SHAWNAI stood at the door, watching as my kids left with Damien’s parents. My chest felt tight, and I couldn’t decide if it was because I was nervous about letting them go or if I was just overwhelmed by how fast everything was changing.“They’ll be fine,” my mom said, patting my shoulder. “You’ve raised them well.”“Yeah,” I muttered, though my heart wasn’t convinced.Not long after they drove off, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Damien standing there, looking… different. Softer, maybe? His usual confidence was still there, but his eyes held something else.“Can we talk?” he asked, his voice quiet.I nodded and stepped aside.He walked in, hands shoved in his pockets, looking like he was trying to figure out what to say. Finally, he sighed. “I just wanted to apologize for my parents. For how they treated you back then. For everything.”I folded my arms, leaning against the counter. “That’s a lot of years and a lot of hurt to apologize for, Damien.”“I know,” he sa
SHAWNAI let out a heavy sigh, leaning back in my chair as I recounted my earlier conversation with Damien to Liam. “He said I should go shopping to find something that makes me feel beautiful for the party,” I said, shaking my head. “He’s acting like everything is fine, like we didn’t go through all that mess.”Liam shrugged casually, fiddling with the edge of a folder on my desk. “Shawna, we both know your heart has always belonged to Damien,” he said matter-of-factly.His words caught me off guard, and I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”“It means,” he began, leaning against the desk, “that’s why it was so easy for me to fall out of love with you. I’ve always thought you and Damien would end up together after… you know, that night.”I gave him a small smile, one that didn’t reach my eyes. “That’s not fair, Liam. You’re making it sound like I didn’t care about you.”“You did,” he said quickly, his tone softening. “But not the way you care about him. I’ve seen the way you blus
SHAWNAThe mall was supposed to be a simple stop, pick out a dress, maybe tease Liam about Lily, and then go home. But life had other plans.I hadn’t expected to see her.Eugene. And her mother. Casually strolling through the mall like they hadn’t caused hell in my life.My stomach twisted in disbelief as Liam and I exchanged a glance. They weren’t just walking around; they were laughing as if the past had been erased. As if the prison bars had never closed around Eugene. As if she hadn’t hurt me.Liam and I made our way toward them, our steps firm, our presence unmistakable. When Eugene turned, her eyes widened for just a moment before a slow smile spread across her lips. Her mother’s expression was even stranger—soft, welcoming, almost… affectionate. That wasn’t right. That woman had never been warm toward me.“Shawna!” Eugene’s mother suddenly pulled me into a hug, catching me completely off guard. I stiffened, my arms staying at my sides. What in the world?Before I could react, E
SHAWNAWhen I thought of marriage, my eyes would light up as I imagined being in bed with my husband, giggling as he whispered sweet words of affection to me. I had looked forward to cooking with him and having food fights every time we did.A sad smile settled on my face as I stared at the ceiling.“How naive I was,” I muttered, my voice breaking.If I had been told I'd be married at age twenty-two, I'd surely believe that but I wouldn't have believed my marriage would be loveless and the complete opposite of all that I had imagined.With a sigh, I sat up in bed. It had been two years since I got married yet it was still the same so thinking about it and regretting it was pointless.I gently got out of bed and sat back down because of how sore I was between my legs and a scowl settled on my face.“Even if he doesn't like me, can't he at least be gentle,” I muttered, frustrated because I was almost always sore anytime I had sex with my husband.As though he heard me, the door to the b
SHAWNAI immediately dashed down the stairs with my bag trying to be as quiet as I could so Damien wouldn’t know I was leaving the house.He didn't care about me enough to be bothered but if he knew I was leaving with my male friend, he'd stop me.It wasn't because he cared or was jealous but because he didn't want me to taint his reputation.I could have taken a taxi instead but it was late at night and someone of my status shouldn't be that careless.There had been times when I was nearly kidnapped because I was married to Damien but I was always lucky.If I ever got kidnapped, that would be the end of me because I doubted he'd come to my rescue.I exited the house and shut the gate behind me before crossing to the opposite side of the road to the blue, run-down car.“Are you okay?” Liam, my old friend, asked when I got into the front seat.We had been friends since college but since I got married, we rarely saw each other for obvious reasons.“Yes, I am. Now let's go,” I said with
SHAWNAIn Liam's car, I leaned my head against the seat's headrest trying to gather my thoughts on how I'd get the money since there was no way that my father would assist with the money; he'd tell me to get it from Damien.“I can assist you but there's no way it'd be up to the money you need,” Liam sighed and I turned to face him in annoyance.“Liam!” I snap. “You can barely make ends meet and you're trying to help me. With all that you've done for me, I should be the one helping you not the other way around. Even if you give me any money, I won't accept it and if you give it to the doctor, I'll loan double the money to pay you back.”“But how will you get the money when your family won't help you? It's not like you can ask your husband either,” He said.Right. Him.“Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do,” I told him with a determined look on my face.Liam turned to me with a shocked expression on his face. “How will you do that when he doesn't give you money and is unaware of you
SHAWNA“Why?” I chanted repeatedly as I sat on the toilet floor.Of all the times the child could come, it chose when Damien had decided to divorce me. I had already signed the papers so there was no going back even if I told him the truth.He was cruel and couldn't care less about me but I couldn't tell how he would react to the child.I couldn't tell if he was going to accept our child and take me back or perhaps he'd take my child from me and kick me out.There was also the possibility that he'd deny being the father or try to get rid of the baby.I didn't want to think of him as such a terrible person but he didn't care about anyone but himself. Even if he did, I wasn't a part of that group of people.I placed my hands on my stomach.“The more I think about it, the scarier it gets. I can't afford to lose this baby after everything. I won't let him know the truth.”Just then, I heard a ding on my phone and turned it on to see that I had received the money I had requested and I felt
DAMIEN“What are you saying, Doctor?” I asked, a furious look on my face.It was a long day and I wasn't in the mood to play any games. I had just arrived from the office and my car was still parked in the driveway.Ever since I divorced Shawna, it's been a hell of a long shitty week. I always return from work exhausted and the fact I have to see Eugene’s face in my home made me feel guilty.Six weeks ago when I was still married to Shawna I went to a club and got drunk. When I woke up, Eugene was naked and in my arms.I couldn't recall how it had happened but we agreed to keep quiet on the whole thing. Of course, I had given her a huge amount of money to take care of herself.Three weeks later she called me and told me she was pregnant. I had taken her specially to my doctor and he had confirmed she was pregnant so now why was he calling me after three weeks to say this trash?“I know this sounds crazy but I think the test results were mixed up,” the doctor said over the phone.“You
SHAWNAThe mall was supposed to be a simple stop, pick out a dress, maybe tease Liam about Lily, and then go home. But life had other plans.I hadn’t expected to see her.Eugene. And her mother. Casually strolling through the mall like they hadn’t caused hell in my life.My stomach twisted in disbelief as Liam and I exchanged a glance. They weren’t just walking around; they were laughing as if the past had been erased. As if the prison bars had never closed around Eugene. As if she hadn’t hurt me.Liam and I made our way toward them, our steps firm, our presence unmistakable. When Eugene turned, her eyes widened for just a moment before a slow smile spread across her lips. Her mother’s expression was even stranger—soft, welcoming, almost… affectionate. That wasn’t right. That woman had never been warm toward me.“Shawna!” Eugene’s mother suddenly pulled me into a hug, catching me completely off guard. I stiffened, my arms staying at my sides. What in the world?Before I could react, E
SHAWNAI let out a heavy sigh, leaning back in my chair as I recounted my earlier conversation with Damien to Liam. “He said I should go shopping to find something that makes me feel beautiful for the party,” I said, shaking my head. “He’s acting like everything is fine, like we didn’t go through all that mess.”Liam shrugged casually, fiddling with the edge of a folder on my desk. “Shawna, we both know your heart has always belonged to Damien,” he said matter-of-factly.His words caught me off guard, and I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”“It means,” he began, leaning against the desk, “that’s why it was so easy for me to fall out of love with you. I’ve always thought you and Damien would end up together after… you know, that night.”I gave him a small smile, one that didn’t reach my eyes. “That’s not fair, Liam. You’re making it sound like I didn’t care about you.”“You did,” he said quickly, his tone softening. “But not the way you care about him. I’ve seen the way you blus
SHAWNAI stood at the door, watching as my kids left with Damien’s parents. My chest felt tight, and I couldn’t decide if it was because I was nervous about letting them go or if I was just overwhelmed by how fast everything was changing.“They’ll be fine,” my mom said, patting my shoulder. “You’ve raised them well.”“Yeah,” I muttered, though my heart wasn’t convinced.Not long after they drove off, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Damien standing there, looking… different. Softer, maybe? His usual confidence was still there, but his eyes held something else.“Can we talk?” he asked, his voice quiet.I nodded and stepped aside.He walked in, hands shoved in his pockets, looking like he was trying to figure out what to say. Finally, he sighed. “I just wanted to apologize for my parents. For how they treated you back then. For everything.”I folded my arms, leaning against the counter. “That’s a lot of years and a lot of hurt to apologize for, Damien.”“I know,” he sa
SHAWNADamien’s mother raised a perfectly manicured brow. “Surprised to see us, Shawna?”“Uh, yeah,” I admitted, gripping the door a little tighter. “I wasn’t expecting you.”“Well,” Damien’s father said, his voice cool but pointed, “it’s the same way we weren’t expecting to find out we had grandchildren.”I sucked in a breath, the guilt and anger swirling in my chest. Before I could even think of a response, my mother appeared behind me, her presence as sharp as ever.“Perhaps,” she said, her tone cutting like a knife, “if you’d treated my daughter well, you would’ve known she was pregnant before you threw her out.”The tension in the air thickened, and I glanced between them nervously. Damien’s mother's confident expression faltered, and she exchanged a guilty look with her husband.“We… we were wrong,” she said finally, her voice softer now. “We made a terrible mistake, Shawna, and we’re here to ask for your forgiveness.”I stared at her, speechless. I had imagined this moment a hu
SHAWNAAfter what felt like hours of arguing, yelling, and crying, the house was finally quiet. I sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, staring at the untouched steam rising from it. My nerves were fried, my head pounding, but at least the chaos had settled for now.The sound of soft footsteps made me look up. Phoebe, Jasper, and Billy shuffled into the kitchen, their eyes cast down. They stood in a line, looking like three kids caught sneaking cookies from the jar.I sighed and crossed my arms. “Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?”Phoebe, being the oldest and the boldest, stepped forward. “We’re sorry, Mom,” she said softly, her big brown eyes, so much like Damien’s, pleading with me. “We didn’t mean to upset you.”“We just… we didn’t know what to think,” Jasper added, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s all so confusing.”Billy stayed quiet, shifting uncomfortably, but I could see the guilt written all over his face. He hated seeing me upset, and I knew he didn’t me
DAMIEN“Alright, Dad,” I said, leaning against the wall of the study. “Let’s hear it. Grandpa says you tried to kill him. Care to explain?”My father’s head snapped up, his expression flipping between disbelief and annoyance. “He said what?”“You heard me,” I replied, crossing my arms. “He says you plotted to kill him for the company.”Dad groaned and ran a hand over his face, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse. “Damien, your grandfather has always been dramatic, but this? This is a new low.”“I told you he wouldn’t believe me,” Grandpa chimed in, leaning casually on his cane. He didn’t seem the least bit concerned about the chaos he’d just stirred up.“Maybe because it sounds like something out of a bad soap opera,” I shot back.Dad sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. “Damien, your grandfather’s ‘assassination’ story is ridiculous. Here’s what actually happened.” He turned his gaze to the old man. “After your accident, when you miraculously re
DAMIEN folded my arms and leaned against the table, eyeing the man who claimed someone had plotted to kill him. The old man, my grandfather, met my gaze squarely, his expression unreadable.“So, let me get this straight,” I said, trying to keep the disbelief out of my voice. “You’re saying my father, your son, tried to have you killed so he could take over your company?”Grandpa nodded, his expression unchanging. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”I couldn’t help it, I laughed. A short, humorless laugh echoed off the walls of the dimly lit room. “Even for Dad, that’s a bit of a stretch.”His lips curled into a smirk. “Is it?”“You do realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?” I shot back, gesturing vaguely toward him. “Dad’s a lot of things, but a murderer? Come on.”“Ridiculous or not, it’s the truth,” Grandpa said calmly, resting his hands on the head of his cane.I rubbed my temples, pacing back and forth. “And what, you think I’m just going to take your word for it? I mean, sure,
SHAWNAAs the old man continued his cheerful banter with Damien and my children, I felt my patience wearing thin. My arms were folded tightly across my chest, and I tapped my foot against the floor, letting the tension seep into my movements. This wasn’t a family reunion I signed up for; it was an unexpected disaster.“Thank you for finding my children,” I said abruptly, cutting into the conversation. My tone was polite, but there was no mistaking the edge in my voice. “I’m grateful, truly. But we need to leave.”The old man’s jovial expression faltered slightly. “Leave? But we’ve just met. Surely you’d like to stay a while, Shawna. The kids seem to be having a great time.”I shook my head firmly, glancing at Phoebe and Billy, who were now clinging to him like he was their long-lost best friend. “We’ve had enough surprises for one day. Come on, kids, let’s go.”Phoebe and Billy exchanged a glance before crossing their arms and planting their feet firmly on the ground. “We’re not leavi
DAMIENI couldn’t move. My legs felt cemented to the floor as Shawna’s words echoed in my head. Who had her children? Our children. The weight of it all pressed down on me like a crushing wave, and yet, I couldn’t form a single coherent thought.“Damien!” Shawna’s voice cut through the fog. She stepped closer, gripping my arm tightly. “Who has my kids?!” Her voice cracked, panic lacing every word.I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. How was I supposed to explain this? The truth hadn’t even settled in my mind yet. Instead, I turned on my heel and motioned for her to follow.“Get in the car,” I muttered, my voice barely audible.“What? Damien, no! Talk to me! Who—”“Shawna, just get in the car!” I snapped, my tone sharper than I intended. Her eyes widened in hurt, but she didn’t argue. She stormed past me and climbed into the passenger seat.The tension in the car was suffocating. Shawna’s voice, sharp and demanding, cut through my thoughts like a blade. “Damien, what is going on?