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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
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TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
There was the continuous hum of the old refrigerator, the whirling of the fan in the room, and the creaking of my rickety chair. All the sounds made me wince slightly every second. Yet, it seemed Cameron could not be bothered by all the noise. Cameron’s bareback was to me, and I could hear the gentle spasms of the muscles as he worked on the food. I longed to just go over and run my fingers over the bulging muscles. I slapped the thought out of my head and looked away. Perhaps if I could focus my gaze on something else, then I would forget the rollercoaster of emotions going on inside me.My eyes settled on the window air conditioner at the corner of the kitchen, which has never worked. It was the main reason why my body was in this wreck. If it had been working, as it should have, Cameron would never have taken off his shirt, and I would never have had a glimpse of his immaculately sculpted chest and the taut muscles of his back. And I would never have seen the way his tight trouser
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Cameron was gone. I took a sip of coffee that Darby had prepared. I closed my eyes and threw my head back as it washed through me, sending the rest of the sleep away. The twins were yet to wake up, so I still had time to complete some chores. I glanced at Darby, who was perched on the couch. “Say what you want to say, Darby. You’ve been sneaking glances at me; surely you are not thinking me attractive, are you?”Darby snickered. She straightened her long legs out before her and placed the cup she had been holding on the table.“And you have been smiling like a high school teen. Plus, you've been glowing these days, and I know it’s not just the Cameron effect. Tell me what’s going on, girl.”I raised a brow. “The Cameron effect?” “C’mon,” she laughed. She stood from where she sat on the couch and took the seat across from me. “You know what I mean.” She winked.“Ewww. Darby! You’re gross.” I laughed. “I’m just happy everything is working out well.” I said, and I could not help the f
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
It was a beautiful Monday. Rays of the rising sun gradually filtered into the room, drenching me in sunlight. I squinted my eyes, rubbing them fiercely, then clamped the alarm clock by my bed shut. I trudged to the kid’s room and smiled when I saw Darby draped over the couch. The twins were still asleep. I was still like a zombie, and my body craved caffeine. Yesterday had been a long day for us—me, Darby, and the kids. I had gone to check out apartment listings, and after hours of meeting realtors and agents, I finally saw one I liked. It is safe to say it is now off the market, and I cannot stop smiling. Such small mercies. My brain started working as soon as the coffee came into contact with my lips. All the nerves and organs in my body suddenly came to life. I liked this new kind of high that I was feeling. I already had my clothes picked out, ironed, and folded neatly. I was determined to create a good first impression on the CEO. I dressed quickly, and when I looked myself in
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Cameron.” I stated it as if that would explain how Cameron was suddenly here with the rest of the executives. The shock was registered on my face, and as Cameron’s eyes found mine, he smiled. What was the deal with the executives? Was he an executive at BlackBricks, or was he here to see the CEO, whom I hadyet to identify? Cameron mouths the word ‘hello’ and then goes into the conference room with the rest of the executives.I wringed my fingers nervously. I thought back immediately to Paula and how she had treated me when I first got here, which was not very long ago, really. Could this have been the reason why?Had Cameron pitched in for me? I smacked my forehead; he must have thought he was helping. I tapped the table and waited. On this first day, I did not take notes for this meeting. Someone else did, and she just skipped inside with the executives. I had not noticed her since I had been so busy being shocked that Cameron worked here. Why had I been so shocked? I mean, I did
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX “But Cameron is already doing a lot for me and my family; I couldn't.”“Hold on there a second,” I interrupted, freezing her mid-sentence. “Did you say Cameron?” I blink rapidly. “As in Cameron Stone?”She tilted her head and eyed me. “Yeah. Cameron Stone. The CEO. Your boss. Where’s your head?”Just then, the large oak doors opened, and the executives—including Cameron, whom I have learned to be the CEO—filed out. His eyes caught mine, and he winked. My heart plummeted. What did I say about office romance again?Manda giggled and touched me. “Did you see? He winked at me.” She said she was all goggly-eyed. “He’s the reason why I even bother sometimes—to be here—even when all the other things in my life stress me out.” I stared at her. I take it back; this woman is not innocent in any way. Cameron stopped midway to talk to two men, and I tried to pretend that he was not all my eyes wanted to look at and all I thought about. My eyes travelled to his perfectly firme
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
I ran away from work. I was a nervous wreck, so you would not blame me. I was shivering like someone who was diced in ice in the middle of Antarctica, and I knew I had to go. I left quickly, without seeing Cameron. I could not bear to see him again, not with how I was feeling. I could not trust my body not to betray me. I went home first. Darby had taken the kids to the restaurant, and I noticed that she had begun to move some of the things. We were not moving with everything, though. I told her that. We would leave most of the second-hand things we got from the manager and the thrift store here. Paula and Esther had insisted we meet for dinner, and I still had about an hour before I met them, and I still had to check on the kids. I took my bath and dressed quickly, then dropped by Darby’s restaurant to see the kids.“How are the kids?” I asked as soon as I entered the kitchen—Darby’s favourite space. I found the kids on a makeshift mat. Darby used pillows to support their backs, an
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“Well, for one. You’ve been glancing around since you came in. This isn’t your kind of environment?” he asked. I shook my head as I took another sip of the Bourbon. “I go to the club plenty.” I lied. I hadn’t been to the club in more than seven years, but he didn’t need to know that. I glanced around again. “Just to keep an eye out for the girls.” I muttered. At least this bit was true. I did not have to feel too shy about lying.“You see, we were supposed to be having a girl night out. I kind of came late, and now I can’t seem to reach them.” I glanced around again. “They’re definitely in here, somewhere.”He pursed his lips, and I thought he looked cute. I must be getting drunk. Just one glass of a cocktail.“Well, they might be in one of the private lounges. Did you check anyone yet?” He smiled at me. I blushed. “Don’t do that.” I rolled my eyes. “And... it’s because I didn’t know I was supposed to check.” He laughed. “I think I just caught your lie. When was the last time you w
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY CHAPTER TWENTY -NINE
“Where did you sleep?” I had left Esther’s place early so I could check on the kids and prepare for work. I had woken up quite early and gotten out of her place almost immediately, and I estimated I still had about three hours to prepare for work and get there early enough. Darby was sitting on the couch when I tiptoed in, trying to stay as quiet as possible, and I had not seen her. Hearing her voice startled me, and I turned around slowly. I grinned. “I told you I was going to see the girls.” She stood up and approached me. “And you didn’t think to call to let us know you were not coming home?” She wrinkled her nose when she neared me and took one step back. “Lana! You smell very awful.” I began peeling the clothes off me. “I’m sorry if you were worried. I didn’t think, ”“Yeah. You never think.” Darby cut me off, and I saw that she was quite upset. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Darby upset, at least not at me. I winced. “You got us all worried; this isn’t something you will eve
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TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred and three
Andre’s POV Two Years LaterMy mother was upset that I had gone behind her back to sabotage her. To sell her company to that little brat—that is what she refers to Lana as now—who knew nothing about business, but I did not have to tell her that it was either that or see her remanded in prison. To watch everything I had and everyone I loved taken away from me. I did not need to tell her that we were lucky we had a choice. The poor girl had no choice back then and had to take life as it was handed to her. My mother would live—abort sourly—but at least she would still live. We could build back the company even if it took a long time. Thankfully, all she had back then was a minor heart attack. As for the little brat, Lana, she and Cameron got married two years ago and have spent the last two years of their marriage touring the world.I was envious of the love they found. The comfort they gave each other, the strength in their numbers, but as time went on, I too was beginning to live wi
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred and two
Lana’s POV The house was still the same way I remembered it. The chairs, the arm stool, and the and the settees All of the arrangements were still the same, and it struck a chord of familiarity within me. I settled into the plush armchair and watched Andre move towards the bar, his demeanour calm and composed. It was hard to reconcile this composed man with the man I had known years ago. Andre returned with a glass of red wine, just the way I liked it. He handed it to me, then sat across from me. “Have you come to a conclusion regarding what we discussed?” I crossed my legs, one above the other, and stared blankly at him. “Regarding what exactly? The only thing I remember that we have yet to talk about are the kids and how we’ll split their days between us. Other than that, I don't think we have any unfinished business. Except you are talking about signing the documents, which would see me as the new CEO of Ranhold.” Andre heaved a long sigh and rubbed his temples. Was he beginnin
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred and one
Lana’s POV We spent the next week gathering evidence against Freda and meeting with potential witnesses who could testify against her if we were to take her to court, but it seemed as though that would not be needed. It was some time towards the end of the week when what was going to be our break happened. It came in the form of André getting a recognition award. I had no idea what his relationship with Freda had been like following everything that had happened lately, so I cannot talk about that. But upon receiving the award, Freda was so happy with her son that she decided to allow him to make certain decisions that regarded the leadership of Ranhold. In the past, André had been nothing but a figurehead. Although he sat in the CEO position, his mother, Freda, usually handled all the decision-making, and everyone knew this. He was useless, and if it was important that his signature be appended to a document, he had to get permission from Freda first before doing it. But now, all
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred
Lana’s POV Back at my apartment, we laid out all the new information we had gathered. It felt like we were finally making progress, and the weight of uncertainty was beginning to lift. But then a call entered my phone, which was going to either bring everything crashing down on us again or continue pushing us forward.We had laid everything on the table in front of us, and we were about to start sitting through them when the ringtone of my phone shattered through the peace, quiet, and anxiety that had settled over us. Sighing and thinking it was from one of my colleagues at Lukem, I pulled the phone from my pocket and paused when I saw the caller ID displaying on my screen.“Hmmm... Andre.” I said it out loud, alerting the other guys to who the caller was. Without waiting for their response, I swiped on the screen and placed the phone in my ear. “Hey, Andre.” I greeted. “What’s going on?”“I found something.” He announced. From over the phone, I could not make out the time of his vo
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Ninety-nine
Lana’s POV Fred smiled warmly, taking a seat beside Clara. “It’s been a long time, Aunt Clara. We have so much to catch up on, but there’s something important we need to ask you about first.”Clara looked at him. “Of course, anything. What do you need to know?”Fred glanced at me, and I handed Clara the letter. “We found this among my father’s papers. It mentions a promise to protect you. We need to understand what happened.”Clara took the letter and began reading it. As she read through it, I noticed the change in her expression. She took a deep breath and glanced up at us. “This... this brings back memories I thought I’d buried. Your mother and Mr. West were the best friends I ever had. But there was more to it, and it brought trouble or would have brought trouble had Mr. West not decided to act in what he believed to be the best interest of everyone, including your mother. Fred’s face lightened up, as did mine. “What do you mean?”Clara sighed. “Secrets.” She whispered. “Anne an
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and ninety-eight
Lana’s POVFred shrugged. “She hinted at societal expectations and family obligations,” he replied. “But she didn’t give specifics. I think she knows a lot more than she’s letting on.”I nodded slowly. “My father never mentioned anything about your mother or you and Kathy. And I started going through his papers; maybe I would find something.”Fred’s expression softened. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but it is not to be helped. I cannot say I know how you feel or what you are feeling right now. Finding out that a person you think you know has another side, which you have no idea of, can really do something to you.”I reached out and touched Fred’s hand briefly. “We’ll figure it out together. I have some of my father’s old letters and documents that might help us piece things together. Maybe we can confront Freda again with more concrete questions? What do you think? Right now, she’s the only person who can give us answers, and we are not even on good terms.”We returned to m
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and ninety-seven
Narrator’s POV Freda’s smile faltered for the briefest of moments, a shadow crossing her eyes before she quickly regained her composure. She leaned back in her chair, interlacing her fingers and resting them on her desk.“That’s quite a heavy topic, Fred,” she said, her tone now more serious. “Why are you suddenly interested in this?”Fred shrugged. “Perhaps after Kathy’s death, I realised something. I just want to know why he abandoned my mother, why he chose his other family above us, and why he caused us so much pain and loss. I want to understand all of these things; perhaps it would help me forgive, let go, and move on.”A shadow of a smile crossed Freda’s face. “Ahhhh... I guess it runs in the family then.” Fred narrowed his eyes, wondering what she meant by that statement. “I don’t understand. What runs in the family?”Freda stood to her feet and approached the floor-to-ceiling window, which offered a great view of the city. From here, he could view the city’s skyline and wat
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and ninety-six
Narrator’s POV Freda’s office was located on the uppermost floor of the skyscraper that acted as Ranhold’s headquarters, a detail that made Fred pause as he stepped out of the taxi five minutes ago. He blinked against the rays of sunlight reflecting off the monolithic structure of steel and glass, momentarily blinded. The reflective surface mirrored the city below, creating an illusion of infinite depth.The other buildings around it were similar in their grandeur, each with its own unique design. For the umpteenth time since his arrival in the city, Fred was reminded of how little he had traveled. There were places outside of his known world yet to be explored, and this city of steel and glass was one of them. He had spent—wasted—five minutes entranced by the sleek, modern design, temporarily forgetting his purpose for being there.Pulling himself back to reality, he straightened his suit and approached the entrance. The revolving glass doors spun smoothly, ushering him into a grand
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Ninety-five
Lana’s POVI took tentative steps towards the bouquet. Whether unconsciously or by some reflex response in our system, we all had taken steps away from the bouquet. For some reason, we felt threatened by it. This was not the first time we would receive threats disguised as gifts, and I guess that has taught us a lesson. Slowly, I pulled out the card in the bouquet and glanced at Cameron and Sally, who both gave me curt nods. I opened it and began reading it aloud. “Congratulations on Zoe’s recovery. Best wishes for the future. – Freda.”The room fell silent as the implications of the message sank in. Sally was the first to break the silence. “Freda has acted once again. First of all, it was an almost dead bird on my door, and now congratulatory bouquet?”My grip on the card tightened. “Is this supposed to mean something?”Cameron stepped closer, resting his hand on the small of my back. “Hey, we’ll keep our guard up. She’s only trying to play mind games, but we won’t give her the sat
