Clara's POVKeith was spot on. Having Melissa assist me with getting ready not only saves time but truly transforms my regular bathing routine into a luxurious experience, reminiscent of a five-star hotel. She helped me out, and to my surprise, instead of feeling a bit uncomfortable by her being around since I'm not used to receiving help, I actually enjoyed her company."You're very lucky; Mr. Morgan is genuinely everything a woman could wish for," Melissa said as we walked into my room with a box of my new dress.We've just finished the bathing and massage session. I’ve stepped out of the bath and wrapped the bathrobe around myself. I'm just about to change into the new clothes that Melissa brought from the living room to my bedroom."These days it's so rare for a man to be so attentive to his woman's needs, don't you think?"I gave a nod. Melissa was spot on. I'm indeed lucky to be the woman in Keith's life. Ever since we were just friends, I always knew that if he ever got married
WARNING: This chapter contains sexual content, kindly skip it if you're uncomfortable.Clara's POVI wasn't asked for these; he took the initiative on his own. And to be honest, it's nice to have a man who genuinely cares about the little things we need. It's always about the effort he puts in, not the cost."Okay, Die. I need to end our video call now so Keith doesn't have to wait too long. Can you keep me updated about how Layla's doing?" I told her as it hit me that I needed to leave right away."Sure, don't worry. And have fun." She gave a wink before ending the call.I headed over to my closet to pick out a purse that goes well with this dress and tossed in my phone and a few essentials before making my way back to Melissa."Melissa this is for you. Thank you for your help once again." I gave her some cash as a tip for all the help she provided me this evening.But Melissa just shook her head. "No, thank you, that's not necessary. All the work I did for you was included in the p
James' POVI gazed out at the vast sea of shimmering city lights while another shot of whiskey slid down my throat, closing my eyes for just a moment. Trying to savor the tranquility of the night air, something I don't often get to experience.My phone in my hand is ringing again with a call from Zoe. She has no idea I'm in NYC at the moment, and I bet she called to find out about my whereabouts. I haven't answered any of her countless calls since yesterday. I honestly have no idea why she keeps trying to reach out to me.Wasn't what happened last time obvious enough that I didn't want to see her again?I took another sip of my whiskey just as another ring echoed through the room. I clicked my tongue and set the glass down on the table. I have a feeling this is just another useless call, not from the person I'm actually waiting for. Just as I was about to toss my phone onto the couch, I noticed my mother's name pop up on the screen.I tapped the button to answer and asked. "Yes, mom?"
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
Clara's POV"You can stay in your old room," Lily said as we reached the second floor of my uncle's house."Is it alright for you to bring me here?" I’m asking because I remember Auntie Jena doesn’t like having me at her house at all."Yes. Don't worry about Mom and Dad, I will speak to them.""Thank you so much, Lily."When Lily left, I stepped into my old bedroom. This space was once a storehouse; this room just had a single bed and a wardrobe, we didn't have money to purchase additional furniture back then. Once I got married, it looked like my uncle and aunt decided to leave this room unoccupied. I got into the shower and slipped into my old pajamas. Then a wave of drowsiness washed over me, and I drifted off to sleep. The sun was shining brilliantly when I woke up the next morning. I hopped into the shower and threw on some clothes. I was brushing my hair when there was a knock echoed from the door. "Wait a minute..." I rushed to open the door and saw David, my older cousin, s
Clara's POV"How could James did that to you?” Emma asked. “He is a jerk." She's my only friend, the first person I call as soon as I step out of my uncle's house. No one from my family has reached out to me in the last few days, but I’m not surprised since they’ve never really been there for me.No one cares where I am or what I'm doing. But I was thankful I still have Emma. She stayed over and gave me some support."Because the love of his life has returned, so James wants to end our marriage," I said.Emma grasped my hand firmly."I know you can stop loving him and get through all of this, Clara; you are truly one of the most resilient people I've ever known.""Thanks. I will start looking for a job from now on." I've realized that I can no longer rely on James. "I need to take care of myself and the baby-" I promptly shut my mouth. Nearly let it slip!"What do you mean? What's baby?"I shook my head. "Forget it. I sometimes say nonsense. Tomorrow we leave at 8, right?" I change t
James' POVI gazed out at the vast sea of shimmering city lights while another shot of whiskey slid down my throat, closing my eyes for just a moment. Trying to savor the tranquility of the night air, something I don't often get to experience.My phone in my hand is ringing again with a call from Zoe. She has no idea I'm in NYC at the moment, and I bet she called to find out about my whereabouts. I haven't answered any of her countless calls since yesterday. I honestly have no idea why she keeps trying to reach out to me.Wasn't what happened last time obvious enough that I didn't want to see her again?I took another sip of my whiskey just as another ring echoed through the room. I clicked my tongue and set the glass down on the table. I have a feeling this is just another useless call, not from the person I'm actually waiting for. Just as I was about to toss my phone onto the couch, I noticed my mother's name pop up on the screen.I tapped the button to answer and asked. "Yes, mom?"
WARNING: This chapter contains sexual content, kindly skip it if you're uncomfortable.Clara's POVI wasn't asked for these; he took the initiative on his own. And to be honest, it's nice to have a man who genuinely cares about the little things we need. It's always about the effort he puts in, not the cost."Okay, Die. I need to end our video call now so Keith doesn't have to wait too long. Can you keep me updated about how Layla's doing?" I told her as it hit me that I needed to leave right away."Sure, don't worry. And have fun." She gave a wink before ending the call.I headed over to my closet to pick out a purse that goes well with this dress and tossed in my phone and a few essentials before making my way back to Melissa."Melissa this is for you. Thank you for your help once again." I gave her some cash as a tip for all the help she provided me this evening.But Melissa just shook her head. "No, thank you, that's not necessary. All the work I did for you was included in the p
Clara's POVKeith was spot on. Having Melissa assist me with getting ready not only saves time but truly transforms my regular bathing routine into a luxurious experience, reminiscent of a five-star hotel. She helped me out, and to my surprise, instead of feeling a bit uncomfortable by her being around since I'm not used to receiving help, I actually enjoyed her company."You're very lucky; Mr. Morgan is genuinely everything a woman could wish for," Melissa said as we walked into my room with a box of my new dress.We've just finished the bathing and massage session. I’ve stepped out of the bath and wrapped the bathrobe around myself. I'm just about to change into the new clothes that Melissa brought from the living room to my bedroom."These days it's so rare for a man to be so attentive to his woman's needs, don't you think?"I gave a nod. Melissa was spot on. I'm indeed lucky to be the woman in Keith's life. Ever since we were just friends, I always knew that if he ever got married
Clara's POV"Diana, you just gave me an idea. But I don't want to spark a civil war among them."I knew James hated the idea of me being around his family, even around the brother he hated. Keith will go to any lengths to keep me away from James. He'll be curious about how James even managed to show up, and besides, I wouldn't want to disrespect Keith by inviting him to the same event as James."It's the perfect way to get back at him for wasting your time on another woman, ma'am. Is regret all that's left for him now? Let him drown in it." Diana remarked a wicked sparkle in her eyes.Damn, for a moment, her suggestion really caught my attention. And I was so close to doing what she said.But I soon changed my mind about it. No, I won't hurt Keith's feelings just to satisfy my desire for revenge against my ex-husband. What makes Diana so certain that James regrets divorcing me? No, James doesn't regret it. He just didn't want to see me happy."Diana, what's making you smile? What’s s
Clara's POVI raised an eyebrow at his unexpected request. How did James thinks it's okay to ask me out for dinner now that we're nothing but strangers, while he never even thought to invite me to dinner when I was his wife."I'm sorry, but I can't. If you have something important to tell me, just go ahead and say it now." But an undeniable curiosity tugged at me, what kind of important topic that James have to wait until dinner to share? It can't be that important, can it? Our marriage is ending, and there's nothing more for us to talk about.“No, Clara. I can't share that with you here." But he insisted, "You don’t work at night; it’s just your employee who works after sunset, right? So why are you turning down my invitation?"His tone really got to me, as if he believed I had nothing better going on. Besides, I have a daughter now. He should understand that I’m busy taking care of Layla when I’m not working.Aside from that, I have my own dinner plans for tonight. The agenda I'm p
James's POVA few minutes ago. Clara's restaurant was the very place that popped into my head right after I touched down in this city. So today, I just hopped in the car and drove over there. The restaurant was just as lively as it was the first time I visited that night, the night I discovered that Clara was still alive.After parking the car, I walked into the simple yet comfortable ambiance. It's lunch hour so the space was dominated by employees from the surrounding office buildings who stopped by for lunch.I took a seat at one of the perfectly positioned tables. Not long after, a waitress came by to take my order.I glanced around, noticing a few people looking alert as if they recognized me, but I couldn't quite place who they were. I noticed a couple of chefs moving between the customers' tables and the kitchen, but I didn't spot the restaurant owner at all.Where is Clara? I want to see her today. In fact, I came here not to have lunch but I just wanted to see her.But she’s
Clara's POVI arrived at TasteTales a bit earlier today, and now I'm in the kitchen getting ready to start my work day. Being back in the kitchen, surrounded by customers' orders after such a long time, filled me with a fresh energy, and got me feeling excited again. I was pulling up a note on my phone to check my list of orders when I heard a car come to a stop in the parking lot by the back door.I caught Diana's voice as she thanked Kevin her boyfriend. Today, she’s returning to work again even though I asked her to take annual leave until she's fully recovered."Good morning, Diana It's great to have you back." I welcomed her when she walked into the kitchen, she was taken aback to find me there already."Ma'am, you arrived quite early." She headed to the changing room to stash her bag in a locker and grab an apron before coming back to join me. "I figured I’d be the first one here.""I meant to surprise you intentionally. Just wanted to check if you were truly going to be stubbor
Clara's POV"What do you mean?" Keith asked, his brow furrowing.I felt my tongue-tied, not knowing where to begin. A realization that he never truly meant it hit me. That he was never really serious when that night he said Selena was just a childhood friend for him. Keith could have lied just to keep me from getting upset.He might not have been serious at all when he suggested we start our relationship over. I'm the foolish one here, taking his words too seriously when I know we can't control others. People can change whenever they want, and the best way to protect yourself from getting hurt is to keep your expectations in check."I don't understand why you have to lie to me about Selena being just your childhood friend when, in truth, she's your fiancée." I finally said, "I don't understand why you think it's alright to ask me to begin a new relationship when you never truly meant it."A flicker of shadow crossed his eyes upon hearing that. His gaze turned darkened for a brief mom
Clara's POV"Let me give you a ride home," Keith said, stopping me just as I was about to open my car door. "I'll arrange for someone to drive your car home, but you’re coming with me."His tone was firm, and in moments like this, I realized he wouldn't accept a refusal."But-""Clara, you're coming home with me." There was a warning in his voice, and I noticed a coldness in his eyes that I hadn't seen before. Yeah, we had a couple of fights. But Keith had never seemed this cold. He seems angry, and beneath it all, there's pain in his eyes.“Mommy? When are we heading back home?" My daughter called out from behind us, pulling my attention away. Yet Keith continued to hold his intense stare on me."Right now, sweetheart." I had no choice but to pick Layla up and then walk towards his car.I hopped into the passenger seat as Keith slid into the driver's side, and before long, we were on the road. The drive to my apartment felt different this time, more tense than usual.He also didn't m