed, ignoring him as her eyes darted to the small window. The officers outside were talking in hushed tones, clearly distracted.“This is our chance,” she said suddenly, her voice low but excited. “We can slip out while th
EUGENEPain ripped through my shoulder as I stumbled into the dark alley, blood seeping between my fingers where I clutched my wound. My breaths were shallow and ragged, and every step felt like dragging a mountain. Liam’s voice echoed in my mind. “You don’t escape when the trap is wide open.”“Well, congratulations, Liam,” I muttered under my breath, collapsing against a dumpster. “You were right. Happy now?”I bit down a scream as I pressed harder on the wound. My vision blurred, and panic clawed at my chest. I was bleeding too much. If I didn’t stop it soon, I’d pass out, and passing out was as good as dying. I forced myself to think. The cops’ voices had faded, but I couldn’t afford to sit here for long.The alley reeked of rotting food and urine, but I had no choice. My eyes darted around, searching for anything that could help. An old, grimy t-shirt poked out of a trash bin, and I snatched it without hesitation, wrapping it tightly around my shoulder. The makeshift bandage was d
DAMIENI watched Stacey moving back and forth from the kitchen to the dining table. She was setting things up, placing plates, arranging silverware, and adjusting napkins like everything had to be perfect. She looked calm, but I couldn’t focus on her. My phone was in my hand, glowing with updates about Shawna and Liam.Their arrest. It was all a mess I couldn’t figure out. My stomach felt heavy, and my mind wouldn’t stop racing. Why would Stacey have anything to do with this?“Damien?” Stacey’s voice cut through my thoughts.I glanced up to see her standing by my side, her eyes narrowed just slightly like she was trying to read me. “Is something wrong?” she asked, her tone soft but laced with suspicion.I blinked, trying to focus on her face instead of the chaos running through my mind. “It’s nothing,” I said quickly, slipping my phone into my pocket. “Just work stuff.”She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. “You’ve been acting strange all evening. Are you sure it’s just wo
SHAWNA The world felt like it was spinning around me. My heart was racing, and I couldn’t even bring myself to take a deep breath. I just... couldn’t. The police officers had come back, and the news they brought shook me to my core. Eugene had escaped. I felt a strange mixture of shock and... relief. It was wrong to feel this way, I knew. But part of me couldn’t help it. She had been a problem for so long, and now she was gone, but... at what cost? I could still hear the echo of the gunshot in my mind. It was too real. I looked over at Liam, his face as pale as mine. He kept glancing at the police like he was trying to figure out what their next move was. But there was no escape now. We were trapped. “So what now?” Liam asked, his voice low and strained like he was holding back his panic. One of the policemen snorted like the idea of us trying to find answers was laughable. “What do you think? You’re going to prison.” Liam clenched his fists, his jaw tight. “You know you le
DAMIENWhen I got home after meeting Carl, I felt like my head would explode. The smell of food hit me as I walked into the house. Stacey was at the dining table, almost done eating. She was having sushi, her go-to when she wanted to look fancy but didn’t want to cook. A glass of wine sat beside her plate, and she looked perfectly relaxed like everything was fine.She looked up when I walked in and smiled like she hadn’t just ruined my day earlier. “Oh, you’re back. How was your meeting?”I didn’t answer her question. Instead, I asked, “Is it true?”She blinked at me, pretending not to understand. “What’s true?”“Shawna and Liam,” I said, throwing my jacket on a chair. “Were they arrested?”“I heard it from the right source. I was so shocked when I heard about it. I’m sure you feel the same right?” she asked.The moment Stacey told me about Shawna and Liam’s arrest, my stomach twisted. I didn’t want to believe it, but something about how she shared the news felt... off. So I asked he
EUGENEThe car came to a sudden stop, jerking me forward in my seat. I felt my heart race as I looked at my mom, panic rising inside me. “What’s happening? Is this part of your plan?” I asked, my voice tight with fear.She looked at the road ahead, her grip on the steering wheel tight. “I must’ve taken the wrong turn,” she muttered, her voice low.I felt a wave of panic hit me. “The wrong turn?” I repeated, my voice shaking. “Mom, we can’t be here! If they find us, you’ll end up in prison. We need to leave. Now!”My hands started to shake, and I grabbed her arm, my eyes wide with fear. I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “You don’t understand, they can’t see us here.”She glanced at me, her eyes sharp. “Eugene, calm down,” she said, but her voice was strained. “Just give me a minute to think.”But I couldn’t calm down. Every second we stayed here, I felt like we were making it worse. “Mom, we’re sitting ducks! We’re exposed!” I said, my words rushing out. “Yo
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