"Who are you? How did you know my name?" Hillary asked, swiftly getting up from where she was seated, engulfed by fear and worries. She expected to get a response from Natalia, but she didn't. Instead, Natalia's eyes were fixed on her, looking at her intently as if trying to scrutinize her to get answers to some unanswered questions running through her mind."Am I dreaming? Is it that I am mistaken? Am I just reading too much meaning to the birth mark? Maybe she has the same birth mark as hers? She can't be her. I was told she died in that fire 15 years ago. But if they have the same birth mark, could they also have the same name too?" Natalia thought over and over in head, while shaking it, trying to make herself believe that she was mistaken but at the same time, she had the fear that the reality she didn't want to accept was standing right in front of her. Her gaze was still fixed on Hillary, with contradicting thoughts running through her mind, which made Hillary uncomfortable."Th
She woke up to the shining light in the room, which almost blinded her. The light was coming from the bulb in the room. She was laid on a bed, which was not as wide enough as that of her room. Her eyes were fixed on the ceiling, which looked quite different from that of her home. She was confused as she didn’t know where she was. Trying to decipher where she was, she steadily rose from her bed and tried looking around the room. It was at that moment, the distinct blend of sterile and medicinal scents filled her nose and she realized she was at the hospital. “What am I doing here?” Sophia had thought, feeling lost but after taking her time to think about what had happened, she realized why she was there at that moment, lying on the hospital bed. Enraged, she clenched her fist as she remembered how her darling husband had saved another woman in her presence, leaving her to drown in the pool.“That bitch, I am fucking going to kill her. She dared to toy with me? I won’t let her get awa
Hillary just stood still, unable to answer Mr. Evans’ question. “Am I dumb? I am not even sure she is my mother yet. How could I have said that?” Hillary had thought, closing her eyes and forcing her saliva down her throat when she realized she had no explanation to give to all the eyes on her. She was praying for a way out and just then, a nurse who was staying by Natalia’s side came seeking for the doctor, requesting for his attention. “Doctor, I think you need to check up on her. She is crying from her sleep and yelling someone’s name. Her heart rate has increased and she is finding it difficult to breathe” the nurse said with urgency in her voice, which hinted that Natalia’s life was at risk. Hillary became more scared and tears had begin to roll down her eyes. The doctor rushed in and Hillary followed suit, without thinking twice. Even though the nurses tried to stop her from entering, she didn’t budge and forcefully made her way pass them into the room. Mr. Evans and Richard t
“Mom” Hillary said, upon waking up from her slumber and seeing Natalia’s eyes fixed on her.“Is it really you darling? Are you really the one?” Natalia asked, touching Hillary’s face with tears rolling down her eyes, not believing it was really her daughter that was in front of her.“It’s really is me, mum. It’s your Lily, your Ray of Sunshine” Hillary responded, also touching her mother’s face with uncontrollable tears rolling down her cheeks.“My baby, my darling baby” Natalia said, getting up from her lying position, not minding that her body was still weak and pulling her daughter in for a hug.“My baby, I am sorry, Mum is sincerely sorry. Mum is sorry for leaving you to bear alone all the hurt and pains. Mum is sorry for not being able to fulfil her promise of standing by you through thick and thin. I am sorry, baby” Natalia said hugging Hillary tightly, while crying profusely. They both stayed in that position for quite a while, crying their hearts out and at the same time, grat
"Like I had told you all before that I will be retiring soon and will be handing over my position to one of you, my decision still remains the same. Just like I had informed you all earlier, the one who will be my successor will be determined by the person who performs best the task I am about to assign to you" Daniel, who was sitting on his chair in his office, with his two sons and their partners sitting opposite him said, adjusting his glasses and taking a sip out of his mug of tea."The task is very simple, depending on how each of you handles it. All I want from you all is to make a collaboration happen, between our company and Annie Fashion Group, within two weeks" Daniel further stated, making the requirement for being his successor known to the two teams seated in front of him."Annie Fashion Group? Isn't that the Fashion Brand located in Australia? The one that came into limelight 4 years ago and has taken over other Fashion Brands in Australia?" Sophia asked, wanting to conf
She was all engulfed by fear and to prevent herself from falling and keep her fear hidden, she tightened her trembling hands around her dress. She was confused and didn't know what to say or do at that moment. The thought of Sophia hurting her beloved son which she had separated from her since childbirth, made her tremble the more."No, I can't allow her to do that to him. I can't lose my child when I have got the chance to finally be with him. I can't" Hillary had thought, still shivering in fear, with Sophia's eyes on her, pleased to see her in the state she was in."She dares to threaten me with my child after hurting me that much? What kind of wicked soul is she?" Hillary queried silently, still holding onto her dress tightly."No, I can't let her trample all over me like she did in the past. I can't let her scare me off and give up on getting my revenge on her. Does she think I will let go of everything she did to me and my family if she threatens me? Now is not the time to let g
Everything was going well for Sophia as the person with whom her father had connected her with, paved the way for her to get in touch with the Personal Assistant to the CEO of Annie Fashion Group. At first, the Personal Assistant wanted to turn down Sophia’s offer after hearing the reason she had reached out to them but magically, she gave in and promised to get back to Sophia after having discussed with their CEO. Two days went by with Sophia not getting feedback with the Personal Assistant. She tried getting in touch with her but she neither picked her calls nor responded to her mails. She was getting worried at this stage as she had only 5 days left out of the two weeks given to them to achieve their assigned task. Luckily for her, the Personal Assistant contacted her just 4 days left to reach the ultimatum and brought forth good news.“Hello, Sophia. Sorry for not getting in touch with you all these while. The CEO has been busy and I just had the chance to discuss with her, your
“I am here today to publicly announce my intention of stepping down from my position as the President of the company, which will be taking effect immediately. My long-lost daughter, Lily Porous, whom I just reunited with of recent will be taking over the management of the company and in which the Board of Directors and the Shareholders have endorsed. Thank you for the support so far and I hope the same support will be given to my daughter as well. Thank you once again” Sophia, who was now on the plane flying back to Los Angeles after seeing the news, watched the video of her father publicly declaring Hillary, who turned Lily overnight as his successor. Tears began to stream down her face and her heart was in a state of commotion and confusion.“How could dad do this to me? How could he? I thought he loved me?” Sophia had silently thought, not able to withhold her tears.“Ellie is that woman’s daughter?” Sophia wondered, thinking how Ellie became Lily all of a sudden. She thought over
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