IRISI had made up my mind. It was time to confront Walter and put an end to the chaos he had caused in our lives. With a determined spirit, I picked up my phone and dialed his number, my heart pounding with a mixture of apprehension and resolve."Hello?" Walter's voice crackled through the line, his tone tinged with surprise at the unexpected call."Walter, it's Iris," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the nerves fluttering in my stomach. "I need to meet with you."There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, broken only by the distant sounds of traffic. "Sure, Iris. What's this about?" Walter asked, his curiosity piqued."It's urgent," I replied, choosing my words carefully. "Can you meet me at the park tomorrow at 2 pm?"Walter hesitated for a moment, no doubt weighing his options. But then, with a sigh, he acquiesced. "Alright, I'll be there."I thanked him and hung up the phone, a sense of relief washing over me. The first step had been taken, and now
IRISGiana's voice halted me in my tracks as I stormed away from the park, her tone laced with urgency. Reluctantly, I turned around to face her, my heart still heavy with betrayal and confusion."What do you want, Giana?" I asked, my voice tinged with frustration.Giana approached me with a determined stride, her expression unreadable as she met my gaze. "Iris, please," she said, her voice softening slightly. "There's something you need to know."I hesitated for a moment, wary of her intentions. But something in her eyes urged me to listen, to give her a chance to speak her truth."What is it?" I asked, my curiosity piqued despite myself.Giana glanced over her shoulder at Walter, who stood a few paces away, his expression tense with apprehension. Then, turning back to me, she took a deep breath and began to speak."Walter doesn't know the whole truth about my pregnancy," Giana said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's something he's been hiding from you."I felt a surge of an
IRISAs I walked through the front door, exhaustion weighed heavily on my shoulders. The events of the day replayed in my mind like a broken record, each moment etched with tension and uncertainty. I longed for the comfort of home, for the familiar embrace of Les's arms, and for the solace of knowing that I was not alone in facing the challenges that lay ahead."Hey, babe," Les greeted me from the living room, his voice warm and welcoming. "How was your day?"I sighed, sinking onto the couch beside him as I recounted the events that had unfolded at the park. I told him about Giana's confession, about Walter's denial, and about the whirlwind of emotions that had swept through me in the aftermath. With each word, the weight on my chest lifted slightly, replaced by a sense of relief at finally sharing my burden with the one person who mattered most to me.Les listened quietly, his expression growing increasingly tense as I spoke. When I finished, he remained silent for a moment, his jaw
IRISAs Les and I sat together in the living room one evening, a knock on the door interrupted our quiet evening at home. I glanced at Les, a furrow of confusion creasing my brow as he rose from the couch to answer the door.To my surprise, standing on our doorstep was Walter, his expression hesitant as he shifted from one foot to the other. I felt a twinge of apprehension at the sight of him, memories of our past conflicts stirring within me."Hey, Les," Walter said, his voice cautious as he greeted my fiancé. "Can we talk?"Les's gaze softened as he looked at Walter, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Sure, come on in," he said, stepping aside to let him enter.I watched as Walter crossed the threshold into our home, his posture tense as he glanced around the room. There was an awkwardness in the air, a sense of uncertainty hanging between us like a heavy fog."Iris," Walter said, his voice quiet as he turned to face me. "I... I wanted to apologize."I blinked in surprise at his word
IRISAs Meera and I sat in my old apartment, surrounded by the memories of the past, we continued to sift through the contents of the package from Mary. Amongst the letters and photographs, we stumbled upon something unexpected—a small, sleek phone tucked away in the bottom of the box.I picked up the phone, a sense of curiosity stirring within me as I examined it. It was a simple device, unassuming in its design, yet there was something about it that felt significant, as if it held the key to unlocking a hidden mystery."Should we turn it on?" Meera asked, her voice filled with excitement.I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what we might find on the phone. But curiosity got the better of me, and I nodded, my heart pounding with anticipation as I pressed the power button.The screen flickered to life, illuminating the dimly lit room with its soft glow. As the device booted up, Meera and I exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what we were about to discover.When the phone finally fini
LESAs I raced home in my sports car, my heart was pounding with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. I dialed my brother's number, my hands shaking with adrenaline as I waited for him to pick up."James, pick up the damn phone," I muttered under my breath, my voice filled with urgency as I navigated the dark streets of the city. I needed answers, and I needed them now.But as the phone continued to ring unanswered, a sense of dread washed over me like a tidal wave. What if James was involved in something he couldn't get out of? What if he was in danger? What if...?I pushed aside the nagging doubts and focused on the task at hand, my mind racing with a thousand different scenarios as I sped towards home. Iris was waiting for me, and I couldn't afford to let her down.As I turned onto our street, my heart leapt into my throat at the sight of Iris standing on the front porch, her face pale and drawn with worry. I skidded to a stop in front of the house and jumped out of the car, my feet
IRISI received a call from the hospital, informing me that Les had been admitted. My heart skipped a beat at the news, a mixture of concern and resentment flooding through me as I made my way to the hospital.As I walked through the sterile corridors of the hospital, memories of our life together flashed through my mind, each one tinged with pain and regret. I couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal that had settled over me like a dark cloud, poisoning every moment we had shared together.When I finally reached his room, I hesitated for a moment before pushing open the door. Les lay in the hospital bed, his face pale and drawn, his eyes closed as if in peaceful slumber. But as I approached him, I could see the lines of pain etched into his features, the evidence of his suffering plain to see.I stood by his bedside, my arms crossed over my chest as I watched him, my heart torn between sympathy and anger. Part of me wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him in his time of need, but an
IRISAn involuntary groan slipped past my lips as a terrible ache surrounded my head. Blinking my ryes open, my surroundings came into focus followed by the onslaught of the memories of what had happened earlier. Massimo had driven me to a warehouse of sorts where I had discovered that he was selling me off to a bunch of Russians who paid him in gold bars. Before I knew it, I was thrown in the boot of a car and after a while, I was brought out at a port. When I realized I was being shipped out of the city, struggled, scratched and fought back but the Russians inserted something in my neck which made me pass out. Jerking awake and sitting upright, I realized I was now in a cell surrounded by darkness that was only pierced by a small light coming from a window. Rising to my feet, I swayed on my way to the window and had to stand on my toes to peek out. Just as I had suspected, I was on a boat but luckily it was still docked and hadn't left. Immediately, I pulled my cell phone from a
IRISAll feelings of amusement left me as things turned serious. I readjusted in my seat and crossed my legs. “Okay. Let's talk.”Les rose to his feet and offered me his hand. “First of all, I want to show you something.” Curious, I slipped my hand in his and let him take me upstairs. We went past a couple of rooms before we stopped at one and he unlocked it. Once he opened it, he stepped aside for me to go in first. Throwing a curious glance at him, I pushed the door further, went in and my mouth dropped open. One wall was painted with the drawing of an ocean and a red headed mermaid sitting on a rock in the midst of it. Then another wall had mickey mouse characters drawn on them and another had Tom and Jerry smiling at each other. In the midst of the room was a baby crib and I froze in my steps when I saw it. I turned around to find Les watching me intently with his hands shoved in his pockets. He shifted his weight on his feet - a sign I realize indicated his nervousness.“Do y
LESThe fluorescent lights flickered overhead as we sat in the waiting room of the hospital, the scent of antiseptic hanging heavy in the air. Iris fidgeted nervously beside me, her fingers twisting around each other as she glanced around at the sterile walls."You okay, Bunny?" I asked, reaching out to squeeze her hand.She offered me a weak smile. "Yeah, just a little anxious about the scan."I nodded, understanding her apprehension. The thought of seeing our baby for the first time was enough to make anyone jittery. But I was also excited, eager to catch a glimpse of the life growing inside Iris.After what felt like an eternity, the nurse called us in, and we followed her down the hallway to the ultrasound room. Iris settled onto the examination table, her eyes fixed on the monitor as the nurse squirted gel onto her belly.And then, there it was. A tiny flicker on the screen, like a beacon of hope in the darkness. Our baby's heartbeat.Iris let out a shaky breath, her eyes shimmer
IRIS:In a matter of minutes the entire living room was destroyed. I stood still in the carnage as shattered glass covered the ground and furniture became upturned. Les yelled every obscene word known to man. He went on to punch walls till his knuckles cracked and his blood ran red down the walls. Rick ran in with the other security men, confused but with their weapons drawn.“GET OUT!!” Les yelled at them. The men hesitated, especially Rick who looked my way and seemed like he didn't want to leave me with him. “Come Ma'am. Let's go.” He said as he approached me with his hand stretched forward. I had no idea I was vibrating where I stood until I raised my hand and found it shaking violently.The next thing I hear is the click of a gun. I froze just about to touch Rick and turned. Les had a gun pointed at Rick and his eyes were filled with utter madness. “Touch her and you die!” I turned to see Rick with his hands up, retreating backwards. “Sorry ma'am.” He said apologetically befo
LES My baby resumes work today and I am not happy about it. I wish she was the kind of woman who was content being a housewife that loves to cook and wait for her husband to come home. Wait a fucking minute. Why am I looking at Iris through the lens of marriage?I wasn't a big believer in it especially since my father was shitty to my mom and didn't keep his vows. I feel the whole idea of marriage is pretty useless. I am already loyal to Iris and will never look at any other woman. She's mine. Forever. So why do I need to put a ring on it?I continued to wonder about that as I leaned against the doorframe of my closet and watched my Bunny wear a Wonder Woman panty and matching bra color. She turned slightly and my gaze fell on her tummy which was now the size of a small watermelon. I felt something but I couldn’t process what it was. To think that in six months time, this woman whom I am totally obsessed with will give birth to mini mes and mini Iris. I wonder what the babies wi
LESI was in the throes of my own anger, but the moment I noticed the departure of my brother, my rage softened. One glance at Iris and she nodded at me to go after him, which I did. Entering the elevator, I pulled out my phone and accessed all the cameras to pinpoint my brother's location. It didn't take long to find him scurrying down the stairs to the ground floor. My brother has always been one to maintain composure in all things but now, from my point of view, he was an agitated mess. Pressing the button for the ground floo, I sighed and let the elevator begin its descent to the living room. Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like, if I had grown up with a good, normal father. Maybe I'd be some corporate guy living in a cute condo, married with one or two kids instead of having an irrational fear of intimacy and⁸8⁸⁸fatherhood. Maybe, I'd be a normal guy. But I'm not. Instead I'm messed up in the head, struggling with a trauma I wouldn't wish on anyone. Thank Go
LES“I see you've lost all your senses posting that girl online.”I rolled my eyes at my brother who was cleaning his pistol while holding a video call with me. The sun had just gone down over the horizon, casting my office in semi darkness while the landscape of New York city came alive with colorful night lights. “I guess you can call me ‘crazy’. Crazy about her.” I smiled as I shoveled some Chinese noodles into my mouth with chopsticks.“What you will be, is sorry if you don't stop.”I stopped chewing and glared at him. My brother didn't look at me. Instead, he continued to clean his weapon as if he didn't just say something disturbing. “Why would you say that?”“Because you're being a fool right now. Posting her for the world to see, especially for our Uncle to see, is like looking into the eye of a python and spitting in its face.”James was right. I was usually a very calculated mind but lately, I have been getting carried away by my affection for Iris and may have unintentio
Chapter 56:IRISOver the next couple of days, I continued to send out applications and even tried writing some pieces but I realized I was experiencing a block. When I couldn't make headway, I sat down in front of a TV and watched some cartoons. It was my coping mechanism back at Massimo's house and it's starting to be my coping mechanism now. Cartoons weren't always at Les' place either. I was surprised when one day I received a delivery signed to me and when I opened it, I discovered Les had bought all variations of cartoons for me to watch. Along with some T-shirts with cartoon characters on them. Les continued to leave pleasant surprises for me while I carried my one unpleasant surprise inside my body and whenever talk about Taylor came up, he refused to talk about it and everyday I became more and more depressed.If I wasn't writing, I was also video calling my Dad or Hilda. Now that I had a working phone, I was able to access my old social media profiles. I came across a lo
IRIS“Can we still go about our day while we ruminate on this?” Les asked and I considered his request reasonable. “Sure.”I changed into one of the dresses he got me, and then we went downstairs to have brunch. All through, we ate in silence, and I hated it. I hated that I spoiled the mood between us and made it awkward with the topic of a child. After our brunch, Les took me on a tour of his mansion, and I was able to learn a few more things about him. Les was an artist who painted in his pastime, and I wondered how he was able to do that and still be an underground fighter during his teen years. I saw all the championship belts he had won and heard all the stories behind them. Then he showed me his car collections, the grounds which had a stable and two horses. By the time we were done that day, it was late evening, and we weren’t able to go shopping any more, but I didn’t mind. Getting to see a new side of him was refreshing. I got to learn that Les The Beast wasn’t really his
IRISA cold shiver went through me as my father’s words sank in. “Excuse me?!” “Iris-” My father started to speak, but I raised a hand to cut him short.“So I was a mistake?”My father looked horrified for a second before he closed the distance between us. “No, no, no, no.” he said, coming to sit beside me. “You were never a mistake, Iris, and I am glad your mother chose to keep you.”“What if she hadn’t?” I sniffled and wiped a tear from my eye. “Would you have regretted it?”My father sighed. “I honestly don’t know. All I know is that I am happy she didn’t listen to me. Look at me.” He said, taking my hands in his, which in turn made me face him. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me since your mother. You are not a mistake, and you never were. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to be a good father to you and give you the resources that you needed. I was fresh out of high school, inheriting a run-down port left behind by a drunken father. You can understand how having