I shook my head, holding tight on his shirt, not wanting to let go. “You don’t know... Ben will do anything to get what he wants,” I sobbed, feeling a sense of dread wash over me. “He will stop at nothing to get to me.”“Hailey,” Hollis said softly, pulling me closer for a hug, his arms wrapped tightly around me, “we will figure this out together.”I shook my head, my body shaking with fear. “You don’t know, he is dangerous,” I said, tears running down my face as Hollis broke the hug and wiped my tears away. “Look at me, Hailey,” Hollis said firmly, his eyes locking with mine. “I will protect you, no matter what it takes. You are not alone in this.” I took a deep breath, feeling a glimmer of hope amidst the fear that consumed me.I stare into his eyes, finding comfort in his unwavering determination to stand by my side. “What if he hurt Summer and Max or you?” I said because the thought of someone getting hurt because of men was unbearable.Hollis squeezed my hand reassuringly. “I hir
“Will you...” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as I looked up at him with hope in my eyes. “Anything for you,” he replied softly, his eyes full of compassion making my heart pound with emotions that I couldn’t quite identify. Hollis leaned in and kissed my forehead before pulling me close, enveloping me in his warmth and love. With him by my side, I felt safe and at peace, ready to drift off into a peaceful slumber.Seeing him act like this makes my heart swell with gratitude and love, knowing that I had found someone who truly cared for me. The weight of the world seemed to lift off my shoulders in that moment, replaced by a sense of comfort and contentment.I slide a little on the bed, trying to make whatever little space in this tiny hospital bed for him to join me. “You can lie down next to me,” I whispered, feeling his presence soothing my worries and fears.Hollis stared at my face rather than at the space beside me, a small smile playing on his lips. “Won’t that be unc
It’s the nurse, holding a tray of medications and a knowing smile on her face. “Time for your morning meds,” she says with a wink, breaking the tension in the room.I turn my head to Hollis, who is still with me on my bed, and we share a knowing look before Hollis gets up from the bed and walks over to the nurse to take the medication, handing it to me.“You both are so in love,” the nurse chuckles as she hands the water to Hollis. “It’s nice to see such a strong bond, but the bed is too small for both of you,” she adds, glancing around the cramped hospital room.“It is not like that.” I interrupted with my face red from embarrassment. “He is not my partner.” I quickly clarified, feeling flustered by the nurse’s assumption. Hollis gripped my hand, squeezing it. “Yes, I am her fiancé; we are getting married soon,” he interjected, looking at me with a warning glance. “Congratulations on your marriage and the baby,” the nurse smiles warmly before excusing herself to give the couple some
I watch Hailey leave, and the car disappears around the corner, feeling a sense of emptiness wash over me. The sound of the engine fades into the distance, leaving me alone with my thoughts.I sighed as I made my way to my car, with my mind running through all the memories of our time together. I knew deep down that things would never be the same.I stare at the road ahead of me, with only one thought running through my mind: Why do I feel so much for her when I know deep down it can never work out?Why do you care about her when she is not one to me? Why do her tears and her pain affect me so deeply? It’s a question I can’t seem to shake as I drive away, the weight of unspoken words heavy on my heart.“Hailey…” I mumbled her name as my tongue rolled over the familiar syllables. The memories of our time together flood my mind, leaving me with a sense of longing and regret. Why did I allow myself to hug to comfort her and even sleep with her in the same bed? This is not like me. I can’
The car came to a halt, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of Hollis Mansion, feeling a mix of anger and betrayal. Why? I don’t know, but I knew that I needed to protect my heart to fall for his kindness and charm again, knowing that it was all just a facade for his own benefit.“Miss Hailey…,” The driver walked me to the front door, his expression sympathetic but his eyes revealing a knowing look. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever awaited me inside.As soon as I stepped in, the two arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a warm embrace that I couldn’t resist.I look down, a big smile plastered on my face upon seeing Summer, who has her head burrowing her head into my stomach, her presence instantly melting away the tension and uncertainty I had been feeling. “I missed you so much,” she whispered, her voice filled with genuine affection.“I missed you too...” I replied, ruffling her hair affectionately. Summer’s embrace was exactly after such emotional turm
“Oh my, what do I see?” I heard a similar but annoying voice interrupting our moment of bliss.I sifted my position, making myself sit straight, staring at the woman who had just walked into the room. “What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone slightly defensive. The woman simply smirked and replied, “Just checking in on my favorite little ones. Don’t mind me.” She leaned in to touch Maax, but I quickly reached out to block her, my protective instincts kicking in. “Please don’t touch them without permission,” I said firmly.The woman’s smirk faded slightly, but she nodded and backed away, still watching us with a knowing glint in her eyes. “Acting like a mother when you’re not even their real parent,” she muttered under her breath before turning and walking out of the room, leaving me feeling uneasy and on edge.I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her presence than she was letting on. “What are you doing, Casandra?” I asked as Summer and Max hid behind me, sensing the
I stare at Hailey as she walks inside the room before I turn my head back to the bunch of hyenas, my so-called family, who are ready to pounce on me with their sharp words and judgmental stares.“What are you guys doing here, and who allowed you to come in?” I demand, my voice filled with a mix of annoyance and frustration. The tension in the room is palpable as they exchange glances, clearly not expecting my sudden outburst.The old man slammed his walking stick on the ground, causing a loud echo to fill the room. “You don’t tell where I can and cannot go in my own estate,” he growls, his eyes narrowing at me.I step in, staring at the old man, not giving in to his intimidating demeanor. “This is the house that I brought from my own money, not a part of your so-called estate,” I assert firmly, refusing to back down in the face of his aggression.The room falls silent as we lock eyes, both refusing to concede.“You can’t talk to Dad like this?” my so-called uncle interjects, his face
“Summer!” I shouted, seeing her running inside her room and locking the door behind her.I blame myself for not being able to protect her from this painful truth.I turn my head towards the group of people who are the reason for the rift between us, feeling a mix of anger and regret.“Are you guys happy now?” The room fell silent as guilt washed over them, realizing the damage they had caused. I knew then that repairing the relationship with my daughter would be a long and difficult journey.“This is the reason I don’t like you guys in my life,” I said firmly, feeling a sense of determination to make things right with my daughter. “You people only know how to cause chaos and hurt those you claim to care about.”“Hollis,” the old man interrupted, anger flashing in his eyes. “Is that how you treat those who have raised you and cared for you all these years?”“You didn’t raise me nor care for me; I was left to fend for myself while you were off causing trouble,” I retorted, feeling the w
Hollis couldn’t breathe.The weight of his guilt pressed down on him, suffocating him with every breath he tried to take. His chest felt tight, as if the air had turned thick and heavy, and no matter how deeply he inhaled, it wasn’t enough. His hands trembled, clenching into fists at his sides, but the shaking wouldn’t stop. It was as if his body was betraying him, revealing the truth he couldn’t escape.The words he had spoken still lingered in the room, each syllable like a stone in his chest. "I killed her."He wanted to look away from the reflection of his misery in the window, but it was too much. His vision blurred, and his heart ached with a rawness that felt endless. He had spent so long trying to bury it—the guilt, the pain, the truth. He’d told himself that if he just kept moving and kept putting one foot in front of the other, it would eventually fade. But it didn’t. It never would.His voice cracked, hoarse from the strain of holding back tears. “I thought... I thought if
Hollis couldn’t breathe. He leaned against the doorframe, his chest tight, his breath shallow, like he was drowning in a sea of guilt that was rising faster than he could ever hope to escape.The weight of the words hung between them—"I killed her."His eyes burned as they blurred with tears that never seemed to fall. But the ache—the unbearable, unshakable ache deep in his chest—never went away. He had thought if he buried it enough, maybe he wouldn’t feel it. If he didn’t look too closely at the truth, maybe he could pretend that he wasn’t a monster. That he didn’t have blood on his hands.But that was all he ever felt now—the blood. The guilt that wrapped around him like a noose. And no matter how much he tried to push it away, no matter how hard he tried to keep his distance from everyone, especially his children, the truth was there. It was always there.His voice cracked as he forced himself to speak again, though every word was a struggle, like he was choking on his own guilt.
****Hailey****The air in the house was suffocating, pressing in from all sides like a heavy weight on my chest. I hadn’t expected to feel like this. I hadn’t expected anything, really. Hollis had walked out, leaving behind nothing but the echo of his words that hung in the air like a storm cloud. And I knew, in the pit of my stomach, that something had broken. But it wasn’t just my heart.It was everything.I sank into the couch, clutching a pillow to my chest, as if it could somehow shield me from the storm swirling inside me. Every breath felt shallow, every thought like it was coated in the sharp sting of the past few hours. What had just happened? What had I learned? Hollis’s grandfather—his presence had been like a blade, cutting through the walls I’d built around myself, leaving me exposed and raw. His words still echoed in my mind, cutting deeper with each passing second. And then that smile. That knowing, cold smile.It wasn’t just what he said. It was how he made me feel—lik
****Hailey****The air was thick with tension as I stood frozen in the doorway. The man on the porch didn’t belong in this world of warm lights and soft edges. His presence felt sharp, jagged, and entirely unwelcome.Hollis’s grandfather.He stood there, tall and unyielding, his sharp features chiseled with an air of authority that made my chest tighten. His piercing eyes swept over me with something too calculating to be mere curiosity.“Hailey,” he said, my name rolling off his tongue like a dark promise. “We need to talk."The words lodged in my throat as Hollis stepped in front of me, his broad shoulders blocking the older man from my view. The tension in his body was palpable, coiling like a spring about to snap.“You’re not welcome here,” Hollis growled, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down my spine.The older man chuckled, a sound that seemed to carry years of malice. “Is that any way to greet your family, boy?"“You’re not my family,” Hollis spat, his words cutting l
*****Hailey****The car hummed softly beneath us, the road slipping by in a blur of lights and shadows. My mind was still foggy from the meds, exhaustion dragging me under, but as we left the hospital behind, everything felt too sharp, too real. I was going home. But nothing about this home felt like it did before.Hollis sat beside me, his hand barely touching mine but enough to ground me. He hadn’t said much since we left the hospital. His silence was a weight that sat heavy between us, but I didn’t need him to speak. I knew he was thinking the same thing I was—about the life that had been torn apart, about the cracks we couldn’t fix. The questions that had no answers yet.The drive felt endless, the world outside blending together in a haze, like I was stuck in two worlds at once—one that nearly destroyed me and the one I was supposed to return to. I wasn’t the same person who’d left, and neither was he. Neither were his kids.When we finally pulled into the driveway, I could feel
****Hollis****The room was quiet—almost too quiet—except for the steady beep of the heart monitor beside the bed. It felt like the world outside had stopped, leaving just the two of us in this small, sterile space. Hailey was asleep, her chest rising and falling with each breath, but there was still a hint of tension in her face. I could see it, even in her sleep—the weight of everything that had happened, the unspoken pain that clung to her like a shadow. I couldn’t stop looking at her, though. Every time I thought about what she’d been through, it made something inside me tighten. This room had become both a sanctuary and a prison. In a way, I didn’t want it to end. But I knew it had to. She was about to be discharged. And that meant everything would be real again. Real in a way I wasn’t ready for. Lying with her in this small hospital bed, I wished I could freeze time and protect her from the world outside these walls. But I knew she was strong enough to face whatever came next
*****Hollis*****The hospital room was heavy, suffocating with silence that cut sharper than any scream. Hailey hadn’t spoken much since the day we lost everything. She stayed curled on her side, her back to me, staring at the wall like it held answers to questions she couldn’t voice.I sat beside her bed, my elbows resting on my knees, watching her. I didn’t say anything. She wouldn’t respond even if I did. But the weight in her eyes, the sharp edges of grief and rage, were deafening.Finally, she stirred, her voice breaking the quiet.“He did this."I straightened in my chair, her words slicing through the thick air between us.“Ben,” she said, her voice trembling with anger that barely held back the tears. “He took everything from me. My baby. My peace. Everything I fought to rebuild."Her hands clenched the blanket so tightly that her knuckles went white. When she turned her head to face me, the look in her eyes hit me like a freight train.“I hate him,” she hissed. “I hate that I
***Hailey****The room was suffocating, every breath tinged with the sterile sting of antiseptic, every corner thick with the oppressive weight of loss. I couldn’t seem to escape the constant hum of the machines, the feeling that time was moving, but I was stuck, suspended in a moment that stretched on forever. But then, a small voice cut through the quiet, a voice that always made my heart race with love.“Mommy?”It wasn’t just the sound of her voice that broke the stillness, but the urgency, the concern, the love. I snapped my head toward the door, and there she was—Summer. My little girl, her face framed by the doorway, her big brown eyes wide with worry. She was so small, yet she carried the weight of the world in those eyes. And right behind her, waddling with all the grace of a two-year-old, was Max, holding onto her hand like he didn’t quite know what was going on but was determined to follow her anyway.Summer’s eyes found mine instantly, and without a moment’s hesitation, sh
*****Hollis*****The soft click of the hospital door closing behind us barely registered in my mind. Hailey was sitting there, the pale hospital gown draped over her, her once vibrant eyes now dulled by grief and exhaustion. I couldn’t bear to see her like this, broken in a way that words could never quite describe. The pain that etched itself into her face, the way her body trembled as if it were carrying the weight of a thousand storms—it shattered me.I sat beside her, my heart aching at every flicker of emotion that passed across her face. She didn’t want the soup, I could tell. Her body, still recovering from the trauma, wasn’t ready to take in anything, but I needed her to eat. She needed to feel some kind of comfort, something to counter the all-consuming grief that had taken over. But I knew better than to push too hard. Hailey was not the kind of woman who could be forced into anything, especially when she was struggling like this.“Just one more spoonful,” I coaxed softly, t