Clara's POVThe following morning, I was awoken by the sound of someone knocking at my door. I was still feeling sleepy, but I managed to get up on my feet. My mascara had smudged under my eyes, and my face was still marked by the remnants of last night's makeup, half-washed away by tears. So I stopped infront of the mirror to tidy up my face a bit before heading to the door.I couldn't hide my puffy eyes right away, but a smile might just do the trick to keep it from being too noticeable. "Morning," Lily said as she stood in front of my door. She came in with a tray of a bowl of cereal and milk. “You've skipped breakfast and it's nearly noon now. I don't want your stomach acid to act up."I swung open my bedroom door and welcomed her inside. Lily placed the breakfast on my nightstand. As I pulled back the curtain, sunlight flooded the room immediately. It honestly feels like I’ve only gotten two hours of sleep. Did I really cry myself until dawn last night?"Is Layla awake y
James' POVAs I walked into my office after the evaluation meeting with a few of my colleagues, I noticed a lunch box and a tumbler sitting on my desk. I scowled. I don’t recall placing any orders today, and it’s not lunchtime yet. I hate having anything unrelated to work in my office while I'm on the clock. I headed over to the telephone and quickly dialed my secretary's number.Jennifer, my assistant, walked into my office a minute later. A concerned expression so clear on her face. "Yes, Mr. James? Is there an issue with the letter document I sent you? Is there something that was overlooked?”"Was that your doing?" I gestured at the lunchbox on my table.I can't think of anyone other than Jennifer who might have done this. She was here when I was at the meeting, so even if she wasn't the one responsible, she certainly knows who brought it here. But her expression suddenly changed as if she recalled something. “My apologies for not letting you know sooner, Mr. James. You ha
Clara's POVI took a taxi to the place. I need to get Arlo to leave before I go; otherwise, he'll definitely get suspicious. And he would trail behind me and then tell James that I'm meeting Keith tonight. I didn't tell Lily about this either. I just said that I went out to catch up with an old friend. I waited for thirty minutes, and my heart was racing like crazy as I anticipated his arrival.I felt something I couldn't quite put into words when I got his message yesterday. I’m excited that we’re finally going to meet, but I can’t help feeling a bit nervous about what he might say tonight. Is he here to say goodbye? From now on, we’ll need to maintain some distance between us.He is engaged. Even though some people believe that friends can stay friends regardless of one having a partner, I know this doesn't hold for friendships with the opposite sex.I stood up from my bench and strolled over to the koi pond. I admired the vibrant fish gliding through the crystal-clear water, but
Keith's POVClara was livid. She has a frown on her lovely face and looks so offended. I expected her to feel relieved and happy when I shared this with her. Because after such a long wait, we finally found a ray of light. And now we can put an end to whatever our status is now and move to a more serious level."What do you mean?" I didn't mishear her say I had a fiancé right? "What do you mean I have a fiancé, Clara?"She seems unsure. She went quiet, and I could tell she was trying to find the right words to respond to me. But then it dawned on me where her current assumption came from. A bit of annoyance began to bubble up inside me."Is it because you saw me with that woman yesterday and then you make the assumption I'm engaged to her?" I asked.Why is it so easy for her to jump to conclusions on her own?"You were having a dinner with her-""Yes. And my whole family is present as well. It wasn't me and her alone.""That's the point, Keith. Your family is holding the dinner to
"No." She shook her head quickly. "This. You left this on your table."She then passed me something. It’s my wallet. It had my ID and cards inside. Damn. I can't believe I left it on my table like that. If someone else found it, they might use it for their gain. No, it’s not the money that concerns me; it’s the possibility that they might misuse it to do something harmful in my name and tarnish my reputation.I was being too careless."Thanks," I said as I took my wallet from her. My voice was back to normal, and I noticed the smile that had formed on her lips."Anytime sir. Have a nice day," With that, she turned around and was about to return to the cafe where she worked but I stopped her."Yes?" She walked back to me with a frown on her face. Gazing into those beautiful eyes, I found myself enchanted in just moments.Shit. Even with minimal makeup and no extravagant outfit, I could see just how beautiful she was. She looks so sweet, especially when she smiles."What is your name
Clara's POV"Congratulations Mrs. Morgan, You're pregnant." The doctor said as she passed me my test result."Really?"I still struggle to wrap my head around it because everyone said that I was a barren woman. My hands trembled when read my test result. I gently ran my hand over my still-flat stomach, where James's baby is now living."Thank you, doctor."What a wonderful gift for our two-year marriage on our anniversary day. My husband’s return from his business trip is tonight. How will he react when I share the news with him? I can't wait.'Maybe James wouldn't hate me anymore and would come to love me once he know I will give him an heir.’I swung by the minimarket to pick up some cooking ingredients before heading home. I’m going to prepare James' favorite dish for dinner tonight; it’s going to be a memorable night for us both."Ma'am, you look so happy today. Would you share the reason with me?"Eda, one of the assistants in our home, asked as I was arranging the groceries in th
Carla's POV"Ma'am, you're stunning! Mr. Morgan must be proud to have you as his wife." Eda said as I stepped out of my bedroom. I could only manage a wry smile. If James were truly proud to have me as his wife, he wouldn't have filed for divorce."Are you sure you don't want to wait for Mr. Morgan first?" "No Eda. He'll go straight to the restaurant from his office," "Alright, ma'am, please take care." Eda's expression was slightly puzzled, yet she held back from asking me what was troubling her. She must think it was odd to attend my anniversary dinner by myself.Though I and James never showcase any intimacy, our assistant knows that my relationship is in perfect harmony. Little did they know that our marriage will end in a matter of days.Will I be able to see Eda and everyone I’ve thought of as family once I leave this house? I drifted into a reverie as our car smoothly navigated through the shimmering city lights.The restaurant that James reserved was lavish, and this was
Clara's POV"Clara!"The pool turned out to be as deep as a man-made lake, and it was hard for me to stay afloat. James quickly took off his suit and was ready to jump in."James, what do you think you're going to do?” But Zoe stopped him.“You're going to get your clothes soaked! Just let the waiters do the job."I made my way to the edge, searching for a spot to grip and pull myself up. But this chill numbs my body, and my dress severely limits my movement."Just let her, James; she wouldn't have fallen if she didn't act so stupid."The waiters quickly came over soon after. Someone quickly came down to help me get to the edge of the water faster, and then they lifted me out. "Here's the towel ma'am, you can also change your clothes if you want."Zoe then reached out and touched me, but I immediately pushed her hand away."Clara? What's wrong with you? I just wanted to help you. Look, you're all soaked. You need to dry off soon to avoid getting sick. Come to the bathroom; let me help
"No." She shook her head quickly. "This. You left this on your table."She then passed me something. It’s my wallet. It had my ID and cards inside. Damn. I can't believe I left it on my table like that. If someone else found it, they might use it for their gain. No, it’s not the money that concerns me; it’s the possibility that they might misuse it to do something harmful in my name and tarnish my reputation.I was being too careless."Thanks," I said as I took my wallet from her. My voice was back to normal, and I noticed the smile that had formed on her lips."Anytime sir. Have a nice day," With that, she turned around and was about to return to the cafe where she worked but I stopped her."Yes?" She walked back to me with a frown on her face. Gazing into those beautiful eyes, I found myself enchanted in just moments.Shit. Even with minimal makeup and no extravagant outfit, I could see just how beautiful she was. She looks so sweet, especially when she smiles."What is your name
Keith's POVClara was livid. She has a frown on her lovely face and looks so offended. I expected her to feel relieved and happy when I shared this with her. Because after such a long wait, we finally found a ray of light. And now we can put an end to whatever our status is now and move to a more serious level."What do you mean?" I didn't mishear her say I had a fiancé right? "What do you mean I have a fiancé, Clara?"She seems unsure. She went quiet, and I could tell she was trying to find the right words to respond to me. But then it dawned on me where her current assumption came from. A bit of annoyance began to bubble up inside me."Is it because you saw me with that woman yesterday and then you make the assumption I'm engaged to her?" I asked.Why is it so easy for her to jump to conclusions on her own?"You were having a dinner with her-""Yes. And my whole family is present as well. It wasn't me and her alone.""That's the point, Keith. Your family is holding the dinner to
Clara's POVI took a taxi to the place. I need to get Arlo to leave before I go; otherwise, he'll definitely get suspicious. And he would trail behind me and then tell James that I'm meeting Keith tonight. I didn't tell Lily about this either. I just said that I went out to catch up with an old friend. I waited for thirty minutes, and my heart was racing like crazy as I anticipated his arrival.I felt something I couldn't quite put into words when I got his message yesterday. I’m excited that we’re finally going to meet, but I can’t help feeling a bit nervous about what he might say tonight. Is he here to say goodbye? From now on, we’ll need to maintain some distance between us.He is engaged. Even though some people believe that friends can stay friends regardless of one having a partner, I know this doesn't hold for friendships with the opposite sex.I stood up from my bench and strolled over to the koi pond. I admired the vibrant fish gliding through the crystal-clear water, but
James' POVAs I walked into my office after the evaluation meeting with a few of my colleagues, I noticed a lunch box and a tumbler sitting on my desk. I scowled. I don’t recall placing any orders today, and it’s not lunchtime yet. I hate having anything unrelated to work in my office while I'm on the clock. I headed over to the telephone and quickly dialed my secretary's number.Jennifer, my assistant, walked into my office a minute later. A concerned expression so clear on her face. "Yes, Mr. James? Is there an issue with the letter document I sent you? Is there something that was overlooked?”"Was that your doing?" I gestured at the lunchbox on my table.I can't think of anyone other than Jennifer who might have done this. She was here when I was at the meeting, so even if she wasn't the one responsible, she certainly knows who brought it here. But her expression suddenly changed as if she recalled something. “My apologies for not letting you know sooner, Mr. James. You ha
Clara's POVThe following morning, I was awoken by the sound of someone knocking at my door. I was still feeling sleepy, but I managed to get up on my feet. My mascara had smudged under my eyes, and my face was still marked by the remnants of last night's makeup, half-washed away by tears. So I stopped infront of the mirror to tidy up my face a bit before heading to the door.I couldn't hide my puffy eyes right away, but a smile might just do the trick to keep it from being too noticeable. "Morning," Lily said as she stood in front of my door. She came in with a tray of a bowl of cereal and milk. “You've skipped breakfast and it's nearly noon now. I don't want your stomach acid to act up."I swung open my bedroom door and welcomed her inside. Lily placed the breakfast on my nightstand. As I pulled back the curtain, sunlight flooded the room immediately. It honestly feels like I’ve only gotten two hours of sleep. Did I really cry myself until dawn last night?"Is Layla awake y
Clara's POVWhen I stay silent, Zoe used the moment to speak right away."What do you expect her to say, James? Of course, she doesn't have any answer because what Krystal said is not true. I'm sure they have been working together, they have planned my downfall for a long time.""Yes, Zoe is right. I also don't believe your wife paid someone to do that disgusting job." Iris Morgan said to his son.James didn't respond to any of them; he was just waiting for me to say something. What would he even do if I told him the truth? Is he going to laugh at me? Is he going to believe that I've been innocent this whole time? But even if he did, what difference would it make? It was already too late to fix anything."Mind my words, Mr. James. I know not like the rest of them you still have some common sense. Clara was once your wife so there's no way you don't know how's her character at all. You must know she can't steal something that isn't hers." But Krystal spoke again.I was taken aback
Clara's POVZoe rushed into the room, darting over to Krystal in an instant, her hand reaching out to slap Krystal's cheeks. The sound when Zoe’s hand met Krystal’s face echoed so loudly. Krystal staggered back, she brought her hand to the side of her face where Zoe hit her. I could see she was trying to hide her pain, yet her gaze on Zoe remained unwavering."Please don't listen to what this woman said. She's been jealous of me forever she'll do and say anything to drag me down." Zoe said to no one in particular, her gaze swept across the room. She put a fake sad expression on her face even though there were tears in the corner of her eyes now.I didn't notice those tears at all earlier in the bathroom."Calm down Zoe. We won't believe her." Iris Morgan walked over to her daughter-in-law, gently resting her hand on Zoe's shoulder as she spoke. "We have full trust in you. We won't take the claims of this woman seriously, especially since she has no evidence to prove her silly claim of
Clara's POVKrystal reached the room with all the Morgan family members gathered before I could stop her. The event came to a sudden halt as we got into the room. They frowned, their displeasure evident as they fixed their gaze on us, the uninvited guests. "Who are you?" Iris Morgan inquired, a frown creasing her forehead. When her gaze finally landed on me standing behind Krystal, her lips pressed together.She didn't ask any more questions, as if she could already guess who Krystal was just because I was here. The moment Keith's Keith looked my way, I noticed his lips moving as he seemed to say something, but I couldn't catch what it was from my spot."I'm sorry for interrupting the event, but I just have to share something with all of you," Krystal said without any hesitation."First of all, who are you?" It was James who answered her while the other family members appeared to still be too puzzled by Krystal unexpected appearance. James glanced at Krystal for a moment before his
Clara's POVIs this the reason why Keith refused when I wanted to meet him? Because his family has arranged for him to meet that woman tonight? I couldn't quite find who the woman was, I'm sure I'd never seen her before. But the way his family reacted to her, made it clear she held a special significance to his family.I dropped my gaze, feeling a strange burning sensation in my chest from the sudden realization. I just clenched my hand when there was nothing more I could do to express it."Hey Clara, you alright?" I heard Krystal's voice just as she came up behind me.I couldn't look at the view before me any longer, so I turned around and left.I hurried to the bathroom, not wanting Lily or Layla to catch a glimpse of how I was feeling. When I got there, I tried to focus on calming my heartbeat.Why do I feel this way? I can't help but wonder. Am I feeling down because Keith lied to me, or is it because him having dinner with that woman? And not just an ordinary dinner. His family