RAMONI hadn't even realized how close I was standing to her until it hit me, her warmth, her scent, the way she wasn’t moving away. It was like the whole world had faded, and it was just us, caught in this moment.I leaned in, slow, testing, watching her reaction. She didn’t flinch, didn’t push me away.Her lips parted slightly, breath warm against my skin. I could hear it, soft, uneven, like she wasn’t sure what to do next. But she wasn’t stopping me.I took another step, just a little closer.She bit her lip, hesitating, shy, but still, she didn’t move back.So I didn’t either.My heart pounded, a steady, insistent rhythm against my ribs. I could feel her breath hitch, see the way her lashes fluttered as she struggled with whatever was running through her mind.Just a little more…My hand hovered near her waist, not quite touching, just close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off her skin. Close enough that if she wanted to step away, she could.But she didn’t.Instead, h
PHOEBEI paced in the living room, arms crossed so tight my nails dug into my skin. My jaw was clenched and my whole body was tense. Jasper was taking too damn long, and every second made my blood boil hotter. The moment he walked in, I was on him."What the hell was that?" I snapped, stepping right into his path.Jasper barely spared me a glance, rolling his eyes as he shrugged off his jacket. "What was what?"I scoffed, my patience snapping like a rubber band. "You know exactly what I’m talking about." My voice rose, shaking with anger. "Dragging Ramon out like some criminal? Talking to him like that? You humiliated me, Jasper!"Jasper scoffed, crossing his arms like he was the one who had a reason to be pissed. "Oh, I’m sorry. Should I have waited until after you threw yourself at him?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.My face burned. "You’re such a jerk!""You’re being reckless, Phoebe!" Jasper shot back, stepping closer, eyes blazing. "You don’t even know this guy! You’re acting l
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
PHOEBEI paced in the living room, arms crossed so tight my nails dug into my skin. My jaw was clenched and my whole body was tense. Jasper was taking too damn long, and every second made my blood boil hotter. The moment he walked in, I was on him."What the hell was that?" I snapped, stepping right into his path.Jasper barely spared me a glance, rolling his eyes as he shrugged off his jacket. "What was what?"I scoffed, my patience snapping like a rubber band. "You know exactly what I’m talking about." My voice rose, shaking with anger. "Dragging Ramon out like some criminal? Talking to him like that? You humiliated me, Jasper!"Jasper scoffed, crossing his arms like he was the one who had a reason to be pissed. "Oh, I’m sorry. Should I have waited until after you threw yourself at him?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.My face burned. "You’re such a jerk!""You’re being reckless, Phoebe!" Jasper shot back, stepping closer, eyes blazing. "You don’t even know this guy! You’re acting l
RAMONI hadn't even realized how close I was standing to her until it hit me, her warmth, her scent, the way she wasn’t moving away. It was like the whole world had faded, and it was just us, caught in this moment.I leaned in, slow, testing, watching her reaction. She didn’t flinch, didn’t push me away.Her lips parted slightly, breath warm against my skin. I could hear it, soft, uneven, like she wasn’t sure what to do next. But she wasn’t stopping me.I took another step, just a little closer.She bit her lip, hesitating, shy, but still, she didn’t move back.So I didn’t either.My heart pounded, a steady, insistent rhythm against my ribs. I could feel her breath hitch, see the way her lashes fluttered as she struggled with whatever was running through her mind.Just a little more…My hand hovered near her waist, not quite touching, just close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off her skin. Close enough that if she wanted to step away, she could.But she didn’t.Instead, h
RAMONI leaned against my bike, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the house. The street was quiet except for the distant hum of traffic. I checked my watch for the tenth time. She was taking too long.Then, finally, a cab pulled up. Phoebe stepped out first, followed by her brothers.Her eyes widened when she saw me. "Ramon?" She rushed over. "Have you been waiting here this whole time?"I shrugged. "Figured I’d see what was going on."She smiled, a little tired but still warm. "That’s… really sweet."Her brothers exchanged looks. I already knew they didn’t like me. Not that I cared.One of them, the tallest, sighed. "Look, man… we don’t like you."The other crossed his arms. "Yeah. But… thanks. For saving her."I smirked. "Wasn’t looking for your approval, but you’re welcome."Phoebe sighed, already exhausted. "Can we not do this right now?" She turned to me, eyes hopeful. "Come in."The tallest one immediately shook his head, arms crossing over his chest like a human wall. "No way."The o
SHAWNAThe phone buzzed in my hand, and I frowned at the screen. Eugene. We hadn’t spoken in a while. I hesitated for a second before answering."Come to this location," Eugene said without preamble, then rattled off an address."What? I’m busy right now," I said looking so confused."Just come, Shawna. It’s important."The line went dead before I could ask anything else.Zaverio, who had been watching me, raised a brow. "What was that about?""I don’t know," I admitted. "But she sounded serious.""Then we go."The drive was tense. Neither of us spoke much. My mind raced with possibilities. What did Eugene want? I had a lot on my plate at the moment. Why the secrecy? When we arrived at the rundown warehouse, Kyle and Eugene were already there, waiting."What’s going on?" I asked as we stepped closer.Kyle crossed his arms. "We’ve been trying to help you. But there’s only one thing left to do now.""And what’s that?"Eugene gestured toward a door. "Confront him."I glanced at Zaverio,
EUGENEI let out a long breath, my chest tightening with frustration. “This isn’t fair, Kyle. Shawna’s done nothing wrong, and yet she’s the one getting torn apart. Meanwhile, the real criminals get to walk free.”Kyle nodded slowly, his expression dark. “Yeah. And if we don’t do something fast, this thing will bury her.”I leaned forward, pressing my palms against the table. “The worst part? She doesn’t even deserve this. She worked hard, followed the rules, and now her whole reputation is on the line because of a lie.” I clenched my fists. “It’s infuriating.”Kyle studied me, his eyes sharp. “You really care about this, don’t you?”I scoffed. “Of course, I do! I may not have always been on Shawna’s side, but I know she’s not guilty. And I can’t just sit back and let them ruin her.”Kyle leaned back, rubbing his jaw again. “The way things are going, it won’t be long before she’s facing real charges. If that happens, we might not be able to help her at all.”I swallowed the lump formi
SHAWNAI stared at the screen, my hands cold and shaking. Greg Dawson’s words echoed in my head.“She told me to cut costs. Said to ‘make it work’ no matter what.”Lies. All of it.I fumbled with my phone, trying to find his number. I dialed, pressed call. It rang once. Twice. Then, it said the same thing.“This number is no longer in service.”I swore under my breath, trying again. Same result. I tried another number, one I had from years ago when we first worked together. Straight to voicemail.“Damn it.”Phoebe was watching me, her face tight with worry. “Mom?”I exhaled sharply. “He’s not picking up.”Jasper paced across the room. “That’s because he’s too busy lying on national TV.”Zaverio sat on the armrest of the couch, arms crossed. “We need to get ahead of this.”Billy scowled. “How? The guy just threw Mom under the bus.”I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I need to find him. I need to talk to him.”Before anyone could respond, my phone buzzed. A new number. I answered fast.“
SHAWNAPhoebe and I barely made it through the front door before I saw them waiting, Jasper, Billy, and Zaverio. Their faces were tight, eyes scanning me and Phoebe like they were expecting the worst.Jasper stepped forward first, his brows furrowed. “You okay?” His voice was tense, but there was something else there too and that was concern.I sighed, rubbing my face. “No. But that doesn’t matter right now.”Billy’s eyes flicked between me and Phoebe. “What happened?” He took a step closer to Phoebe, checking her over like he expected to see injuries. “Are you hurt?”Phoebe shook her head quickly. “I’m fine.”“You don’t look fine,” Jasper muttered, folding his arms. His eyes narrowed on her clothes, the dust on her jacket, the faint scratch on her arm. “What the hell happened out there?”Phoebe hesitated. I could tell she didn’t want to say it.Zaverio, silent until now, gave me a knowing look. “Trouble?”I exhaled sharply. “A crowd recognized Phoebe on her way to the warehouse.”Bil
PHOEBEI couldn’t tell where we were going. I could barely think.“Car. Now,” Ramon ordered, his voice sharp.I barely heard him over the shouting, but I nodded, running when he did. We pushed past people, dodging debris. My heart was hammering so hard it hurt.Finally, we broke through the crowd. Ramon yanked open the car door, practically shoving me inside before slamming his own door shut.“Lock the doors,” he said, breathless.I did.For a second, we just sat there. The chaos outside continued, but inside the car, it was silent except for the sound of our breathing.My hands were shaking. My whole body was shaking.Ramon’s jaw was clenched. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel. “That was bad,” he muttered.I let out a shaky laugh, though there was no humor in it. “No kidding.”He exhaled through his nose, his grip loosening just a little. “We’re going home.”“No.” My voice was stronger than I expected. “Take me to my mom.”“Phoebe…”“I’m not leaving her there.” I tur
PHOEBEI was halfway through reviewing the latest architectural sketches when my phone buzzed, vibrating insistently against the wooden desk. I barely glanced at the screen before answering."Hello?""Phoebe, have you seen the news?" Billy’s voice was tight with urgency.A strange sense of dread curled in my stomach. "No, why? What happened?"There was a pause, too long. My fingers tightened around the phone."Check now," Jasper’s voice cut in, sharp with worry. "It’s bad. Really bad."I fumbled for the remote with one hand, my other gripping the phone like a lifeline. My heart pounded as I pressed the power button.The screen flickered to life, and I felt my breath hitch.Lancaster Empire was plastered across every channel, the words BREAKING NEWS flashing in bold red banners beneath a flurry of images. Protesters flooded the streets, waving signs that screamed MURDERERS and JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS. News anchors spoke in grim tones, standing in front of the remains of our warehouse,