TessaAfter taking a cold bath and lying down on the bed, my eyes fixed on the ceiling, torn between the desire to go home and pick up some clothes and the urge to stay here. This was the best time to go home since neither Leah nor Liam was around to question me about my whereabouts. I knew Mom would have gone to work, and Mr. Carter would have gone to school. I inhaled deeply before standing up, my eyes scanning the room.I didn't know which clothes to wear, but if Leah were around, I would have asked her for cloth. Luckily, I had bought a dress the other day. I made my way to Leah's room, which looked like a disaster zone. It seemed she had thrown every cloth on the floor while searching for what to wear earlier. I grabbed the dress I had bought yesterday, which was also on the floor, and put it on before leaving the room. I simply adjusted my hair to the back, not bothering with any elaborate styling.I walked out of the house, slamming the door shut, only to realize I didn't kno
CarterI descended the stairs, adjusting my shirt and taking a deep breath to compose myself. Tessa's mother, stood in the kitchen, unpacking groceries."Hey," I said, forcing a smile. "How was your day?"She turned, eyeing me with concern. "You're sweating. Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. How did I forget she'd catch on to something. I have to come up with a better way to play it cool. I chuckled, trying to play it off. "Just did some exercises inside. Getting a little rusty, I guess." I lied. She nodded, accepting the explanation. "Well, I'm glad you're taking care of yourself. I was thinking of making something special for dinner tonight, since it's just us."My gut twisted with guilt. I had just been with Tessa, and now Mila was being kind and considerate, unaware of my betrayal."That sounds wonderful, Thank you," I said, trying to sound sincere. She smiled, her eyes sparkling. "I want to make sure you feel at home here. You've been so good to us, especially Tessa."I fel
TessaMy ears pressed against the wall, absorbing every conversation between Mum and Mr. Carter. Not a single word escaped my attention. Each of their conversations stirred a mix of emotions within me, but his last statement aroused nothing but fear.My eyes widened in surprise, and my body began shaking uncontrollably. I wondered if Mum had any idea what was happening. It was hard for her to even think about it, and the thought sent a chill down my spine.I peered through the door, my eyes fixed on Mr. Carter, whose reaction mirrored mine. However, he tried to play it cool, masking his surprise with a sly smile as he held Mum's shoulder and gently massaged it."Did you think I'm going to do that?" he asked, his voice sounding casual, almost nonchalant. But I knew better. He had already done it, hadn't he? I rolled my eyes at Mum's smile, which only seemed to annoy me further."Can you?" Mum pressed on, her tone laced with curiosity as if she had received information from someone. Tha
TessaThe next day, I walked into school, my thoughts reeling with endless possibilities. Yesterday's close call still lingered in my mind, if Mr. Carter wasn't such a skilled liar, and my mom didn't trust him completely, she would have caught us red-handed.As I entered the library, my eyes scanned the quiet surroundings, but my mind was a chaotic marketplace. I walked to sit down at a corner, and my eyes gazed down at the biology textbook in front of me, usually, I'd solve problems effortlessly, but now I was torn between my turbulent thoughts and desires.For the past few days, I'd felt like a completely transformed person since I started defying my mom's orders and leaving the house. Yesterday, despite her desperate attempts to stop me, I acted stubborn and left, fueling my desire for independence.I wondered if this newfound assertiveness was fighting for my freedom or simply going against my mom's wishes. Mr. Carter, had tried to stop me, but I was too persistent to listen, my
CarterReality hit me like a stone as I scanned the blog on the school portal. This wasn't supposed to be. I clicked on the comments, my eyes scanned each word that stood for the love my students had for me. They kept asking why Mr. Cater was leaving the school. I was glad. But who could have posted this? I was supposed to resume work on Monday, but I guess I won't be spending all of the leave they've granted me at home. I can't sit here idly while someone is trying to make the school sack me or probably just sabotage my career.I stared at the screen again, thinking of who I could call to confirm what had happened. Rebecca was the first person that came to mind. I searched through my call log, found her number, and dialed it, putting it on speaker. Soon, her voice filled the room, shocking me."Hello, Rebecca," I said, my heart racing faster, not because of anything, but because I was scared to know the situation at school."Hello, Mr. Cater. How are you doing?" she asked."That's n
TessaThe news was so unreal, and I knew for sure Mr. Cater couldn't think of leaving the school, not when that's his way of making a living.I stared at the boy, whose intense gaze was fixed on his phone. "Wake up, wake up!" I drummed on the desk, snatching his attention.He looked up at me with a slim, bright smile spreading across his lips. "Can you drop your phone and focus now?" I smirked, wearing a stern face, and he scoffed."You sound like my real teacher," he said, smiling, and dropped his phone, giving me his undivided attention."For now, I'm your teacher, so better listen to my instructions," I replied with a smile.I took the textbook from him, staring at it, but his voice jolted back my attention."But aren't you worried about Mr. Cater leaving the school?" he asked, concern etched on his face.I breathed deeply, closing the textbook while my hands separated it in the middle. "Did you believe the news? Do you think it's real?" I asked.He looked confused, as if thinking
TessaWe departed from each other, and Leah walked in with a bag full of stuff. I thought that was the end until Alex walked behind her, also holding some bags. His piercing gaze lingered on my face, as if reading my thoughts. I wondered why. I don't know why all the guys like staring at me as if I was some piece of meat for them to devour."Guess what, baby girl?" Leah exclaimed, her smile radiating across her face as she walked toward me. She dropped the bag in her hand and gently guided me to sit on the couch, my mouth wide open and my heart beating rapidly.As I looked up, my eyes met Alex's, and I quickly looked away, feeling an awkward tension. His intense stare seemed to bore into my soul. I don't know why. "I got you some hot dresses; I know you'll love them," Leah said, starting to open the bag and dropping different clothes on the couch.I wished to admire the clothes, but my body remained tense, unsure why. Perhaps it was the unresolved tension between Liam and me."See?"
TessaI shook my head softly, trying to clear my mind and focus my head on what was on the ground; my heart race wouldn't help matters as it kept on pounding against my chest like a heavy hammer slamming through a hard object, trying to break it by all means."I am sorry, Alex, I didn't catch the question." I lied, wondering if it would make him see I had no idea of what he was talking about and let me be.But if I thought he would give up, shake his head at me in disbelief or pure disappointment, and walk away, then I was mistaken because Alex's expression further deepened as he stared down at me."Pretty way to play deaf and dumb," he eyed me. "I said what is going on between you and Liam?" Alex drew closer and screamed in my ear."Geez!" I exclaimed, tingling my ear from the repeated echoing. "Seriously, you went to that extent," I sighed, palming my forehead."I will go to any extent for you to reply to my questions and stop ignoring them," He answered."To be honest with you, you
TessaI paced anxiously up and down in front of the emergency door, my mind racing with terrifying possibilities. What if Leah died? What would I do? The thought sent a chill down my spine, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread.Tears streamed down my face, and my heart pounded rapidly, threatening to burst out of my chest. My fingers hurt from clenching my fists, and I kept glaring at the emergency door, willing myself to see what was happening inside."Calm down, she'll be okay," the driver who had dropped me off earlier said, his eyes red-rimmed, filled with empathy.I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Thank you," I replied, genuinely thankful. If not for him, maybe, I might still be at home. Even though I told him to go so I wouldn't delay his work but he was proven too stubborn to heed. I wanted to tell him to be going but his phone rang, he contemplated for some minutes before he slid the green button and pressed the phone against his right ear. He went mute
TessaThe multiple calls and messages on my phone jolted me awake from my deep slumber, shattering the peaceful silence. I yawned countless times, my eyes puffy from sleeping all day. I rubbed my red eyes, trying to shake off the fatigue, before picking up the phone to check who the persistent caller was. Shockwaves ran through me as I saw all the calls and messages were from Leah.Why had she flooded my phone with calls and messages at the same time? Concern etched on my face, I clicked on her number and put her on speaker. The phone rang for what felt like an eternity before her voice chimed in, weak and uncharacteristic."What's up? I saw your missed calls and dozen messages," I said, trying to sound casual despite my growing unease."I'm good," she replied, but something about her tone sent alarm bells ringing in my mind. Her usual jovial demeanor was replaced by a frailty that unsettled me."Is everything okay with you?" I pressed, my brow furrowed with worry. Her labored breat
TessaI had already gone to bed, the warmth of my blanket wrapping around me like a cocoon. I was trying to forget the day and the picture of Carter with that woman. My heart was heavy, and sleep felt miles away. Just as I was starting to drift off, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I grabbed it, squinting at the screen.It was a message from Carter. My heart jumped into my throat. What now? Did he want to talk again? I opened the message, but my stomach twisted when I read it.Carter: "Do you know Liam? He's here at the meeting. I don't know who he is but he keeps on watching me like a magnet glued to a metal."Liam? My mind raced. Carter didn't know about Liam... unless Liam had done something. My breath caught in my chest. I had thought I could keep Liam a secret, but now it felt like everything was unraveling."Is there any possibility he was the one you sent to stalk me? I mean, your doctor friend?" I was still thinking about the first message when the second one popped in.I sa
CarterImmediately, Tessa ended the call even though she gave me no chance to explain myself and pacify her, which I badly wanted to do; I felt a strange feeling settled in my stomach. I looked around, feeling hyper-aware of my surroundings. It was as if someone was watching me, tracking my every move. The thought nagged at me. Had Tessa told a friend to keep an eye on me? Would she stoop so low to order a friend to monitor my every movement, the people I talk to and move with? I shook my head, trying to dismiss the idea. But doubt lingered.I glanced around, my heart racing. In the corner, I spotted a man who looked familiar. It was Liam—the same guy who had been at the conference and had sent Tessa that picture. He was drinking and chatting with another man, and I felt a wave of discomfort wash over me.I wondered if he was the one who had been watching me. Maybe he was reporting back to Tessa, telling her things that weren't true. The idea made my blood boil. Why would he want to c
TessaI was sitting on my bed, scrolling through my phone when I saw a message from Liam. My heart raced a bit when I noticed it was a picture, I hurriedly tapped on it and opened the message.My heart skipped a bit when I saw the picture was Carter with another woman, the way he was in it was amusing yet annoying; he was staring at the woman like he couldn't wait to get under her pants and the woman was also staring at him in that manner, they were both giving each other bedroom eyes.I stared at the photo, surprised and confused. It felt wrong to see him with someone else. Liam had sent the picture with a message saying Carter was a cheat, and that thought lingered in my mind.Without thinking much, I forwarded the picture to Carter. I didn't process what I was doing. I just reacted, feeling a mix of emotions. As soon as I hit send, a wave of regret washed over me. What was I thinking? Did I want to start trouble between us? Did I want to a sweet questions I should not bring up in
CarterI was at the conference, but my mind isn't here. I keep thinking about Tessa, about everything I want to tell her. I can't help but smile when I remember her laughter and the way her eyes light up when she talks about her dreams. But I know I shouldn't be thinking about her like this, especially with everything going on.Suddenly, I notice a man walking toward me. He looks confident, maybe a little too confident. Something about him makes me feel uneasy, but I try to shake it off. Maybe I just don't know him well enough to judge."Hi, I'm Liam," he says, extending his hand. Nice to meet you, Carter," he says, and his tone is oddly familiar as if he knows more than he should. I feel a chill run down my spine.I take his hand but feel a strange tension in the air. "Nice to meet you," I reply, trying to keep my voice steady.I'm still trying to process who he is when he leans in closer and adds, "You know, it's interesting how small the world is, especially when you're involved
Tessa"I would like to talk to both of you girls." Her words rang in my head again. Neither I nor Jasmine could say a word; we both looked shocked that she would call us together to talk to us."The thing is that I want you both to act as sisters and be each other best friends." Mom released the bombshell.My heart skipped a beat as I stared at Mom surprised by what she had just said. I couldn't believe it. Mom wanted Jasmine and me to act like sisters. The idea felt strange and almost impossible. I looked at Jasmine, and I could see she was just as shocked. We both stood there, unsure of what to say next.Mom smiled at us, her eyes shining with hope. "I just think it would be wonderful for you two to be close. You'll have each other's backs, just like sisters do." She sounded so convinced, but I felt a knot tightening in my stomach.Jasmine, always quick to speak her mind, laughed sharply. "Over my dead body would I be a sister or best friend to Tessa!" Her voice was filled with sarc
TessaMy heart beat repeatedly, not knowing what to do. What if Liam really tells Carter about our relationship? How will he react? My mind was racing with worst-case scenarios.My fingers flew across the keyboard as I pleaded with Liam desperately."Please don't tell him anything, I promise to do whatever you want when you're back, please" I typed and sent. My fingers sucked on my lips as I waited anxiously for his reply.Even though I knew Mr. Carter had heard about my relationship with Liam, he had never met him in person. My eyes glued to the phone, waiting for his response. Only God knew why it took minutes for him to reply; I just hoped he hadn't told Carter yet.Maybe I should message him again? I thought, but just as I was about to type another message, his reply popped in."If you want that, you have to seal your lips and make sure you don't tell Leah about our relationship, or else you will face my wrath" his message read. A relieved sigh escaped my lips.I wanted to reply,
TessaI was lying down gently on the bed when I suddenly heard the creak of the door. It was Mum, walking inside the room. I'm still awkward around her because of the scene I witnessed last time; I don't want to talk to her."Daughter," she called, stepping inside the room, "Can you get me some groceries to prepare dinner at the nearest store?" She asked, but I didn't give her a reply."I'm asking you a question," she stated after a long quiet moment between us."You can go by yourself; I'm not in the mood to step out," I replied without looking at her. I knew she'd be surprised."Are you saying no to me now?" she asked, and that made me feel bad for a second."I don't mean it that way; I just want to be alone," I replied, not giving her my attention."That's the same as saying no to me, Tessa," she said, her voice cold, making me feel more bad for saying no to her, she have way of manipulating me."You have your way of gaslighting people," I stood up from the bed, walking toward her.