After walking out of Kris’s office, Millie sat at her desk, feeling more anxious than she had in a long time. This was definitely not how she’d expected the day to go.Yes, she knew that eventually, her relationship with Thalassa would have to come to light, but she’d hoped it would be after Kris finally realized the truth about his mother and his wife.It suddenly occurred to her that she had to let Thalassa know. Picking up her phone, she dialed her friend’s number, anxiously tapping her finger on her lap as she waited for the call to be answered.“Hey, Millie. Good to hear from you. How are you doing?” Thalassa spoke from the other end. “Not fine. Thalassa, I’m in trouble.”“Why? What happened?” Thalassa questioned, her voice filled with concern.“He knows,” Millie said, lowering her voice to just a little over a whisper.“Who knows what?”“Kris. He knows that I’ve been helping you all this time.”Silence ensued for a couple of seconds until Thalassa spoke again. “How did he find
Thalassa raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”Kris took some steps forward toward her desk. “Don’t pretend. I’m sure Millicent must’ve already called to tell you what we talked about.”He pursed his lips into a grim line before speaking again. “You told me that you and Zeke Mathews were lovers. You even made me believe that he could’ve been the father of the child you lost.”A cold smile curved Thalassa’s lips. “Did I? Did I really say those things to you?” She let out a snort. “It was you, Kris. It was you who came here with your guns blazing, throwing all sorts of accusations at me.”“You didn’t deny any of them,” Kris said accusingly.“Because I had no need to,” Thalassa stated calmly. “You see, your opinion of me is as worthless as you are to me.”Her words stung, but Kris managed to keep a straight face. “So you would rather I continue thinking the worst of you than to tell me the truth.”“No, I would rather you finally understood that I don’t give a flyin
Thalassa felt shock ripple through her as she stared at the picture on the phone screen. It was a picture of a woman who looked like her, sitting naked on top of another man, and they appeared to be having sex. Yes, a woman who looked like her, because there was no way in hell the woman in the photo was her, even though the woman had the same hairstyle she'd had four years ago. Kris flipped to another photo, then another, then another. Thalassa could only stare at the screen in shock. There were five photos in total, and they all seemed to have been taken from a hidden spot. “What happened now? Cat got your tongue?" Kris questioned. “You can't deny it any longer, can you?” “Those photos are fake!” Thalassa hissed, her voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and fury. “I don't know that man, and I definitely didn't sleep with anyone the night before our wedding!” “I had them all verified myself!" Kris shot back. “Do you know how badly I wanted it all to be a lie or a mistake? I ref
Karen’s heart skipped a beat, wondering why he was bringing this up after so many years. She could only think of one reason.Immediately, she put on a mask of confusion to hide her nervousness. “Excuse me?”“You heard me,” Kris insisted, his gaze uncompromising and demanding.“Did you finally show those pictures to Thalassa? What did she say? She claimed that they were fake, didn’t she?” Karen snapped. “And you believed her?”“What she told me doesn’t matter,” Kris ground out. “Just answer the damn question.”“I don’t like how you’re talking to me, Kris. Let’s talk later when you’re calmer,” she said, attempting to sit back down at the dresser, but Kris grabbed her by the arm.“You’re not going anywhere until you answer my question. Where did you get these photos from?” he hissed.Karen’s heart raced. Why was he acting like this? Had he believed Thalassa already?“Exactly what your mother told you when she gave them to you,” she retorted, trying to wriggle her arm from his hold. “You’
The next morning, Millie went to the Miller Textiles company with her heart in her mouth. She intentionally arrived later than her usual time, knowing that Kris was probably in his office by now.The only thing she carried was an envelope containing her resignation. She had no doubt that Kris was going to fire her, but before he had the chance to do that, she wanted to resign.Standing in front of his office door, she knocked anxiously, and when his voice told her to come in, she did.He was sitting behind his desk, looking concentratedly at something on the screen. During the two years she’d worked for him, Millie had gotten used to seeing him with bags under his eyes, but it had gotten particularly bad in the past few weeks. He always looked like such a mess, and today was no exception.“You took your time coming in today,” Kris remarked, finally looking at her, but his expression remained unreadable.Before he could say anything else, Millie stepped forward and handed her envelope
“Yes! Oh God! Fuck me harder!”Karen scrunched her face in disgust and anger as she heard the sounds coming from the bedroom of the man she’d come to visit. Immediately, she stormed angrily into the bedroom.As soon as the man saw Karen, he pulled out of the woman he was fucking and got off her. Karen glared at the woman who looked confused.Karen snapped her fingers. “Get out.”The woman looked offended, glaring back at Karen. “Who the hell are you? You can’t just ask me to leave.”“I said get out,” Karen hissed.The woman looked at the man for some support, but to her shock, the man also snapped his fingers and commanded, “Get out.”Looking humiliated, the woman got off the bed and quickly picked up her clothes, which were sprawled on the floor.“You jerk. You’ll regret this,” she sneered before storming out.Once she was gone, Karen crossed her arms over her chest, an annoyed look on her face. Without bothering to cover himself, the man walked naked towards her with a smile.“What’
“No, no, no! You’ve got to be kidding me,” Millicent groaned as she tried turning the ignition of her car for the umpteenth time, to no avail. She’d just finished work after staying late, only for her car to start acting up now that she was in a hurry to get home. Refusing to give up, she continued turning the ignition repeatedly. Finally, the car purred to life, but just when she was about to sigh with relief, it died again. Death, because when she tried again, it didn’t even make a sound. “Fuck!” she cursed. Annoyed, she accidentally slammed her hand into the horn. It blew loudly and sharply, startling her and causing her to jump. Then she burst out laughing. The situation wasn’t all that funny, but she knew she had no one to blame but herself. The car had been giving her warning signs for two weeks with its stuttering and lagging, but she’d stalled taking it to the repair shop. Now it was biting her in the ass. Realizing there was nothing she could do, Millie sighed a
Zeke frowned. “Why? Is something the matter?”Millie pursed her lips without saying anything, which caused Zeke’s frown to deepen. “Millie, what’s wrong? Why do you suddenly look so tense?”Millie swallowed. “Uh, it’s just... it’s just that my boyfriend might be around.”“Oh.” Zeke’s expression dropped slightly at that. He didn’t understand the sudden tightness in his chest.He managed to smile. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, but what’s the problem if he’s around? I might as well say hi to him and warn him not to hurt you since I care about you.”Millie’s heart raced slightly, but she quickly chastised it, telling it to stop acting so foolishly because Zeke obviously didn’t mean it the way she thought.“So, are we going in or not?” Zeke prompted after some seconds.With her heart in her mouth, Millie nodded and unlocked the door.“Francis?” she called out. “Are you home?”She saw him sitting in the living room. His eyes blazed when he saw her. Millie was just about to warn him th
Karen paced the living room like a storm brewing in a too-small teacup, her arms folded tightly across her chest. She shot a glare toward her mother's lawyer who sat calmly with his briefcase beside him, waiting.“I don’t understand,” Karen snapped. “You’re already here, so why aren’t you reading the will? In fact, why do we even need to read it? I was her only daughter. I'm sure she's giving everything to me anyway.”Mr. Sawyer adjusted his glasses. “Ms. Blade, I ask for your patience. There is one more person who needs to be present before I proceed.”Karen’s nose wrinkled as she tilted her head. “What are you talking about? Who else could possibly need to be here?”As if on cue, the doorbell echoed through the house. Karen’s lips thinned, her irritation clear.“I’ll get it,” Bridget murmured, hurrying toward the door. Moments later, the click of heels and a deep, familiar voice caused Karen to freeze.Kris stepped inside first, his hand resting protectively on Thalassa’s lower back
As Thalassa stepped down, the room was filled with sniffles and silent tears. Though she wasn't crying, the devastated look on her face and her touching words brought tears to everyone's eyes. All except for Karen, who was glaring at her from across the aisle.The somber mood in the chapel persisted as Bridget stood up and walked to the altar.“You were my boss,” Bridget began, her voice breaking slightly, “but also my best friend. A person with the rarest heart—one who could make anyone feel seen and valued.”She paused, swallowing back the lump in her throat. “You loved with your whole being. That’s who you were. To lose you… is to lose a light in this world. But I take solace in knowing you're at peace now, somewhere you can finally rest after all the pain life threw your way. You'll never be forgotten, dear madam.”The room was silent, save for the occasional muffled sobs of mourners. When Bridget sat down, the priest returned to the altar, gesturing for everyone to bow their head
“You signed Mum’s death sentence. It’s your fault she’s dead!”Karen’s tear-streaked face twisted in raw pain as she turned to Thalassa, her voice rising like a jagged knife.“That's not true!” She shouted, her hands shaking. “I didn’t know this would happen! How could I have known?”Thalassa’s eyes narrowed, her body trembling with barely restrained fury. Before she could speak, Kris stepped behind her, his jaw tight.“So it is true, Karen?” he asked, each word laced with disbelief. “You told Linda it was your mother who gave me the evidence? What the hell were you thinking?”Karen’s lips quivered, and she stumbled over her words. “I didn’t mean to! It just… slipped out while we were talking. I couldn’t take it back!”Thalassa let out a bitter laugh that was chilling to the bone. “Oh, I’m sure that’s the excuse you told yourself to sleep at night,” she snapped. “But we both know the truth. You knew exactly what you were doing. You were scared Linda would come after you, so you decide
Karen gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove, her frustration building with every mile. It had been three days since her mother last called her.Since the day she told her mother that she didn't want anything to do with her, the woman would call at least twice a day. But she'd gone three days without doing so, and it was grating on Karen's nerves.Had she given up already? Karen was damned if she would allow that.Right now, she was driving to her mother’s house, but she wasn't going there to reconcile. She just wanted to remind her of her betrayal and make her beg for her affections again.Pulling up to the gate, she frowned. The gate didn’t open like it always did. She waited a moment, growing impatient before honking the horn. Nothing. Annoyed, she picked up her phone and dialed Bridget’s number. “Why is the gate locked?” she demanded when Bridget answered. “And why isn’t anyone opening it?” Bridget’s voice was quiet, but the exhaustion in it was evident. “Because no
The room was quiet for a moment after the doctor’s announcement. Juana’s eyes glistened with tears as she looked up at him. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. “Thank you so much.”Upon waking up and being unable to move her legs immediately, she'd truly been terrified, but this had given her so much hope.The doctor gave her a kind smile. “You’re a fighter, Ms. Juana. But remember, no stress. Rest if your head feels heavy. If it worsens, inform us immediately.”Juana nodded as tears spilled down her cheeks. Thalassa and Luisa exchanged a glance before speaking in unison, their voices filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Doctor.”He nodded again and excused himself, leaving the three women alone. Luisa and Thalassa moved to either side of Juana’s bed. Luisa gently placed her hand over hers. “I’m so happy to see you awake and well,” she said softly, her voice filled with relief.Thalassa bit her lip. “Juana, I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you saved my
Thalassa’s hands trembled at her sides as her furious words hung in the air. The weight of what she had just said, what she had admitted she wanted to do, filled the room with shock.Luisa placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, her voice trembling with worry. "Thalassa... please don’t talk like that. You don’t mean it." But Thalassa’s cold, unwavering gaze shot through her. "I mean every word," she bit out, her voice low and steely. "I want to kill her. I would be doing the world a favor by getting rid of someone as vile as Linda Miller. She’s a waste of a human being." Luisa swallowed hard, unease crawling up her spine. She had seen Thalassa enraged before, but never this murdurous rage. It scared her. "I know you’re upset," Luisa said, her voice soft but firm. "You have every right to be angry, but this isn’t you. You’re not a murderer, Lassa. You’re nothing like Linda Miller." Thalassa shrugged off Luisa’s hand with a sharp jerk. Her jaw tightened, and her eyes burned with fu
Thalassa buried her face in Kris’s chest, her sobs muffled against his shirt. His arms wrapped tightly around her.She clung to him, trembling, her mind screaming against the reality she didn’t want to accept. Rita was truly gone. The door creaked open, and Kris lifted his head. The doctor entered, followed by a nurse. This time, he didn’t ask them to leave. Instead, he approached Rita’s still form, his expression solemn as he checked her vitals. After a moment, the doctor straightened and glanced at the nurse. His voice was steady as he said, "Time of death: 7:21 AM." The words felt like a punch to Thalassa’s chest, knocking the air from her lungs. Her knees threatened to buckle, but Kris tightened his grip, holding her upright. The doctor turned to her, his face filled with sympathy. "I’m very sorry for your loss," he said softly. "It happened quicker than I expected. I’ll prepare the death certificate and arrange for her body to be transferred to the morgue whenever you’re
At Rita's revelation, Kris swallowed hard against the tightness in his throat. He thought he should feel shock or anger, but he didn't feel that. Not even disappointment. All he felt was a crushing sadness and a hollow ache in his chest that made it hard to breathe. Deep down, he'd known. He'd known his mother was behind it.But had it been too much to wish for his mother to prove not to be a monster for once? How far was Linda going to go? His jaw tightened as he looked down at Rita's frail form, her skin pale and her breaths shallow."I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of his guilt. He stepped closer to Rita, his hand hesitating before lightly brushing against hers. "I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve this. None of this." His throat burned as he forced the words out. "I promise you, I’ll get justice for you." Rita’s eyes fluttered open slightly, her gaze cloudy yet still warm. She gave him the faintest smile, her voice a faint rasp as she whispered, "Wha
Thalassa sat in the hard, plastic chair by the wall in Rita’s ICU unit, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. The sterile scent of disinfectant filled her nostrils, but she barely noticed it anymore. Her eyes were fixed on the frail figure lying in the hospital bed. Rita was surrounded by machines—a heart monitor that beeped steadily, an IV drip that fed her weakened body, and a nasal cannula that provided oxygen through thin, clear tubes resting against her pale face. She had always been so strong, so full of life. Seeing her like this, so still and vulnerable, made Thalassa’s chest ache. The machines keeping her alive felt intrusive, cold, and mechanical—so unlike the warm, loving woman who had been her pillar through so much. She rubbed her tired eyes. She hadn't slept a wink since last night, but sleep was the last thing on her mind. Her gaze darted back to Rita every few moments, desperate for any sign of movement. Nothing. A soft knock came at the door, pulling her from