RAMONI was dead tired by the time we finished the meeting at the company. My shirt clung to my back, and my head was pounding from all the numbers and back-to-back discussions. All I wanted was to check my phone and unwind, maybe see if Phoebe had texted.I reached into my pocket. Empty.My heart skipped.I checked the table, the chair, and even under the folder I’d used. Nothing.“Where the hell is my phone?” I muttered.My uncle, sitting across from me, raised an eyebrow. “Lose something?”“My phone. I had it before we came here.”He shrugged. “Maybe you dropped it at the house.”I didn’t like how quick he was to answer.Still, I forced a calm nod and stood up. “I’ll go check.”The ride back to his place felt like it took forever. My mind was racing. Phoebe. Had she called? Texted? What if something was wrong? My gut wouldn’t calm down.When I got to the house, I tore through every room I had been in earlier. The living room. The guest room. Even the damn kitchen. Nothing.My uncle
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
SHAWNAA cab pulled up before me and I got inside taking the kids along with me as I ordered the driver to speed up without thinking. My breathing was shallow as I wondered if perhaps the mention of Damien’s name today had made me imagine him in existence. Because there was no way it was possible that after five years of hiding from him, I would see him standing across the road and calling out for me. Besides, why would he call for me? We ended things on a bad note so he would want nothing to do with me. I already saved up the money he gave me and paid him back. I also made sure he will be unable to trace me or call me.“Mommy, who was that man?” Jasper asked. His tiny voice pulled me out of my thoughts and brought me to the reality that it was truly Damien who I had seen and not a figment of my imagination. “There was no man,” I answered sharply. “Mommy only talks like this when she's hiding something,” Billy said. “I’m not hiding anything,” I stated. Most times the fact that
RAMONI was dead tired by the time we finished the meeting at the company. My shirt clung to my back, and my head was pounding from all the numbers and back-to-back discussions. All I wanted was to check my phone and unwind, maybe see if Phoebe had texted.I reached into my pocket. Empty.My heart skipped.I checked the table, the chair, and even under the folder I’d used. Nothing.“Where the hell is my phone?” I muttered.My uncle, sitting across from me, raised an eyebrow. “Lose something?”“My phone. I had it before we came here.”He shrugged. “Maybe you dropped it at the house.”I didn’t like how quick he was to answer.Still, I forced a calm nod and stood up. “I’ll go check.”The ride back to his place felt like it took forever. My mind was racing. Phoebe. Had she called? Texted? What if something was wrong? My gut wouldn’t calm down.When I got to the house, I tore through every room I had been in earlier. The living room. The guest room. Even the damn kitchen. Nothing.My uncle
PHOEBEThe hotel was breathtaking, with marble floors, chandeliers sparkling like stars, a scent of roses, and money hanging in the air. My heels clicked softly as I followed the receptionist, who wore a perfectly polite smile. My coat was still wrapped tightly around me, hiding the dress Winnie helped me pick out. My heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and nerves.“He’ll be with you shortly,” the receptionist said sweetly, opening a suite door for me. “Please, get comfortable. There are refreshments inside. Make yourself at home.”I gave a shy nod. “Thank you.”The door shut behind me.The suite was luxurious, with soft couches, a large table with drinks and fruit, and dim romantic lighting. I let out a small breath. “Wow…”I walked slowly to the table, brushing my fingers along the glass rim of a wine glass. Red wine. A chill ran up my spine, and I shook it off. Maybe he asked them to pour it before he arrived. Maybe this was his way of setting the mood.I pulled out my phone.
PHOEBEI slammed the front door a little harder than I meant to when I got home.Winnie looked up from the couch, raising an eyebrow. "Whoa. Somebody’s in a mood. What's wrong, sunshine?"I dropped my bag by the door and flopped onto the armchair with a loud sigh. "It’s Ramon," I said, pouting like a child.Winnie immediately perked up. "Ramon? Spill. What happened?!"I buried my face in my hands for a second before looking up at her. "We kissed. Like... really kissed. It was amazing. He kissed me like he needed me to breathe or something."Winnie squealed, hugging a throw pillow. "Oh my God! Finally!""Yeah, it was incredible," I mumbled, my cheeks heating up. "But right after that, he got a call. Emergency at home. He had to leave. Just like that."Winnie’s face softened. "Oh, babe...""I know he had no choice," I said quickly, fiddling with a loose thread on the armrest. "But... it sucks. I’m losing my mind over him, Winnie. I’m slowly going crazy. I want him so bad it hurts."Winn
PHOEBERamon’s eyes burned into me like I was the only thing he could see. I felt my cheeks heat up under his stare, and I shifted awkwardly on my feet.“Phoebe,” he said, his voice low and rough, “I want all of you…every part of you. I’m not afraid of being with you. I’m just... trying to restrain myself.”My heart pounded so hard it hurt. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out at first. Then I swallowed hard and said, "I want all of you, too, Ramon. I’m not scared."Something snapped between us.Ramon closed the space in a single, hungry heartbeat, grabbing me again and crashing his mouth onto mine. This kiss wasn’t soft. It wasn’t sweet. It was rough, fierce, almost desperate, like he had been starving, and I was the only thing that could satisfy him.His lips crushed against mine, demanding and urgent. I could feel the heat pouring off his body as he kissed me like he needed me more than air. His hand slid up, fingers threading into the hair at the nape of my neck, then wrapping
RAMONI tossed and turned all night. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t sleep. My mind kept racing, full of everything Uncle Richard had said... and Phoebe. Always Phoebe.I was falling for her. Hard. It scared the hell out of me, but it also felt so right. I didn’t just like her, I needed her. Every smile, every look, every word she said stuck in my head like glue.When morning came, I dragged myself out of bed, showered, and dressed like a man on a mission. I didn’t even think twice. I was going to see her. I had to.No more running. No more hiding.When I got to the worksite, she was there already, sorting through some papers, looking so focused and beautiful that it made my heart twist. She looked up and blinked like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing."Ramon?" she said, her voice small but full of surprise. "I thought... I thought you weren’t going to be available anymore."I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling awkward and stupid all at once. "Yeah, about that. I’m
WINNIEWinnie stared at me like I had just grown two heads. "What do you mean you don't know if Ramon likes you enough to be intimate?" she asked, her eyes wide.I hugged my knees to my chest, feeling small and stupid. "I don’t know, Win. Maybe... maybe he’s just not that into me. Maybe he sees me like a kid or something."Winnie shook her head fast. "No way. Anyone with eyes can see Ramon is crazy about you, Phoebe. Seriously. He looks at you like you hung the moon!"I smiled a little, but it didn’t reach my heart. "Then why is he so hesitant? Why does he always back away when things get... close?"Winnie opened her mouth to say something, then paused. Her face changed slowly, like she was putting puzzle pieces together."Wait a second..." she said carefully. "Have you guys ever... you know... done it?"I looked down at my lap, my face burning. "No," I whispered.Winnie’s mouth fell open. "Wait. You mean... never?"I nodded, feeling like I was about to sink into the floor."And he kn
RAMONI stood in the garden, massaging my temples and trying to figure out what just happened. I hated seeing Phoebe hurt. I hated that I was the reason for that look in her eyes, the one that made my chest ache. I wanted to run after her, fix it, explain everything better.I had just taken a step toward the house when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Billy and Jasper coming out. Great. Just what I needed right now.They stood there awkwardly for a second before Billy cleared his throat."Hey, man," he said, not meeting my eyes. "We, uh... we just wanted to say sorry."I blinked, surprised. "Sorry?"Jasper shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yeah. For looking down on you. We didn't know... well, we didn't know you were who you are."I sighed, not really wanting to have this conversation. "It's fine," I muttered, even though it really wasn't."But," Billy added quickly, "we still think you're hiding something. And honestly... we don’t think you're worthy of our sister."Tha
PHOEBEThe second everyone was distracted inside, I grabbed Ramon’s hand and tugged him gently toward the garden. I was buzzing with excitement, my heart beating way too fast. I needed a moment alone with him, away from all the heavy stares and questions."Come on," I said, smiling at him. "Let’s get some air."He smiled back, letting me pull him along. The night air was cool and smelled faintly of roses. The garden lights made everything look soft and dreamy.Once we were far enough from the house, I stopped and turned to him, crossing my arms playfully. "So..." I began, raising an eyebrow. "You’re secretly rich, huh?"Ramon chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess so.""You guess so?" I laughed, nudging him with my shoulder. "Why didn’t you tell me?"He shrugged, looking a little sheepish. "I was going to tell you... eventually. I just wanted you to like me for me, you know? Not for anything else."I looked at him, my heart softening even more. His voice sounded so honest, s
PHOEBEI felt like I’d been holding my breath the whole night, but when Uncle Richard finally gave his answer, it was like the air rushed back into my lungs.“Well,” he said with a small chuckle, wiping his mouth with his napkin, “the truth is, we’re a wealthy family. Very wealthy. Ramon chose to keep that hidden because he didn’t want gold-diggers. He wanted someone who’d love him for who he is, not what he has.”There was a beat of silence.Then Billy blinked. “Wait… you’re saying Ramon’s been pretending to be broke?”“Not broke,” Uncle Richard clarified with a grin. “Just… simple. Down-to-earth.”Everyone at the table was stunned. I couldn’t help it, I let out the tiniest giggle. Then a bigger one. And before long, laughter started to ripple around the table. Even Jasper cracked a smile. It was like the whole room finally exhaled.I glanced at Mom and made a small, sneaky wink. She caught it instantly. Her lips curved just slightly, and then she gave a quick nod.“Phoebe,” she said