"How bold of her.""She didn't even blink while stating this blatant lie.""Everyone knows that Mr. Reid's relatives don't come here.""And if they do, they'll use his private elevator from the parking lot.""Besides, I can't remember seeing her photo on the internet.""Everyone can detect Mr. Reid's relative at a glance.""And didn't he have only one cousin?""I know, right? He doesn't even have a sister for her to claim that she was one."While the loud gossip continued, the receptionist didn't try to force her smile anymore. "Ridiculous." She chuckled and shook her head. "Look here, Miss." She stared down at Hailey. "At least, two to three ladies appear often, claiming that they have a relationship with Mr. Reid. A majority of them claim to be his wife, while others claim to have intimate relationships with him. The bottom line is, everyone is vying to get his attention.""Yeah, the drama is neverending." One receptionist snickered."Now, I'll advice you to kindly leave quietly w
And an underground one at that. Relief washed over her and she covered her mouth to contain her excitement. Without waiting to think twice, Hailey glanced over her shoulder again before she headed down the underground parking lot. And she didn't walk for long. The heavy footsteps increased and also the voices.The voices sounded almost familiar, as if she'd heard them before, as she walked further into the place.The underground parking lot had wide roofing with several holes with light boring through them.While the outside was bright with the sun, this place looked as if it was nighttime. It was brightly illuminated. And there were not many cars in this area compared to the outside.Hailey followed the source of the noises, finding them more familiar as they got closer. Those heavy footsteps were that of men, and also the voices. And when she finally saw who they were, Hailey knew she had landed in the right place. A sigh of relief left her lips and she patted her chest. Pac
The employees were dressed neatly in their business wear. Everyone carried out their job with rapt focus. No one even noticed her. Until one employee almost bumped into her. Hailey was still standing in front of the elevator, looking around the place. She didn't see the lady walking across. "Forgive me, I didn't see you—" the lady tried to apologize but she instantly stopped in her words. "Did you just come out from there?" She looked between Hailey and the elevator. "Yeah," Hailey answered. "I would like to see Mr. Reid."The lady's mouth hung open and she kept on looking between Hailey and the elevator. "S–Sure." She broke out of her shock at last. "Follow me please, Ma'am. Mr. Reid's office is not far away."Again, Hailey sighed in relief. She thought the staff was going to reprimand her just like the receptionists. "Ma'am." The lady called Hailey's attention. Her eyes flashed with curiosity and her eyes darted around before she lowered her voice into a whisper. "You used Mr.
"I'm so sorry, Miss," she apologized while wracking her brain to remember where she had last seen the lady. She looked somehow familiar and Hailey had a hard time recalling their last encounter. The blonde lady blinked at Hailey, then she looked her up and down, her gaze lingering on Hailey's stomach. "N–No problem," she finally found her voice. "I should be the one to apologize." Confusion registered in her eyes. And she simply walked away without speaking further. In fact, it was as if she was running away from something. That had been the cause of their near-collision. Hailey glanced back at the lady, finding her action weird. What was she running away from?Anyways, she shoved her curiosity aside and faced the door which was now slightly opened. The lady did not close it after stepping out and almost bumping into Hailey. And Hailey didn't feel the need to knock anymore. If Kendrick was inside, he must have already been aware of her presence by now. He must have heard her v
"Meaning of what?" He scoffed and his glare returned. "Are you so stupid to not understand what it means?"Hailey's body weakened at his insult. She dropped the papers on his desk and sniffed. He was taking it too far. "I'm not stupid," she retorted. "You can't just propose a divorce out of nowhere without any reason. If something is bothering you, you have to calm down and think like a sane person. You didn't even come to see me at the hospital. You knew my condition yet you sent these damned papers."And Here Hailey was, trying to give herself every reason that something was amiss. That he would instantly regret his actions the moment he saw her. That she would meet him haggard and depressed. But contrary to that, he appeared as if he could walk on a red carpet, and he stared at her with so much hatred that she didn't know where that was coming from. "If you have any questions regarding the divorce, I'm sure you know where to find my lawyer." "To hell with your lawyer!" Hailey f
Hailey stared at him, in shock and horror. The diamond from the ring glinted against the light. In a flicker of seconds, the glint disappeared. The ring disappeared. Kendrick had tossed the ring out of the window. And he pushed her hard this time that her back hit the desk. A numbing pain spread through Hailey's back and gripped her waist. She bit her lips to keep up with the pain. She even shut her eyes.But the pain in her waist was nothing compared to the one in her heart. She would never have imagined that Kendrick would hurt her physically in his right mind. "S–Stop treating me like trash!" Hailey couldn't stand up straight. She had a feeling that if she did that, her waist was going to break. "That's exactly what you are." Kendrick grabbed her again. But this time, he didn't haul her against him. "A useless trash!" He added. And he no longer asked her to go out. He grabbed her bag with the other hand and headed for the door, dragging her along. "D–Don't do this to me, Ke
She hated his actions, but not him. And deep in her heart, she knew that she was never going to hate him. This new emotion was frightening. It terrified Hailey so much that she couldn't help but pity herself. Was she doomed to be this helpless?Her hand left her stomach and it wandered up to her heart. She felt her heartbeat, it was weak. It had only been active while she was standing in front of Kendrick. She dropped her hand and sighed. The sun would turn orange in a few hours. When it was time for Kendrick to leave work, she would be here waiting for him.And maybe, his anger would have subsided. If she was lucky, they would reconcile today and he would take her along with him to wherever he was living at the moment. The realization that she had been the cause of the mansion's destruction was disheartening. She had destroyed their home with her own hands, and she had destroyed her garden. Her poor garden. And now, apart from wanting Kendrick to understand that it wasn't her
She rubbed her eyes and yawned, her gaze wandering around the place in a daze.Damnit! She had slept off. "What are you still doing here? Didn't I warn you to go away?" It was the same security man from before. Hailey stood up and glanced around the area. Cars beeped from a distance. The streetlights shone brightly. And the sky was very dark. Also, not a single car was left in the parking lot. All the company's employees seemed to have gone home."Kendrick." Hailey gasped and started for the underground parking lot. Did Kendrick's car leave while was asleep? Oh, no. This was bad. "Are you even listening to me?" The security man bellowed. "This is your final warning. If you don't leave here, I will call the police to come get you."When Hailey glanced at the man's large wristwatch, the time read eleven PM. She picked up her pace and hurried to the underground parking lot, praying hard that Kendrick had not left.Despite that, Hailey was shocked to find the bodyguards in the park
Sharelene stood in a corner, watching everything unfold. The family was in a frenzy. She could only see fear in their eyes and hear the fright in their voices.As the staff wheeled Hailey out of the emergency room, a deafening silence fell upon the hallway. And Ken...He hadn't been himself since they came here. He hadn't been himself since a few days back when he learned Hailey was kidnapped. Neither would he speak to anyone, nor listen to those that tried to talk reason into him and advise him to take it rationally. Since a few days back, he was the complete opposite of the man she had met many years ago and had a second chance of getting close to again. The man that would always keep calm no matter the circumstances...He was nowhere to be found. Ken was completely different from that man she knew. In her mind, she'd almost gotten what she wanted... Or more specifically, what her family wanted. But now, staring down at the ring on her finger, it was as if the engagement neve
```````And every day, Kendrick lived in guilt. For the next several months, every minute of his life was consumed by guilt. It took him weeks to gain her mother's favor, and even months to regain her grandfather's. He would come back every day, hoping that her eyes would at least flutter. Her bump kept increasing at an alarming rate. His every day was filled with fear and trepidation. And one day, her eyes did flutter. He was supposed to feel joy, but not at a chance that more trouble loomed ahead. Her pregnancy was due and not a week after that, the babies arrived. His real fear resurfaced at that moment. The fear that they would never be able to hold their bundles of joy together. The fear that he would never get the chance to tell her that he loved her. However, she proved the doctors wrong, chasing away his fears. Now, staring down at the babies, her utmost gifts to him, Kendrick had never felt so much contented in his life. He'd never been able to wipe off his smile sin
***Kendrick paced in front of the Emergency Room. His heart was in his stomach and his hand never left his hair. It was as if she'd been inside there for hours now despite being wheeled in just now.No amount of self-reassurance could calm him. No one attempted to offer him reassuring words even. They've all been in the same dilemma.Her mother wouldn't stop crying and he couldn't find the heart to offer her those words he'd yearned so much to hear. Hadn't it all been his fault? Hailey was pregnant. How was that possible? When they arrived here, it was the first thing the nurses said after taking her vitals. But Kendrick still found it hard to digest.And the fact that the child would definitely turn out to be his only made him more confused. It made him angrier with himself. "Ken, what is going on here?" Rushed footsteps sounded in the hallway and he glanced sideways to find his parents as well as Sharelene. "What are you doing in this place? Is someone wounded?" Asked his f
~~~'Hailey.'Kendrick's hands trembled and his grip on the gun threatened to loosen. Staring up at the balcony where she was being held captive, he fought not to let the rage take over. The rage that became multifold the moment he sighted them dragging her here. Her body was limped. She looked worse than how she'd looked in the video. And an almost similar-looking lady, whose face was cascaded with tears, was being held at gunpoint beside her. Was that her mother? "Don't worry, Mr. Reid." Standing with them were the three shareholders. "She isn't dead yet. But she'll soon be, if you don't follow our commands."Mr. Weimar and the rest. Kendrick's assumption hadn't been wrong. They had a hand in this. "Already, you've broken one of our rules," scoffed one of them. "We thought we told you to come alone. Coming here with your friend is like seeking more trouble. Will Mr. Carter be competent enough to fend for himself?""Shit! Buddy, these stupid old fools are underestimating me," De
***"Hailey, listen to me!" Rob grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look up. "This is important, you have to take it."Nothing was more important to Hailey right now than getting away from him. Not only did she fear these drugs he had brought her, but she also feared the way his demeanor had changed ever since he returned with them.Of course, even if Rob was really trying to save her, there was no way she was going to cooperate with him.Yesterday, he'd secretly taken her blood, waking her up. And he returned this morning, looking agitated and somehow angry at her. "Hailey!" Rob's hold became tighter. "You must take these drugs immediately. I can't get you out here if you don't. Please, Hailey." He softened his voice. "Just take the damned drugs, you'll feel better. We both will feel better.""What exactly is wrong with you?" Her mother's voice faded in the background. "Leave her alone, she doesn't want to take them. Please I'm begging you, don't torment her any further."While he
Maniac.Hailey lifted her hand weakly to send a slap across his face, but her hand went limp and fell mid-way."M–Murderer." She pushed his chest. "Just go, leave me alone.""Hailey." Footsteps approached the room and Rob said frantically, "Please hold on." He touched her forehead. "You're sick. I'll get someone to treat you. I'll get you out, I promise."Then he sprang to his feet and left, closing the door behind him. Hailey was left wondering how such lunatics could be left wandering among normal people. She sniffed and waddled back into her mother's embrace. How blind had she been to associate with these kinds of people in the past?And how could she put a stop to these endless noises and intense headaches? She didn't want to remember? She didn't want to recall whatever they had shared in the past. ***'Ken, you have to save me. These strange men have captured me and they won't release me until you come. If you don't come alone, Ken, they're going to kill me and my Mum.'Kendric
...The hours dragged on, and from the tiny cracks in the wall, it seemed night had come. Still in her mother's embrace, Hailey shut her eyes to keep up with that pain.Both hands were wrapped around her stomach and she'd shiver now and then. As much as she'd like sleep to overtake her, it didn't. The exhaustion weighing her down didn't let her achieve that. The exhaustion caused by the aches all over her body. Her head pounded constantly, the voices also became louder each time she was left to her thoughts. Those hallucinations were neverending, and very soon she was afraid that they'd burst out, damaging more parts of her brain.The darkness slowly disappeared and the creaking sound of the door made her aware that morning had come. Another day of torture and pain."Hey, wake up!"Before cold water or anything worse could be splashed on her, Hailey leaned away from her mother's embrace who was also awake."Take your food!" The man burly man threw a food box and a water bottle at them
***"Ken, you have to save me. These strange men have captured me and they won't release me until you come. If you don't come alone, Ken, they're going to kill me and my Mum. They have laid traps for you, Ken—"Hailey was cut shut by a hard slap across her face. Bound to a chair with ropes, cold water was splashed on her face. She licked the side of her lips, tasting the metallic liquid; the only thing that kept her from fainting."Damnit! Woman. I told you to leave the trap part out! Are you deaf or what!?" The man holding a camera in front of her shouted. "Now, let's take another video. You will say everything you were asked to.""Stop wasting your time, Man," the portly man said and walked forward. "I don't think this lady is willing to cooperate.""I told you she's a stubborn one," Chloe scoffed from a corner."Now listen to me, Young lady." The portly man approached her and lifted her chin. "If you keep acting this way, we can't fulfill our promise to you. Give us your cooperation
***"Buddy, this is serious. How could she just disappear into thin air? Is there a chance that they're hidden somewhere in this city?"This city? Probably not. Kendrick had turned the whole city upside down. He'd deployed every force he could think of. They'd searched everywhere; every warehouse, every dilapidated building. There was no sign of them. It had been three days and there wasn't any traces of them. He'd driven to the cemetery that day, hoping more than anything that she hadn't spent the night there. And his prayers turned out to work. Only that, what actually happened was worse than spending a night in the cemetery. The sight of her phone by the cemetery gates was all he needed to know that something bad had happened. She was abducted. And there was still no traces of the suspects. Her sister and that guy. "Damnit! This is all screwed up." Devon paced for a while before sitting on the couch. "You didn't tell me you've taken her back. You never should have allowed her