SHAWNA“Are you ready for your daily dose, bitch?" The man whose face I've come to be very familiar with said as he stepped into the cell.I no longer flinch at all, I've lost count of the number of times he has come into this place after Eugene left yesterday. My body is shredded all over with little or no spot left untouched.“What now? You can't talk again?" He taunted as he walked further into the room.“Just do what you want to do and get out already puppet," I said with a tone I almost didn't recognize. It was so cold, without any atom of emotion in it at all.“Did you just call me a puppet? What even gave you the audacity to talk back at me?” He asked me with anger bare in his voice, he lifted the whip in his hand immediately.The contact the whip made with my skin wasn't as hard as I expected it to be, maybe today's beating isn't really hard or I'm just getting tired of it already.I feel myself getting weaker each minute I'm awake. I was hungry and parched, I kept getting bea
DAMIENI left Shawna alone with frustration thrumming through me, I just don't understand why someone has to be that stubborn. I saw her friend's car pulling out of the premises too just in time.It's just so obvious right now that she isn't the heiress, yet she keeps insisting on being the heiress when she's not. The most infuriating part is how she prefers to stay there and suffer.The only reasonable explanation for this is if she's there's something more to this.Because the only thing I think is holding her back from what Eugene said she has to do is that she doesn't want to be the one who loses in the end.Appearing on live television and then apologizing for the same thing that has made her popular in the space of that time wouldn't be easy on her.I drove over to the house of the only person who could get her out of there. I hate to admit it, but technically, Eugene has more power than me currently.The Lancaster Empire isn't a small one at all, they're so big. The biggest in
EUGENE“Really? That's good news. Meet me at my house in an hour.” I told him with a normal voice, but a bright smile was plastered on my face. He ended the call immediately I said that and I immediately squealed out in excitement, I jumped up so high that I felt my legs ache immediately my legs met the ground again.This just feels like the best news I've received this year, I've been looking forward to this day. The day Damien would willingly accept to be with me.Well, technically he didn't willingly agree. He just didn't have any other choice, he wanted to help Shawna so badly. Thinking of her soiled my mood all over again.I honestly don't understand what he sees in her that's not in me, is it because he was married to her? Or has he found out that those children are his?No, it can't be. There's no way he'd find out that he's the father of her children and be this calm. Maybe he's just still attracted to her.“Well, that's bound to change once I get my time with him today, I'm
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“What? What's she looking for this time around and how did she know this place?" I asked with a shocked expression on my face.“I also don't know, my assistant that I asked to keep an eye on her just texted me to tell me that," Liam answered.“What if she's just visiting someone in this building and not us, we're not the only ones living here," I said.As if on cue, the doorbell rang. We looked at each other with an alarmed look on our faces. She's right here outside the door! I looked at Damien first, he had to hide.“Come with me." I grabbed his hand and took him to my room. There's really no way Stacey would know he's here if he stays here.“Don't come out till I say you should," I told him, walking back to the living room to see my children gone too, they left with my mother so I'm just alone with Liam now.I looked at Liam and he nodded at me before I went to answer the door. Truly, Stacey stood at the other side of the door. I wouldn't just allow her to come in like that.
SHAWNAI stood rooted on the spot, Phoebe is now standing before me and she looks like she needs a response immediately. My throat suddenly felt clogged and I didn't know what to do or say next.Everyone before me was awaiting my response but I was too gobsmacked to let out any sound.“Baby, how about you go in to meet your brothers first? This is a grown-up conversation. I'll come and meet you all later." I told her, trying as much as possible to sound normal even though I'm a mess internally."No, mom. All I just need is a yes or no. Is he our father?” She asked, looking at me like a mother would look at her child when they want to go through a rigorous questions session."But now is not the best time to say this, just go for now.” I pressed harder but it seems she's just as stubborn as her father. It didn't even seem like it, she was as stubborn as her father."You're my dad." She said, facing Damien now. Neither I nor Damien debunked what she just said and that was enough for her
SHAWNA“So, you can take her home now. She's very fine now, the antidote worked wonders on her." The doctor told me.“Thank you, we'll take her home now." I stood up and walked out of his office with a warm smile on my face. I'm happy that Phoebe is back, I'm very happy she's fine but I don't think I regret saying those words to Damien.To think that I was contemplating what to do, I didn't want to tell him that kind of thing and at the same time didn't want anything wrong to happen to my daughter.I went to make all the necessary arrangements I had to make before I could take her out of there, we didn't need to pay since the hospital belongs to us.After that, I walked into my daughter's room to see her awake already, she looked at the door as I entered and smiled on seeing me.“Hey, baby." I smiled, walking closer to her. I'm happy to see her back and healthy, I don't want anything to happen to her at all."Mom.” She mumbled, smiling weakly at me."I was looking for you, where did y
DAMIENI drove us around the city before I realized that I didn't know where I'd take her.“Do you have anywhere you’re going?” I asked her.Instead of replying to me, she started sobbing. I had to pull the car into a mall I saw.She was sobbing so loud that anyone who saw her would think I had done something to her. Tears flowed freely down her face as she sobbed loud.“What's wrong? Why are you crying?" I asked her, a frown etched into my face. She kept crying even more as I asked that question, and the frown on my face deepened even more.“Are you going to talk or what? You're scaring me at this point, why are you crying?” I asked things as much as possible to not sound like I was mad.She stopped crying a bit, hiccups took over the sobs in no time.“Can I have a tissue please?" She asked, her voice sounding cracked. I took some tissues from the ones I have in the car, I have such necessities with me here."Thank you." She said, dabbing her face with the tissues. I watched as she j
DAMIENI just wish life wasn't this hard, I wish things were different and it's just a world where I live in peace with Shawna and my children.My children, that just sounds right. I honestly should be happy about that information, but I'm mad because our world isn't in any way normal.This just feels like a fairytale or something, but in this context, my fairytale is just me and my family. I imagined a world and situation where it's just me and them.I drove out of Liam's premises and went to the flower shop. I picked one of the random ones I could lay my hand on. It's not like they're not all beautiful.After paying for the flowers, I drove to the airport straight up. I just hope there's no traffic or anything that'll slow down this journey at all.I just want to get this over with already, I don't know if I'll still be able to stand Stacey after everything I heard from Liam, I don't even think I'll be able to do that.With a hardened mind, I got out of the car after getting to the
LIAMShit, that was a very hard slip-off, I shouldn't have said or let that out at all. He released me immediately I said that, glaring very hard at me. I looked at him, fervently praying within myself that he wouldn't ask me anything.“What did you just say? What do you mean by believing that trash” He asked me, looking at me pointedly. I swallowed thickly and tried to come up with a response, I needed to reply to him."Forget it, I was just spewing rubbish. You also weren't helping matters with how you held me up by the collar.” I tried to divert the topic.He surely didn't believe that, I racked my head to think of another response to that. He glared hard at me at my last response."Don't even try to tell me that, it wasn't a mistake. You're hiding something from me.” He said to me. I let out a very deep sigh and ran my hand through my hair.To say that I'm frustrated would be an understatement, I should have just calmed down and allowed him to leave.If I hadn't replied to him, he
DAMIENThis can't be true at all, there's no way this is true, I don't just know what to believe, but what Shawna said just made me believe that it's not true at all.“No, no, no! Shawna can't cheat on me." I shook my head repeatedly as I tried to grasp the fact that she said it herself.I've known her for years since we got married, and the little time I spent with her when we got back together wouldn't make me believe that she did that.She wouldn't cheat on me with anyone, maybe what she was trying to say was that she got together with him when we were divorced.Even at that, I don't want to believe that she got with him. Was she under pressure to say it? Could she have been forced to say it?Do I have to do something? I'll try to see if I can get something from my end. I mumbled as I brought out my phone. I immediately called my private investigator.He picked up the call almost immediately, he's just one investigator I am newly employed, and he's pretty good through.“Boss, good
SHAWNAHis face crumpled into one of disappointment, then it turned into hurt. I honestly felt like telling him the entire truth right there, I don't just want to lie to him at all.“Have a nice day, Damien." I don't even know why I said that, I just want to say something to him before leaving.Seeing the heartbroken look on his face before I eventually turned around was another big deal for me. It took everything in me to walk away from me.I just want to hug him, hug him tight, and forget my worries for the moment, or even tell him everything that's bothering me.Knowing that I caused him pain is another level of dejection, I'd have gone for other options if there were any. But at this point, the only thing I had to do was just that.And maybe, just maybe if there's a chance or anything, we're able to come back together and communicate. All that matters right now is that I get the antidote, my daughter's life is in danger.I walked back into the hospital to see Liam waiting for me,
SHAWNAI left the restroom and went back outside with my mother who was waiting for me already.“How do you feel now?", she asked me, looking into my eyes.“I'm okay, has the doctor said anything else?" I asked her.“No, he hasn't. Are you sure you're okay? You look mad."“I'm okay, you don't have anything to worry about. You should leave, I'll stay here till morning, you should go home and rest." I told her.“I'm not leaving you here alone, I'll stay with you." She said, shaking her head.“You won't be comfortable here at all, I'll order a ride for you to go home with now. It's just better if you leave and come back tomorrow." I told her with a tone of finality.“But I don't want to leave you alone here." She said, sounding sad.I brought out my phone, “I’m ordering the ride now.” I said as I opened the app and looked for the nearest driver close to us. I ordered the ride for her.“So, I'll see you all in the morning. I'll be here till then." I told her."You're sure you'll be fine a