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 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
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
FIVE YEARS LATERSHAWNAI wiped off the sweat from my brow as I dusted off the shelf before neatly arranging the shoes on the shelf. I've been working in this store for five years as a sales girl and yet the manager still treats me like I’m a cleaner. My phone rang and I frowned when I saw it was a call from the school. I picked up the call immediately, my expression filled with worry. “Hello,” I answered. “Shawna, your kids got into a fight with another child. Hurry and come quickly,” the teacher’s voice sounded over the phone before she hung up. I frowned my expression filled with concern as I headed out of the store, looking for my manager. She was nowhere to be found. “Please, cover for me. I have to go to school,” I said to my co-worker, Laurel. Laurel nodded, “Hurry up. You know the manager doesn't like it when you leave.”“I’ll be back soon,” I said to her. I ran out of the shop and hailed a cab to take me to school. A few minutes later the cab pulled up in front of the
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
SHAWNAI felt like I was on a rollercoaster that wouldn’t stop. It was only a few hours ago when Damien had asked me to marry him. The words still echoed in my head, as did the joy on his face when I said yes. It felt right, no, more than right. It felt like everything I’d been hoping for, everything I’d wanted. A family, love, stability... finally, I was getting the life I’d always dreamed of.But then, of course, reality hit. Damien’s family came into the picture, and things started to spiral out of control.“Mommy, what kind of dress are you gonna wear?” Phoebe asked, her tiny voice cutting through the thoughts swirling in my head. She was jumping up and down, her little hands clapping. She was thrilled, and I couldn’t help but smile at her excitement. Billy wasn’t far behind, grinning like a Cheshire cat.“I don’t know yet, sweetheart,” I replied, ruffling her hair. “But I’ll make sure it’s something special.”Damien was watching me with that goofy grin, practically glowing from h
DAMIENThe first thing I felt when I woke up was the thudding in my head. It was like a drumbeat pounding against my skull, relentless and unforgiving. My throat was dry, and I could barely focus my blurry vision on the sterile white ceiling above me. What the hell happened?I tried to sit up, but the weight of the IV in my wrist stopped me. Groaning, I reached for it, fingers trembling as I fumbled for the connection. I was going to yank it out, end the damn pain, and figure out what had happened. Maybe then I’d understand why the hell everything hurt so much.But just as my hand hovered over the IV, I heard her voice. Shawna’s voice. It was shaky, full of urgency.“Damien, don’t you dare!”I froze, my heart skipping a beat. Her tone was sharp, but beneath it was something I hadn’t expected: fear. Real fear.I turned my head slowly to find her standing at the foot of the bed, wide-eyed, her face pale, tears glistening on her cheeks.“Shawna…” I croaked, still trying to make sense of