Christiana leaned against the kitchen counter,watching Alexander sip his drink. She had done everything right, cooked for him, cleaned for him, and all the necessary household chores, but there was a distance in his eyes, something cold and detached. She cleared her throat. “ Alexander, do you ever think about her?”. He didn't answer immediately. He just sipped his drink, staring at the liquid.Then,without looking up, He said” Daniela was a phrase, an ordinary one night stand I was forced to keep because of her son”. Christiana hesitated. “ She was your wife”. Alexander coughed out loud. “In title only”, His voice was sharp and almost mocking. “ You think I loved her? Christiana , I pitied her . A desperate naive girl who thought she could take me with a ring and a child. But now that both are gone, what's left of her?” He chuckled darkly. “ Nothing”. Christiana forced a smile, but inside, her stomach had twisted. She had won, hadn't She? She had Alexander
Melanie turned to leave, but stopped at the door. “ I will be back in the morning. Take care”. She looked at Daniela, whose eyes were still fixed on the floor, her mind a thousand miles away. Melanie barely listened to her sister's words. “ Don't do anything stupid”, She murmured,though it was more out of habit than concern. She knew Melanie and she knew how the night will unfold. Melanie didn't respond . She had heard it all before, the same tired warnings. With the wig on her hair,She opened the door and stepped into the night. The air hit her face as she walked into the glow of the street lights, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement. She adjusted her tight red dress which clung her curve as she walked. Tonight, she wasn't looking for just any man. She was looking for a man with money, and someone who could keep her entertained and satisfied. She made her way to the nightclub district, an area she knew well and not long after she spotted her targe
Melanie sat on the couch, her head resting against the backrest, eyes closed. She had been feeling weak all day,and now, an unbearable fatigue crept through her limbs like a slow poison. Melanie had always been a heavy sleeper, but that morning she couldn't sleep past dawn. Her body ached, her head pounded, and the events of the previous nights haunted her. Every time she closed her eyes, She felt Richard's touch,his voice whispering in her ear like a threatening echo. She had been with many men before, but this particular one was different. This time, something was really wrong. She rolled onto her side and stared at the ceiling, her mind filled with thoughts she couldn't explain. Had she made a mistake?Should she have walked away? A sharp knock on the door left her away from her thoughts. Daniela's voice followed almost immediately. “ Are you awake?” Melanie murmured and sat up, rubbing her hands. “ Yeah” She replied in low tones. Daniela o
The hospital room was extremely quiet,the only sounds was from the chatter of nurses and the faint beeping of machines. Daniela sat strongly on the plastic chair beside Melanie's bed, her heart pounding against her ribs. She felt weak, like someone had drained the life out of her. Melanie,her face pale and drawn,sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her hands. She had barely said anything since the doctor left. Daniela's hands clenched into fists. “ Melanie”,She said, her voice trembling. “ I am waiting for your explanation on who got you pregnant”. Melanie swallowed the door in her mouth but she didn't look up. Daniela slammed her hand against the armrest. “ Don't sit here and act like this is nothing ! You are sick , Mel! This is very serious!”. Melanie flinched at her sister's word,but still She said nothing. Daniela laughed out loud,shaking her head. “ Say something you dumb girl, Are you going to keep quiet after everything”?
Christiana woke up to the sound of silence. She reached out hastily,her hand searching for warmth in the empty space behind her. But unfortunately for her,there was nobody on the bed. Her fingers clunged around the fabric as she let out a slow, shaky breath. Alexander was gone again. She turned her head,eyes narrowing at the blinking red light on the bedside table. His phone charger was missing. His suitcase, the one he always used for trips, was no longer in the corner. He had left , probably in the early hours of the morning, like a ghost sipping away before dawn. No goodbye, no messages, he just went like that without informing anyone despite knowing she was heavily pregnant. Christiana sat up,pressing a hand to her aching lower back. The weight of her growing belly made everything harder- sleeping, eating, moving was very stressful for her. But nothing was as hard as the loneliness that came with it.She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and scr
Melanie stepped out of the hospital doors, the evening breeze brushing against her skin. She held the small paper bag of medication in her hands as if holding onto it tightly would make the weight of her diagnosis easier to bear. The doctors had assured her that with proper treatment,She could live her normal life but nothing felt normal to her anymore. Daniela walked beside her in silence,her arms crossed and her face unreadable. It had been like this ever since the test results came out. No screaming at the top of her voice,no blame, just a heavy silence that crushed Melanie more than any words could. They reached the car and Daniela finally spoke. “ Did the doctors explain how often you need to take them?” . Melanie nodded,holding the bag even tighter. “Everyday. No missing doses”. Daniela took a deep breath and unlocked the car,getting into the driver's seat while Melanie slid into the passenger's side. The ride home was calm and quiet except
Desmond sat in the hospital waiting room,tapping his foot impatiently against the white- tiled floor. He had always hated hospitals,the weird smell,the bright lights, the quiet murmurs of sick people waiting for answers they didn't want. But today,he was here out of purpose. He was here to prove a point. His jaw tightened as he recalled the look in her eyes the last time they met. She was hiding something from him, but he was so sure that he felt that Melanie was using Hiv to cover up to avoid the Deal. “ Mr. Desmond cole?” He looked up at the nurse standing in the doorway, Clipboard in hand. With a cocky smile,he rose to his feet and followed her into the examination room. The doctor, an old man with grey hair, greyed him with a nod. “ You are here for a Hiv test right?” “ Yeah”. Desmond's voice was steady, almost bored. “ It's just to know if I have it or not”. The doctor raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word. Instead, he pulled out a testing kit , expl
The first pain came suddenly, it was a sharp stabbing one that shot through Christiana's lower abdomen, forcing her to tighten her arm around the couch. She breathed heavily,as she pressed a hand on her belly. Something was wrong. She had been feeling discomfort all morning, but this particular one hit differently. The pain was unbearable, and hard to bear. Her fingers dug into the fabric of the couch as she breathed heavily. She had been counting down the days,mentally preparing herself for this moment. But she didn't expect it to be so soon now. Not long after, her best friend walked in. “ Christiana are you Okay?”Naomi her closest friend, rushed over fear itching her skin as she saw her best friend in pain. Christiana tried to speak,but another contraction seized her, sharper and more intense than before. Her breathing became ragged as she held her belly, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. “ I … think it's time”, She managed to whisper, her voice
The bright lights of Crimson Avenue filled the streets in shades of red and blue, shining against the damp pavement. The air was filled with the smell of sweat and cigarette smoke. The night had just begun, but the familiar rhythm of the city never changed.Christiana leaned against a lamppost outside a Nights Club, her thin fingers holding a cigarette as she took a long drag, allowing the smoke to fill her lungs. She 55breathed slowly, watching the curl of smoke disappear into the air.She had been here many times before.Too many times.Tonight was not different. She was dressed in a hot pink mini dress that left little to the imagination, she knew she looked good. She had perfected the art of seduction—lips painted a deep red, eyes outlined with eye pencil,her curves clinging to her body. Men would look.And that was all that mattered.A loud voice pulled her out of her thoughts."Hello, lady in pink," a man called, his voice thick with amusement.Christiana turned her h
Christiana walked through the dark, lonely streets, her heart filled with tiredness. Her arms ached from carrying her three-year-old daughter, whose frail body felt heavier than ever before. The child’s head rested calmly against her shoulder, her breathing shallow, her limbs lifeless. She had never walked. Never uttered a full sentence. Never even played like other children.Despite every effort Christiana had made—every pill she had bought with the last scraps of her earnings, every tear she had shed over this child—nothing had changed. Her daughter remained broken. Weak. A burden.Christiana became tired and frustrated. She had tried. God knew she had tried.But now, she had no more strength left to fight.She had thought motherhood would be hard, but not like this. Not a life where she starved just to buy medicine. Not a life where she could barely sleep, fearing that one day, she’d wake up and her child would no longer be breathing.She had reached her breaking point.She wa
The morning sun streamed through the curtains, casting a golden glow over Daniela’s bedroom. She stirred under the soft covers, stretching lazily before turning to her nightstand to check her phone.Except… it wasn’t there.Frowning, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Had she misplaced it? She clearly remembered leaving it beside her before going to bed.Just as she was about to get up and search for it, a gentle knock sounded on her door.“Come in,” she called, still half-asleep.The door opened, and Gabriel stepped in, carrying a tray with breakfast—freshly squeezed orange juice, warm currant, and a plate of her favorite pancakes poured with syrup.Her eyes widened in surprise. “Gabriel?”He gave her an alarming smile. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”She blinked. In the midst of everything that had happened recently, she had completely forgotten what day it was.“You remembered?” she asked softly.Gabriel sat on the edge of the bed, placing the tray on her lap. “Of course, I did. Ho
Gabriel stood speechless in the middle of his apartment, his hands clenched into fists. The sound of the door slamming shut echoed in his ears like a gunshot. Daniela had walked away, her heart shattered by the truth. She had not been replying to his messages for a while due to the fact that she was scared that he might do something worst than that.And it was his fault.For years, he had tried to erase his past. He had buried his regrets beneath wealth, success, and the illusion of a new life. But the past had a way of resurfacing, and now, the woman he had come to love despised him.He couldn’t let this be the end.Gabriel grabbed his car keys and rushed out, determined to find her.Daniela walked aimlessly down the street, the cool night air chilling her skin. Her arms wrapped around herself, not just from the cold but from the ache spreading inside her.Tears blurred the lights of the city, distorting everything around her.She had finally opened her heart again—let someon
Daniela sat on her couch, holding her phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white.Desmond’s words refused to leave her mind."Ask Gabriel what happened five years ago."Her stomach turned her.Gabriel had been her safe space. The one man who had given her hope again. But now?Her heart was filled with doubt. A slow, suffocating poison.Her instincts screamed at her to walk away,to bury the past and never dig it up again.But she couldn’t.She needed answers.Without thinking twice, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of her apartment.Gabriel opened his apartment door, his usual warm smile in place.But the moment he saw her face, the smile erased.“Daniela?” His brows tiled. “What’s wrong?”She pushed past him, stepping into the apartment.“We need to talk,” she said, her voice like steel.Gabriel closed the door behind them, his eyes filled with concern. “Talk about what?”She turned sharply, meeting his gaze.“Desmond.”Gabriel’s entire body stiffened. “What about him?”
Daniela sat in silence, staring at Gabriel.The man she had trusted. The man she had started falling for.And yet, his brother,Desmond was the reason her sister had suffered.The arguments between them was thick with tension.Gabriel reached for her hand, but she pulled away."Daniela," he whispered, his voice pained. "I swear, I had no idea. Desmond… he’s always been reckless, but I never knew he—"She stood up as fast as possible. "I need to think, Gabriel."His expression darkened, but he nodded. "I understand."But deep down, she didn’t know if she could ever look at him the same way again.That night, Daniela couldn’t sleep.Her mind kept replaying everything—her sister’s tears, Desmond’s name, and Gabriel’s face when she told him the truth.Her phone rang suddenly, removing her away from her thoughts.Unknown Number.She hesitated before answering."Hello?"There was silence for a while.Then, a deep, unfamiliar voice."Stay away from Gabriel if you value your life."Her
Gabriel wasn’t just kind with his words—he took action.One evening, as they sat in a quiet restaurant, he took her hand and looked into her eyes."I know you love working at the company," he started, "but I think you deserve more, Daniela. You’re smart, hardworking, and capable of much bigger things."She blinked at him, slightly taken aback. "Gabriel, what are you talking about?"He slid a neatly folded envelope toward her."A job offer," he said simply.Her heart pounded as she hesitantly unfolded the paper.It was from a well-respected company—a high-paying position as an administrative officer.She was filled with joy deep inside her. "How did you—?"Gabriel smiled. "I have connections. But you earned this, Daniela. I just pointed them in the right direction."Tears was filled in her eyes.She had struggled for so long, fought so many battles alone. And now, here was a man who wasn’t just promising her the world—he was actually helping her build a future."Gabriel, I—" She did
Days turned into weeks, and before Daniela even realized it, Gabriel had become a constant presence in her life, reassuring her and making her feel loved.At first, she had been hesitant to let him in. She had been burned before—used, abandoned, discarded like she was nothing.But Gabriel was different.He didn’t push. He didn’t demand too much.He was just… there.Every morning, she woke up to a text from him:"Good morning, beautiful. Have a great day."At night, another message:"Hope you ate today. Don’t overwork yourself."It was strange. No man had ever cared about the little things.And then there was the money.She never asked, but he sent it anyway. A small alert on her phone would pop up, and when she checked, there it was—a transfer from Gabriel."Just something to make things easier for you."****"Get something nice for yourself, Dani."He was everything she had ever wanted in a man. But more than the money, it was the fact that someone actually cared.Kind. Generous. Thoug
The first thing Daniela felt was something pounding in her head.The second was the unfamiliar warmth of soft sheets beneath her.Sunlight streamed through the curtains, a golden feeling settling over the modest guesthouse room. The air was quiet except for the tap water that was running speedily. Daniela stirred, groaning slightly as she pushed herself up on the bed.For a moment, she forgot where she was.Then, it all came back—the club, the music, the drinks, and… Gabriel.Her eyes filled across the room, landing on his dark suit jacket draped over the chair. That single sight made her heart skip. He was still here.As if on cue, the bathroom door opened, and Gabriel stepped out, steam curling around him. A towel hung loosely around his neck, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, exposing just a hint of his toned chest. His hair was damp, slightly tousled, as if he had run his fingers through it.“Morning,” he greeted, his deep voice carrying an unmistakable smoothness.Daniela ru