DAMIENI had raised my hand to knock on the door when I heard a familiar voice from inside, Shawna's mother.“Joseph, you aren't going to say anything? You'd just stand there and watch your daughter rot in jail because of your wife and other daughter?"That's her voice, what's she doing here? I pressed the doorbell just in time for the door to be opened. The same woman I was contemplating if she was the one who was pushed through the door.I caught her before she could fall, steadying her. I looked at her face and saw that she was okay before looking up at the devil's incarnate before me.Eugene looked more than shocked to me here.“Damien, I- I didn't know you'd gotten here. Come on in." She smiled.I looked at her with nothing but anger thrumming through me, I didn't say anything to her. I just led Shawna's mother outside, away from them.“Thank you for saving me, I'd have fallen so hard if you hadn't caught me. I appreciate it." She smiled sadly at me.“You're welcome. And I want y
SHAWNA I wouldn't even say I've lost hope in getting out of here, but it looks like I'm not getting out of here normally anymore. I've moved from just being in here to serving a term with prisoners. I now serve punishment with people who have gone through courts and are only serving their term. Since I was a child up until now, I never thought a life like this existed. It's so rougher than I even imagined. Waking up every morning before sunrise and then going back to sleep late at night with body pains because of working all night. I woke up this morning to cold liquid dumped on me, I had just slept one hour ago only to be woken up now. I opened my eyes to see an officer with a bucket in his hand, he just dumped it on me. “Wake up, criminal." He sneered. My whole body ached a lot, my head was banging so hard due to stress and lack of sleep. And to top it all, those scars are getting much worse, I've not even gotten any one of them treated. He dumped the remaining of the water o
EUGENEWaking up was euphoric, I felt the happiness in me before I woke up at all. Last night was just too blissful, it feels like a dream come through for me.With my closed eyes, I stretched out my hand and tried to feel his body but my hand met with the cold bed. My eyes flew open, did he leave already?I looked around the room to see him dressing up, he was almost done.“Are you leaving already? It's still so early." I yawned, my hand covering my mouth as I sat up on the bed.“You promised to let Shawna go after this, let's go there already.” He buttoned up his shirt and turned to me.Anger thrummed through me as he mentioned her name, it just served as a reminder that the only reason he's doing it is because of Shawna and not just willingly.Can't she just die already? Argh! I just want to squeeze the life out of her, watch life leave her body so she can just leave this earth and stop disturbing me.“Do we have to go now? Let's just do some more things before we leave.” I tried t
SHAWNAI woke up with my head banging, I had to shut my eyes countless times. I just didn't want to open my eyes yet because I'm so sure the pain would be doubled if I did.But the annoying beeping sound beside me wouldn't let me rest, it was getting into my ears and added to my frustrations.I just had to open my eyes, I knew I was in a hospital even before I did so. Everything that happened before my eyes fluttered close appeared in my head.My entire body ached a lot, my body was practically screaming at me even though I hadn't moved at all. I mumbled out a few cuss words for the people who made me this way.“Shawna, you're awake!" My mom's voice met my ears. If it's not that she's the one, I'd have chastised her for shouting that way because the noise traveled straight to my eardrum.But I can understand her enthusiasm, I've been away from them for a while now and I passed out hours ago. Even I would be worried.She came to hug me on the bed, heaving a sigh of relief. I heard her
DAMIENI wanted to turn around and leave the room, but I decided to give her a piece of my mind too. I stopped in the middle of the room, turning around again.“Just so you know, you're the one who's ruining your life by claiming to be someone you're not. It's destroying you.” I spat.She didn't get to reply to me before the door to her room was pushed open and Liam stepped in. He almost pushed me out of the way as he ran over to her.“Shawna, thank God you're fine. I'm so happy you're back to normal." He said as he sat beside her on the bed.The anger on her face that she wanted to use to reply to me before got wiped off when she saw him, it was almost like I was no longer there.“I'm fine, how are you too?" She asked him back as he checked her over.I could no longer take it and just had to storm out of the room. That emotion that only comes whenever I see her with him resurfaces. I don't want to admit that it's jealousy because it's not.On getting into my car, my anger skyrocketed
SHAWNA“Are you sure you're fine? Do you want anything? Anything at all." Liam bombarded me with questions, he said this immediately Damien walked out.“I'm good, the hospital is providing more than enough for me already, you don't have to worry too much about me," I told him.“How are you though? How have you been?" I asked him, I had laid down back on the bed in a more relaxed posture now.“I've been fine, I was so happy when your mother informed me that you've been released. You have no idea how happy I am. So, who helped you out? Did you agree to do what Eugene said you should do?" He asked me.“Damien did, he was saying something like I have no idea what he has done to get me out but he wouldn't say what he did, so I don't know what he did," I mumbled.“Only God knows the requirement Eugene gave him to get you out of there, that lady is the devil incarnate herself," Liam said with a hint of hatred in his voice.“I’ve been thinking about that too. But we kind of fought before he l
EUGENE Shawna laughed mockingly at me. I had to step back a bit with my hands around my waist and my face pulled in a frown. “What's funny?" I asked her. “You, you're so funny to think that I'll do that, you should have forgotten about it by now, I'm not giving up shit for you,” she emphasized each word she said, showing how much she meant it. “Nothing will make me lose my heritage, especially not for someone like you." She spat. “It's either you're stupid or you don't understand what's at stake here, do you want to die?!" I yelled angrily at her. Her face deepened a bit with how I yelled, it must be the headache she's suffering from the body weakness and injuries. “Like I said, nothing will make me give up my heritage." The look of defiance on her face and the one in her voice made me more mad than ever. I ground my teeth together in anger then stormed out of the room. I hated that she's refused to listen to me even after I've shown her a demonstration of what I'm capa
LIAM Amid Eugene and Shawna's bickering, Damien and I walked out of the room. He looks so troubled, more troubled than I was. I willingly walked out of the room with him, sensing that he had something important to tell me. “Let's just stop here." He said when we got outside under a shade on the hospital's premises. I stopped walking while he stood before me. I saw someone in the far distance and hurriedly excused myself from Damien, I ran over and exchanged pleasantries. It's one of my business partners, he came here for a checkup. When I got back, Damien already changed his position and he now has his hands in his pockets. “Sorry, I had to do that. What were we saying?" I asked him. “What do you think we can do about Shawna? What are your suggestions?” He asked me, really shocking me. He sounds so concerned as if he wants to get her out of that mess already. "I honestly don't know, but I think Eugene is behind this. She is always against Shawna and it won't come as a shock to
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?
SHAWNA"Damien, Liam, I think something's wrong," I said, my voice trembling. "I can't find Billy and Phoebe anywhere."Their faces paled. "What do you mean you can't find them?" Damien asked, his voice sharp."I mean they're gone. Vanished. I've looked everywhere, and they're just… not here."Liam's eyes widened. "Maybe they're playing hide-and-seek?" he suggested, trying to sound optimistic."Liam, they wouldn't play hide-and-seek without telling me," I said, my heart pounding. "This isn't a game."We raced back to my mother's house, finding her frantically pacing the living room. "Jasper!" I cried, pulling him into a tight hug. "Where were you, darling? You scared me to death."Jasper simply shrugged. "I was playing in the garden," he mumbled.Then, his face crumpled. "But I can’t find Phoebe and Billy," he cried out, tears welling in his eyes. His lower lip trembled, and he buried his face in my skirt, sobs racking his small frame.I knelt beside him, my heart aching. "Oh, sweetie
PHOEBE"Come on, Billy!" I tugged his hand, practically dragging him down the stairs. "We gotta go!""Where are we going, Phoebe?" Billy whined, his lower lip trembling."To find Daddy!" I said, holding up my tablet. "I ordered a car. We're going to his office."The car arrived, a big black one. The driver looked at us suspiciously. "Where are you little ones going? And who's with you?""We're going to find our Daddy!" I declared. "We can take care of ourselves."Billy mumbled something about wanting ice cream, but I ignored him. "We're going to his company," I told the driver, giving him the address.He looked at us for a long time, like he didn't believe me. "Your parents know you're going alone?""We don't need them," I said confidently. "We're brave."The driver sighed. "Alright, get in."Billy was so excited, he tried to open the door himself. But it was stuck! "Stuck!" he yelled and started to cry a little. I tried to open it too, and I pushed hard. Finally, it opened with a LOU
SHAWNAThe house was quiet now, but the tension still lingered in the air. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the photograph of my kids on the nightstand. Their bright, innocent smiles seemed a world away from the chaos that had unfolded earlier. I couldn’t ignore it anymore. This situation was spiraling out of control, and I needed to fix it before it broke something we couldn’t put back together.Taking a deep breath, I stood up and made my way to the living room, where the kids were sulking in different corners. Jasper sat on the couch with his arms crossed, Phoebe was curled up in the armchair with her face buried in a book she wasn’t reading, and Billy was sprawled on the floor, fiddling with a toy car but clearly not playing. The tension between them was palpable.“Alright, you three,” I began, standing in the middle of the room. “We need to talk.”Jasper looked away, Phoebe’s book snapped shut with an audible thud, and Billy groaned, dragging himself into a sitting positio
LIAMThe sound of laughter filled the park as Phoebe and Billy raced each other across the grassy field, their giggles carrying on the warm afternoon breeze. Jasper, however, stood a few feet away, kicking at the dirt with the tip of his shoe, a deep frown etched on his face.I approached him cautiously, knowing that pushing too hard could make things worse. "Jasper," I began gently, crouching down to his level, "what’s wrong, buddy? You’ve been quiet all afternoon."He stopped kicking and glanced at me, his little face set with a stubborn pout. "Why can’t I choose who I want as my daddy?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.The words hit me harder than I cared to admit, but I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. "Jasper," I said, my tone steady, "I know this is hard for you. It’s a big change. But Damien is your dad, and that’s not something anyone gets to choose. It’s just how it is."Jasper crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the ground. "But I do
SHAWNAI returned from the mall, juggling groceries and feeling pretty pleased with myself. The house was supposed to be quiet; I’d promised the kids a movie night later, and I figured they’d be playing. Instead, I walked into the sound of crying—loud, heart-wrenching sobs.Dropping the bags on the kitchen counter, I rushed into the living room to find Jasper on the couch, tears streaming down his little face. Phoebe and Noah hovered nearby, looking worried, while Damien sat awkwardly on the armrest, running a hand through his hair like he didn’t know what to do.“What happened?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.Damien stood as soon as he saw me, his face a mix of guilt and frustration. “It’s... a long story.”“Mommy!” Phoebe rushed over, tugging on my arm. “Jasper doesn’t want Daddy to be Daddy!”I blinked, utterly confused. “What?”Noah chimed in. “We were helping him plan something, but then Jasper got mad and started crying.”I looked between them, then at Damien. “Helpi
DAMIENI sat on the edge of Kyle’s couch, watching him casually toss clothes into his duffle bag, his movements unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world. Meanwhile, my thoughts raced a mile a minute, the small box in my hand feeling heavier than it had any right to. I turned it over in my fingers, the weight of what it represented settling like a stone in my chest.Kyle glanced over, his sharp eyes immediately catching on to what I was holding. His brows shot up, and an all-too-familiar smirk spread across his face. “What’s that?” he asked, leaning slightly forward. “A magic trick?”I rolled my eyes, already regretting having the box out in the open. “It’s a ring.”“No kidding,” he said, his smirk widening into a full-on grin. “You planning to propose, or are you just trying out jewelry for fun?”“Yes, I’m proposing,” I snapped, gripping the ring tighter in my palm.Kyle froze for a second, then let out a loud, boisterous laugh that echoed through the room like I’d just told
SHAWNAThe moment I got the news about Cara, I felt like the ground had shifted beneath me. I couldn’t believe it. She was gone, and with her went any chance of getting the answers we so desperately needed. My chest felt tight, and my mind raced with the realization that we might never know the full truth.Back home, I couldn’t sit still. I kept pacing, my thoughts spiraling. “We were so close,” I muttered to myself, frustration bubbling to the surface. Damien tried to comfort me, but I brushed him off gently. “I need to clear my head,” I said before heading back out.I drove to the hospital where Cara had been taken. I wasn’t ready to let this go without a fight. When I arrived, I demanded to see someone who could give me more information. A nurse led me to a stoic government official who barely flinched as I unloaded my questions.“I need a detailed report,” I said, my voice sharp but steady. “What happened to Cara? And Stacey—where are their bodies?”The man sighed, shuffling some
SHAWNAThe news hit me like a tidal wave—Stacey was gone. The police confirmed her death while we were still processing the chaos of the ambush. I didn’t know how to feel about it. Relief? Anger? Sadness? Maybe all three, or maybe nothing at all. It was hard to say anymore.Cara, on the other hand, had survived but was facing court as an accomplice. A part of me felt vindicated, but another part wondered if she’d planned on pulling something else even from behind bars. Damien didn’t seem concerned about her anymore.“Do you think we should keep running?” he asked as we sat on the edge of the bed in his quiet apartment, the evidence of the last few weeks weighing heavily in the air.I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “We’ve been through hell here, Damien. Maybe we deserve a break.”He nodded slowly, his hand resting on my knee. “Yeah. You’re right. We’ve fought enough battles for a lifetime.”We sat in silence for a moment, the kind that felt heavy but necessary. Just as I w