"What? I don't understand what you are talking about," Ellie said to Clinton, who was still kneeling in front of her."I love you so much, Ellie. I have been meaning to tell you this, but I didn't know how you would react, which is why I stopped myself from telling you. But now, I can't hide it anymore," Clinton explained."Were you aware of this?" Natalia, who was in the dark, asked her husband, Collins."He actually told me about his feelings for her and his intention to propose just a few days ago," Collins responded."And you didn't notify me? I would have somehow prepared her mind. I am sure she is shocked and confused right now," she said.Ellie, who was confused, just stood still. She didn't know what to do. All eyes were on her, waiting to hear her response. She didn't want to embarrass Clinton in public and at the same time, didn't want to betray Edward. She looked in the direction of Edward, whose eyes were on her, and she could see jealousy in his eyes and him waiting for h
"How did you find out about the pregnancy?", Ellie had asked Edward while driving home, feeling guilty for not telling him. "I found out the day you collapsed. The doctor told me and I didn't mention it because I was expecting you to tell me but you never did'', Edward said, focusing on the road ahead. ''I am sorry. I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just didn't know how you would feel knowing about it. I was scared you wouldn't want to have a child now'', Ellie said, in a low voice, avoiding Edward's gaze. Hearing this, Edward parked the car by the roadside and focused his attention on Ellie. ''Why did you think I wouldn't want this? I have been praying for this to happen. I feel like you are going to leave me and the only thing to keep you by my side is if you have a child for me. When the doctor told me that day, I was so happy and glad. I couldn't contain my joy and I wanted to show how grateful I am to you for getting pregnant with my child but I couldn't because you were hi
"How can he will his property to a dead girl?", Sophia said loudly. "Will you lower your voice? What if someone hears you? He doesn't know they died 10 years ago. When I first heard he was looking for her, I had doubt that maybe the daughter survived and which is why I asked Jack to run an investigation on the girl. Jack came back with no record of the girl and I have also been keeping track on the investigator your father tasked with the responsibility but he hasn't found anything yet", Stephanie said. "Since nobody seems to have confirmed she is alive, is there a need for us to be worried? I am sure she and her mother died in that fire 10 years ago. Let's leave this and talk about how to save my marriage with Edward", Sophia responded, feeling relaxed. "No need to be worried? Did you even think as to why your father started his search for her? Don't you think at all?", Stephanie yelled at her daughter, shaking her head. "Maybe he remembered her or something. He might had actuall
The following morning, Ellie woke up to the chiming ringing of her cellphone. Getting up tirelessly, she reached for her phone on the night stand and the caller was an unknown individual. So as not to disturb Edward's sleep, she silent the phone and quietly walked to the living room to pick the call. "Hello, who is this?", Ellie asked, on getting to the living room and picking the call but she got no response in return. She had thought the network was bad and kept on saying hello, thinking the receiver was finding it difficult to hear her. After several attempts of getting the caller engaged and with no response, she decided to end the call. But as she was about hanging up, she heard the voice of the man behind her nightmare. "Hello, wifey", Kevin said on the other end of the line, making Ellie shivered and cringed on hearing his voice. Although he was not present, Ellie felt his scary presence just by hearing his voice. Ellie couldn't respond and just kept quiet, trying her possibl
"Don't come close to me", Ellie yelled, trying to get up from the bed and head to the exit. But before she could get up from the bed, Kevin moved towards her in a swift, and pinned her down on the bed, with no way for her to escape. "Please, don't do this", Ellie begged with tears in her eyes. "I am sorry, my love. You brought this upon yourself", Kevin said, leaning in. Ellie fought as hard as she could to stop Kevin but she couldn't overpower him due to his strength. And right there at that moment, Ellie was raped and molested. Despite Ellie's plead and cries, Kevin didn't stop."You are still as sweet as you used to", Kevin said as soon as he got up from the bed, after having raped Ellie. Ellie just laid on the bed, motionless, with tears in her eyes, overwhelmed by the horror of what had just transpired between them. On the day she was getting married and was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, she felt utterly broken. How could she have allowed for this to happen? At t
"How did you find me?", Ellie managed to ask Edward, who was facing her. "I got scared thinking that you were kidnapped and I had no other option than to report you missing to the police. They saw the car dropped you here after watching the CCTV. Hence, the reason we found you here", Edward calmly explained. "I am so sorry for troubling you. I promise such won't repeat itself again", Ellie said in a low voice, which was evident that she was tired. "Can we head home now?", Edward asked, after noticing that Ellie was tired. Ellie responded by nodding her head. Edward drove Ellie home and all through their journey, none of them said anything. On getting home, Ellie sat on the couch in the sitting room, tirelessly. Edward moved up to her and also sat beside her. "Will you take a shower and head to bed?", Edward asked. "I will do just that", Ellie managed to say. "Okay. Let me run your bath for you", Edward said, getting up, ready to head to the bathroom. "Edward", Ellie called, up
"Today, I am here to join you two together as husband and wife. Can we proceed to sharing the vows and exchanging the rings?", the priest, who was a man in his early 50 asked. "Yes, you can", Edward responded, with joy evident in his voice and on his face, after getting a confirmation from Ellie that the ceremony could take-off. "So, can the groom go ahead and say his vows?", the priest asked. "Ellie, I knew you were the one who would bring my life to completion the moment I laid eyes on you. I'm not just standing here taking your hand in marriage; I'm also promising you my undying love. I promise to be your best friend, your steadfast ally, and your constant companion. I pledge to support you at your highs and lows, to rejoice in every victory, no matter how tiny, and to share in your pleasures and sorrows", Edward said, pausing. "I promise to love you unconditionally, to always treat you with dignity and respect, and to treasure each day that we have together. I promise to be a
"What did I do to him three days ago?", Ellie nervously asked, trying to know the depth of the information Sophia had about her. "I know you killed him", Sophia said, whispering into Ellie's ears which made Ellie shivered and mute. Sophia was able to see through her and found out that she was scared. She took it as an opportunity to taunt and threaten her. "How do you think your dear husband would react if he finds out what happened three days ago and the fact that you actually slept with your ex-husband before killing him? Should I call him your ex-husband or your husband because you are still legally married to him? ", Sophia said, with a devilish smile on her face. "I didn't sleep with him, he raped me", Ellie said, trying to defend herself and clear her name. "He raped you? Did he force you to enter the hotel room? Do you think Edward would believe you when there are pictures of you guys kissing and a video of the nice time you had together?", Sophia said, mockingly. "Picture
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