I left the canteen immediately, feeling overwhelmed by the fact that they were all gossiping about me. The thought of a whole group of girls tearing me apart was unbearable, and I just couldn’t handle it. As I made my way back to the office, I began to realize it wasn’t just them; nearly all the workers were whispering about my skirt and how much of a turn-off I was. With every step I took, I could hear laughter and see people pointing, and it felt like the entire room was focused on me, mocking me. I was so consumed by embarrassment that I didn’t even notice when my coffee and bagel slipped from my hands and fell to the ground. I rushed toward the elevator, pressing the button frantically. When the doors finally opened, I was met by two men who had smirks on their faces. But as they looked at me, they burst into laughter, and I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I quickly turned away, walking as fast as I could to the restroom, where I finally found a moment to be alone and collect m
My heart never stopped racing, each beat echoing the panic swirling in my mind. It felt as if my soul was slipping away, overwhelmed by a storm of thoughts that hovered relentlessly above me. I couldn’t contain the thoughts in my mind or even comprehend what I needed to do. The teacher's words kept swirling in my mind, heavy and making it extremely difficult for me to focus. Uncontrollable tears started welling up in my eyes and In a moment of sheer urgency, I bolted out of the restroom, no longer caring about the hushed whispers and curious glances that trailed behind me. I wouldn’t bother about what my coworkers were saying about me anymore, at this point all that mattered to me was Ariana; I needed to be there for her and make sure that she was alright.I couldn't allow myself to dwell on what might have happened to her. My mind was a cacophony, so loud that I didn’t even notice the amount of tears pooling in my eyes until they spilled over, cascading down my cheeks as I broke dow
~ THEO’S POVI saw tears streaming down her face, and even though I had been waiting for this moment since the day she hurt me, witnessing her pain shattered my heart which just seemed crazy to me because that is exactly what I wanted, I had longed to see her in tears just the way I was, I had longed to see her in pain just the way I was but now that I finally caused her pain, it feels hollow; watching her cry felt like my life crumbled right in front of me, and I just stood there, helpless, doing absolutely nothing about it.I should have done something, as a matter of fact, I wanted to do something, I wanted to reach out and help her, to make sure she was okay, to wrap her in comfort and support. I felt this deep urge to ease her suffering, but my soul fought against it. How could I help the person who had caused me so much hurt? Yet, in the depths of my heart, I felt an overwhelming desire to be there for her, to soothe her pain and let her know she wasn’t alone and I could do anyt
~ LAURA’S POVI twirled my thumbs on each other to ease my nervousness while I waited for the doctor to come out and give me the updates. I arrived at the hospital a few minutes ago, but I couldn’t see Ariana since she was being treated. The waiting room was filled with the faint hum of fluorescent lights and the occasional rustle of paper from the nurses' station. I could hear snippets of conversations around me, but they felt distant as if I were in a bubble of my own thought desperately hoping that Ariana was gonna be okay. I can’t afford for anything to happen to her. I shifted in my seat, trying to distract myself from the worry that gnawed at me. The clock on the wall seemed to tick louder with each passing second, amplifying my anxiety. I replayed the frantic phone call that had brought me here, the panic in Ariana's teacher's voice echoing in my mind and how desperate she sounded- the thought of that added to my worry making me even more uncomfortable. Just then, I heard som
The moment I settled into the chair in the doctor's office, his piercing gaze locked onto mine as he asked a question that made my heart plummet. "Is your daughter being abused?""What do you mean by that?" I questioned, my voice laced with confusion and a hint of defensiveness."Please don’t get so defensive about this; I’m just doing my job," he said, trying to maintain a professional demeanor."I understand, but what makes you think she’s being abused?" I pressed, my heart pounding as dread filled my chest. The thought of Christian possibly abusing Ariana was unbearable. I had dedicated my life to protecting her since the day she was born, and the fear of discovering I had failed her was overwhelming.The doctor continued, "Well, she’s five years old, she got drunk, and there’s a bruise on her forehead. Those two factors, lead me to two troubling questions: is she being abused, or is your home just a bad environment for her?""My daughter is not being abused," I replied, my voice s
~ THEO’S POVShe didn’t come to work today. Not that I’ve been waiting for her to show up, but it’s strange that she’s just not here, and I can’t help but wonder what’s going on. I already know it’s not just about the teasing because if it were, she would eventually come back or at least say something about it. But she hasn’t, and it feels like she just disappeared without a trace.I’ve been glued to my computer for over an hour now, and while I’m trying to focus on my tasks, I keep hoping to see an email from her explaining why she missed work, but nothing has come through. Maybe she’s caught up with something important, but how can she be so busy that she completely forgets about the job she begged for? It just doesn’t add up. Laura wants this job so bad and I expect her to be here or at least call to tell me why she isn’t at work but none of that happened. It’s just bugging me and I can’t help but wonder what is going on. Could she be sick? Well if she was sick, she could have sti
The music was blasting in my ears, drowning out my thoughts, while the decorations shimmered and twinkled in a way that felt overwhelming. I couldn’t shake this feeling of utter annoyance. I really hated parties, and the fact that I was the one hosting this chaos was driving me up the wall. Tamara was so lucky she was my little sister; if she weren’t, there was no way I’d have let her throw a party at my house.It was eight PM, and I was supposed to be journaling and winding down for the night, but there I was, stuck walking around and trying to make small talk with a bunch of strangers. Seriously, I just wanted this party to end so my house could return to the peaceful sanctuary it usually was.I made an effort to smile at the people who greeted me, but it felt forced, especially since I was surrounded by a bunch of rowdy teenagers. I really didn’t want to be there at all. My gaze wandered around the room, taking in the scene. I had already warned Tamara about no drugs, so I was hopi
The rain poured relentlessly as I pulled up a few blocks away from Laura’s house, the windshield wipers working overtime to clear my view. I sat there, contemplating whether I should just go in or stay put. I really wanted to check on her, to see how she was doing and if everything was okay—not that I cared about her, but my curiosity was getting the better of me. Yet, at the same time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe it wasn't the best idea. I didn’t want her to think I was concerned; after all, I wasn’t.Leaning back in my car, I let the rhythmic sound of the rain almost drown out my swirling thoughts. Should I just drive away and forget about it? But what if she needed help? What if something terrible had happened, and that was why she hadn’t been in contact with anyone or even bothered to come to work? The more I thought about it, the more conflicted I felt, unable to decide what to do next.I glanced at her window, half-hoping to see a flicker of movement—anything that wo
~ LAURA’S POV"Mommy, come over here!" Ariana's voice filled the warm, salty air, breaking through the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore. I turned to her, curious about what had sparked her excitement. "What's going on?" I asked"Look, I drew a picture of us. Me, you, and Daddy," she said proudly"Really?" I questioned, "Let me see!" I reached for the book she was holding, and as I flipped it open, I was greeted by a beautiful drawing that captured the essence of our little family—Theo, me, and Ariana, all smiling and holding hands. "Wow, that's so beautiful!" I exclaimed, genuinely impressed. I felt a mix of emotions bubbling inside me, and I desperately wanted to ask her what made her call Theo "Daddy," but I decided to let it be for now. Honestly, I had been hoping she would say that because I knew it would mean the world to Theo.Ariana had only recently learned that Theo was her father, and although she had felt a bit strange about it at first, I was relieved to see her b
~ THEO’S POVLife is indeed like a firework. It’s amazing to look at, it’s scary at first but in the end, it’s a beautiful sight. My life is like that and I’m beyond grateful for that because the bad days were shaped through the good ones and now I’m in a position where I don’t want to change anything about my life.For the past five years, I’ve been nothing but mean, cruel, and completely disconnected from my true self. I held onto the belief that bad things happen to good people and that good things are reserved for those who act badly. I thought that being good never brought any rewards. But as I stand here in front of the mirror, my friends helping me out, I realize how wrong I was. Being a good person truly does pay off because if I was bad it wouldn’t be like this. My friends wouldn’t be here and I might have never found myself in a great place, surrounded by my best friends, and about to marry the love of my life—Laura.I still can’t believe this day has finally come. After so
There is no doubt I woke up to the most handsome man on earth, Theo. Every time I’m with him, I can’t help but feel incredibly lucky. He’s truly one of a kind, and just being with him melts my heart in ways I never thought possible.As I lay there, I smile, watching him sleep peacefully, his chest rising and falling gently. I trail my fingers through his soft hair, feeling the warmth radiate from him. He must have sensed my touch because a smile spread across his face, even in his sleep. His smile makes me smile, and the happiness he exudes fills my heart with joy. I’m just so happy to be with Theo.I leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his forehead, savoring the moment. Once again, he smiles, and I watch as he instinctively reaches for my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine. He kisses my hand softly, and I feel a flutter in my chest. He murmurs something, but I can't quite hear it, so I lean in closer and ask, "What?""I said let’s sleep, I’m so tired," he replies, pulling me
His mouth moved against mine with a burning urgency, igniting a fire within me. He gently laid me back on the bed, his body hovering over mine as he broke the kiss, his breath warm against my skin. With a delicate yet deliberate motion, he unbuttoned my shirt and took off my bra, and the moment I was exposed, his mouth eagerly found my breast. A soft moan slipped from my lips, the sensation electrifying as he lavished attention on me, sucking and teasing my nips with his tongue, sending waves of pleasure coursing through my body. A tingling sensation ran through my body as Andre felt gently cup my face as he deepened the kiss, his lips moving against mine with a gentle urgency. The bristles of his beard scratched against my soft cheeks and I gripped his head firmly, as if trying to keep him from escaping. He worked his mouth against mine, our tongues battling back and forth like wrestlers, each trying to pin the other.Theo then broke the kiss and began to trail his kisses down to my
Ariana, Theo, and I had a lot of fun today. I’ve never seen her this happy and comfortable before, as if she knows Theo is her father. The way she seems to be getting comfortable with him really melts my heart and I can’t help but feel very happy.After having dinner, I took her to bed while Theo headed upstairs to get some work done. He’s been catching up on so much work recently and I can understand why, having to run a big company like his is a lot to handle. Preparing Ariana for bed, I made her brush her teeth and change into a comfy outfit before I tugged her into the bed. I was about to wish her goodnight when she said, "Mommy, can you tell me a bedtime story?""Maybe next time, baby, I don’t have any storybook with me right now," I said."Ohh, ok," she sighed. I didn’t want her to be sad, so I said, "But I could think of a story to tell you.""Really?" She grinned, and I nodded. Taking a moment before I continued, "Once upon a time, there was a little princess called Ariana."
~ LAURA’S POVIt feels surreal how life can take such a sudden turn after being so tough. I never thought I’d get another chance with Theo, especially after everything we’ve been through. Just a month ago, I was stuck in my head, thinking about what jail would be like for me, and now I’m living in this beautiful mansion I never want to leave, surrounded by the love of my life and nothing but peace and happiness. I can hardly believe this is real. Each morning, I wake up wrapped in love with the only man I’ve ever truly wanted, and it just feels so right. It’s like a dream come true.It’s been just a few days since the case was dropped and I moved in with Theo, but honestly, it’s been the best days of my life. He’s been incredibly nice, loving, and sweet to me, just like I remember. He’s still that same silly old Theo, always making me laugh and ensuring I’m comfortable and happy. Now that I’m settled in with him, we’re planning to bring Ariana back into our lives. She’s our only dau
Her tongue intertwined with mine as I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her even closer to my body, feeling the warmth radiating between us. I was happy and from the way she was kissing me, I could tell that she was too… happy and feeling the same passion as me. While I was savoring the kiss, I was lost in the moment until I suddenly felt something wet on my cheeks. It took a moment to register that it was tears—Laura was crying.I pulled away from the kiss, my brow furrowing in confusion as I searched her face. "What’s wrong? Why are you crying?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.She opened her mouth to speak, but before any words could form, she burst into tears, collapsing to the ground. My heart sank as I watched her shudder with each sob. I knelt beside her, my hands hovering helplessly, asking, "Laura, what’s going on? Why are you crying?"Still, she couldn’t respond, her cries echoing in the silence. I repeated my question, but all she could do was whimper, more tears s
Taking a break feels like a part of me is being locked away, waiting indefinitely for some kind of resolution. I've been pacing around the driveway, my heart racing as I wait for my lawyer to arrive so we can finally have a conversation. I’ve also tried to speak with Laura before the court case resumes but the authorities didn’t let me, they claimed that I have to wait till the court case is settled before I can have a word with Laura. I don’t understand why though but since that’s the case, I just had to go with it. Right now, I’m just hoping that Laura is okay and everything is fine about her, though the look on her face tells a different story. I can tell that she’s anxious, restless, and stressed and honestly, I’m all those things too, everything just feels draining to me right now, making it a lot harder for me to concentrate or even think of the way further.My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts, fixating on why the judge needed a break. It seems so simple—she could have made a de
The lawyer started to present the argument, and I sat back, intently watching him as he laid out the details of the case. Just as he began to make a compelling point, the victim’s lawyer interjected with a sharp objection. The judge, maintaining control of the proceedings, gave him permission to discuss his concerns. He quickly shifted the focus to the accident, and the victim’s lawyer requested that Christian be allowed to come and testify.As if on cue, Christian strutted up to the witness stand, a smug grin on his face that made my blood boil. He seemed to thrive on the drama of the courtroom, his swagger radiating an air of arrogance. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on him, and it only fueled my frustration. Christian took his seat, adjusting his collar as if he were preparing for a performance rather than a testimony. Honestly, I don’t even know why he’s here, he is a total piece of crab and the way he acts is just so absurd, he really shouldn’t be here, I mean what