~~~MAYA'S POV~~~I gazed into Kingsley's eyes as he tried to reconcile with me. For the past two days, he had always texted me every hour, telling me what he had realized and the reason why he still wanted us. It's quite funny seeing my phone beep every time and it was always his message.All I could see on his face now was a mask of regret, his usually confident expression was now replaced by an almost boyish vulnerability as he stood before me, apologizing."Maya, I... I'm so sorry," Kingsley said, his voice barely above a whisper. "The way I acted last time, the things I said... I’ve realized I was a complete ass and in the little time we stayed apart, I’ve realized so many things, which I will definitely and boldly say: 'I want us.'"I couldn't help but smile a little as I watched him make his confession. It was rare to see the one and only Kingsley Bane, who was used to getting his way and never apologized to anyone, squirm like this before me."Go on," I teased, raising an eyebr
"I'd say I'm more than qualified for your little club," Sophia continued, smirking at the shocked faces around us. "What do you say, ladies? Care to learn from a pro?"I could see them stuttering and fumbling for words, clearly thrown off by Sophia's boldness. I was sure the last thing they wanted was someone with a marriage background like hers to join the club.Sophia had a reputation as the queen of divorce, as she had been married and divorced five times, although she was single now. No one knew the real reasons for the divorces, but whenever she filed for a divorce from her husband, Sophia would always be the victim of adultery, claiming her husband cheated on her. Surprisingly, none of those husbands would say anything against her claims, and they would share properties.Maybe she had something on them, I don't know.But her last divorce, which was her fifth, was quite messy as the husband claimed he did no such thing and even refused to divorce.That was how I found out from Mo
Courtney looked at me with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Really? Of course I'm open to anything at this point."I glanced around, trying to make sure no one else would hear our conversation as I didn't want anyone to know that I gave her this idea "Well, we are all part of that married women's club, right? And I bet between all of us, we have enough skills to put together a decent meal, so why not just prove to them all what we can do."Courtney's eyes widened as she take in my suggestion. "You mean... we could cook everything ourselves?"I nodded, warming to my own idea. "Exactly. We could divide into teams, each handling different dishes. It wouldn't be too overwhelming that way, and just think how impressed everyone would be. No idle daughters-in-law here! And I also want to impress Kingsley's parents."A slow smile spread across Courtney's face as she slowly took in my idea, liking it. "Ariel, that's... that's brilliant! We could really pull this off, couldn't we?""Absolutely,"
For a split second, I was sure this was it. That this was the end. But the searing pain that I expected didn't pierce through me as she shot her rifle; I felt nothing. Instead, I heard a thud behind me. Opening my eyes, I turned my head slightly and saw the deer that I wanted to shoot earlier had been shot to the ground, not five feet from where I stood.My face felt cold, drained of all color as I breathed out in relief. I just stood at the same spot as my body was still trembling uncontrollably from the shock. Turning back to Ashley, I saw she had lowered her rifle, and I could see that wicked smile still playing on her lips."What's wrong, Ariel?" she asked, her voice dripping with mocking concern. "Did you think I was going to shoot you? I was just trying to get that deer beside you. Silly girl."My fists clenched at my sides as rage bubbled up beneath the fear I had felt earlier. How dare she? How dare she toy with me like this? But before I could find my voice, Ashley turned on
LANCE'S POV***FLASH BACK***For some reason, since I had gotten married to Maya, it seemed like luck had woven itself into my life. Good things just kept coming my way and it's as if her presence in my life had turned everything around. Not only was she kind-hearted and beautiful in her own way, but Maya radiated a charm that felt almost magical which just keep in drawing me to her despite the fact that I still long ofr Ashley. She brought a sense of peace and joy which I thought I could only get with Ashley, and I couldn't wait to share today’s news with her.I drummed my fingers on my knee, staring out the car window as the cityscape blurred by. I just couldn't wait any longer to get home soon and break the news to her. I had just secured a multi-million-dollar deal which I had never imagined that I would be able to get. I even lost hope on it when I found out that I was competing against many best in the industry and I’d been tense for weeks. But Maya, with her unwavering belief,
***MAYA'S POV***The memory of that night came flooding back, gripping my heart with a familiar ache. I could hardly believe that one fleeting encounter not long after my marriage had been the turning point, the reason Lance had grown distant, cold, and unfeeling to me all those years. He’d had countless opportunities to confront me, to question my intentions for what I did. But instead, he’d chosen the silence which brings nothing but destruction into our marriage. I remembered clearly, It was that same day when everything shifted and Lance stopped defending me from his family whenever they mistreated me. The man I was talking to that night was Marlow, one of my cousin Alexandra’s friends. I hadn’t seen him in years and had no reason to seek him out but when I been was about to enter the mall, I accidentally bumped into him with one of his girlfriend, and to my dismay, he wouldn’t leave me alone after telling his girlfriend to leave. He began to followed me everywhere, even as I
*****ASHLEY'S POV**** "No, don't carry that. We won’t be needing it,” I said, waving Hilda away from the box of shrimp. "Why not? Shrimps are…" "My dad's allergic to shrimp. Even smallest quantity of it can be fatal to him. So we have to avoid it," I explained, cutting her off with a shake of my head. “Oh! Got it.” She dropped it quickly and picked up a box of fresh vegetables instead. I carried the last box of ingredients from the car, lugging it toward the outdoor kitchen area which has been set up under the canopy of oak trees. As we walked towards there, a small smile play at my lips as I didn't see that bitch face around here. She would not be joining me in cooking and that brought nothing but satisfaction to me as I knew she was planning something under her sleeves which was why she approached Courtney earlier. Actually I saw her talking before Courtney suddenly called everyone and suggested this. Brittany was usually easygoing and has never for once taken such inter
I never believe that there's always a happy ending after a sad and bad begining but now ... .I do as I was now experiencing mine. I've decided to let all go…everything that hurt me, everything that made me cry, I’ve decided to it go and just seek my own happiness.Seeing Ashley in that condition last time, made me think rethink about what I was doing. I’ve been gradually turning into a monster all in the name of revenge. I couldn't believe that I tried to kill an innocent man because of the mistake of his daughter. And the way Ashley reacted when she was almost hit by her brother, clearly shows that she was once abused either by him or someone else.Deep down the dark heart of all monsters, there's always a reason for their evil act….or always someone that drove them to the path of evilness. Now I’ve decided to let them be..they are free to enjoy their marriage while I also live my own life…with my daughter.Standing in front of a mirror, I looked at my own reflection with a bright sm
“Ashley,” I hissed through clenched teeth, “I promise you, if I find you, you will regret this.”Then her tone changed and she bursted into a heavy laughter. ““Oh, sweetheart,” she cooed, dripping with malice. “I’ve had enough of this charade, so let me spell it out for you since you seem too dense to grasp the situation. You cheated on me, Lance. I found out. I even have pictures of your little escapades—pictures you’d never want anyone else to see.”My chest tightened. “Ashley…”She cut me off with an evil chuckle. “Since you refused to settle this amicably, I’ve decided to hit you where it hurts. I’ll be filing for divorce—and demanding half of your property as compensation. So get ready, darling. You’ll be splitting everything in two.And sweetheart, you’ll see the divorce paper in the bedroom once you get home. I'll see you in a few days at the court.”Her words sounds like a kids bed night story and I could not help but laugh.. “You think I’m going to let you take half of what I
***LANCE'S POV***I woke up to a pounding headache, the kind that felt like someone was jackhammering against the inside of my skull. A soft groan escaped my lips, as I clutched my head with both hands, trying to will the pain away. The world felt off-kilter, like I was trapped in some twisted dream, and it took what felt like an eternity for my senses to clear. After some minutes, I felt a little but relief and I slowly rolled onto my back, my gaze locking onto the ceiling above. A faint crack in the plaster caught my eye—a detail that only deepened the gnawing unease in my chest. I sighned in anger as the memory crashed into me like a tidal wave: the dining table, the satisfying smirk on her face, and the humiliation that had burned me from the inside out. "That bitch," I muttered, the words laced with venom as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My feet hit the cold floor, grounding me, but my head still felt like it was stuffed with cotton. I rubbed my temples wonderi
****MAYA'S POV****Walking into the hospital, I was greeted by the smell of antiseptics. I rushed past the sterile white walls, my heels clicking against the cold floor as I quickly approached the reception counter. “Good afternoon.” “Good afternoon, ma'am,” one of the nurses replied. “Please, I need to see a patient. Her name is Mia Flynn," I said, my voice strained but firm. "I’m her guardian." “Alright, ma'am. Please give me a second,” she said politely, and I gave a nod. I waited patiently as she typed on the computer. Checking my phone again, I felt a little bit disappointed in myself as I had missed a lot of Bella's calls while in court. But as I glanced up from my phone, I noticed the nurse sneaking quick glances at me, her eyes darting away every time I caught her. A quick sweep of the room confirmed it wasn’t just her. A few other nurses and even patients were watching too, whispering to one another. I didn’t really know what was going on in their minds, whether i
****LANCE'S POV****Victory should feel better than this but it seems totally different from what Maya was feeling as if we lost the case. She had been lost in thought since morning. Her brow narrowed as she finally let out what was bothering her."But why is Kingsley laughing like that?" she murmured, enough for me to hear. "Maybe he never for once dreamed of a day that he would be beaten like this? Or Maybe…the defeat hit him hard," I replied, forcing a smile. " But Maya are you now alright? I was so worried when Ethan was pressuring you so much. You had…”I stopped mid-sentence when I realized her attention wasn’t on me. Her eyes were distant, her lips parted slightly as she leaned against the pillar with her arms crossed, lost in her own world. No, not her world—’his’. “Do you think he’s alright?” she murmured softly, almost as if she were asking herself.Her words hit me hard. My jaw tightened, my hand curling into a fist at my side as an unfamiliar wave of jealousy coursed
I leaned back, crossing my legs as I watched the drama. The outcome of this trial was already clear. Then, it was Ethan's turn. “Your Honor,” Ethan began, “may I call Ms. Maya Roderigo to the stand?” The judge approved, and Maya took her place in the witness box. Ethan wasted no time. “Miss Roderigo,” he started, “could you kindly explain to the court how you came to own Wells Enterprises?” Before Maya could answer, Henry Wallace shot to his feet. “Objection, Your Honor! This is irrelevant to the case at hand.” Ethan turned to the judge, unfazed. “Your Honor, this question is highly relevant. The financial state of Wells Enterprises prior to Miss Roderigo’s ownership directly pertains to the viability of the rezoning proposal. The company’s struggles predate my client’s involvement, and now they are planning a daylight robbery, claiming that the rezoning rumors are the reason behind their poor business performance.First, they brought a fake document about land use and n
****KINGSLEY’S POV****The civil court was a circus today, as there were far more people than I had expected to be here and reporters were even present, but they were not allowed to record anything and could only take notes on what they heard and saw.I had a front-row seat, sitting in the defendant’s chair. My lawyer, Ethan Shaw, whose brow furrowed as he flipped through stacks of documents, was seated on my left, with his assistant on my right.And across the room, Maya sat with her lawyer, her face was a mixture of determination and anger, as if she were upset about something. Was it because I had snubbed her earlier? I don't think so.I looked around, and my gaze landed on Lance Wells, who lounged smugly among the audience, the expression on his face was that of sadness as if he was separated from something important to him . Then, when my eyes shifted to the person next to him, I immediately understood why Maya seemed so angry and why his own expression wa alos like that.I sigh
We turned in unison, and there she was—Ashley. Her radiant smile beamed as if she’d just won the lottery. She waved enthusiastically, her left hand high in the air, drawing every ounce of attention toward herself. My fists curled into tight balls at my sides, anger surging through me like a storm. And what the fuck is she doing here?In anger, I glared at Lance, who also looked a little bit surprised by her presence. He gave me that “I’m sorry” look, but that’s not what I wanted from him. I wanted him to tell me why she was here.Ashley rushed toward our side and then stormed into the midst of Lance and Henry, pushing Henry away from Lance. My stomach churned when she flashed him that annoying smile and looped her arm through Lance’s. My patience thinned. “What are you doing here?” Lance growled before I could say a word. His voice was low but sharp. Ashley tilted her head coyly. “Oh, honey, don’t be like that. Have you forgotten that I told you I would support you no matte
Standing in the corridor of the courtroom on the first floor of the tall building, I let out a soft sigh as I intertwined my fingers nervously. I was trying so hard to convince myself that I wouldn’t embarrass myself in court today especially since it looked like I would be appearing without my lawyer. "I’ve really underestimated my opponent. I should have foreseen this," I muttered under my breath as I was already feeling frustrated. Behind me, Lance paced back and forth with his phone totally glued to his ear. He had been trying to reach Henry for the past hours, but there was no answer. Many bad thought had already been playing on my head. Each time I heard the automatic response from the network provider, my frustration grew as I thought what I actually thought had happened. "Where the hell is he?" Lance growled, ending another failed call. I leaned against one of the stone pillars, watching the steady stream of people going in and out of the courthouse and deep down
I exhaled slowly. “I won’t forgive you,” I said and I could see a flicker of something like sadness—or was it disappointment? across his face. “At least, not yet. But if you win this case for us…” I let my words hang in the air, a faint smile tugging at my lips. Immediately he heard that, Henry’s head shot up. Relief washed over his face. “I’ll win it. You have my word,” he promised. “Bold of you to promise that,” Lance interjected with a teasing smirk. “You’ll be up against one of the biggest firms in America. Do you even stand a chance?” Henry straightened and said confidently. “I’ll take your doubt as fuel to prove you wrong man.” His tone was defiant, and the two men exchanged chuckles. Henry glanced up at Lance hesitantly. “You’re not angry with me?” Lance responded, looking at me. “Since she said she’d forgive you eventually…” He trailed off, mouthing a quiet ‘thank you’ in my direction. I cleared my throat as I quickly shifted my gaze away from him, clearly uncomfort