"So, what do you want then?" She whispered."What do you think I want from you?" He continued with his food, and Orla briefly looked at him."I don't know what you want, Callan." She was getting tense and was almost out of words."Kind payments are allowed. Kisses and orgasms." He blurted out and this time, Orla choked on her food. "Are you good?" He handed her water. She snatched the glass from him and downed the content at a go.When Orla glared at him, he threw his head backwards and burst into laughter. "Really? Kisses and orgasms?" "Better payments than cash, don't you think?" He smirked, still laughing."Huh, I will think about it." She shifted uncomfortably on the chair, eyes on everything in the dining aside from Callan. After observing everything, out of the blue, she asked. "Why don't you have a maid here?""A maid?" He smiled, "I don't think I need one." He said thoughtfully."You didn't think you needed one before we got married?" Her plate was almost empty now. Callan w
A month had swiftly passed. A whole month without abhorrence towards Orla, a month of tranquil cohabitation.The amity between Orla and Callan remained unaffected. Instead, it grew better and stronger with each day that passed by.The truth of it was that it was Unexpectedly sweet and still unbelievable to Orla. Callan had transformed into the sweetest human she'd ever met in her entire lifetime. He was so sweet sometimes she feared he would turn stale if she tasted more of his sweetness.She was cuddled up in his arms on the bed. They both were asleep after spending the night watching a family soap opera but Orla was stirring in her sleep and Callan was yet to notice that.The nightmares were back after months. It was funny how she always thought she was over them whenever they didn't occur for months."Orla, you do not deserve happiness." The same little girl that always appeared in her dreams asserted in a low voice. Her bleary eyes were swollen and she desperately scratched them.
Callan halted, conscientiously drawing out his lips from hers. He heard her right, but at that instant, he felt the need to eyeball her and study her visage to be sure that she wasn't joking."I want you." She repeated, her cheeks heating up with lecherous temerity.Silently, her eyes called for him, every part of her body yearned for his touch. He studied her face longer than he should. Her shoulders tensed as they ogled each other and Callan vividly spotted the desperation in her innocent eyes. She did want him, so badly."I don't think you do." He chose that moment to tease her.Orla kissed her teeth, glaring down at Callan. The corner of his lips had twitched into a nasty smirk. She grabbed it, he must be fucking with her.She delayed her response because nothing seemed to come to her as she directed her eyes back at her husband. Twenty seconds later, they were still staring at each other. She was lost for words and Callan took pleasure in watching her search for the words to s
"Anything to make me feel good." She responded."As a repayment of what you did to me, right?""Maybe better. I didn't do that well." Callan smiled slyly. His lips met with hers in a gentle kiss that kindled the fire in her soul. Everything went still, her mind went numb, all she could see and wanted to see and know then was half naked Callan and her in their world, kissing and doing other nasty things that would make her moan until her legs were quivering and she was taking a trip to a place beyond paradise.Huskily, Callan said. "Strip, Orla. I want to watch you take this robe off your body." He let go of her, moving a little to the side to have a proper view of her as she stripped the robe off her body."Take your time, I want to relish this moment." Orla nodded. Her shaky hands gripped the belt and briskly took it off her body. Although Callan told her to take her time, she couldn't help but to speed up. She wanted him before he changed his mind. Callan was unpredictable and sh
The night was young and cold. The water tides rippled in the pool, aggressively whacking Orla's exposed feet.She shuddered, the chillness of the night causing goosebumps to sprinkle all over her skin.Both of them were perched on the coping of the swimming pool in their mansion, eyes fixated on the moon that was densely setting in the sky that night.The stars were beautifully lined up, making it a sensational sight for them to view. Orla dangled her feet in the cold water, head naturally resting on Callan's hard chest."I'm freezing, Callan." She murmured, audible enough for him to hear.He drew her closer, draping the towel in his hand around her shoulders. The material veiled her skin coolly. After a long day, she had proposed that they spend time in the pool that night but never swimming. She wasn't certain she could, not after what had happened to her.Callan protested against the idea, but she pleaded with him. She had never been to a poolside since that afternoon, thinking she
"No, it isn't. And your family is barbarous for venting their anger on you these past years. You didn't kill your sister and mother. You just happened to be the only one with her when she died, you were young and couldn't do anything to save her. It was not your fault, it wasn't.""They don't understand that." She placed her head on his chest, sobbing hard. "It hurts that she left very early. Callan, we had plans, we had so much to do together. She even told me about a boy she liked, crazy, right? A seven-year-old liking a boy? She was so full of life—but it ended in a flash…Even before I could control it, she died.""She's resting well. It's been a whole lot of years, you should move on and live your life to the fullest. You can do the things you planned to do with her now, that way she'd be forever grateful to you." Callan pressed her hand gently, smiling at her.Orla bought his idea, but she didn't think Isla would ever be happy with her. "She'd never be happy with me. She appears
Pizza was disastrous. Roast chicken was not appropriately seasoned. Macaroni and Cheese turned out to be entirely different from how it should be, and now, the Stir-Fried rice Orla served on the plate in front of Callan looked like a death warrant.After two weeks of taking cooking lessons from Callan and she was still this horrible, Callan was convinced that cooking was not her thing and she might never be good at it.He had taken out time to coach her after office work everyday, and sometimes when he worked from home, they spent most of the hours of the day in the kitchen, but she always prepared poison whenever he left her to practice.Batting her long eyelashes, she adjusted the apron around her neck and smiled mischievously. She wasn't doing this intentionally, she was trying to make his efforts and hers count, but the food kept coming out badly."I dedicated more time to this. You should try it out.""Orla, sit." Motioning to the chair next to him, he outstretched his hand towa
"Now I see—" she curtailed her steps, her eyes disdainfully flickering between Callan and Orla. "the reason you've decided to waste your life away—" With arms akimbo, she stood in front of them. "Mom," things were sour between them the last time he visited for the annual family meeting. After that, he had knowingly avoided her for weeks and seeing her in his house without prior notice was startling. Elizabeth rarely visited him in the house, he'd rather go to hers. Flouting Orla's presence after the glance, Elizabeth turned to her son. "It's because of this piece of—" "Stop right there, Mom!" Callan held out a hand to hush his mother. His eyes were glinting with irritation, and his body shuddered. He could take this in the past, but not anymore. Anyone who disrespected his wife was now his prey and he'd mercilessly trample on them. Elizabeth scoffed, clasping her hands in concussion. Her son never shut her up in the middle of a sentence. What was with this new Callan? "Don't ta
Arnold Sullivan brought his car to a halt as soon as he arrived at the grand Barlowe mansion. He lingered in the driver's seat, his fingers tapping nervously on the steering wheel, his mind drifting back to the days before Orla's misfortunes began. Orla had been a sweetheart, always cheerful and kind-hearted, and he had loved her and Isla deeply. Arnold replayed countless memories, trying to pinpoint the moment when everything changed, when his trust faltered, and he was quick to judge Orla without giving her a fair chance. The weight of guilt bore down on him like a heavy cloak; he had wronged her in ways that gnawed at his conscience.And he wasn’t certain there would be a chance for reconciliation. Orla allowed him to be close to his grandchildren, but she didn’t give him the chance to be close to her again.He was still lost in thought when he spotted the nanny approaching with the twins. They wiggled their heads, clearly excited to see what he had brought for them. Arnold smiled
"Oh, this is amazing. So amazing. Never thought I would be doing this today." Callan's smile widened, his eyes drifting over the eager crowd, their faces alight with anticipation as they awaited the announcement. The buzz of their excitement filled the air, amplifying the significance of the moment. Callan's heart pounded with pride and love as he stepped forward, the spotlight warm on his face."The award for the architect with the most outstanding design this year goes to the woman of my dreams," he began, his voice strong and clear. "The woman who made me believe in love, my woman, the essence of my life." He paused, savoring the crescendo of emotions surging through him. "Orla Barlowe, my wife, the beautiful mother of our beautiful children.”The crowd erupted into applause, the sound like a wave crashing over him. Callan's gaze found Orla, standing at the edge of the stage, her eyes shining with disbelief and joy. "Please, let’s give her a round of applause as she rocks the sta
Four years later,“Isla and Leor, you two need to stay put. Daddy will be here soon," Isla cautioned her rambunctious twins. They had been darting around the hall ever since they arrived at the event that evening. A pang of regret almost hit her for bringing them along, but with their nanny having left two days ago, she had no other choice. "Please, you two, listen to me," she pleaded, her voice rising as she saw Isla making a beeline for the podium again. Isla, the more mischievous of the twins, was always leading her brother into some new escapade."Mommy, I want the shimmers," Isla insisted, crossing her arms and sitting beside her mother, tears glistening in her large hazel eyes. An idea suddenly brightened her expression, and she hastily wiped away her tears. "Daddy will get it for me. I'll tell Daddy to get me the shimmers," she declared, a broad smile spreading across her face as she swung her legs excitedly against the chair.“Me too, I want the shimmers.” Leor chirped in with
The tears that welled up in his eyes cascaded down his cheeks before he realized it. Callan had been gazing at Orla for five minutes, and he had yet to decide on what to do.Her radiant smile, the soft cries of their newborn twins—one embraced by the doctor, the other nestled protectively in Orla's grip, like she didn't want to ever let go—softened his heart.Orla looked at him, her smile inciting him to come forward, and without hesitation, he stepped closer."Congratulations, Mr. Barlowe," the doctor beamed, passing the baby into his waiting arms. "He looks so much like you, and the girl too.""They are so cute, but it's so sad they look exactly like you after ten months of carrying them," Orla remarked, her gaze fixed on her baby girl. "She's so cute."Callan sat next to her, his baby in his hand. "They are so beautiful. So beautiful I don't know what to say now."Orla noticed tears welling in his eyes for the second time that day. She had shed her tears upon seeing their twins for
The portable garden, the flowers, and the blue and pink wall decorations were all aesthetically giving a vibe. Gender reveals vibes. Orla scowled. They agreed not to do a gender reveal for their twins, but it seemed like Callan had deceived her. "Callan," she whispered, clutching his hands. She recognized a few people as she walked down with her husband. Rosa was present, it'd been a while since she saw her. Liam was there too, his arms wrapped around Rosa's waist. Orla smiled, wondering if they were a thing. Elizabeth was there, she had made up with Callan and Orla, and she'd been the best mother-in-law to her. Her sisters who weren't in jail were present, but Orla chose to keep to herself. She still didn't understand what was going on. The sheepish smile on Callan's face made it very impossible for her to even guess what was going on around her. "Callan, what's happening here?" She asked, but he didn't give a response. He was satisfied that he was able to bring her out of the ho
They were on the news again.Their pretty faces were displayed on the hundred inch Laser TV in the living room.Orla watched her helpless sisters, all in cuffs.They were on the news as always, but this time, it was for something inimical. She watched them with bleary eyes, wishing they had never trodden that path that almost crumbled her life for years.Now, they were everywhere, wallowing in shame as lights from a hundred cameras flashed on their faces, capturing them to display to the world that they killed their sister and mother.Three Daughters of Arnold Sullivan Are Murderers. The news headline was displeasing, not anything that Arnold would ever be proud of. All he had worked for all his life was about to collapse because of the scandal. But he started it, he charged them to court. He must have thought of it and was ready to lose everything before thinking that sending his daughters to jail was the best decision to make."What's the final judgment?" Orla asked Callan. She ha
Five Months LaterEmotionally, things had gotten a lot better with Orla. Though she was still trying to let her mind off the pain her family had caused her, she didn't let her feelings override her anymore.She hadn't forgiven her sisters, especially now that Arnold had decided to sue the three sisters who were involved in the death cases.She had no idea why he was doing that now, but no matter what he did, she knew things would never be right between them. She had ignored several calls for him to see her. There was no point in doing that after all these years. He made it clear to her that he'd forever hate her, Orla wanted it that way—for him to forever loathe her. There was no point in patching things up because there were no pieces to pick up. He had shattered everything a long time ago.She was dabbing her face with the small foam, getting ready for the visit to the hospital that morning.Her baby bump was already visible now, and she and Callan had to get acquainted with some n
When they settled in the car, Orla burst into intractable loud sobs. "How can anyone be so wicked, Callan? How can Mia be so wicked?"For a minute, Callan got drowned in the sea of thoughts. He wondered what would have happened if he had listened to his mother, and chose Mia that day they visited Arnold Sullivan's mansion. This day would never come up, Orla would never be vindicated, she would still live in distress, and he just knew he would never love Mia as much as he loved Orla.Relief washed through him for his choice. No one would have been better."How do you feel?" He asked her, taking her hands in his. A habit he was now used to and didn't want to ever stop."I don't know what and how to feel, Callan. I don't want to be a part of that family anymore." She shook her head, dejected. "They made me believe I was a murderer all along. How could they be so wicked to gaslight a young girl into believing that she killed her sister? Just how?""Don't get yourself worked up. I have al
Sophia's eyes roved the living room until they finally settled on Orla. "Dad," her voice cracked. "Speak up, Sophia!" Arnold ordered, his tone brusque. "Mia did," she glimpsed the tremor that smacked everyone, and she wasn't too surprised. She anticipated that. "Mia was the only one with Isla that afternoon, and she was the one who told us to change the narrative." Arnold scoffed, "Nonsense," Orla soldered where she was seated. She knew Mia hated her so much, but she never thought that she would do something like that. "Sick! You're Insane, Sophia! What evidence do you have against me? How dare you accuse me of killing my sister?" Mia flared up, her eyes simmering with rage. She rushed towards Sophia ready to hit her, but Emma went after her, dissuading her. "I was there too. I am the evidence that we all need, Mia. I was there with Sophia that day, you cajoled us into lying about the whole thing, and we did because we wanted to obey you. Their other sisters remained in their s