Chris stood still, frozen. His phone right in his hand. He didn’t know where to start. He wasn’t at all worried about his twin brother being teased mercilessly on the media for cheating on Valerie. He wasn’t pleased too by the masses claiming he was more organised and trustworthy compared to Chase. His only worry was on poor Valerie, how she was coping , how she was taking the betrayal.The previous day, Chris had felt her dilemma. He couldn’t see through her though, he couldn’t fathom why she kept on giving Chase so much power over her. Right from the moment she had caught Chase having sex with Dora red handed, she should have given him a piece of her mind, shown him what she is made of, sued him even. However, Chase had taken her love for him as a sign of desperation and weakness. He wondered how Chase had been blind to see what an incredible woman he had. Her immense love for Chase was visible in her eyes, and Chris knew it was pure and true. Still, all that worried him was Valerie
Chris quietly walked around the room, watching Valerie sleep. Without warning, his phone made a loud ringing, disturbing Valerie from her peaceful sleep. It was a call from work and he just had to take the call. After hanging up, he apologized to her.“I’m sorry l woke you up”, he said, sincerely.“Not a problem”, she said assumingly as she yawned and stretched. Valerie felt herself loosening up to Chris’ presence because frankly, he was all she had during this turmoil.“How about you take a shower?”, he ordered. Valerie kept gazing at him, and didn’t say a word.“I was thinking maybe we could order some food, afterwards”, he suggested. She comprehended what he was trying to do.“Chris, l am fine, you really don’t have to…”, she stated.“ I wasn’t asking, it was a command. Now, off you go…give me twenty steps to the bathroom!”, he blasted, a faint smile on his lips, hoping Valerie would find that humorous. She giggled and stood up immediately, pulling her feet to the bathroom.“Aye, C
Just then, Chris swiftly changed the subject. “So just be strong friend. Time is like a river. You can’t touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again, so enjoy every moment of life”.“What was that?”, she asked, surprised at his words.“Oops! Forgive me, I just can’t help but become poetic in this garden of …”.She burst into laughter. They both now felt tired as it was running late. Chris accompanied Valerie to her hotel. “ I will just put you to bed and l will be out”, he promised. Valerie sat in bed, then it was time for Chris to go leave, but he kept on moving about.“You want to tell me something?”, she asked.He looked at her, surprised. “It shows?”, he asked back. “Well, I was wondering if I could spend the night on the couch”, he said, hesitantly. Valerie said nothing.“You won’t even know l am her, I promise”, he said.“And why would you leave the comfort of your home for a small uncomfortable, hotel couch?”, she asked, she had been aston
The dark woods were eerily silent, the only sound being the hum of the car’s engine. Chase’s eyes scanned the road ahead, his mind still preoccupied with the events of the day. As CEO, he had presided over the discussion, guiding his senior executives through a thorough analysis of the company’s quarterly performance. He recalled the sharp lines of his CFO’s graphs, the upward trends and downward dips that told the story of his company’s growth and challenges. The discussions, the debates, and the decisions made around the polished conference table all replayed in his mind like a video on loop. Chase sat comfortably behind the wheel, feeling the gentle breeze rustling his hair as the window rolled down, allowing the fresh air to fill the vehicle. As Chase drove, the wind whispered through the open window, creating a soothing melody that harmonized with the hum of the engine. With each passing mile, his worries faded away, replaced by a deep sense of calm and freedom. Chase felt himse
Chase’s gaze fell on the newspaper headline, which dripped with sarcasm. “The Malvins Brothers Conspire to Abandon The CEO Ship: Coincidence or a Heart Warming Attempt to Resolve Their Differences?”.Chase found the headline absolutely ridiculous. He felt perplexed by how the media found his unresolved issues with his brother amusing. His reasons for his temporary break from work was simply to commit his time to rest, and watch over the woman who was in what seemed to be an infinite comma, lying in his mansion. He wasn’t even aware that his twin brother, Chris had taken an interim from his company just about the same time as he took his. Shaking his head in disbelief, he stood up, tossed the paper in the trashcan and sat, slowly sipping his green tea. Chase couldn’t help but notice how much his skin texture improved since he started his herbal tea therapy. As he sat at the table in utter silence, he kept reminiscing about five months before, to the night he rescued the young woman who
Chase went closer to her. The woman or girl, apparently, was confused with everything. Chase did not say a word. He took his phone and called the doctor and he arrived in no time. “This is a miracle, Chase. She is out of danger now”, the doctor said cheerfully. What he had seen had pleased him. As the doctor prepared to leave, Chase walked him out.“ Now Chase, when you drop her at the shelter tomorrow, make sure you…..”,“ The shelter?”, Chase interrupted. “ I am not taking her to the shelter, l mean I have enough room”.“Oh great! Because what you really needed was a mysterious woman with temporary amnesia taking over your life”.“I’m only trying help!”, he explained.“ Of course you’re only trying to help. I’m sure your motives are not at all completely driven by curiosity or attraction”, the doctor smiled, winked as he drive off he shouted, “Just make sure she does take her medicines and she needs to rest. Her wounds just still need to heal completely and she needs be totally fin
Valerie moved towards the door of her workplace building , and she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. As she turned with fury, she saw a young athletic man, smiling at him, revealing a perfect set of teeth. The man exuded an air of understated sophistication as he stood tall, clothed in a simple yet impeccably tailored black tuxedo. The luxurious fabric, likely a high-end wool or cashmere blend, hugged his athletic physique perfectly, complementing his broad shoulders. A pair of polished black oxfords, crafted from the finest Italian leather, completed his outfit, their subtle brogue detailing a testament to the wearer’s discerning taste. Despite the simplicity of his attire, it couldn’t hide the scent of wealth and luxury that shone from his outlook.Despite his polished and refined attire, the man’s attempt to disguise himself was evident, particularly around his face. His eyes, were hidden behind a pair of stylish yet slightly oversized glasses, his attempt to disguise himself quit
Valerie stood nervously outside the company's glass doors, smoothing her dress and taking a deep breath. She had spent hours rehearsing her responses to common interview questions. With a confident smile, she pushed open the door and stepped into the bustling lobby. As she approached the reception desk, a friendly face greeted her. "Hi, you must be Valerie. I'm Karen, the HR manager. Please, follow me”.Valerie trailed behind Karen, and finally, she landed behind a long que. Despite her anxiety, when her turn came, she entered the conference room confidently, where two interviewers were seated. The conversation flew smoothly, with Valerie answering questions about her skills and experience.After the interview, Karen escorted Valerie to the CEO's office. “The CEO has requested to see you in his office now," she said, opening the door. Although Valerie couldn’t figure out the reason for this request, she felt quite uneasy.Valerie's eyes widened as she stepped inside the CEOs office. T
Just then, Chris swiftly changed the subject. “So just be strong friend. Time is like a river. You can’t touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again, so enjoy every moment of life”.“What was that?”, she asked, surprised at his words.“Oops! Forgive me, I just can’t help but become poetic in this garden of …”.She burst into laughter. They both now felt tired as it was running late. Chris accompanied Valerie to her hotel. “ I will just put you to bed and l will be out”, he promised. Valerie sat in bed, then it was time for Chris to go leave, but he kept on moving about.“You want to tell me something?”, she asked.He looked at her, surprised. “It shows?”, he asked back. “Well, I was wondering if I could spend the night on the couch”, he said, hesitantly. Valerie said nothing.“You won’t even know l am her, I promise”, he said.“And why would you leave the comfort of your home for a small uncomfortable, hotel couch?”, she asked, she had been aston
Chris quietly walked around the room, watching Valerie sleep. Without warning, his phone made a loud ringing, disturbing Valerie from her peaceful sleep. It was a call from work and he just had to take the call. After hanging up, he apologized to her.“I’m sorry l woke you up”, he said, sincerely.“Not a problem”, she said assumingly as she yawned and stretched. Valerie felt herself loosening up to Chris’ presence because frankly, he was all she had during this turmoil.“How about you take a shower?”, he ordered. Valerie kept gazing at him, and didn’t say a word.“I was thinking maybe we could order some food, afterwards”, he suggested. She comprehended what he was trying to do.“Chris, l am fine, you really don’t have to…”, she stated.“ I wasn’t asking, it was a command. Now, off you go…give me twenty steps to the bathroom!”, he blasted, a faint smile on his lips, hoping Valerie would find that humorous. She giggled and stood up immediately, pulling her feet to the bathroom.“Aye, C
Chris stood still, frozen. His phone right in his hand. He didn’t know where to start. He wasn’t at all worried about his twin brother being teased mercilessly on the media for cheating on Valerie. He wasn’t pleased too by the masses claiming he was more organised and trustworthy compared to Chase. His only worry was on poor Valerie, how she was coping , how she was taking the betrayal.The previous day, Chris had felt her dilemma. He couldn’t see through her though, he couldn’t fathom why she kept on giving Chase so much power over her. Right from the moment she had caught Chase having sex with Dora red handed, she should have given him a piece of her mind, shown him what she is made of, sued him even. However, Chase had taken her love for him as a sign of desperation and weakness. He wondered how Chase had been blind to see what an incredible woman he had. Her immense love for Chase was visible in her eyes, and Chris knew it was pure and true. Still, all that worried him was Valerie
Chase woke up to the violent buzz of his cell phone. He stretched his hand to grab the phone but before he could get a hold of it , he noticed something quite usual and off. He closed his eyes and opened again, then now he felt more awake and ready to start the day. Just then, his ears heard a sound. A faint sound, yet undeniably the sound of an angry mob. Just as he started to see a clearer picture of what was happening, he hurried out of his bed and shifted his gaze to the window.His eyes instantly grew larger. Was that an egg that had just landed on his crystal clear glass window? Pacing to the window, he got the shock of his life. His security men were trying to ward off an angry mob off his yard. It was quite visible how the security men were struggling, almost being overpowered. One spotted him standing by his window, clueless and instantly raised a finger and posted straight to him, shouting, “ Cheater! Cheater!”.At once, the visibly angry mob shifted focus to him , and let o
In his vintage, uptown mansion, Chris had been snapping his fingers nervously, his gaze fixed on the blank wall. His mansion was visibly secluded from the rest of the elite neighbourhood. One could describe the mansion as basically lone, and quiet in a bothersome way. Nevertheless to Chris, it was the most refreshing place he could ever be, after that long tiring day of work in the city. He could not shake off the feeling that something would inevitably unfold because of Dora’s sudden arrival. He was greatly concerned about Valerie now more that ever, hoping Chase wouldn’t hurt her as he had predicted before. Dora’s sudden appearance in the city only , he perceived was worrisome and only meant one thing. Trouble. Now only three days to Valerie and Chase’s wedding. Even though he had lost the woman he wished he had to his twin brother, he still cared for her, and hoped nothing bad would come her way. Like her husband to be’s troublesome ex girlfriend out of the blue showing up at their
Answer me honestly, I deserve to know the truth”, Valerie asked, firmly.“I used to. Or l still do, I don’t know Valerie”, he replied.“Oh?”, she said with anger and pain. “And me, I was an option?”, she asked, scared of the answer he would give her. He did not say anything for a moment. Valerie grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to their bedroom and locked the door. As Dora trailed behind them, Valerie sent her away.“I need a private moment with my man, if you don’t mind, Mrs Home Wrecker?” , she said.As they entered the room, Chase switched to defence mode. “Valerie, believe me l had no idea she wo…”,he begged.“Shush, don’t say a word. I understand what you’re going through, the confusion…l get it”,she said, with ease. Chase couldn’t hide his surprise. He wasn’t expecting Valerie to be suddenly so calm. Hesitantly, she took off her engagement ring and held it to his face.“You know this makes me so sad right now, but l have to give you space to think about this, so could you
Right at midnight, as the mansion was filled with dead silence, Valerie suddenly woke up from her slumber. She recalled the incident that had unfolded earlier and tears trickled at the corner of her eyes. She had cried herself to sleep and now, she vowed she wasn’t going to start again.Still drowsy, she stretched her hand towards Chase. Still feeling her hand against the sheets, she knew Chase wasn’t there with her. Hours before during diner, an intense argument had erupted between them, but to her surprize, Chase had seemed not bothered at all. Perhaps, he had seen her asleep and thought they’d talk in the morning.Valerie felt her anger was justified. Chase had been excessively rude to her, he had to be the one to apologize. Valerie couldn’t help but feel something was off and…wrong . Why was her husband to be acting so strangely only five days before their wedding? “Had she done something wrong?”, she kept thinking to herself.One thing was clear. Chase must have had some unresolv
Valerie impatiently paced up and down the room. She was a mess; still in her pyjamas, her hair undone and her body quite sweaty. Chase had not been back from work since the previous day and she was sick worried about him. Her calls were going straight to voicemail and he was absent from work. By then, it was almost two in the afternoon and he hadn’t even bothered to text. She kept on praying that God keep him safe wherever he was.As she was about to throw her body on the couch, the telephone rang. A private number was calling.“Hello”, she answered, her voice filled with irritation.“Val, how are you?”, a voice responded. Immediately, Valerie knew who it was and her mind geared into an adversarial mode.“You! What is it?”, she yelled. “What do you want from me now?”,“Whoa! How did you even know it’s me?”, Chris said, his voice sounding cheerful, contrary to her menacing voice.“No one calls me that except you…so duh!What do you want,anyway?”,she asked.“I wanted to thank you for the
Valerie could barely recognise herself anymore as she gazed into the mirror. Her reflection revealed a stranger. Her hair once black and straight, now blonde and curly, cascading down her back in bouncy waves. Her make up too had become bold and flawless. Her nails impeccably manicured. Once she favoured simple, comfortable clothing but now, she would wear designer clothes and sleek dresses. “Just one last show”, Chase would always promise, but there was always another.In the haste of the wedding preparations, Valerie had intentionally erased Chris out of her mind. She had chosen to forget him, but she felt he wasn’t the only part of her life she had swept under the rug. She had forgotten how it felt like to be herself, she had missed the simplicity of life, like just walking on the sidewalk, or strolling in the park without the paparazzi running after you. Now, she felt as if she was slowly loosing herself in the process of being a billionaire’s fiancée.Her life was now plagued by