Clara's POVI had a terrible headache all morning long. Lily had no tolerance for me whatsoever. We're watching TV together now. Just the three of us. On the table, there are three glasses of milk and a dish of cookies that are still warm and fresh out of the oven."Damn, I'm famous now," Lily said, her eyes glued to her phone. I couldn't help but roll my eyes; she's been scrolling on her damn phone for an hour now, looking so proud of herself. It's like she doesn't even understand that what she did yesterday could land her in jail. I have to make her understand that now, we are together in a serious problem."Lily-""Clara check this out!" She interrupted me and came over to show me what was on her cell phone. "Someone commented that Zoe looks so pathetic i mean he got a point. There's a comment that said Zoe deserved it. Finally, there is someone who can see what that woman truly is."Her cellphone screen displayed a video of our fight with Zoe from yesterday. Somehow, someone man
Clara's POVLily blinked and cleared her throat as if jolted back to reality. She gave Stevan a smile that seemed a bit awkward. "Oh sorry, I have no idea you have guests coming.""Hey, so you are Lily? I remember you." Stevan said, causing Lily's eyes to widen immediately. "You're the girl from the video yesterday, aren't you?" "Oh, you've seen it?" Lily asked, unable to conceal the pride in her voice."Yes! You're hilarious!" Stevan said, which made Lily's smile turn into a wide grin. I look at each of them and let out a sigh; now Lily has found someone on the same board as her, and she will reject my idea to scrap that video. I told Stevan to grab a seat while I went to the kitchen to make some drinks.When I returned to the living room, he was engrossed in a conversation with my cousin. It seemed like they were quite familiar with one another. It’s not surprising at all, since Lily has a warm and friendly personality that instantly charms everyone she meets.That's when I caught
Clara's POVAs night falls, Keith and Stevan finally arrive. Lily and I are all set. Keith arranged for a sitter to look after Layla while the four of us went out for dinner tonight. We just went for a casual dinner so we picked a spot that was lively but not overly packed"Mr. Keith, did you get a chance to think about my suggestion?" Stevan asked. I just found out he's asking Keith to have someone assigned to keep us safe.I looked at Keith with a desperate expression, wishing he wouldn't take Stevan's request seriously. The idea of someone watching me all the time would feel stifling. I just can't picture it. "I've already said that it's completely unnecessary. Isn't that right, Lily?" I said. But my cousin just stared at me confusedly. Lily probably feels guilty turning down Keith's help, so it looks like I'm the only one who has to handle the negotiation.“But Stevan makes a good point; if I’m not around, who’s going to look out for you? What if you run into them again?" Keith
James' POVToday I was hoping to have a wonderful night out with my family. After dinner, we decided to catch Annette's piano performance at a theater in the city. We reserved all the VIP seats just for our extended family. Besides the four of us, Keith was meant to join us. But my mother said he couldn't attend because he was at a business dinner with a client.Which I know is a lie. I knew he just didn't want to hang out with us, but it never occurred to me that he was taking my ex-wife out tonight.Clara had just been returned from the hospital a few days ago, she was supposed to rest so she could recover sooner. That's what the doctor said to me. But now my brother was the one taking her out. As if her getting shot because of him wasn't bad enough, Keith decided to make her recovery even harder.Aside from the fact that they were out together, I was seething at the sight of my brother clasping her hand. There are countless women in the world, and he decides to pursue his brother's
James' POVMy sister's performance was outstanding, just like it always is. Annette has been playing the piano since she was four; now she plays it as if it were her very essence. But I can't focus on her. My focus is completely on Clara and Keith, who are seated just two rows ahead of us.Annette finally invited Keith to stay and see her performance. She could never stay mad at him, and I've known that for ages. There are times when I find myself feeling envious of that. Clara acted as if she didn't see me at all, and it infuriated me. They were sitting too close, and why did he have to lean in and whisper to her at times? Even Clara laughed at his words!"James," Zoe said, leaning in closer, "That's the woman I'm talking about."I turned to her, I heard her words but I wasn't fully focused so I didn't catch what she meant. "Who do you mean?""That woman who came with Clara, who turned out to be her cousin. She was the one who came at me in my store yesterday and turned me into the
James' POVI rushed down the stairs and saw my mom in the living room. She was by herself, her expression filled with concern."Mother? Is everything okay?" I walked up to her. Isn't she supposed to be at the theater still? To my knowledge, Annette's show is still ongoing. "Did you leave Annette's show?"I'm concerned that my sister, who's already feeling down because of Keith's behavior, will be even more upset when she finishes her performance and realizes that none of us are at the theater anymore."She finished her performance and said she's staying with her friends tonight, so I figured I'd head home." My mother said, her worried expression still lingering as she reached for my hand and held it tight. "I was really concerned about both you and Zoe. What’s going on with your wife?"I offered her a comforting smile. I felt a bit bad for making her worry and having to rush to our house. “It’s not a big deal. Zoe wasn't feeling well, so she decided to head home early."I didn't see a
Clara's POV"Mr. Keith isn't coming here today?" Lily asked again. We just wrapped up cooking and are ready to have breakfast now.I sighed as I placed the food I had brought from the kitchen onto the dining table, feeling a bit annoyed. How many times has she asked the same question this morning? Isn't it obvious?"No." I gave a short response. I just hope Keith doesn't come here, at least for the next few days.Iris' Morgan words still echoed in my mind perfectly. And the fact that she believed I was trying to stab Keith someday made me so furious. No matter what, I would never go there. Keith is someone who means a lot to me, he has supported me to this point. He stood by me when everyone else turned away. How could she possibly think I would betray him someday?Keith often told me not to worry about what his family said of me. Our relationship will always stay close, no matter what. But how can that even be possible when his family hates me so much? I know that for Keith, his fa
Lily's POVThe voice captured everyone's attention right away. All of us, apart from Arlo, were taken aback by his arrival. Stevan frowned, while Clara's jaw dropped to the floor. It was short-lived, though, as her surprise quickly turned to anger the moment she spotted her ex-husband here. "You?" Clara lashed out at James Morgan. The softness in her voice disappeared, replaced by sheer hostility. I looked at her in shock, I couldn't believe she would really raise her voice at him. From what I remember, Clara never did that, and there were moments when she didn't even dare to speak back to him.She was always worried about upsetting James, fearing it might lead him to withdraw all the support he had been providing to my dad. I used to believe that Clara's overly meek demeanor is the reason why James treated her like a shit. But now after reflecting on the pressure my family unintentionally placed on her, I cannot blame Clara for acting that way.Well, it was her five years ago and n
James' POVHer eyes went wide. Shock adorned her face. Zoe stared at me in disbelief, as if she couldn't believe what she just heard from me. I pulled my arm away from her touch. Which made Zoe even more surprised because I had never refused when she touched me before. “You must be joking.” Zoe said. She might think I would take back my words but unfortunately, I wouldn't."Don't make me repeat what I said, Zoe." I reminded her. "I gave you trust all this time but you broke it. Will you also refuse and just confirm that my suspicions are true?"Zoe pursed her lips for a moment. Then she looked at me, her eyes filled with unmistakable pain. "The trust you're talking about is a basic thing that you should have with your partner. I don't owe you anything just because you trust me, James."Watching her look at me with such pain made my heart feel like it was being crushed. I always try to keep her smiling and free from pain, but now I was the reason for that hurtful look on her face."Y
James' POVEach second that ticked by was incredibly frustrating. I just couldn't stay put. I got up and started pacing back and forth to calm my head which felt like it was about to burst. Running a company was stressful enough and I've always craved comfort whenever I got home. For a long time, I always dreamed of a home that would let me relax my mind even just for a while.But lately, that feels hard for me to achieve. I'm not sure what was missing. Zoe was always being a great wife to me. She would check in on my day and always offer to give me a massage whenever she noticed I was feeling under pressure.But there was something she couldn't provide me while I was still living with Clara.I looked at my watch and frowned in irritation just as I heard the sound of a car engine. That has to be my wife, Zoe finally made it home. Walking over to the window, I see a red Lamborghini pull up in front of the gate of my house. The sight made me frown right away.Just as I thought I mistoo
"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