She was just a 17-year-old girl, shuffling between three part-time jobs and, at the same time, working as a sketch artist for a designer. She was doing all this to fend for herself and gather money to further her education. She was about to enter college when her mother died. She witnessed her mother burn to death in a blazing fire while trying to save her. Since the death of her mother, she had been on the run, fleeing her hometown to a place where she knew nobody, just to escape the people who had killed her mother.She didn’t allow her mother’s sudden death to hinder her from achieving her goals, so she worked tirelessly, jumping from one part-time job to another. Her life hadn’t been perfect since her mother died, but she was still managing to pull through. Her daily routine involved leaving home as early as 7 a.m., heading to the designer’s store to make sketches in exchange for money, then heading to the coffee shop for her shift. Afterward, she would go to the local kitchen to h
She was in a confused state and didn’t know what to do. Eventually, she decided to seek assistance and rushed the lifeless body to a nearby hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital, he was rushed to the emergency ward where the doctor began to examine him.There was a continual, urgent hum in the emergency department, a cacophony of sounds mixing together in a frenzy of activity. The room is harshly and clinically lit by fluorescent lights, which give every nook and cranny an uncompromising glare. With experienced precision, nurses in multicolored scrubs raced quickly between beds, their faces fixed in determined attitudes as they checked vital signs, adjusted IVs, and comforted patients.The intense chats between doctors and nurses were punctuated by the continuous beeping of cardiac monitors. The sporadic alarm blare, indicating a critically ill patient, brought an abrupt acceleration of the already hectic pace. As they were pushed quickly around the linoleum floors, medical carts fi
Early the following morning, Granny called Ellie’s line again, but Ellie still didn’t pick up. Granny didn’t know what to do or what had happened to Ellie, but she decided to keep calling, hoping Ellie would eventually answer.Ellie, on the other hand, was still sleeping peacefully, her head resting on her folded arms on the guy’s bed. As the guy's eyes flickered open and the harsh light of the hospital room came into focus, he slowly came back to awareness. The air smelled of antiseptic, but his gaze was immediately drawn to the figure beside his bed. In the silent room, a young lady was hunched down in a chair, her head supported by her folded arms, her breathing calm and steady.Despite his discomfort, he couldn't help but notice her face's exquisite features as she slept. Her hair framed her face, falling softly across her cheek and accentuating her natural beauty. Her long, black lashes cast gentle shadows on her cheeks, and her slightly parted lips added a touch of vulnerability
"You know him?" Ellie asked, confused, wondering how her grandmother knew him. It was when Granny called his name that Ellie learnt his name was Kevin."Yes, I do," Granny responded in a low voice, walking up to Kevin, who was sitting on the bed."Where have you been all this time? I searched everywhere for you and your sister, but you both were nowhere to be found. I'm sorry I let go of you both that day; I shouldn't have," Granny said, touching his face, with sadness written all over her face. She observed Kevin and noticed that he was dressed in clothes that could almost be mistaken for rags. His hair looked rough and dirty, and he looked very unkempt. He was so thin that it was evident he had not been eating well. His state was devastating, making Granny tear up."If not for me and my family, you wouldn't have ended up this way. It's my fault this has happened to you and your sister. If I had raised my son properly, this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry for all the pain we have c
Granny, with the help of the teacher, was led to the principal’s office alongside Kevin, Carla and Ellie. After several pleas and apologies, granny who had requested for the boy to be expelled for bullying her granddaughter, later let go of her grudge. But before she left the school premises, she made the boy apologize to Carla in front of the students he had disrespected her. She also made sure both the principal, alongside the boy and his parents made a written agreement, assuring her that such wouldn’t happen again.Afterwards, they all left the school premises and headed to a restaurant to eat as granny had requested for them to eat out instead of eating at home. While in the taxi on their way to the restaurant, Carla sat beside granny with granny holding her hand in hers. “Come here my daughter”, granny said, pulling Carla close to her and hugging her tightly.“I have missed you so much. I am sorry I let go of you. If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t have been bullied. I am sorry, Carla”
On getting home that night, while lying on their bed, Ellie had decided to question her grandmother about the people they had met earlier that day. She really wanted to know the connection between them and so, she asked.“Granny, can I ask you a question?”, Ellie asked, turning over to face her grandmother who was rubbing her aching ankle with a balm.“Sure, you can go ahead. I am all ears”, Granny responded, continuing what she was doing.“The people we met earlier, who are they?”, Ellie asked and immediately she did, she noticed a sudden change of mood in her. Her face became pale, as if it was something she didn’t want to remember.“If you do not not want to talk about it, it’s fine. You do not have to do something that will hurt you”, Ellie said, upon noticing her grandmother’s mood.“It’s fine. It is when one talks about what hurts him, that he will be free of the burden”, granny said.“Do you remember me telling you my son and his family died in a car accident?”, granny asked.“
Just as discussed, Kevin and Carla moved in with granny and Ellie few days after. They were still managing in the small room until the said apartment would be sold. The apartment had been put up on sale already but no buyer had been gotten yet.They were all living in peace and everything seemed to be going on smoothly for them. Ellie and Kevin too seemed to have been drawn to each other as they couldn’t do without each other. Granny was the one taking Carla to school and also picking her up after school. Kevin on the other hand, wouldn’t report back home without Ellie. Once he was done with his work, he would go to the convenience store and wait outside until Ellie was done with her shift before they would head home together. People often mistake them to be lovers not knowing they were siblings.They share a lot of secrets about themselves together and often talk about their future. Ellie cared for Kevin a lot and always made sure he goes out with his inhaler. On one of such nights w
Carla had been frequently the hospital for her eyes, hoping a miracle would happen. Although the doctor had already informed them that she had to undergo an operation which would cost about $15,000 to $20, 000 but Kevin couldn’t raise the money. They hoped that a miracle would happen without her undergoing the surgery and so, they kept on visiting the hospital for check up.On one of such visits which granny had tagged along, the doctor dropped a bomb shell. The doctor had checked Carla’s eyes and after he was done, he had called both granny and Kevin to his office, making Carla stay with one of the nurses outside his office.“I am sorry to have taken out of your precious time but there is something I need to discuss with you”, the doctor said, facing granny and Kevin.“There is no problem but hope everything is fine, doctor?”, granny asked, feeling anxious.“I am scared to say that Carla might never regain her sight again”, the doctor said, with granny’s mouth wide agape.“What? What
Three Years Later A young boy who was around the age of 8 was seen running around the garden with his father and his grandparents from both his maternal and paternal sides. There were smiles of their faces and a woman who was heavily pregnant was seated on a chair in the garden, smiling and enjoying the happy moment. She continued to watch them, and her heart swelled with a profound sense of liberation and joy as she basked in the warmth of her newfound freedom. After years of bondage and oppression, she was finally able to live life on her own terms, free from the chains of her past. With her loving family by my side, she felt a deep sense of contentment and belonging. The laughter of her mum, dad, Austin, Daniel, Collins, Clinton and her husband, Edward playing in the garden filled her heart with happiness. Their playful antics, a reminder of the innocence and joy that life had to offer. Every moment spent with her family was precious to her, a testament to the life she and Edwa
Ellie was seated in the bridal suite, which was elegantly decorated. She looked so beautiful. She was a beautiful bride in her wedding dress which was screaming beauty, elegance and grace. Her white gown was tailored to perfection, accentuating her figure. The dress was adorned with delicate lace, intricate beadwork with a touch of sparkle and sophistication. Her hair was styled in a cascading curl, adorned with a veil that frames her radiant face, her makeup was soft and naturally enhancing her features and highlighting her glowing complexion. She looked at herself in the mirror and she smiled as she realized her dream of having a perfect family was about to come true. She was glad that despite the turmoil she and Edward had faced, they were finally going to be in each other’s arms forever. She was finally going to be with her man and her son. She couldn’t wait to renew her vows with the love of her life, and it was evident from the broad smile on her face that she was all over t
Days went by and both Edward and Ellie had gotten back together. They stayed by each other’s side, healing their broken hearts. Ellie moved in with Edward as Richard had advised. Richard didn’t want him and Ellie to be together quite often as he didn’t want his affection for her to keep on growing. Nevertheless, that didn’t help as he kept on falling for her harder and his heart always ached whenever he saw the two sharing some special moments together. Richard and Ellie’s wedding which had been previously announced was cancelled, which made different headlines in the country. After some time, the two lovers decided to get married. The news of their wedding was a heavy blow on Richard and hurt his heart but nevertheless, he supported the woman he loved and made sure he partook in the preparation towards the event. The news of their wedding didn’t sit well with Sophia who became enraged after seeing the headline of the wedding on the news in her prison. “I can’t let this happen. I w
Two weeks passed and by this time, both Sophia and Jack had been arraigned at the court. With the evidence provided by Jack and Ellie anonymously, Sophia was found guilty of the murders of Pamela, Jack’s lover, and Kevin. She was sentenced to life imprisonment while Jack on the other hand, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for being an accomplice. Stephanie became a shadow of herself as right in front of her, she lost everything. She lost her wealth, her status and her children. Anytime she visited the prison to visit her children, none of them agreed to see her and would turn down her request. Her heart was shattered, and she didn’t know how to carry on with her life after having lost everything. She wasn’t the only one feeling that way as Edward was also in the same shoe as her. He had become a drunkard since the incident that happened at Daniel’s house that day and had turned the club into his new abode. He was always at the club from morning till night, drinking himself to
In the small, starkly lit police station, Stephanie sat, facing her daughter who was handcuffed. She gazed at Sophia with a sorrowful expression as her face, lined with concern, guilt and helplessness. She blamed herself for her daughter’s condition and suffering. “How did it come to this?” she had thought as she reminisced on the decision she had made in the past. She felt she could have done better and if not for her greediness and over-ambition,she wouldn't be sitting where she was. Regretting how she had lived her life so far, tears rolled down her eyes as her heart ached seeing her daughter in such a pathetic situation. She could see the hatred directed towards her in Sophia’s eyes. It was evident that she hated her presence, but Stephanie couldn’t hate her for that as she knew she deserved to be treated in such a way. “My baby .........” Stephanie said amid her tears, stretching her hands forth to hold that of her daughter’s but before she could do so, Sophia gave her a “A
After driving for hours with no destination in mind, Ellie finally made her way to Cheetahs. She sat at the bar with her swollen eyes, staring blankly at the vodka the bartender had served her. The club was lively and rowdy with music blaring from the speakers, almost deafening her. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, but she was the only one who wasn’t. She looked around the bar and everything had changed from what it used to be when she worked there. There were new faces around and all the old folks she worked with were nowhere to be found. She watched as everyone in the club except for her danced happily to the tune of the rhythm. She felt odd as she was the only being sitting in a corner, looking all sad and abandoned. Her gaze landed on a couple who were dancing gracefully and lovingly, and it was evident the duo was really into each other. The sight of them made her remember the first time she had an encounter with Edward. The wave of the beautiful moments they both share
“And so? That’s the past and the past should remain as the past. You had your chance with her, but you missed it. So, stop being a crybaby and let bygones be bygones!!!!!” Richard, who had gotten over the shock of Edward’s outburst yelled. “What? Let bygones be bygones? Should that be coming from you? Have you forgotten what you did to me in the past? You whom I saw as my best friend and ally, slept with my wife countless times and got her pregnant. You both were even planning to pin your child on me, and you were aiming for my downfall. Don’t you feel bad for what you did to me? You were the only one I trusted the most. How could you have done that to me?!!!” Edward yelled, staggering towards Richard, with hurt in his voice. Although the betrayal he got from Richard happened six years earlier, he still felt the pain and the agony in his heart. He had trusted him with his whole heart and if someone had told him he would get betrayed by Richard, he wouldn’t have believed it due to th
Ellie, Daniel and Richard were all at Daniel’s mansion, celebrating their victory. After Sophia’s arrest at the hall, they had dismissed the guests and they all had headed to Daniel’s house to celebrate their accomplishment. They were seated in his gigantic living room, toasting to their success and just then, a male figure walked in. The figure staggered and was walking as if he would drop dead anytime soon. He looked dishevelled and his hair was rough. The more he walked closer to them, the more the smell of alcohol filled their noses, evidence that the figure had drowned himself in alcohol for quite some hours. The sight of him made them halt in their celebration and confusion was hitched on their faces. There were strains of dried tears of the figure’s cheeks which showed that he had been shedding tears. When the figure finally got to where they were seated, he halted in his steps and turned to face Daniel.“Edward, what’s wrong? Why are you like this?” Daniel asked, as concern la
Sophia stood frozen in place, her eyes were wide and unblinking as she watched Ellie walked onto the stage. Her mouth was slightly opened in surprise as she was finding it hard to believe the scene before her. Her lips were parted, trying to utter some words but the words wouldn’t come out. Her eyebrows were high raised, and a slight of furrows formed on her forehead, amplifying the confusion and disbelief etched on her face. “What ..... are you ....... talking about? She is the CEO?” Sophia finally asked, facing Claire who was standing beside her, with her finger pointed in the direction of Ellie. “Yes, she is. She is the CEO and founder of Annie Fashion Group. Hope you like the surprised we planned for you?” Claire said, as her smile transformed in an instant, revealing something far deeper than the polite, practiced expression she had always worn. The edges of her lips curled up slowly, but there was no warmth in the gesture. Instead, it felt calculated, sharp, as if the smile