SHAWNA“You can't keep me here, I'm carrying your baby," Eugene said. Those words have to be the craziest thing I've heard in a while.I looked at her face, expecting her to laugh or something but she looked very serious, dead-ass serious. “What? That's not even possible." Damien scoffed, looking as shocked as I was."I'm not lying. I'm pregnant and you're the father.” Eugene shrugged, looking unbothered with a smirk on her face. She looks so confident, the kind of confidence that comes from having planned something out.“What are you even saying? I used a condom.”Those words made my heart shatter immediately, the warmness I was feeling towards him immediately turned into a very cold one. Condom? They had sex?“You both had sex?" I asked out loud.“Yes, he didn't tell you? We've been doing-" Damien cut her off with a glare on his face."Shut it Eugene, I only did it because you said that was the only way to get Shawna out of prison.” He snapped."You had sex with her because you wan
SHAWNAI lifted my head from my mother's shoulder as Phoebe walked further into the room. I cleared my throat and wiped the tears off my face.“Hey baby, I didn't see you there." I forced out a smile."Did our daddy make you cry, Mom?” She asked me with a little frown on her cute face."Why do you think so? Not, I was just being emotional.” I moved closer to her, bending down to her level."But I heard you say it.” She immediately ran away from me. I assumed that she was upset or something till she came back with her brothers.“Mom, did our daddy make you cry? Have you found him already? Who is he?” Jasper asked.I was speechless, I didn't know what to say or do. They looked like they wanted nothing but the truth from me and I knew I couldn't look them in the eye and lie to them again.But at the same time, I'd never tell them that Damien is their father. This is just so complicated, more complicated than I ever thought it would be.These kids deserve to know who their father is. But
LIAMShe looked at my face for a response, my head and face went blank immediately and I just had to calm down my nerves and then look around the room.“Let's go to the balcony, I don't think it's good if we talk about this here." She said, referencing her children, those kids act like adults at times and I won't be surprised if they heard us.“Okay," I mumbled and we walked over to the balcony, the cool evening breeze blowing our skin. It's a very pretty sight from here but that's the least of my problems.“Why did you ask that question though?” I asked her and she sighed."I feel like he deserves to know technically that they're his. But at the same time, seeing as he has gotten someone else pregnant makes me want to repel. A lot of things are at stake right now and my kids deserve to know the truth too.”"It's not just that, I thought I was getting somewhere with him then this happens. We were good, I thought he was changing for good really.”"I just don't know what to do right now
LIAM“What the actual fuck, man?" Damien growled, his eyes flashing in anger. The anger that's coursing through me is more than the one in him, the alcohol seems to be amplifying my anger.“I warned you, you're the last person I want to see right now," I said, going to sit down back. I wasn't able to sit properly before he dragged my back by the collar.He punched me squarely in the jaw, making my head loll to the side. A metallic taste appeared in my mouth which is blood.I didn't let him rest too, I didn't even wait to revel in the pain of the punch, I just punched him back. The fight got pretty much more than it was intended to be we were separated by policemen.When did they get here and who called them? The bartender standing behind them made me realize that he must have called them.I threw a glare his way as we were dragged away by the cops, neither of us tried to resist them, we just followed them peacefully.Arguing with them or resisting will only draw attention to us. We we
SHAWNA“I love you, Shawna. And I'm tired of hiding it from you.”I choked on my cough immediately after he said that the words caught me by surprise.“What? What are you saying?" I stuttered.“I love you, I'm deeply in love with you." He repeated those words.“You don't know what you're saying. You're drunk at the moment, you need to sleep." I said, nodding at myself for coming up with that ideology.“I'm drunk but not drunk to not know what I've been harboring for years now. I'm madly in love with you, I've been in love with you for a while now.”"I mean every word and letter of everything I've said and about to say. I don't think I can live without you at this point. You intoxicate me, Shawna. My heart skips a beat each time I see you, it beats for you.”"You don't seem to understand how crazily in love I am with you, I love you with reckless abandon,” he concluded.I couldn't even maintain eye contact with him, the intense look in his eyes was too much for me. It felt like he was
LIAMWaking up has never felt this peaceful, I feel so different. A happy kind of different, the scenes of last night started replaying in my head the moment I woke up.The person in my arms was just like my dose of happiness, her cologne wafted into my nostrils and I was more than happy to sniff it even more.On opening my eyes, I was met with her thick brown hair and her very beautiful face. She's currently sleeping in my arms and she looked very peaceful.A smile came up on my face as I remembered how her pretty face morphed into pleasure as I rammed into her last night.We only stopped when I saw how tired she was, she fell asleep somewhat early while I cleaned her up then slept off with her in my arms.I stared at her all through the night and up till now, I can't just get enough of her. I almost can't believe that we did all that and she's in my arms right now.She stirred in her sleep a bit and I stilled till her eyes opened, clashing with mine. She looked confused at first til
SHAWNAI never imagined that life would be this easy and beautiful. Liam showed me a side of life I never knew existed, he has been showering me with nothing but pure love.I turned off my phone for two days. Yes, I've been here for two days and I've not had any communication with the outside world except to call my kids and mother at night just so they'd know I'm still alive.Liam has been more than good to me and life is just very easy with him. I've been happy and undeniably glowing, it's just so obvious.I'm currently in his arms which has been my favorite position since two days ago. His arms are synonymous with comfort, I can stay here forever.I'm now confused as to why I've never felt this way about him, I've always looked at him like my friend and nothing more. This side of him is one I've never seen or experienced before.He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead, his phone in his hands. The phone was right before me and it's almost like we were operating the phone together even
SHAWNAA scream tore out of my mouth as she fell against me, her blood leaking into me too. The sight looked so terrifying, coupled with the fact that her eyes were almost closing.“Hey, hey, you have to stay with me. You can't close your eyes, keep them open." I tried to make her stay awake, she looked like she'd pass out anytime soon, and she eventually did.Her eyes closed despite how hard she seemed to have kept them open. I turned to look at Liam with a look of shock on my face.“I don't think she's breathing again, please check her out, she's no longer responding to me, what's going on?" Tears have already filled my eyes.“Let's get her to the hospital already, they'll know what to do." He responded and took her from me.He already unlocked the car with his keys so I just opened the door normally and got into the back seat while he went to the driver's seat.She had her head on me while the other parts of her body stayed on the car seat. Liam started the car almost immediately a
PHOEBERichard didn’t react at first. He just stared at me like he was trying to read my thoughts.“I’m sorry for coming unannounced. I just… I really need your help.”I heard my own voice tremble. My eyes darted briefly to the floor before finding Richard’s again. I hated that I sounded so desperate, but I was. Completely and utterly desperate.Richard frowned, his brows pulling together. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”I nodded slowly, my fingers wringing each other nervously in front of me. “It’s Ramon. I’ve been trying to find him all day. His apartment’s locked up. It looks like no one’s there. Curtains drawn. Door locked. Lights off. I knocked, I waited… nothing.”Richard’s expression changed subtly. Concern started creeping in.“I tried calling him. Several times. But his number’s not going through. It’s not even ringing.” I paused, struggling to keep my voice steady. “And I’ve spoken to some people who used to see him often…security at his place, a few mutual friends. N
PHOEBELater that day, I was still sitting at my desk, staring at the resignation letter in my hands like it might change if I looked at it long enough. It didn’t. The words stayed the same.I stood up and walked over to Clara’s desk. She looked up from her computer and gave me a soft smile before bowing to greet me.“Clara,” I said, holding up the letter. “Do you know where Ramon is? I need to speak with him.”She frowned and shook her head. “Oh… he left early this morning. Said he had something urgent to take care of. He didn’t say where he was going.”I felt my chest tighten. “Did he seem okay?”Clara paused, thinking. “I don’t know. He was quiet. Didn’t really talk to anyone. Just packed up his stuff and left.”“Packed up?”She nodded. “Yeah. Said he wouldn’t be coming back for a while.”That made my heart drop. What the hell was going on?I left the office immediately. I didn’t even bother to grab my bag. I just walked out, got into a cab, and told the driver to take me to Ramon’
PHOEBEI sat on my bed staring at nothing. My eyes were sore from crying, but no more tears came. I felt empty. Numb.A soft knock pulled me out of my thoughts. I blinked and looked up."Come in," I said quietly.To my surprise, it wasn’t Winnie. It was my grandmother."Grandma?" I said, standing up.She walked in slowly, her eyes scanning my face like she could read every thought running wild in my head. She didn’t say anything at first. She just came straight to me and pulled me into a hug. No words, no questions, just warmth. And in that moment, I cracked."Oh, my sweet girl," she whispered into my hair. "What’s wrong?"I hugged her tighter, and the tears came again, harder this time. I couldn’t stop them even if I tried. The sobs came from somewhere deep, somewhere I didn’t know still ached this much."I feel like I don’t know him," I sobbed, my voice shaking. "I feel like everything I believed was a lie."She didn’t say anything right away. Just rubbed my back gently, like she us
RAMONThe moment I saw her, my heart stopped.There she was, Phoebe. Standing by the garden path with the sun behind her, making her hair glow like it always used to when we’d sit on the porch together. I couldn’t move at first. I just stared.“Phoebe,” I said, finally stepping forward.She looked up, and our eyes met, but the look on her face hit me like a punch in the gut. No warmth. No relief. Just surprise… and something that felt like pain and disappointment rolled into one.She turned away instantly, like she couldn’t get away fast enough.“Wait…Phoebe, wait!” I rushed forward.She didn’t stop. She picked up her pace, but I caught up to her. I reached out and lightly grabbed her arm. “Please. Don’t go. Just let me talk.”“Let go of me, Ramon,” she said, her voice low and cold.I did. I stepped back, hands raised. “Okay. I’m sorry. I just… I wasn’t expecting to see you. I didn’t think you’d come out here.”“Well, I didn’t think I’d run into you,” she snapped. “Yet here we are.”“
BILLYI watched the door close behind Phoebe as she walked out of the room. My eyes followed her, but she didn’t even glance back. She just left.Jasper was standing beside me, arms folded, a puzzled look on his face. We both turned slowly to look at Winnie, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed. Her hands were clasped together, and she looked like she was trying not to say too much.“What’s going on?” I asked, breaking the silence first. “She just left us standing here.”“Yeah,” Jasper added. “She looked upset. And Ramon walked out earlier, looking like someone kicked his soul out. What’s happening?”Winnie looked up at us and sighed. “It’s… complicated.”Jasper raised an eyebrow. “Complicated how?”She stood up slowly, smoothing her shirt. “It’s something you should really hear from Phoebe.”“But she’s not exactly giving out answers right now, is she?” I said. “We’re her brothers. We have a right to know what’s happening with her.”“I agree,” Jasper added, nodding. “Did she r
PHOEBEThat morning, I woke up to the quiet hum of birds outside the window. For once, I didn’t have to rush to work or pretend everything was fine. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying not to think too much.The soft floral curtains swayed gently with the breeze, and for a moment, everything felt peaceful. But that peace didn’t reach inside me. I felt like I was just floating, present in body, but far from okay. My eyes were heavy from lack of sleep, and my chest ached from holding in tears all night. Still, I stayed there, wrapped in Winnie’s guest blanket, letting the silence stretch as long as it could.Winnie had helped sneak me into her house late last night, and I was grateful."Are you going to tell your parents you’re here?" she asked softly that morning as she came into the room with a cup of warm tea.I sat up slowly, blinking away the crust from my eyes. "There’s no need. They’ll just ask questions I’m not ready to answer."She nodded and handed me the cup. The mug
RAMONI stood there for a long time, watching Phoebe walk away. Her words echoed in my head like a sharp slap: “I never want to see you again.” I wanted to chase after her, to make her listen, to explain everything. But I couldn’t. Not when I didn’t even have the answers she needed.Not when everything in my life was already broken beyond repair.Maybe she was right to leave. Maybe this was the best thing for her. That’s what I kept telling myself as I dragged myself back to my uncle’s house. It was late, and the street was too quiet, like even the night wanted nothing to do with me.When I stepped inside, Uncle Richard looked up from the couch. He was lounging like a king in his robe, glass of whiskey in hand, the flickering TV light painting shadows across his aging face. He looked too calm for someone who had just helped me destroy the only thing that ever made sense in my life.“Well, look who’s back,” he said, a slow smile curling at the corners of his lips. “I take it she finall
PHOEBEMy whole body was sore. My dress was torn, my wrists burned from the ropes, and my eyes stung from crying. I was huddled in a corner of that cold, dark room, shivering as the last of the men ran out like rats. One second, they were setting up cameras, saying the most disgusting things, and the next, they were gone. Just like that.It made no sense. None of it did. Why would they leave me? What scared them off?I was too weak to stand, too confused to think straight. My head was pounding, and I could still feel whatever they had drugged me with swirling through my system. My heart was racing so fast I could barely catch my breath. My legs were pulled to my chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, as if I could make myself disappear if I just curled up small enough.And then I heard footsteps.Fast. Heavy. Coming closer.My eyes shot to the door.I froze.My heart shot to my throat.Were they back?Did they forget something?Were they going to finish what they started?I couldn’t
RAMONI stood in that hotel lobby staring at the manager as if he'd just announced a death. Maybe he had. Because knowing Phoebe had been taken right from under my nose felt exactly like that, like something had died inside me."She was in your care!" I shouted. "She was supposed to wait for me here!""Mr. Ramon," the manager said nervously, "we thought it was authorized…""By whom? My uncle?" I spat. "You took her because my uncle said so? Did she look like she wanted to leave? Did you even ask her that?"No answer. Just that sick, silent guilt on their faces.I didn't waste another second. I turned on my heel, stormed out of the hotel, jumped into my car, and sped straight to Richard's estate. My hands gripped the wheel so hard they ached. My mind was a storm, rage, fear, regret. I kept seeing her face in my head, her smile, the way she had trusted me. And now...She was gone.When I got to the mansion, the guards at the gate crossed their arms."Sir, Mr. Richard said not to let you