Tessa The past week has been a blur. After everything that happened, life has felt like one long, surreal dream, a strange mixture of relief, reconciliation, and nervous anticipation. I still can't quite believe it's real.Jasmine had come to me almost the day after I reconnected with Carter. I hadn't been sure how I'd react, but the moment she started to apologize, I could feel my defenses starting to crack. She poured her heart out, tears in her eyes, confessing all the things I'd never known she felt. She admitted her insecurities, her jealousy, her regrets. And for the first time, I saw the human underneath all that bitterness. It was hard, but I forgave her. I didn't want to carry that anger anymore.Then there was my mom. She hadn't just given Carter her blessing, she insisted I finish my education, too. I'd always wondered if she'd think I was weak for leaving, for not holding myself together. But her love and support had been unwavering. She understood me in ways I didn't ev
Tessa Epilogue. Two years had passed. I could hardly believe it, but here I was, standing in my cozy living room, arranging the last of the decorations for Jasper's 5th birthday party. The house smelled of freshly baked cookies, the faint scent of balloons, and the light hum of excitement in the air.I was nervously running through the checklist in my head as I put the finishing touches on the birthday setup. Balloons? Check. Cake? Check. Presents? Check. Family and friends? A little of both. I glanced at the clock, realizing the guests would be arriving soon. Everything was in order. Well, as much as it could be. Jasper had been babbling all morning, excited for his big day, even though he had no full idea what was truly happening. To him, it was just another day of love and laughter.My mind wandered for a moment, drifting back to the years that had passed. Life had changed so much, and yet, some things remained constant. Jasper's little laugh, his giggles as he played with his to
TessaI paced around the living room, raking my fingers through my hair in frustration at the shocking announcement my mother dropped. I didn't know whether I should shout at the top of my lungs or leave the house completely. I stopped my movement and spared the woman sitting in front of me, hands resting on her lap, a glance. "You're kidding, right, Mom?" I asked.When she lifted her head to look at me, the expression I saw on her face said it all, but I didn't want to believe it. To believe that my mother was getting married again—or should I say she had gotten married again. "I'm serious, Tessa."A chuckle escaped me and I nodded. "Right." I closed my eyes and opened them again. "And you think you made the right choice by not discussing it with your daughter first?" I said in a low voice, my eyes not wavering from hers.She rose to her feet, her tall frame intimidating mine. My mother had the body of a model. Slim, tall, and beautiful. She had natural skin that sometimes people mis
Tessa"Good morning, Mila," Mr. Carter pecked my mom on her cheeks. My body went rigid when he did the same to me. His lips lingered there. "Morning, Tessa," he said, pulling away."Morning, Sir," I forced out a smile and spoke. He sat in between me and Mom."I figured out you don't have a maid, so I managed to make something out of the groceries I could find in the kitchen," Mom explained. I woke up and found her putting wet and dry ingredients together. I also didn't fail to notice how clean the house was compared to when we came yesterday."How sweet of you, Mila. Thank you. The last one left so I'm still searching for a new one," he said, taking a bite of the pancake."You don't have to worry about me doing all the work, Carter. We're family now." I wanted to roll my eyes at her statement. She had already started succumbing to wife duties. She didn't even consider whether I was okay with it or not."I'm glad you're here with me." I could swear my heart almost bulged out when he r
TessaThree days later."If you need anything, don't hesitate to let Carter know," Mom said for the millionth time, as I got ready to leave for school. My first day at school."You've said this before, Mom. I'm good," I answered, and she shot me a look. "I know how nervous you get when you enter a new environment. That's why I said you should reach out to Carter."I don't know why she keeps mentioning him. She had no idea how hard the past three days were for me, how his presence made me nervous and confused at the same time. If not for his phone ringing the other night, I was sure he'd have kissed me. The tension was strong.Since that day, I had been trying my best to avoid meeting his gaze or allowing him to touch me. And today, I would be left alone with him to take me to school. "Just do as I say," Mom broke through my trance.I heaved out a sharp breath. "Alright. Anything you say. I'm off," I said, catching sight of Mr. Carter getting down the stairs, eyes glued to the watch he
Tessa One week has passed and you'd think that would make me forget my encounter with my new father slash professor. But no, the image of how his fingers perfectly fit inside my pussy hasn't left my mind since then. I couldn't stop thinking about the way my whole-body shudder from his touch and the way my pussy tinged. Normally, I don't masturbate. I find it disgusting but I had been using my fingers for the past week, giving myself a pleasure I hadn't felt in a long time. Not after my last boyfriend who left me because I don't moan well enough. I was angry and ended things right then and there. Because I was used. He dated me so he could lure me to his bed and when he got what he wanted and didn't enjoy it anymore, he turned his back on me. Since then, I had promised myself not to ever give in to a man no matter how sweet and kind they are to me. And now with all the barriers in between, someone whom I should accept as my new father, was the same man that was trying to make me hav
CarterA smirk formed on my lips when Tessa closed her eyes enjoying me stroking her little pussy. I had been keeping it cool inside me for the past week from touching her. I know it's a forbidden stuff. She's Mila's daughter and Mila is my wife. I shouldn't be harboring any wild thoughts with my stepdaughter. But fuck. The very first time I walked into the house and Mila introduced me to her, I couldn't stop myself from accessing her in a dirty way. She has a large breast and a round ass for a young girl like her. Mila and I had been dating for quite a while before we decided to take it to the next level. She told me a lot about her daughter. Praising her and stuff. I haven't taken interest in any woman after my wife's death even with the amount of disturbance I get from my daughter urging me to get a new wife. Not like I care but at times when I think about how lonely Juan had been since the death of her mother, I have to consider her, and she doesn't seem to mind me getting a new
Tessa I knew it was a mistake going to his office. I had been in a battle with my heart and body from pushing me into giving in. I couldn't sleep properly last night, thinking about the teases and strokes his fingers did to my pussy. I was so turned on that I had to bring myself to orgasm using the image of him. And in class when his eyes kept on burning holes in my head, even with the amount of his gazes that I avoided. All to no avail. So, I came up with that lie to the students. Asking everyone to submit the assignment he gave in class. I felt a bit of guilt for doing what I wasn't asked. Because some students haven't done the assignment.However, I didn't know why I couldn't bring myself not to go to his office, I knew I had to get a release so the thought would leave my mind. "What are you still waiting for? Lock that door and come here." His commanding tone snapped me out of my trance. Facing the door, I slowly reached for the keys and locked the door from the inside.With my h
Tessa Epilogue. Two years had passed. I could hardly believe it, but here I was, standing in my cozy living room, arranging the last of the decorations for Jasper's 5th birthday party. The house smelled of freshly baked cookies, the faint scent of balloons, and the light hum of excitement in the air.I was nervously running through the checklist in my head as I put the finishing touches on the birthday setup. Balloons? Check. Cake? Check. Presents? Check. Family and friends? A little of both. I glanced at the clock, realizing the guests would be arriving soon. Everything was in order. Well, as much as it could be. Jasper had been babbling all morning, excited for his big day, even though he had no full idea what was truly happening. To him, it was just another day of love and laughter.My mind wandered for a moment, drifting back to the years that had passed. Life had changed so much, and yet, some things remained constant. Jasper's little laugh, his giggles as he played with his to
Tessa The past week has been a blur. After everything that happened, life has felt like one long, surreal dream, a strange mixture of relief, reconciliation, and nervous anticipation. I still can't quite believe it's real.Jasmine had come to me almost the day after I reconnected with Carter. I hadn't been sure how I'd react, but the moment she started to apologize, I could feel my defenses starting to crack. She poured her heart out, tears in her eyes, confessing all the things I'd never known she felt. She admitted her insecurities, her jealousy, her regrets. And for the first time, I saw the human underneath all that bitterness. It was hard, but I forgave her. I didn't want to carry that anger anymore.Then there was my mom. She hadn't just given Carter her blessing, she insisted I finish my education, too. I'd always wondered if she'd think I was weak for leaving, for not holding myself together. But her love and support had been unwavering. She understood me in ways I didn't ev
CarterI glanced out the car window at the small, quiet town as we pulled in. It was the kind of place I'd never imagine myself setting foot in, a town so small it was almost hidden on the map, tucked away like an afterthought. But here I was, waiting for Mila, parked outside a diner that looked like it hadn't changed since the seventies. It didn't make any sense why we were here, and frankly, I was too tired to argue."You're still not going to tell me why we're here, are you?" I said as Mila climbed out of the driver's seat.She shot me a look over her shoulder, her lips pursed in disapproval. "You don't get to complain," she said bluntly. "Not after everything."I felt a pang of guilt, one I'd been feeling more often than I liked lately. I knew she was still angry with me, but I was trying to make up for my mistakes. "I'm sorry," I murmured, not for the first time. "I just... I thought maybe this was about Tessa. I thought you'd heard something."Her expression softened just a litt
TessaMy mum didn't waste a second. Her expression hardened, and before I could open my mouth, she stepped forward and, with a sharp crack, slapped me across the face. My cheek stung, but the shock was worse than the pain. I could barely comprehend what was happening before, in the next breath, her arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a fierce embrace. She held me so tightly, and it felt like she was holding onto all the lost years, all the words we'd never said.I felt the weight of it all pressing down on me, and I couldn't stop the tears that came. They poured down my face as I buried myself in her shoulder. Her breath hitched as she sobbed against me. It was strange, to feel her strength and her sorrow all at once. "I'm sorry," I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible. I didn't even know where to start. There was so much between us, so much hurt and misunderstanding.She pulled back just enough to look at me, her face streaked with tears. "Why didn't you come to me, Tes
TessaThe warm, familiar scent of coffee and freshly baked pastries filled the air as I poured a hot cup for the man at the counter, a regular who'd become a comforting presence in my little world. "Here you go, Mr. Davis. Extra sugar, just the way you like it.""Thank you, Tessa." He gave me a smile, his eyes crinkling in that friendly way that made me forget, if only for a moment, about the mountain of worries I kept carefully tucked behind my smile. "Can't find coffee like this anywhere else, you know."I chuckled softly, appreciating his words. "Glad to hear it. Keeps me in business, anyway."He laughed, but as he turned and left, the cheerful facade slipped just a bit. In the quiet that followed, I let out a sigh. Keeping this place running had been harder than I'd ever imagined.When I first arrived in this town, I was barely holding on. Lost, alone, and with no idea how I was going to make it on my own, I'd been saved by the kindness of a woman I'd met by chance. She'd offered
Carter POV It had been 3 years. An entire 3 years, and still, nothing.I set the phone down, and exhaled, forcing the frustration from my chest, but it was no use. It never seemed to leave me. Jasmine's concerned eyes met mine, asking me for answers I didn't have."Was that...?" she started, her voice quiet, uncertain. She didn't need to finish the question. I knew what she wanted to hear, even if I'd stopped letting myself hope for that answer."No," I replied, managing a small, empty smile. "Nothing yet. Still no word on Tessa. They're following up on the last few leads, but..." I trailed off, feeling the weight of the words I couldn't say.The police had already declared her a runaway. As if it were that simple as if it explained why she'd vanished without a trace. They had ruled it a voluntary disappearance, a choice she had every right to make as an adult. I'd used every bit of influence I had to keep it out of the press, to keep her name clean, to make sure her image remained
Carter The weight of what I'm seeing settles like lead in my chest. The grainy video plays on the screen in front of me, though every word feels like a scream. Tessa, slipping through my office door, alone. I look up at the board members. Their faces are impassive, judging, waiting for me to explain. But the truth is simple, and I refuse to give them the satisfaction of seeing me squirm."What you're implying," I say, my voice rougher than I intended, "is absurd. Nothing inappropriate happened between Tessa and me. She came to talk to me about her grades, and her future. I was offering her advice, mentorship."They exchange skeptical glances as if the word "mentorship" was just another excuse, another way to cover my tracks. The bitter reality of it sinks in, I've already been tried and convicted in their minds."Mr. Carter," the chairman finally says, voice laced with condescension, "regardless of your intentions, it's clear that certain boundaries were crossed. Even the appearanc
TessaThe sharp, sterile light stings my eyes as I blink myself awake. Everything feels hazy, muffled, as if my senses are wrapped in cotton. My head throbs, and when I try to sit up, a wave of dizziness forces me to sink back onto the stiff hospital bed."You're awake. Good." A voice cuts through the haze, gentle but firm.I turn my head to find a nurse standing at my bedside, clipboard in hand and an expression that's equal parts concern and disapproval. I try to speak, but my throat is so dry that only a croak comes out. She hands me a cup of water, and I sip it gratefully, letting the cool liquid soothe my throat."Where...?" I manage to mumble, but she's already anticipating the question."You're in the hospital," she says, matter-of-factly. "Some good Samaritans brought you in. You were unconscious on the sidewalk."The memory floods back, a blur of exhaustion, of pushing myself until I couldn't anymore, the ache in my chest from everything that's happened recently, everything t
Carter I've barely had a moment to breathe since Tessa laid everything out for me, I think of everything I might have done for her but was unable to lay hands on a particular reason. It all felt like a nightmare. I walk through the corridor leading to my office my mind raising with the thought of Tessa, what I can do to change her perspective? No matter how hard I tried to reason it nothing seemed to come up, if only I knew what I did in offending her maybe I would apologize but nothing, the last I remember, we were on good terms and everything was going perfectly well. I raised my head only to find that the Students were smirking as I passed them, something that usually wouldn't bother me, but today it feels different. Something's off. A couple of the professors cast me looks that are anything but neutral. Disapproval, disdain. I don't know what they are looking at that made them press their gaze on me but I know it's nothing worthy of my time. I brushed them off thinking I had