THE WEATHER wasn’t good that day. It was pouring rain, and the cold wind brushed against her skin, making her feel even more nervous. Michelle got out of the car and looked at the five-star hotel in front of her. She swallowed the fear inside her throat.This was the day Marsha would meet her father. Michelle had no words to describe how she felt at the moment. Bullet sweat dripped on her back as she tried to collect her thoughts. She didn’t know how she would introduce Ethan to Marsha, and because of that, her body tensed, as if she was standing in the courtroom waiting to be judged for her mistakes."Wow!" Marsha shrieked in glee when she got out of the car. Her gray eyes twinkled as she looked at the towering hotel. "We’re going to meet Daddy here, mommy?""Yes," Michelle answered before clearing her throat. "Let’s get in, sweetheart."She held Marsha’s hand, but her daughter tugged at the hem of her white skirt, making her look down at her curiously."How do I look, mommy? Do you
THEY HAD the first family lunch. Marsha was very happy and she couldn’t stop telling her daddy so many stories, like she wanted him to get to know her more and to catch up on all the happenings in her life.Michelle’s lips formed a small smile as she looked over at them—a father and daughter who were having a good time and not minding the rest of the world. They were so close, as if Ethan had never been away for so long.At some point, the thorns inside her chest were removed. Michelle thought Marsha would hate them, especially Ethan, but no... she accepted the truth wholeheartedly and was happy that her savior "big man" and her daddy were just the same man.She gazed at Ethan, who laughed heartily at Marsha’s joke. Ever since they got married back in the United States, she had never seen him so happy until today. She must admit that she assumed a lot of things about him. Part of it was not accepting Marsha as his daughter or throwing them away. But right now, what she saw was a man r
HOURS before they left Milan for good, Michelle visited the flower shop for the last time.There was no doubt that Milan had become her second home. It was the place where she had to pick herself up from the depths of pain that consumed her and became her safest haven, where she didn’t have to pretend; to do something she didn’t like. To summarize it all, it was one blissful phase of life with Marsha.But now, everything would change. Ethan Steinfield, her contract husband, wanted to be part of her daughter’s life. Despite the conflict between them and the man’s threatening words, she’d give him a chance to become a father to Marsha. It was the right thing to do. After all, her daughter deserved to be happy."Are you really sure you want to do this, Signora?" Jose asked her as she visited him in the restaurant.Her Italian friend, who had become her shoulder for the past few years, stared at her with the utmost concern. They were on the balcony of the restaurant, with their coffees, a
MICHELLE leaned against the wall. Her fingers were slowly sliding inside her underwear, and she bit her lower lip as she touched her wet folds.It was the first time she had tried to touch herself. The feeling was unfamiliar, yet for every gentle stroke of her fingers, her body tensed up more. She swallowed hard and, at the same time, spread her legs wider.Her fingers gently rubbed her folds, tracing circles on them in a sensual way. Shutting her eyes, her mouth formed an ‘O’. Michelle didn’t know that touching herself in that manner could feel so good. She’d be hypocritical if she said she didn’t miss being touched. Thankfully, she didn’t need a man to do that.But her mind started to betray her as Ethan’s face flashed in her imagination right away. She remembered those nights when she was blown away by Ethan's performance on the bed; how he touched her, kissed every part of her body, and thrust inside her like their fleshes were a perfect match."Ahhh..." she moaned softly, her fin
ASHAMED, Michelle went out of the restroom with her face reddening. A flight attendant walked past her with a smile, and she couldn’t help but wonder if the woman heard them doing something inside the restroom.She was aware that she made loud moans. It had been a long while since the last time she had sex, and so she had gone wild for a brief moment.Going back to her seat, her eyes landed in Ethan’s direction, who went back to reading the newspaper as if nothing had happened between them. The way he acted like it didn’t bother him made her feel like a total slut.She shifted her gaze when he glanced over in her direction. Looking at the window next to her, she winced at the sting of pain inside her chest.Hell, I should’ve never done that, she thought, regretting the fact that she gave in to her lust that led them to have sex on the plane. Now, the air between them had just gotten more awkward, and she didn’t know if she could still stare at him without being ashamed.After a long f
She was awakened by the movement on the bed. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw Marsha who was jumping and dancing on the bed playfully.A smile curled into her lips, realizing that no amount of jetlag could actually stop Marsha from being so energetic."Come on, Mommy! Get up, get up! Daddy prepared our dinner!" her daughter exclaimed."Seriously?" she asked as she sat upright.Marsha sat in front of her with a wide smile. "I told Daddy that I wanted pancakes, and he made some!""That’s cool. Tell me, what else did he cook?"Marsha looked up at the ceiling, thinking. "He fried some chicken too, and there are other food but I don’t know their names, Mommy."Michelle chuckled. Having such conversations with Marsha was one of the things she loved the most about being a mother. Her daughter knew how to converse very well, even at her young age. Marsha could voice her thoughts in her own words. Michelle thought it was amazing. Unlike her, who grew up restraining herself from speaking up, he
ASHLEY was so stunned that she could not move for a moment. Her mouth was half-opened and her eyes were giving Ethan a disbelief look.Her reaction gave Michelle a satisfying feeling. A pleasant surprise for a mistress, she thought. Sure, years had already passed, but she could not find a way to forgive the woman for all of her dirty tactics. Now that she was back with her little Marsha, she would never back down against Ashley."That’s a lie," Ashley said in her faint voice before she looked at Michelle. "How dare you use that child to fool Ethan?"Ashley was enraged. Michelle could see how she tensed up, balling her hands and only trying to control herself from attacking her.Michelle gasped in a mock surprise and put a hand on her chest. "That’s quite an accusation. Shouldn’t we start with pleasantries? You know, it’s been a while since the last time we saw each other.""You, liar." Ashley gritted her teeth. "Why did you come back, anyway? You got no money anymore?"She raised an e
TO SAY that she was mad would be an understatement. She was furious because Ethan secretly performed a DNA paternity test without her consent.She felt fooled.Ethan tried to talk to her all day, but she did not give him a chance. She did not want to hear his explanation. She just focused on unpacking the remaining luggage bags and made herself busy taking care of her daughter.The next morning, negative energy was still radiating off of her. The only person that made her mood lighten up a bit was Marsha, who thankfully didn’t hear about the argument she had with Ashley yesterday."Is Daddy’s office just near our house, Mommy?" Marsha asked curiously while they were in the kitchen, baking a cake.Ethan went to the office early in the morning. Marsha wanted to come with him, but she didn’t let her daughter think that Ethan would have a busy day. The headline about him carrying Marsha in the airport had just come out that morning, and so she expected that the next few coming days would