I paid the cab driver and quickly went up to Zachary's place. I almost ran to his unit when the elevator opened but stopped to see black garbage bags outside the door. What is happening? I went to the garbage bag and checked what was inside, and I covered my mouth with my palm, and tears streamed down my face. I slumped on the floor in front of the door, sobbing. He is back, and he throws all my clothes.After a minute of sitting and sobbing, I stood up and keyed in the code, but my heart sank when the door didn't open. Did Zachary change the code? More tears streamed down my face, and I banged my fist on the door."Zach, Zachary !!! Please open the door. Please let me explain. Please, Zach." I sobbed. I was relieved when someone opened the door, but I wondered when I saw the unfamiliar man in front of me. I quickly turn my back to him and hurriedly dry my tears."Excuse me, Miss. What can I do for you?" I looked back at him and tried to calm myself."Where're the occupants of this pla
"Winter is my ex. She is a gold-digger who cheated on me with my friend Dylan. Why did you become friends with them?"My eyes snapped open with my heart pounding so hard in my chest. And I heard a beeping sound. I searched where the sound came from, and I saw a heart monitor. I roamed my eyes and noticed I was in the hospital. I have an oxygen mask and some machine attached to my body.The door was pushed open, and a Doctor and nurse came in, and a smile formed on their lips when they saw my eyes were open. The Doctor quickly checked my vitals, and a sigh of relief left his lips after a few minutes."She is safe now." I heard him say. I didn't die during the accident. Someone brought me to the hospital before I died. My eyes quickly brimmed with tears, and the heart monitor sounded again."Calm down, Miss Park. You are now away from danger. You have nothing to worry about now." The nurse said and softly ran her fingers through my hair."Did you call Mr. Lee?" The Doctor asked the nurse
ALEXIt was almost nine months, but until now, Zachary didn't wake up. His vitals are all stable after six months in the hospital, but three months have passed. Until now, there's no reaction from him if he will wake soon.His parents brought him abroad after his vitals were stable and hired a specialist for his recovery, but the Doctor is slowly losing hope because it seems like he is the one who doesn't want to wake up.I don't know what will happen once he wakes up. I'm sure he will only try to kill himself again if he hears the news about Athena.We were all devastated when we found out the days after Zachary shot himself to hear the news that Athena died. Tyron cried every day for the whole week.She was riding a taxi and got into an accident. The cab caught on fire, and the people inside could not be recognized anymore. The only thing that told us that it was Athena was the engagement ring that Zachary gave her was seen it the ring finger of the passenger.Charrie Blames herself
Nathan is now five-months-old, and I'm glad that Dylan didn't try to touch me again after he kissed me on my neck. He still came before going to his work and when he arrived home. Every day he'll bring me a bouquet of red roses, with chocolates. He also bought Nathan toys. He even bought him a playpen. And during the weekend, when I was sleeping, he would take Nathan and bring him out of my room, which always resulted in me panicking, afraid of what he was doing to him. He will bring him back after a few hours every time with new toys or clothes. And I was relieved to see my baby was safe.When Nathan turned nine months, he spoke his first word, and the bastard was the first to hear it because he snatched him again when I was sleeping in the middle of the night, and he burst inside my room, grinning."He talks." He excitedly said. "He called me Papa." He grinned. "Say it, little boy, say Papa again." He urged.And my tears rolled down my face when Nathan said Papa clapping his chubby
The following morning when I woke up, my cheeks were swollen, and my body hurt. The bruises on my body haven't healed yet, and I couldn't see Nathan until the bruises were gone. I missed my son. He is the only one who gives me the strength to keep living. Especially now that I found out that Zachary is already dead, I'm still hoping that we could see each other again once I get away from Dylan, and he will forgive me when he knows about Nathan, but all that hope vanished last night.I strengthened on my bed when the lock clicked open, and Alena stepped inside. She looked at me sadly when she saw the bruises on my face. I hate this woman. She saw what Dylan was doing to us, but she didn't do anything to help us but just looked the other way. She placed a tray of food on my bedside table and then left. After a few minutes, she came back with an ice pack. She placed it beside the tray of food and went out of the door again. My tears rolled down my face; I moved to the edge of the bed an
ZACHARY It's been a month since I came back. I return to the company a week after I'm back.I was busy these past weeks because I have many papers to sign and some out-of-town meetings. Sometimes, I forget to drink my medicine and eat. Luckily Jason was always there to remind me.I looked up from the paper I was signing when there was a knock at the door. I check the time, and it's already one in the afternoon. Jason stepped inside carrying a brown bag I'm sure was my food."Come and eat your lunch. Don't forget the Doctor's warning never to skip eating because it's bad for you, and always drink your medicine in time." He reminded."Yes, Mom." I chuckled when he glared at me. I stood up from my seat and settled on the couch and opened the brown bag he had brought and took out the food, and ate. After eating, he handed me a pill, and I quickly popped it inside my mouth and gulped my water."Now go back to work. I finished. " He shook his head, smiling but stood up and left my office. I
NATHANI cried every night since I found out that Papa Dylan was not my birth father; instead, he was our kidnapper. He is good to me, but now that I knew he was our captor, I noticed it was all forced. He was pretending, but deep inside, I'm sure he wanted to hurt me as well as he did to Mama.For five consecutive nights, I secretly stayed outside my mother's room every time he went inside and those five straight nights. I heard Mama cry in pain three nights, and the two other nights, he was cussing at Mama and me. He's hurting her, and I hate him so much. If I am only big, I already burst inside the door and beat him like he beat Mama, I'm small, and I couldn't do anything to help my mother. He is a devil, and I pray that god will send him to hell soon as punishment for all his sins. That's where the devil, like him, should stay so that he couldn't hurt others. I thought hard every day about how we could escape from here, and my head hurt thinking, but I couldn't find any solution,
ZACHARYI was panicking as we were heading to the hospital. The child was murmuring incoherent words I couldn't understand, and his tears kept streaming down his face, maybe because of pain. Blood covered his body, and it scared me.He is young, maybe four or five years old, and looks so fragile. Why is there a child outside the building alone? Where are his parents? Why leave a small child not attended? My heart was pounding with worries as I held him in my arms. Finally, we arrived at the hospital after thirty minutes of driving, and the child in my arms was now unconscious, which added to my fear. I quickly exited the car and rushed inside, calling for help. The hospital staff promptly came to aid me, and they brought him inside the emergency room."Zach, what happened? Why is there a child outside the building?" Jason asked the question, which I don't know the answer to as well."I don't know. I didn't even see him block my way. He's so small, Jason. What if something happened to
ZACHARY"Come in," I called out when a knock at the door came. "Papa!! I quickly looked up from the paper I was signing with a smile when I saw Nathalie step inside the door with Athena behind her."What is my little princess doing here?" I stood up from my seat, and she quickly hugged my legs. I picked her up and peppered her face with kisses, and her giggles filled my office.I walked to my wife, who was smiling, looking at us, and wrapped one arm around her waist and pecked her lips. We've been married for five years, but it still feels like the first time. My love for her never lessened as the years passed by. Our love for each other keeps getting stronger.I now recover all my memories in the past, and it made me laugh remembering it, as well as regret doing those things to her."Papa, I missed you. That's why I asked Mama to visit you." "You missed me, but we just saw each other this morning, and it is just three in the afternoon," I said, walking to the couch. I settled on the
ATHENA I groaned when I opened my eyes the following day. My head is pounding, and my body aches. Zachary and Nathan are still sound asleep beside me."I checked the time and groaned again to see it was only six in the morning. It's too early for me to wake up. Usually, during the weekend, we get up from bed at ten, I wanted to go back to sleep, but with the pounding of my head, I'm sure I couldn't do it."Babe, Babe!" I softly shook Zachary not to wake our son, who was softly snoring between us."Hmm!!! He hummed, then opened his eyes but suddenly sat up, startling our sleeping son."Papa!!! He whined and snuggled back on his pillow. "Sorry little prince." He planted a kiss on his forehead and then faced me."Love, what happened? Why is your face so pale? He stood up from the bed and went beside me. Nathan, who was drifting back to sleep, sat up this time rubbing his tired eyes when he heard the worry on his father's face and then looked at me "Mama, are you sick?" He moved closer t
ATHENA"Mama!" I quickly looked behind me, startled, and Nathan glared at me. I didn't notice that he already come together with his father to pick me up. I'm currently outside the school gate talking with my classmate while waiting for them, and I saw Zachary parked not far away from us. I returned to school one year after our wedding to finish my studies. Zachary was against it, saying that he could provide for me and our son our whole life. He said that the profession I should be learning is to be a good mother and wife for him, especially in bed." I smacked him after seeing the smirk on his lips, earning a chuckle from him.After lots of hugging, kissing, and lovemaking, he finally gave in for me to go back to school, but he had another idea for me to just homeschooled together with our son. This possessive guy never failed to amuse me. He said there are lots of young and good-looking guys at school, and he isn't young like them anymore and is not as attractive to them. I couldn't
FIVE MONTHS LATERATHENAI smiled, watching my reflection in the mirror. All I could see was a woman who was content with what she had. Her eyes smiled in happiness, and she looked radiant and beautiful. All she wished for come true. She has a loving man's soon-to-be husband beside her. She has a sweet son, a loving mother and father-in-law soon, a brother, and friends. She has nothing to ask for. She got everything she wanted. Her life is complete, and her heart is content. I'm blessed to have met him that day, even though he was a bully initially, but I wouldn't change any of it because we won't be where we are right now if those things never happened. "Mama, you are so pretty, like a Princess." Nathan grinned in my soon father in law arms. Everyone carried him constantly, which he had longed for before. "Thank you. You are handsome like a prince as well." He is wearing a black tuxedo that fits him perfectly, a red bow tie, and shiny black shoes, and his hair is sleek back. He lo
"She just made up all of those stories. She is a liar. She wants money from me." Dylan said, still denying all the allegations against him. "Then why do you hide Miss Park and let everyone believe she is dead," Alex asked."It's her idea, not mine." He denied. "And this woman is lying. They are lying." Dylan screamed and rushed to Winter, but the guards caught him before he could touch her. Let me go, let me go. I'm not guilty of all their accusations. They are lying. The judge shook his head."Mr. Dylan Lee is guilty of multiple murders and kidnapping and will have life imprisonment." The judge said, standing up from his seat. "No!!! They are lying!!! He screamed, struggling as the guards dragged him out of the courtroom. His father followed behind him with tears in his eyes. Winter went to us and bowed her head."I'm so sorry for everything. I'm so stupid, and my love for him blinded me. I didn't 'mind that all the things I was doing were already wrong because all I wanted back the
ATHENA"Very well said, Dylan." I looked at the woman, trying to figure out who she was, but her hoodie and cap covered her face."Miss, who are you? You are not allowed here." The guards said and grabbed her wrist to pull her out of the courtroom, but she struggled with his hold. "I want to testify against Dylan Lee. I know what happened from the very beginning. I know everything." I gasped. Someone comes to help us. I looked at Zachary, and he had the same surprised and hopeful look. "Send her away. I don't know her. Someone might pay her to testify against me." Dylan snarled, but I could hear the fear in his voice. The woman yanked her arms away from the guard and pulled the hoodie and cap off her head."You don't know me?" I gasped when the woman showed her face to us. I will never forget that face, even though her right cheek has a scar."Winter?" Zachary muttered, looking at me with a surprised look in his eyes. I looked at Dylan; his face was now pale, and fear in his eyes."W
Zachary Today is the first court hearing. We are sitting in the court hall together with my parents. Athena is sitting on my right, Nathan is on my lap, and Alex is on my left as Athena's lawyer. My parents are sitting in the chair behind us.Dylan and his father are sitting on the row of seats opposite us. He was throwing us a death glare and smirk once in a while. He looks confident, as if he already knows he will win.They already took their oath earlier, and now the hearing will start. Athena is the first to tell her story, and she told the court everything that happened six years ago until we rescued her.Dylan was calm while Athena was talking. He even looks uninterested in it. He never interrupted until she ended talking. Then Nathan was called to support all Athena's allegations. We don't want him to be in here, but we don't find any witnesses, and he's the only one who can support his mother's story.Alex walked him to the witness stand. I'm so proud of him. He looks so brav
ZACHARYI snapped my eyes away from the paper I was reading when a knock at the door came. I went back to my work just this morning. I have lots of work that were pending for my absence. Jason did some of it, but some needed to be done by me."Come in!" I called out and resumed reading the document I was holding."Papa!!! I quickly looked up and smiled to see Nathan and Athena entering the door. I chuckled when he ran to me and wrapped his arms around me. "Why are you here?" I asked, smiling, then picked him up and settled him on my lap. "We brought you lunch." He grinned and kissed my cheeks. I smiled at Athena, who set the food they brought on the center table. I stood up, carrying Nathan in my arms, and went to her and kissed her forehead."Nathan wanted to see you. He said he missed you and kept asking me to visit you.""You miss me already?" I just left this morning." I ask, poking his nose. He giggled, then buried his face in my neck."Yes, I missed playing with you, papa.""We
ZACHARYI sighed and turned my eyes to Athena, who was now sleeping soundly. Hesitantly, I ran my fingers through her hair. It looks foreign but feels familiar. Everything about her felt familiar, even her scent, the feel of her arms around me. It's so familiar that I always wanted her arms wrapped around me. I think I loved this woman so much back then. I smiled and pressed my lips on her forehead but quickly pulled away, embarrassed when someone suddenly pushed the door open."Papa, did you kiss Mama?" I awkwardly scratch my nape, embarrassed. I felt like I was caught red-handed for doing things I shouldn't. I took him from Jason's arm, who was wearing a teasing smile on his lips, but I ignored it."You can leave now and do your thing. If you need me to sign any documents, you can bring them here.""Okay, sir." He said, smirking. "See you later, Nathan. I need to go to work. Rest so that you'll get well fast.""Okay, Uncle. Bye-bye.""Bye, little one." I glared at him when he gave me