A few minutes back in time.Nolan was still yet to open his eyes. Dorothy fingerpicked his favorite melody with a guitar, but that didn’t seem to work. Once the song ended, tears overflowed as her heart spoke to him in silence.He soon opened his eyes and disrobed the gloom off his wife’s face. There were no bounds to her joy from seeing her husband come back to life from a near death situation.Nolan tried to speak, but he found it hard to move his jaw. “Where… am… I?” He didn’t seem to remember what had happened before the accident, at least not yet.“In a guest room,” she replied, wiping her tears away. “You don’t remember falling from the balcony?”“Balcony…” as seconds passed, what had happened with George flashed in his mind like the fastest poison out there and stung his soul sharper and deeper than any sword ever could. And he started crying like a baby.She thought he was crying because of the situation his body was in, but she had no idea that it was the sense of emptiness s
Benjamin came to Jane’s apartment, but she wasn’t waiting outside. “I knew it.” He wanted to leave, but then gave a call, not wanting to look bad.Jane answered it pretty quickly. “Hey, where are you?”“In front of your apartment. Come to the window, and you’ll see me.”“That’s great. I’m on my way, but keep talking… I like how your voice sounds on the phone.”“Huh, don’t be too shrewd, Jane,” Benjamin raised his voice, emphasizing his feelings. “The only reason I’m here is because you are Rebecca’s best friend.”“How cold of you to say that,” she pouted. “Did you already forget how much I helped you get closer to Rebecca’s heart?”“Hmph, didn’t you also try to kiss Rebecca’s husband’s lips?”Jane went silent. She then hung the call because she was already standing at the entrance of the apartment. She could see Benjamin, and he could also see her.She went and sat on the public bench. He came over at his own pace. She patted the bench twice, telling him to sit down.He shook his head
At midnight.Jane was resting on her bed, covered in the sheet from neck to toe. The last time she checked her face in the mirror, she looked like she was possessed by a ghost, with spots all over her face. Could someone ever love her after seeing her in such a disgusting look?She looked to her right. Benjamin was talking with someone on the phone in the living room.“Who’s he talking to at this hour?” she wondered. When he finished the call and came to her room, she said, “I’m thirsty.”He poured small amounts of coconut water in her mouth. After that, she smiled at him gratefully. But then she couldn’t control her curiosity and ended up asking, “Whom were you talking to?”“You will know soon.”His words only puzzled her. “Aren’t you going to sleep?”He just tilted his head in response.(Was that a yes or no?) Jane couldn’t tell. Because of the pain all over her body, she couldn’t even sleep. Again, Benjamin picked up a neem stem and gently moved it on her face. It was greatly comfo
The next morning.When Jane told Benjamin just how many times Rebecca made her sneeze, Benjamin yelled at his wife. “How can you be so foolish? What if you get infected now?”Rebecca’s heart skipped a thousand beats. She completely forgot that chickenpox could spread to her. She looked at Jane whose face still looked like it was cooked with rashes and red spots. “A-Am I going to look like that?” her heart sank into her stomach.Jane wasn’t happy with how Benjamin handled his wife for torturing her many times during last night, but she still stuck her tongue out and teased Rebecca, saying, “You’re going to get it now.” She repeatedly said the same sentence and watched Rebecca’s expression turn for the worse.“No,” Benjamin caught Rebecca’s wrist and said, “I won’t let you get chickenpox no matter what.”“How?” Rebecca hurriedly asked. “Is there a way to stop the virus from getting worse in my body?”“Yeah,” Benjamin looked into her eyes without blinking and seriously said, “you just ne
“So you want both of them for yourself, huh?” Donovan amusedly laughed. “Fine. I agree, but if you fail, will you leave the two girls to me?”Benjamin’s gut twisted when he heard those words. “That won’t happen.”“Hmph, let’s see how you’ll buy that house.” Donovan picked up his mobile and called his friend and spoke to him about buying this house. Then, he looked at Benjamin with a cocky expression. “No matter how much you try to buy it for, I’m ready to buy it for a higher price, so who do you think they’ll sell the place to?” he laughed arrogantly. “You lost the game before you could even do anything. All I needed to do was make a phone call. Now, why don’t you touch my feet and apologize? Then I might just let you take that house. Of course, Jane and Rebecca will be mine since you’ve lost the bet.”Benjamin took out his mobile.“What? You’re going to call your mommy now?” Donovan mocked. He knew that the Sterling family is having a hard time recently, so he couldn’t think of Benja
In the Woodland hospital.Veronica woke up to find herself on what seemed like a hospital bed with all the heart rate monitor, blood bags, and saline that caught her eyes. Dust was dancing through the golden rays streaming through the vent-holes.She didn’t have the strength to move her body straight away. She felt weak.The nurse entered her room and was slightly relieved to see Veronica waking up. “How do you feel, miss?” she asked in a gentle voice.“Why can’t I… move?” she asked in a painful voice.“Ah, your body must still be in shock,” the nurse said. “Give it some time, and you should be able to move. But I must say you’re quite lucky. We were running low on blood bags last night. If the guy who brought you here didn’t have the same blood and wasn’t willing to donate his blood, you would have entered into a coma before we found blood for you. Whoever he was, he donated 3 units of blood without hesitation.”As the nurse kept telling how lucky Veronica was, she remembered crashin
Three days later.Rebecca had sent Amber to take care of Jane, so Jane was doing fine now. Her chickenpox was almost gone, though the spots were still mildly visible all over her body. She was yet to leave her room, even though she really wanted to go out and get some fresh air.“Mom and dad haven’t called me even once,” she puckered a little. “It’s like they went for their honeymoon.”Her thoughts shifted back to Rebecca once again. “She doesn’t know it, yet, but she’s fighting a losing battle. Benjamin is drunk on her, but I’ll be his new wine.“I never intended to take their relationship apart, but I’ve been waiting for the right person my whole life just like her. Maybe not as much as she did, and I’m not as cute as her, either, but… most average women are not cute, and I think I can be more intelligent, honest, supportive, and cooperative to my partner than she can be. These are only basic human qualities, but they are rare these days. I’m sure Benjamin will be attracted to me if
On the lawn, Ryan was sitting on the grass and was basking in the sunlight. A butterfly came and landed on his forefinger.Vlad and Mercie who were sitting next to him were surprised because it looked like the old man was silently conversing with the butterfly.They tried to catch the butterfly, but it flew away.“Let them that have the wings fly,” Ryan slapped on the back of their heads, making them pout in anger and leave his side.Elizabeth was watching Ryan from a distance, and Dorothy was also next to her. “It doesn’t look like he has a family, mom. Why don’t you give him a try?”Dorothy was shocked. “Elizabeth!” she couldn't believe what her own daughter was saying.“What? I’m just telling you to be practical,” Elizabeth was chewing on blueberries. “Dad won’t come back, so you want to stay alone for the rest of your life?”Dorothy was slack-jawed. She was actually thinking of staying with Elizabeth, but from Elizabeth's words, she felt like her daughter never really considered
“How did you feel when you first saw Veronica? Tell me the truth,” Uzza was questioning Akash while he was watering the plants in the backyard.“Obviously…” Akash was about to say something, but his husband-radar sensed his wife coming up from behind, so he said, “when I met her on our first date, I became pregnant.”Uzza spit out the corn kernels in her mouth out of shock. “What?”“Pregnant with love, I mean,” Akash added.“Why are you exaggerating?” Veronica pulled Akash’s ear. “When we first met, I smelled his hands first. They didn’t smell like curry, so he passed my first test. And then, we talked about other things.”Akash shook his head and giggled helplessly.Seeing Akash blushing, Uzza could see that he was in love with Veronica more so than Veronica was in love with him.Veronica then climbed on Akash’s back and hugged him from behind.“What are you doing?” Akash complained. “Can’t you see that I’m working?”“Work while carrying me. As a man, you should be able to do this muc
Kathy wanted to visit the mansion of the president to meet the president’s son, but she couldn’t go alone, so she took Amber with her. Samuel welcomed them, but Amber didn’t like the atmosphere and told Amber she’d go back. Kathy didn’t force her cousin and let her leave.Kathy then explored the mansion with Samuel, which shocked the maids as Samuel hadn’t done such a thing before. What if Samuel’s daughters and wife were to see what he was doing now? What if Andrew were to see?Andrew, on the other hand, was very busy. He worked with some media companies and celebrities and had them leak news on trafficking of women and children. He also had some sexual scandals released to divert some of the attention.The public thought that it was the work of the media companies at first, but as the news channels began to give credit to Andrew Sehla the president, everyone wondered if Andrew was behind this.As if living up to the people’s expectations, Andrew made some politicians and celebrities
As Veronica handled Akash roughly, punishing him for his farts, he yelled at her and told her to do the exercise herself to understand how tough it was, but then Veronica did five sit-ups and made them look so easy. She didn’t have any abs, but her abdomen looked very beautiful because of the skin folds and the type of dress she was wearing.“See? It’s so easy,” Veronica hissed at him. “Now, do just like how I did. Don’t inhale while getting up. That’s why you’re farting like a pig. Breathing is everything. Without that you won’t be able to execute any exercise with control.”“O-Okay,” Akash helped her get up. When he saw Rebecca and Benjamin at the door, he was so embarrassed he went to the other end of the gym.“You have come far, Veronica,” Rebecca was proud of her sister. She used to teach her little sister all the time, and now it felt nice to see her teach Akash how to do different exercises.“Haha,” Veronica laughed like a gorilla and looked at Benjamin, “do you want to learn f
While Benjamin and Rebecca were about to go separate ways, Elizabeth came over to them.While smiling a bit awkwardly on the surface, she asked, “Brother Benjamin, my bank card is having some issues. Can you please pay for the piano? I’ll pay you the money soon as my bank issue gets resolved.”Rebecca’s eyes slightly widened because she had seen Elizabeth trick so many people with the similar tactic. In fact, Rebecca herself had fallen prey to this move a few times long ago.“No problem,” Benjamin took out a card. It was a platinum-coated card with the symbol of ‘W’ on it, made with diamonds.“Wow, are these real diamonds?” She was shocked. “What kind of bank gives these cards? I would like to have this, too.”“It’s a secret bank known as Eternity Bank, so it won’t be easy to get you one card, but I will try,” Benjamin told her.“Thank you. You really are so kind,” Elizabeth smiled happily. “May I know the password for this?”“It doesn’t have a password.”“Oh…” Elizabeth didn’t quite
Once Benjamin walked out of the room, Rebecca met him and asked in a low voice, “What did you tell him?”“I did what I could,” Benjamin shrugged. “I’m not sure how to handle this type of a situation, but I think it’s something he has to change from the inside. No matter how much we say, he won’t change unless that spark of change comes from within.”“So, we should just create an atmosphere that will make him self-realize and then get rid of his bad habit, huh.”“That would be anything but easy, though, because we never know what works and what doesn’t.”“You are right, but we can’t just give up on him. Even though I don’t like Elizabeth, I can’t ignore her kids who grew up right before my eyes,” Rebecca replied. “I told my brother to not give them mobiles when they’re young, as they might get addicted to games, which they did… But now, they are in that age where hormones will make them want to watch new things. If we let them get out of hand, they will be ruining their careers and thei
Benjamin closed Roshan’s eyes and showed him some of his memories.When Benjamin went to door-deliver pizza, a man was kicking his wife out for cheating on her. He married her even though she was a single mom, but just four months after their marriage, he found her cheating on him.There was another instant where Benjamin found the same girl on the same day in two different places, sleeping with two different guys, and she even asked Benjamin to fuck her on the stairs between the floors. She seduced him, but Benjamin scuttled away from her.After showing a series of troubles he came across on his job, he then showed the challenges he experienced every evening when Rebecca came to pick him up in her Porsche.Even though Benjamin was her husband, he would try to court his own wife by giving her flowers, or sweets, or a special pizza he personally made. He would praise her, saying he had never seen her use the rear-view mirror for applying lipstick like he had seen many other women do it
George saw Rebecca alone, waiting outside Roshan’s room. He used this opportunity to come up to her.“What are you doing here, Rebecca? Did Roshan cause some trouble again?” George was folding his sleeves. “Let me teach him a lesson.”“Stop!” Rebecca hit his shin bone with her foot. Because of her footwear, he cringed in pain. “Why do you assume things? I’m standing here just because I want to. Nothing else.”“You expect me to believe that?” George harrumphed. “You are such a bad liar. The day you brought some random guy into the house and said you loved him and married him, everyone else might have believed your words but I didn’t. There’s no way someone like you who’s so capable can fall in love, much less marry a pizza-delivery guy. Compared to him, I’m so much better!”“You are wrong, George,” Rebecca calmly and confidently replied. “Benjamin…” she lightly smacked her own head. “Ahem, I mean, Benyamin is a billion times better than you. He doesn’t bend his spine for money like you
Rebecca knocked on a door.“Who is it?” Roshan asked from the inside, a hint of anxiety in his voice.“It’s me,” Rebecca replied. “Open the door. I’ll just have a quick few words with you, that’s all.”“A-Aunt, I don’t want to talk to you right now,” Roshan replied. “Please go.”“I’ll talk with him,” Benjamin told her in a low voice. Rebecca then walked away and stopped at a certain distance.A minute later, Benjamin knocked on the door.“Hey, I’m Benjamin,” he said. “Can I talk to you?”“No, I’m busy right now,” Roshan answered.“It’ll only take a minute,” Benjamin persisted. “I won’t bother you afterward.”“Tsk,” Roshan, annoyed, walked over to the door.Benjamin knocked on the door again.Roshan quickly opened the door with a hostile look. “What?”Benjamin smiled and stepped closer and put his arm around Roshans’s shoulder. He then shut the door from behind him and even locked it without looking back.“W-What are you doing?” Roshan nervously asked.Even Rebecca, who was outside, co
Veronica just finished bathing and was putting on one of those sexy outfits designed by her sister in the past. It revealed the entire midsection of the body, but hid everything else.Though Akash found it sexy, he said, “You really are not wearing that in the home, right?”“What’s wrong if I wear it?” Veronica retorted. “This isn’t even that revealing.”“Look at yourself in the mirror. It feels like I might catch a glimpse of your underboob if you were to raise your arms,” Akash said.Veronica squinted her eyes. “I’m wearing a bra underneath, you idiot. You know nothing about fashion. I’ve been bearing with your stupidity for a while now, but if I can’t even wear this type of clothing, then you should consider going back home and complaining to your parents about it! Because you need to really grow up!” After blurting out her anger through her words, she snorted and left the room.Standing by the balcony, she watched her father talking to guests downstairs.“This is meat tea, which D