MARCUSNicole jumped at me, her face beaming with a smile. The moment she pressed against my chest, a short gasp escaped my lips.I had been shot in the arm, and thanks to Mariella, I was able to remove the bullet. How she knew how to do that was beyond my comprehension.Nicole quickly disentangled herself from me and took a step back, her eyes widening as she noticed the blood staining my shirt.She lifted my arm and observed it, her brow creased in worry."Marcus, what happened to your arm?"I didn't even want her to know anything had happened. Knowing her, she would overreact and act out.Yeah, I know she was caring, but I didn't want her to worry about me at all. That's why I decided to force my way out of Mariella's house.I had already worried her enough by spending the night out and not calling her. But my phone was dead, so I couldn't reach her."I... I got shot," I managed to say through gritted teeth."We have to get you help, babe. Stay right here."I stopped her before she
NICOLEI was in the laundry room, putting my clothes into the washing machine when I heard footsteps behind me. I paused and turned around. Mia stood there, her eyes fixed on me in a weird way.“Do you need anything, Mia? Why are you standing over there?"She didn't respond. Instead, her gaze remained locked on mine, unblinking.My confusion deepened, and I couldn't help but notice her hands, which had been concealed behind her back. With a sudden motion, she brought them forward, revealing a black rope clutched tightly in her grip.My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly dismissed the sight as a strange joke or a misunderstanding. I shrugged off the unease and went back to my laundry, assuming it was a mere coincidence.But as I continued loading the clothes, my hands became suddenly immobilized, the fabric slipping from my grasp.Startled, I glanced down to see Mia expertly knotting the black rope around my wrists.“Mia! What the heck? Are you crazy?” I flared my nostrils, “Untie me
NICOLE It had been a few weeks since Marcus and I embarked on our pregnancy journey together, and my heart was filled with happiness and anticipation. Today was a pretty big day for us—we had a check-up at the doctor's clinic. I couldn't contain my excitement! Marcus, being the sweetheart that he is, gently nudged me, reminding me to get my act together. "Come on, Nicole! We don't want to be late for your appointment," he called cheerfully from the living room.I rushed through the last-minute adjustments to my dress, practically floating with joy. "I'm all set, babe! Let's hit the road!"Grabbing Marcus's hand, we strolled out to the carFinally, we made it to the clinic. Holding hands, we strolled into the waiting room, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement coursing through our veins.My heart was racing like crazy.The nurse called our names. With eager steps, we strutted into the doctor's examination room. I mean, we were ready for anything at this point.The doctor greet
MARCUSI knew Nicole wouldn't listen to me when I told her to forget about the little girl. She liked to care for others even at the detriment of her own happiness.She was leaning into my embrace and I turned her to face me, my hand resting on her shoulders. “Time to go to bed”. I murmured. “You need it for the baby”She wanted to protest. The lines on her forehead deepened, creasing with worry. But I knew that her exhaustion was catching up with her, and she needed rest, both for her own sake and for the precious life growing inside her. So, I placed a gentle index finger against her lips, silencing any potential words of defiance.“Not one word from you," I gently interrupted, my touch lingering for a moment before I guided her forward, urging her towards the bed. "Now if you don't mind, go to sleep."She allowed herself to be led toward the bed, her steps slow and deliberate.In the soft glow of the bedroom, I stood by her side, helping her unzip her dress.“Go on," I encourage
MARCUS“Um, babe, is that lipstick on your shirt?” She asked, inspecting it closely.I gulped, trying to think of what to say that won’t make her panic. Because even I didn't know how it got there. But it had to be from Vicky. “And I know you don't wear lipstick, so it's definitely not yours. Who were you with?"“I'm as surprised as you are. You won't believe what happened," I said. "So, you know how I was at the office party last night?"She nodded, still eyeing the lipstick stain suspiciously."Well, it was the most bizarre thing," I continued, trying to sound convincing. "There was this magician performing, and he was doing all these mind-boggling tricks. At one point, he asked for a volunteer, and guess who he picked?"She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity momentarily piqued. "You?"I nodded eagerly, hoping to convince her. "Yes, exactly! Can you believe it? Anyway, he had me pick a card from the deck, and then he did this incredible disappearing act with it. Poof! The card was
NICOLEI stared at him as he displayed the worst side of his nonchalant attitude, before he cracked into a smile, fiddling with his fork even more.“Babe”. I called out and he burst out into a laugh.“What’s the problem Nicole? Is it the baby? Do you need something? I told you it was nothing. Why are women so complicated?” He rolled his eyes and I frowned.His playful attitude dropped quickly when he saw that I wasn’t joking.“Babe, come on, do you really think there is something going on with me?” He grinned“You go out at strange hours, you don’t come back early enough. You keep things to yourself, always hiding the screen of your laptop. And then Vicky. It’s always Vicky! She came to give you your watch, you never take it off, so how did it get to her?”He blinked at me rapidly then drank from his glass of wine.“Is that Jealousy I see right there? “ His grin made me drop my head to the table in frustration. He clearly wasn’t getting it. “Okay, I’ll give you more attention. Does th
NICOLE“What is he doing here?" I poked the window of my car as I saw my husband standing at the entrance of some strange house. His composure seemed anxious and though I was no detective, he looked like he was about to do something shady.A figure opened the door and it looked like it was wearing a robe. A woman? Was it Vicky??I tried to look closer but I couldn't see her face, his body language softened when she opened the door and she let him in.Marcus was with another woman."No, I can't be thinking like this." I relaxed my back in the chair as I rubbed my temples, there was no way he could be cheating, not after everything we have been through but why would he choose to hide this from me? What was the big deal that he couldn't tell me he needed to see someone at 2 am?Oh.Realization dawned on me and I kicked the ignition, I needed to get home,he could come out at any time and he was a better driver. I revved the engine and off I was. The road was free, everyone was at home
NICOLE “Ms. Nicole?" the little voice called out, unsure. I looked down and recognized Ellie, the little girl I had met at the art gallery previously.What was she doing out here alone?I grinned. "Hey, Ellie. We meet again. How are you?""I'm fine. I'm so happy to see you," she smiled brightly. That was when I noticed the frame she was holding, wrapped in brown paper."What are you doing here all by yourself?"She gestured to the frame she was holding. It was a wonder how she was able to carry it alone. "Oh, I came to donate this work of art.""Really? That's so thoughtful of you," I said, holding her hands in mine and helping her carry the painting. "Come on, let's go submit it, and after that, we can get some ice cream. How does that sound?""Perfect!" she cheered. Together, we walked to the front desk, and I assisted her in signing her name before we dropped off the painting.I was still surprised that a girl of her age could come all the way to the orphanage without a guardian.