FlashbackSeven Years AgoSierra felt a wave of nervousness as she stepped out of her dorm building.She shouldn’t be doing this. She should’ve listened to Callie and joined her at the party. At least Adrian or Paul were familiar faces—men they actually knew, not some stranger she had only met through a dating app.Adrian and Paul were sleazy, sure, but at least they weren’t serial killers or pickpockets, which had been making headlines lately.But… Adrian and Paul weren’t the ones exchanging messages with her. They weren’t the ones she confided in about her campus troubles or the classmates who dismissed her as a nerd.Adrian and Paul weren’t the reason she had sprinted out of class, eager to get to her phone for another late-night chat.So, Sierra chooses to meet X, even though she isn’t certain about him.She snuck out of her dorm, hoping Callie wouldn’t catch her. If Callie did, she’d drag her back to their room and force her to join the party. She had to walk a bit to catch a bus
Their steps out of the hotel lobby toward Axton's car drew the attention of several people. A security guard attempted to stop Axton when he saw the man’s face covered in blood and the visible injury on Sierra's face."Sir, could you stop for a moment? I need to verify something."Axton kept walking, ignoring the man."Sir, I need your time before you leave the hotel."Again, Axton disregarded the request. Sierra trudged alongside him, but her thoughts lingered on Damian, who was still inside the hotel."Are you okay, Ma’am?" The security guard touched Sierra's hand, prompting Axton to stop abruptly."Don’t touch her," he said sharply, his voice laced with menace.Sierra held her breath at his tone. She turned to Axton, silently pleading with him as his grip on her wrist tightened, causing discomfort."Sorry, Sir, but I need to know why you’re leaving the hotel in this condition. Could you please come with me for a moment?"Axton stared at the guard for a few seconds before resuming h
“I’m leaving,” those words were spoken by Callie after they were lost in painful silence.Sierra stared in disbelief. “No, please, no!” She wanted to approach but couldn’t do anything because she knew her touch would only make Callie more hysterical.“Don’t do this, Callie.” Axton stopped her and tightly grasped her arm. “Don’t ever leave my life.”“You chose her, didn’t you?”There was no anger. No objects were thrown because Callie had already destroyed everything. This time, she asked with empty eyes as if she had no strength left for anything. And that made Sierra sink deeper into guilt.“I choose you and Sierra,” Axton said in one breath.Once again, Sierra had to hold her breath when she heard Axton’s answer.“I’m leaving,” Callie shook her head. “I don’t want anything here.”“No, please.” Axton still begged, holding her hand. “Please, Callie. I need you. You know that, right?”Callie turned her head to look at Sierra and immediately lowered her head when she realized what that
Sierra didn’t know what to say about everything that had happened recently. Almost two months had passed since the worst thing she had ever seen in her life. It is as bad as the death of her mother.Since that night, Sierra and Callie had stopped talking. They no longer ate at the same dining table, and Callie would always walk away whenever she saw her coming.Axton and Callie’s relationship had improved, thank God. Sierra didn’t know what she would have done if they hadn’t been okay. However, she knew that not everything that looked good was as it seemed.At least she knew that Axton and Callie still spoke to each other, even though Axton had to try harder to make Callie talk to him.As for her pregnancy…Sierra didn’t know what to say. Her belly had grown because she was now six months pregnant, and she probably couldn’t hide it next month. She could wear loose clothing when leaving her room to conceal her belly, but most of the maids already knew.She had stopped working a month a
“If you want to work here, then use your hands and feet. I don’t need your mouths.”Callie’s voice echoed from the kitchen, and Sierra knew she had to stop this. Ignoring her phone ringing with Damian’s name on the screen, she walked into the kitchen, where three women stood with their heads bowed.“Callie, maybe it’s better to leave this alone,” she said carefully, trying not to make things worse.“I can fire you all right now without my husband’s permission because he gave me authority over this house.” Callie shot them a look full of arrogance—something Sierra had never seen in her friend’s eyes before. “I can bring in anyone I want and kick out anyone I dislike from my house. You’re just insignificant parts that wouldn’t change a thing even if I dismissed you right this second.”“We’re sorry, Mrs. Scott. This won’t happen again.” One of them fell to her knees in front of Callie, and the others quickly followed suit.Callie stood there with her arms crossed as if she was enjoying t
"Am I late?" Axton asked, walking briskly toward her as Sierra waved her hand in the air."No, I was just about to go in," she replied, standing up as her name was called. Axton had arrived at the right time.Sierra lay down on the prepared bed as a nurse came over to assist her."Have you visited the lab for the blood tests the doctor requested, ma'am?" the nurse asked.She nodded. "I had it done before coming here."Axton looked at her as she answered. She hadn't yet told him she'd undergone the blood test before his call because the doctor had requested it before the ultrasound."Have you noticed any decrease in your appetite lately?" the doctor asked while performing the examination and recording the results into the computer to monitor Sierra's pregnancy progress.Sierra shook her head. "I think I've been eating the same portions and keeping the same schedule.""Well, in that case, you'll need to increase your food intake because I found that the baby's weight and head circumfere
FlashbackTwo years ago...The worst day of her life would always be remembered as the anniversary of her mother's death.Sierra knew she would never forget this day as long as she was still breathing.Everything happened so fast, and she still couldn’t believe she was now staring at her mother in the casket. She looked so beautiful in a white dress with makeup on her face. But her eyes were closed, and there was no warmth in her hands, making Sierra feel distant from her."Don’t cry, I’m here, Sierra." Callie hugged her tightly when she saw the tears streaming down Sierra’s face.Sierra returned the hug, feeling Callie’s shoulders trembling from her own tears.Oh, it turned out that she wasn’t the only one crying today—her best friend was crying with her."Everything will be okay," Callie said with difficulty. She still held Sierra close, crying there. Sierra nodded, hoping everything would be okay as Callie said, though she wasn’t sure if that would be the case."You need to pay you
Everything happened so quickly. Right after she screamed hysterically, the nurses arrived and immediately helped her. They brought her father into the emergency room while Axton guided her to sit in the nearest chair.Her hands trembled as she recalled how she had just held her father's hand, which felt so cold. She couldn’t remember the last time she had held his hand—perhaps he never held hers all this time because he didn’t care. Yet now, Sierra found herself staring at her shaking palm, with no clear reason for it.Almost an hour passed, but she still didn’t understand what had happened until a doctor came out of the ER and explained her father’s condition.That man was dying...There could be so many reasons why he was so sick now. The doctor suspected alcohol and drugs had damaged his kidneys and lungs."He’s sick, and I just said the harshest words I've ever said to someone." Sierra knew Axton was sitting next to her even though she didn’t turn her head. She just stared straigh
Lately, Sierra had grown fond of gardening. She enjoyed planting flowers, and since she had a spacious backyard, she was free to do whatever she pleased there.After returning from their honeymoon across various countries, she had already planned a beautiful concept for her backyard. Her mother used to love gardening, even after coming home tired from work, though they didn’t have an adequate plot of land to do so. Now that Sierra had better opportunities than her mother ever had, she wanted to honor that hobby—bringing something her mother loved into her new home.When Sienna was with her grandmother, Sierra found herself with free time to indulge in something she enjoyed, keeping herself entertained so she wouldn't feel bored. Occasionally, she would step out to purchase gardening tools and thoroughly enjoyed those moments.In the past, she couldn’t afford this kind of relaxed lifestyle because she always had a demanding schedule. Since college, she’d been accustomed to working part
Axton made Sierra leave the United States for a honeymoon in Europe one month after their wedding. He didn’t tell her where they would go or how long they would be on vacation, leaving Sienna with her grandparents. He only said that he had everything planned but wanted it to be a surprise, so the only thing Sierra had to do was to look beautiful every morning and look forward to each surprise he would give.This morning, they woke up in Norway after spending the night watching the beautiful Aurora Borealis. It felt like a dream—a place so beautiful it seemed unreachable by humans. But Sierra was there with Axton, and it was a truly wonderful experience.Then, in the night, they traveled to Switzerland and stayed there for an unknown number of days, visiting places they would explore.“I can’t believe I’m unemployed and traveling the world with you,” she commented while standing near the window of the villa they were staying in.The view of nature there was so soothing to her eyes. Eve
Sierra and Axton had agreed to host a simple wedding celebration attended only by close family and friends. Most of the guests were Axton’s family and friends, as Sierra didn’t have either.Well, she had invited Andrea—if the woman could even be categorized as a friend. And Damian…Actually, Sierra wasn’t the one who invited Damian. It was Axton, which had completely surprised her.“To my daughter-in-law, Sierra Scott, I love you, pretty girl,” Axton’s mother said, blowing an air kiss and smiling warmly. Sierra laughed as she stood next to Axton.After all the formal wedding, it was time for speeches from the couple’s closest people. Sadly, Sierra had to remind herself once again that she had no parents or close friends to speak for her.“I always wished I could have met Sophia, Sierra’s mother because she raised such an incredible woman with all her strength,” Axton’s mother began. “Sierra is a passionate woman with a beautiful perspective on everything in the world. She loves everyo
Sierra stared at her reflection in the mirror, disbelief evident in her eyes.It was hard to accept that all of this was real. But of course, she wasn’t dreaming as she stood there in her wedding gown, her face adorned with flawless makeup. She was almost too afraid to touch her own skin, worried she might ruin the carefully applied look.“You look absolutely stunning,” Axton’s mother said, wiping tears from the corner of her eyes as she admired Sierra standing in front of the mirror. “You are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”Sierra smiled and turned her head slightly. “Don’t exaggerate, Mom,” she replied, taking a deep breath. “I feel unsure about walking out there. What if people judge me?”The woman immediately took her hand, looking at her with genuine warmth. “When Callie—the most important person in your life—gives her blessing for what you’re about to do, why should you care about what anyone else thinks?”Sierra had read the letter Callie had given her. She must have
“I’m here,” Sierra said softly.A week after receiving Callie’s letter and all the gifts the woman had sent her, Sierra finally decided to visit Callie.“I also stopped by the store you worked with, just to thank them,” Sierra said, taking a deep breath as she sat down on the damp ground of Callie’s grave, ignoring the possibility of her skirt getting dirty. “They were confused, looking for me at your old house. I don’t live there anymore, Callie. I moved after giving birth because Axton thought it would be better for us to find a new home. Staying there made it hard to move on, constantly reminded of you.”She glanced at Axton, who was walking toward her from a distance.Today, she wasn’t alone. Axton and Sienna had come with her. But when they arrived, Sienna wanted to breastfeed, so Sierra left them in the car. Axton could handle her to help her drink her milk, and it wasn’t an issue for him.“I’m sorry I didn’t realize how much you cared for me and Sienna. I thought you were angry
Sierra couldn’t blink, and it felt like time had stopped for a moment. Her body felt stiff, even though the only thing she desperately wanted to do was run away.What Damian had said entirely left her at a loss for words. If she were honest, those words moved her deeply, making her feel even guiltier toward him.That wasn’t what he should have said. Damian should have angrily cursed at them for causing a scene in front of his apartment in the morning. He should have... He could have said something harsh to her if he truly wanted to show how upset he was with everything.But instead of doing that, Damian chose to say something kind—words that should never have come from someone who had been wronged.Thankfully, Axton could read her mind well enough to step forward, grab her hand, and lead her away from there.“Let’s go home!” he said, walking briskly.Of course, Sierra followed Axton. She walked without turning her head because she didn’t want to see Damian again.“I never knew that Da
This morning, Sierra cooked breakfast for everyone because she knew that the maids in her house must be exhausted after participating in last night's party. She didn't just prepare breakfast for her family but also for the entire staff."This is a simple menu, but I hope you'll like it," she said with a quick smile. "I'm not great at cooking, but I made sure it's safe to eat." She brought the food to the dining table near the kitchen. Usually, the maids and workers gathered there to eat together, which is why Sierra had come in now."You really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble. You must be exhausted after last night's party," said one of the staff.Sierra waved her hand with a playful smile. "Please, don't be so stiff when talking to me. If I'm tired, then you all must be tired too. This is just a small thing I can do. But this afternoon, I'll ask Axton to buy food for us all so you don’t have to cook.""Oh God, looks like this party made you happy," Percy commented casually, un
Sierra felt much more relaxed once she was back with Axton and Sienna. Of course, they were still the center of attention since it was their party, but now she didn’t have to stand alone in the middle of it all.“I don’t know what to give her, but she seems to like everything I give her,” a middle-aged woman, whom Axton introduced as his aunt, handed Sierra a large paper bag with the logo of a luxury brand.Sierra was quite stunned by this, but she quickly nodded and offered a polite smile. “Thank you for taking the time to visit Sienna. I hope you enjoy the party tonight.”“Well, of course, I’m enjoying it,” the woman smiled. “Isn’t Alicia the one who organized all of this? I’ve been to every one of her parties, and I can always tell which ones she’s organized. And I can say this one is definitely hers.”Sierra turned her head toward Axton and smiled again. “She put this together in just three days, and it amazes me.”“She’s a legend when it comes to parties in New York,” the woman c
Sienna’s bedtime routine often started with the family gathering in the living room after dinner. Percy and Bethany would prepare light snacks, and once Sienna fell asleep, Axton’s parents would head back to their home.“I’ve been thinking about this since Sienna was born,” Axton’s mother began with a warm smile, holding Sienna close in her arms. “But things have been quite hectic lately. I just wanted to spend as much time as possible with this beautiful girl. However, all our relatives and acquaintances keep asking about her, and I don’t want us to waste too much time hosting them one by one.”Sierra frowned slightly, resting her head on Axton’s shoulder as he held her hand and played with her fingers.“Some family members managed to visit the hospital, but others haven’t had the chance yet. They keep asking me when they can come, but I don’t know when to let them. I’m worried they’ll take up too much of our time.”Sierra’s frown deepened, but she remained silent.“So, what are you