**POV: Harper**Kate met up with me at a coffee shop, and I narrated my ordeal to her, earning her sympathy as she hugged me tightly, reassuring me that everything would be okay. She held me for a long time, rubbing my back in a circular motion as I cried in her arms. This was just what I needed; I needed to be reminded that there was still light somewhere amid this darkness.At the coffee shop, I could unburden my heart to my friend, feeling the warmth of her embrace as I cried freely. It was a slow release, the pain ebbing only slightly, but inside, I held onto the hope that there must be a part of him that cares about me. I have to keep hoping for clarity for myself and my unborn child, whom Ethan still doesn’t know about.“I thought he loved me,” I murmured to Kate, my voice breaking. “But I was wrong, Katie. I was just a… a placeholder, a fucking substitute for his lover. He never truly loved me, and I was too blind to see the truth,” I sobbed.“He’s a fool if he can't see your
**POV: Harper** “Liam is back in town?” I asked Kate, my breath caught in my throat as a rush of surprise and excitement flooded my senses. “Wait, are we talking about the same Liam, my best friend? He’s back?” I reiterated, still not believing her. Kate can be silly sometimes; she could just be messing with me to get a reaction. If that is her intention, then she is definitely doing a good job because I can’t contain my excitement at the mention of Liam. Memories swarmed over me—the late-night study sessions, inside jokes, him being the shoulder I cried on when Ethan wasn’t there for me. “Yeah, he’s back in town! And guess what? He asked about you; he really wants to see you again. I think that’s why he’s back. I’ve already texted him. We should totally meet up!” Kate exclaimed, her excitement infectious. I smiled from ear to ear, recalling how the three of us used to hang out all the time and tease each other. “When did he get back? Where the hell has he been all this
**POV: Harper**Ethan stepped into the living room, the light behind him casting a shadow that fell heavily over Harper and Liam. His presence was both intimidating and overwhelming. The cozy atmosphere in the room shattered instantly, the laughter dying on my lips as his expression changed from exhaustion to fury in the blink of an eye.Liam sat properly, his back resting against the backrest. He crossed his leg and put one arm on the backrest while the other rested on the armrest. His attitude showed that he wasn’t the least bit scared of my husband; he was not intimidated by Ethan's presence and didn’t even feel guilty for being seen with me in this position.I mean, we weren’t doing anything, but the way Ethan walked in, the position in which he found us—it just looked so wrong because it seemed intimate. It was as if we were about to make out on the couch, and that’s just not right because I’m still married to Ethan. Even though I knew that we weren’t doing anything, I still fel
**POV: Harper**I could see the raw emotion etched into his features—the furrowed brows, the trembling lips. It was the kind of desperation that spoke of realizations, of mistakes made too late. I could tell that he now knows how I feel about his relationship with Emma, and I’m glad that he is finally ready to open up about it.“I need you to trust me again, my love. I want us to go back to how we used to be before this whole misunderstanding. We used to be happy; we trusted each other and always cared for each other. What happened to us, Harper? How can you let a little misunderstanding come between us? How could you leave me without looking back? I thought you loved me. You promised to always be there for me. You said you would be by my side. You promised to stand by me no matter what. I want my wife back; I want the love and trust back, Harper. I need you to trust me again. Please, my love,” he begged.“Why should I?” I shot back, my voice carrying the weight of betrayal. “You don’
**POV: Harper**He said that all the feelings he had for Emma and Serena were nothing but guilt and pity now. I actually feel pity for Emma as well. It’s so sad to be in love with someone who doesn’t share the same feelings. “If I could take it all back, I would, Harper. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would go back and make the right decisions. The guilt is taking a toll on me. You have no idea how happy I feel to be sharing my deepest secrets with you, Harper. It feels like a huge burden has been taken off my shoulders,” he admitted excitedly, caressing the back of my palm.“Then tell me how you feel about me, Ethan. Did you choose me because I have an uncanny resemblance to Emma? Do you see her when you look at me?” I challenged, arms still crossed, my heart racing in fear of the answer. I wondered if he was in love with me because of her; I wondered if he was treating me this way out of love or pity as well. Ethan stepped closer, his eyes searching mine. “You, my love…
POV: Harper “Fine, Harp. Since you have decided to head back home, I’m so happy for you. But what about the job offer? Are you still interested?” Liam asks me, sounding his usual cheerful self again. I wondered where the other grumpy Liam came from, the one who was just scolding me and acting like a dumb jerk. “I’ll think about it and get back to you, Liam,” I responded, making him chuckle loudly. “Oh, so now you want to think?” He asked in a mocking tone, laughing hard. “Of course, I need to think about it. I’m following your advice, Liam. You did say I should think before making decisions, didn’t you?” I asked him, earning a peal of laughter. Liam helped me get my stuff together, and he offered to stay back and wait for Kate while I headed home to settle back in. He walked me out of the room, and this time, he didn’t give Ethan that hostile vibe he showed him when he first came in. He smiled and shook his hand, introducing himself as my friend. “Let me know if you need m
POV: HarperI sat on the plush white couch in our bedroom, my heart heavy with guilt as I watched Ethan search frantically through the house for clue Serena might have left behind. She has not contacted him like she promised and he is so worried about her. He has exhausted his contacts in an attempt to find the hotel she had lodged in. But Serena is a professional when it comes to covering her tracks. She sure knows how to keep her location a secret. I still feel guilty for being the reason why she left. It’s my fault and I know it. The echoes of our earlier arguments replayed in my mind, and I felt responsible for her departure. If only we could put our difference aside and live together so Ethan could keep his promise. He had promised to look after Serena, and now that she is gone, he was left to pick up the pieces of a broken promise. If only we could find her so I could speak with her and convince her to come back home. For Ethan’s sake, to ease his guilt, I am prepared to pu
POV: Harper“Is this true? “ he asked me, his voice breaking.“Are you…Are you…”“I’m pregnant,” I said softly, answering him with a smile on my face Ethan erupted with happiness, he jumped in excitement and yelled at the top of his voice,“I’m going to be a father!” He screamed out in excitement, and then he ran towards me and swept me into his arms, spinning me around happily. He kissed me so passionately, His hand was placed on my stomach as if he could feel his baby as he kissed me. How long have you known about it, why didn’t you tell me?” he asked me after the kiss, sounding a bit offended. “I planned to tell you on our anniversary night. It was meant to be your anniversary gift and I would have told you about it that night if you didn’t walk away in anger and left me all alone. When I told you that you ruined our anniversary dinner, I wasn’t referring to the food I had made for you. This is what I was talking about. I was so excited about it and I wanted to surprise you
POV: Harper “Why are you doing this, Ethan, why did you have to show me that video?Is it not enough that I am hurting everyday without my husband by my side, is it not enough that I am far away from the one person that means the whole world to me?” I asked him, sobbing as he showed me the news on his tablet, showing be videos of Ethan and Emma and that of him and Serena too. It hurts to see that he is not sensible enough to shield me from things that would cause me pain and make me cry. “You promised to take care of me and protect me, Liam. Why are you showing me these things that you know would hurt me, why are you being insensitive to my feelings?” I sobbed replaying the videos to see if they are real or edited. “I’m sorry, Harper. I just wanted you to see him for who he truly is. I wanted you to see that he is lying about his relationship with those ladies. I wanted you to see the truth for yourself.” He responded, trying to pull me into his arms for comfort. I shrugged him of
POV: Ethan “I don’t know what you are up to, man, but I’m not getting into this argument with you. If anything, I’m grateful that you are taking care of my wife and keeping her safe. Thanks Liam, thanks for filling the void until I return to take what’s mine.” I told him, smiling as I stood up to leave. “Carl will give you some things to give to Harper when you get home. They are for my wife and baby, and I need you to deliver it as soon as you get home.” I told him, turning to walk away. He chuckled at my request, leaning to sit properly as if he were the one calling the shots in this meeting. He did not stand up to leave, he got more comfortable, staring at me as I walked away. He waited until I got to the door and he said,“I guess you don’t want to know how your precious wife felt when she watched your videos with your whores,” he let out abruptly, stopping me in my tracks. I stood as if I was frozen on the spot. Damn the fucking bastard!Damn him to hell!He knows just the rig
POV: Ethan “Okay, fine. Fire away, what do you want to know?” He asked me with a serious look on his face, pretending to be serious again. I scoffed, looking away for a few seconds and then looking back at him.“Fine, you want to play games with me, you want to be sarcastic?Cool!Let’s play games, bring it on, asshole, bring it on!” I told him angrily, pushing everything on my table away as I glared dangerously at him, wishing to hell that Harper would just see him for who he is, a bloody backstabbing bastard with evil intentions.“No, Ethan, I’m not playing games this time,I really mean it. Ask me anything you want to know and I’ll be so glad to give you the answer that you deserve.” He told me, smiling warmly, almost fooling me, again. I should have known that he was just fooling around when he told me that he will give me the answers I deserve and not the answers that I need. “Where is my wife, and how is she?” I asked him again, keeping calm. He smiled brightly, and made a hand
POV: Ethan “I heard the rumor that you were poisoned by one of the girls you are having an affair with. Tell me, which one of them poisoned you?Is it the sick one, or the lunatic?” Liam asked in a sarcastic tone, laughing hysterically as he sat a few feet away from me, keeping a safe distance.I rented the entire building for this meeting, I just want to do everything possible to make sure I do not hurt Harper and our baby. I’m trying to be calm, I don’t want to be reminded of what I saw him trying to do with Harper at the mall the other day. I am silently praying that he stops being a jerk before I’m forced to knock out a few tooth out of his mouth. “I’m not here for pleasantries, Liam, and I’m not here to banter words with you. I’m here because of Harper and I would be glad if you keep our discussion focus sorely on her. How is she Liam, how is my wife?” I asked him, keeping my eyes fixed on him, reading his reaction. “You mean, ex-wife?” he retorts in a mocking tone, laughing
POV: Ethan I saw the message pop up on my screen as Justin drove us to his house. It was a message from Carl and it says that Liam was spotted at a restaurant in town with Kate, Harper’s best friend. I wanted to call back and ask him more questions about his visit, but we were too busy figuring out what to do with Emma. So I waited until she was taken into the lab for Justin and his team to begin working on her. I did not leave immediately, I was asked to wait A while because I have been exposed to thallium as well. I was with her all this while, and it is said that a person poisoned with thallium can potentially contaminate surfaces, objects, or even other people through bodily fluids like saliva, sweat, urine, or through direct contact with their skin. The time I carried her to his hospital, the times we were together when I comforted her when she cried, and even when we pretended to be back together to draw Serena out. I was getting poisoned with Thallium and I had no idea at al
POV: Ethan “I’m sorry man, let’s go back and get the DNA, or I’ll send some guys down there to get it.” I called out to him. But he still wouldn’t stop. He just went up to check on Emma, checking her pulse to make sure everything is okay. I followed closely behind him, wondering what he was doing. I mean, she was fine when we left, wasn’t she? “That fucking bitch! I knew it, I fucking knew it!” He let out furiously, checking her hair and nails. I went closer to see what he was checking, but he asked me to stay back and he lifted her into his arms and ran down the stairs, taking her into the car and running to the driver’s side. “She was not the only one poisoning her sister, her sister was poisoning her too. She added just enough Thallium to her water to make her sick.” He let out furiously as he drove her back to the hospital, blaming himself for not detecting it earlier. “I should have known, I should have fucking seen it. The signs were there, there was Elevated thallium lev
POV: Ethan “She left boss, she took a flight out of the country and she left under an alias just to hide her trail. I lost her when she went into the airport, she switched her disguise and got lost in the crowd. I tried checking the boarding passes, but none looked like her.” Carl reported, sounding angry and frustrated. I laughed as he explained everything he did, how he had to review the cameras on the terminal as they boarded the plane. “Let her go, Carl. I’ll find her myself.” I told him, surprising him with my response. I guess he was expecting me to flare up or make him review the cameras one more time. But I can’t be chasing after someone who doesn’t want to be found. All I can do right now is to protect the people I care about, starting with Harper. We are heading back home and I should be excited to tell Emma that we save her family’s house. But I can’t even think straight, let alone thinking about Emma and the stupid house. I keep imagining how Harper would feel when she
POV: Justin Seeing that no one was here when Serena tried to seduce me today, it’s Safe to say that it’s all part of Serena’s big plan. I’m guessing that is the reason why she wanted me to stay here longer. She must be having such a good time toying with me and messing up my life. “Where the fuck is she, where is she?”I asked Carl as I called him to confirm that he received the phone I sent him. The cars he sent have gotten here and I was on my way home to meet with Emma and Carl. But I’m restless and furious, I couldn’t even show my face anywhere without having people pointing at me, calling me a player. I tried so hard to get over it, but I just couldn’t. “Boss, she is heading to the airport now. I hacked into the security cameras at the restaurant. I saw her go into the bathroom and came out dressed like a guy. She got into a cab right in front of the restaurant. I tracked the cab to the airport a few minutes ago. I guess she decided to skip town after all.” Carl explained, sig
POV: EthanShe had every opportunity to zoom off into the distance, but she didn’t. She drove slowly, looking at us through the rear view mirror and smiling mischievously. I don’t need a soothsayer to tell me that she is up to something. It seems she is waiting for a signal or waiting for someone. I don’t know what she is doing, but I’m not comfortable with her movement.“Watch her!She is up to something, don’t take your eyes off her!” I told my boys as she parked her car at the gate and came stepped down to chitchat with us as if she was our bestie, smiling like a fucking lunatic.“I have one more surprise for you guys,” she told us, smiling excitedly, almost jumping in excitement as if we are truly playing a fun game.“There are twelve bombs in this building and have been waiting for the right time to tell you about it. I have set the timer, my love, and you have ten minutes to turn them off remotely before they go off and destroy your precious Emma’s house and all the good memorie