" Do you know him?" Camela's question hit Rissa as they walked on after escaping the wrath of their supervisor." No…I don't; he only reminds me of someone", she said, smiling sardonically.Her mind drifted off to the first day she met Liam at Golden Fingers; the moment he walked in, all heads turned in his direction, including hers.It felt like the world stood in stance for a while, and right then, she knew she had fallen in love with him.Camela tapped Rissa gently, jolting her out of her trance. "I said he is drop-dead gorgeous though". Rissa just smiled sadly; Camela wasn't exaggerating with that; the aura the man emits outweighs that of even Liam Hickson.They both walked into their changing room and wore their work boots and safety clothes." I bet he has tons of girls dying to date him, as I am also smitten," Camela said in hoarse whispers, and Rissa laughed." I know he is out of my league; let me keep fantasizing”, she added jokingly." I didn't say anything" Rissa shrugge
The antidepressant fell out of Rissa's grasp as she felt a sharp pain in her pelvis, she stilled on the spot as she felt liquid trickling down her legs.Her heart thumped loudly at the thought of what could be wrong as she managed to look down in between her legs to see the water trickling down it.She had immersed herself deeply in the bookish knowledge of the inexperienced childbirth enough to know what that means.Mrs Wilson picked up the drug and put it on the shelf with her trembling hands, where Rissa was about to arrange it." Is anything the problem?" she asked as her countenance was laced with concern " Granny! the baby! I think the baby is coming," she shouted as she felt another round of pain.Mrs Wilson's eyes widened immediately as she scrunched out immediately to call on Stella. Her blurry sight made making calls difficult for her.Rissa placed her right hand over her stomach and breathed in and out while the contractions lasted.She had read that it lessens the pain; w
" I named him Caleb," Rissa said firmly; she turned her back and faced the sofa, signalling her lack of interest in explaining her decision." Caleb it is," Stella said, laughing awkwardly, and everyone else joined her.Rissa felt a mixed feeling from deep down in her mind; she had always imagined having a glamorous wedding as she did, spending lots on an exquisite baby shower and having her child christened in a mind-blowing way.Caleb wriggled in his crib, signalling his awakening.Abraham moved close to the crib and rocked him back and forth lovingly." You will make a good grandfather, Aby," Mariah commended him joyfully as Caleb seemed to warm up to his gentle nurturing.Stella blushed sheepishly as she imagined walking down the aisle alongside Abraham in a white flowing dress.A car came to a halt in front of the cabin, and Mariah quickly jumped up on her feet “My husband is here," she declared proudly.Mariah's husband alighted from the car and walked humbly into the cabin.He
Luke smiled warmly at Caleb, who was tightly wrapped in his arms, his eyes lit with excitement at the reciprocation of it from the cute three-month-old baby who smiled pleasantly at him." He seems to like you a lot," Rissa said, watching the duo while updating the pharmacy log." Children love me a lot," Luke responded instantly without taking his eyes off Caleb who wiggled playfully in his arms.Rissa knew Caleb must have felt drawn to Luke's positive energy as everyone else did. If only she could bring herself to feel a romantic connection with him.Unfortunately, she couldn't, or probably she wasn't willing to. Love was torn out of her dictionary over a year ago when she became an infamous laughingstock of all blogs." Don't you think it is high time you put up interest in the pharmacy?" Rissa asked out of the blue taking Luke by surprise." I…I don...I don't want to Rissa," he responded frankly " Why? You are smart and intelligent," she said reminiscing over the memory of stumbl
" Miss Rissa Stonebridge, your contract with Perchy Peach has been terminated," Rissa read out rubbing her eyes over and over again.She shivered slightly at the thought of her worst fear being realized. She knew her contract was about to expire at Perchy Peach processing factory, but she desperately wished to be contacted.She sat dejectedly, holding her hand to her chest; how was she going to survive single parenting without another job apart from the part-time at the pharmacy?PimPim made its way into the pharmacy signaling Mrs Wilson's return. Rissa sat up quickly, pretending to be all right." Hello, Rissa," she said, smiling pleasantly as she walked in gently. Her muscles had gotten weaker from ageing." Mrs Wilson, it took you quite some time," she said as her voice was laced with concern." Yes, I had a more elaborate test carried out on my sight," she said smiling pleasantly.Rissa's phone chimed, but she ignored it, still bittered by her supervisor's negative news." Check o
" Mum! I am skipping music class today; Mr Wilson's is so boring," Caleb said, scrunching up his nose while adjusting his mother's oversized sunglasses that he had on.Rissa laughed out loud at his childish outburst, she pinched his nose gently "You aren't skipping classes under my watch silly"" Ouch! Mum, it hurts. Can I go to grandma's instead?" he asked with pitiful eyes.Rissa thought long as she almost fell for it but she remembered Matthew complained of Caleb's inattentiveness in class." No! I insist you don't get to skip class, Matthew.....I mean, Mr Wilson wouldn't like that, and so your grandma; you can visit her over the weekend," she said, kissing his forehead lightly." Hi supervisor," Rissa looked up to see Camela carrying her toddler and walking towards the cabin excitedly.Rissa's eyes lightened up. "Camela, hi, nice to have you here," she said, engulfing her in a tight embrace." Congratulations Rissa, I heard your long-term effort has served its reward to you; I am
" No mum! I…I don't think I can," Rissa said crossing her hand over her chest." And why is that?" Stella asked raising her chin challengingly Rissa threw her a disbelieving look "Mum! You....know ....why," she stuttered." And so?" Stella responded defiantly "Look around you young lady, you and Liam is a stale news now, people have moved past it except you" " I know but....." Rissa started " But what! Rissa, you are a vibrant thirty-year-old woman with a good degree and qualifications; I can't let you rot in this countryside; you deserve better, and he deserves better, too," she said, arching her head towards Caleb, who had dozed off already." Mum, I have nowhere to return to," Rissa said, painstaken as the thought of facing Liam surfaced in her mind.The disdainful look he threw her the last time they saw each other which was the day he divorced her." You can always start over," Stella snapped back hastily "You need to meet another man of your standard and get married""Again!!
Caleb waved endlessly after disentangling himself from his teary-eyed grandmother. " Don't worry, my sweetest, I will come visiting every time," Stella shouted after them; she busted into uncontrollable tears while leaning towards Abraham, who seemed to be in a similar sad state as she was. " Mum, we will miss the train at this rate”, Rissa said playfully, her heart heavy with affection. She held Caleb tightly and also their luggage. Finally giving in to Stella's persuasion, she decided to take the opportunity the previous Asian supervisor presented to her on a platter of gold. A chance to work her transfer to Perchy Peach headquarters in Los Angeles. Fortunately, he offered to rent out an apartment in the city to her which was his sole property all his working years. They boarded the train, found a good seat close to the left window, and settled in. Caleb's enthusiasm for travelling for the first time made it less easy on her. " Mum, can't granny travel with us?" he asked te
The door opened with a loud thud and Adrian jumped up abruptly, his heart thumping loudly that he could barely manage to stand up straight. Rissa rushed towards them, and they all gathered around the surgeon, who threw a casual look at Rissa's exquisite shimmering flowing white gown.“The surgery was successful”Just one word and jubilation filled the air; Bianca and the baby boy had made it, and to their relief, Caleb hugged his cousin Gracia, who was still so overwhelmed that she had gotten a little brother at her teenage age. Bianca’s husband broke down in tears and Adrian had to console him.Adrian held Rissa's hand, and they exited the hospital; now that the baby had been born, they could enjoy the later part of their wedding party in merriment. Once they returned to the venue, Rissa rushed back to her changing room, where her designer was waiting patiently; Adrian had booked her for the whole day’s worth, so she had no problem with their little charade.“Let us skip the second l
The cool breeze blew in Rissa's face, and she felt bliss formed in her heart; for the second time in her lifetime, she heard the priest announce her arrival.“Here comes the bride”All heads turned in her direction, and thousands of eyes followed her gentle stride; from the pleasant look on their faces, her designer had done a flawless job. The stress that came with fitting her bulging stomach into the elegant dress she chose was a really hilarious moment for Camela. Rissa had vowed that her pregnancy wasn't going to stop her from slaying to her wedding.Abraham got up, Stella gave him a reassuring nod and he made for Rissa's side. She gave him a soft smile as the feeling of safety engulfed her; he had been nothing short of a wonderful father figure since she met him, and she wasn't willing to trade him for anyone, even if her real father were to show up, which was very unlikely. Walking her down the aisle, Abraham had truly earned it.Rissa's eyes met Adrian's, he looked at her so dr
Rosa kept shooting daggers at Adrian, but he didn't care; all that mattered was getting them deported out of Los Angeles. The police officers ushered them into the van. Bryan was silent, which bothered Adrian a little, but he overlooked it.Mrs Denver didn't show up; she had invited them, Bryan and Rosa, over only to hand them over to Adrian, who was hellbent on putting them behind bars or getting them deported. Unfortunately, Bryan had no other recorded crime aside from illegal entry, but Rosa could spend a few years behind bars for abetting Diane's crimes.Rosa was being dragged forcibly by a policeman when she screamed out; he released her arm as black blood was seeping out; Adrian remembered their last encounter, the bullet wound, and explained to the officers; they allowed her to undress the wound, to their surprise, it was rotting away.Adrian closed his eyes, disgusted by the pungent smell coming out of them; they decided to take her to the hospital while Bryan was to go into d
“I believe you are holding our family's treasure, Mr. Hickson.”Mrs Denver's loud voice cut through the air, the amusement behind her voice, a loud sound of victory. Liam contemplated calling off her charade but he decided to be civil about it.“I thought you said she wasn't your husband’s illegitimate daughter?” he questioned with a slightly raised brow.“I lied, but now that the three of them are dead and I don't have to take sleeping pills to force myself to sleep, I need to rub it in my husband's face by burying her ashes beside his”.Liam paused for a few seconds savouring the bitterness behind her words. She wasn't totally wrong. Diane’s bad blood was inherited from her callous father, Mr Denver, and they didn't really deserve any mercy. He looked down at the ceramic he was holding and stretched it forward to her.He had achieved his aim already, so having her ashes taken away by her family wasn't a big deal. His mind drifted off to the day he got their divorce papers signed, th
*Diane's Dream*Clara tried holding Diane's hand, but she pushed her hands away; the pain in her eyes, the unspoken resentment, she wondered how she even recognized her, but none of it seemed to matter; she just wanted to get out of her sight.“I am sorry my child”Diane turned around and gave her a disdainful look as if it mattered at all; all she wanted was to return to Rissa's ward and infuse the poisonous substance into her bloodstream. She looked around herself, everywhere looked so bright and deserted.She walked on, ignoring the helpless lady standing by her side pleading for her forgiveness; her life had been made miserable all thanks to her mother's reckless choice of man.“Diane, I never abandoned you, it is just….”“Save it to yourself, woman; I do not think I want to hear your excuses; I just want to get the hell out of here.”To her surprise, the woman did as she said, within a split second she disappeared, replaced by an all too familiar face, Mr Smith. Diane felt fear
“Adrian, am I pregnant?” Rissa wanted to scream but she held it in. An awkward silence ensued in the room; Adrian looked away instantly, avoiding Rissa's piercing gaze. Liam took it as a clue to leave, his bombshell seemed to have caused a shift in the atmosphere of the room.“I will check up on you later,” Liam said and winked playfully at Caleb, who smiled warmly in return. He walked out of the room with Adrian by his side. The moment they were out of sight, he apologized profusely to Adrian for spilling the beans. He had unintentionally eavesdropped on Adrian and the doctor's conversation earlier, which made him realize she was pregnant at a very early stage.“It is fine; congratulations to you, too. I guess Mrs. Hickson must be overwhelmed.”“She is, our daughter Bella is barely eight months old and……wait! Why are we talking about this?” Liam said bewildered.“Beats me too; we aren't friends after all,” Adrian responded, and awkwardly, they both laughed heartily.Adrian and Liam
Bryan paced endlessly, agitated by the silence around him. She had promised to reach out to him when the coast was clear but apparently something unfortunate had happened. He ruffled his lustrous hair as frustration welled up in him. Rosa wasn't the type to ghost him indefinitely.He thought inwardly about taking the offer discreetly. Mrs. Denver had reached out to him without Rosa's knowledge; she had warned him of her two-faced plot, and he was caught between calling it a bluff or actually naming her a traitor.Diane and Rosa have their pictures and videos circulating the internet. He was certain they were together but had she changed her mind and taken Diane's side again? He didn't want to talk about it.A knock sounded at the door, and he opened it immediately; he staggered backward, startled; he had expected a hotel attendant, but to his amazement, two prominent men in Los Angeles had paid him a visit.“Can we come in?”Bryan’s eyes widened, and he stared intently into Adrian Gre
Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-ThreeWhen It Seems to Be OverLiam couldn't help but feel impressed by Adrian Grey again. He had always surpassed his expectations in every way possible. The news of his family's safe return had raised a lot of jubilations that made even Liam happy.When the news of Rissa and Caleb's kidnap was aired, fear gripped him; he couldn't take his eyes off his family for days. He felt bad for Adrian, but he felt worse because it was Rissa. Bella crawled up to him enthusiastically flaunting her rattle in his face.Liam picked her up and wrapped his arm around her, she was growing up way too fast that it gave him unexplainable joy. Amber entered the room looking dejected and Liam got worried. He walked up to her and inquired what the problem was, her response shocked him to the bone marrow.“You mean we are having another baby?” He questioned wide-eyed.Amber responded with a short nod and busted into tears. Liam left the room immediately to drop Bella with her n
“Shall we play a game, Adrian?” Her devilish wink sent shivers down his spine; he looked down at Caleb, who seemed to be fidgeting too; he exchanged knowing looks with him, assuring him of having the situation under control.“The rules are simple: just nod your response, no talking, you talk, he dies! non-negotiable”.Adrian closed his eyes and nodded in affirmation, Diane sat up on the chair and faced him while still on his knees. Adrian could feel his knees hurting, but he didn't care at all; all that mattered to him was getting his family out of the hellhole.“Did Mr Smith offer you a deal?”Adrian nodded affirmatively, and Diane cursed inwardly; she suspected that sly bastard was up to something; she should have thrown him to the fishes when she had the chance.Her phone rang, and she looked over at it; she exchanged stiff glances with Rosa, who got the message clearly. Rosa came close to her and held Caleb by the shoulder while Diane left to pick up her discreet call.Rosa star