Leila — “Mommy~” Lucienne Lown, my daughter, ran towards me with her arms spread wide. She was wearing a beautiful pink dress that I made for her paired with cute white sandals. “Lucy, don’t run fast!” Taylor Lown, my husband, anxiously ran after our daughter. Yes. Husband. We got married weeks before Lucy was born. Well, it was a shotgun civil wedding. I thought that instead of waiting until Lucienne was born, I just figured we do it before the due date. Of course, Taylor was all for it. He was so quick to arrange the most beautiful ceremony and reception I could ask for in that short amount of time. He did not dilly dally as he was afraid of me changing my mind. His words, not mine! I smiled as spread my arms, hugging Lucienne. “My light…” I kissed her curly hair. “Mommy, can I play with Esme?” Lucienne pointed at Esme, Rui’s daughter, who was walking around the beach with her older brother, Eon. “Sure, darling.” “Daddy, can you accompany Lucy down with Esme
DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, businesses, events, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.~~~“I wish you wore the dress I made for you tonight…” said Leila as she held Phyllis' hands. Phyllis' face crumpled upon hearing Leila. “Are you crazy? I'm in charge of everything here backstage, why would I wear a f*cking gown here?” Leila pouted. “I made it for you… And I don't think you'll have a chance to wear it in the next ten years for a wedding because you're single as f*ck…” Phyllis' eyes widened, ready to fight Leila. “Bi—” “Ladies, your words, please.” Rui interrupted the two as she walked in wearing the jumpsuit Leila made for her. Leila rushed to attach the lace cape that she made. Her delicate hands handled the fabric with great care. It flowed down gracefully as Rui twirled to show Leila's
Leila glanced at Rui who was warmly holding her hand. She was about to grace the runway with Rui and her other models to formally close her show. She’s feeling a little nervous because even though she’s hearing positive reactions from earlier, she’s still unsure about the other guests. Rui massaged her hand and gently whispered, “Don’t worry, they loved your designs…” “How did you know?” “Well, because I saw it in their eyes.” Leila smiled. “It’s because you’re beautiful…” Rui giggled. “I am.” “But they paid more attention to your meticulous craftsmanship than all of the beautiful women who wore them.” “It’s all on you, dear. It’s your talent.” Leila bit her lips. She’s feeling a little more emotional now that she has to wrap up her show. Rui saw the break of emotion on Leila’s face. “Ah! Don’t you dare cry! Phyllis is going to lose it if you ruin your makeup!” Leila fanned her face with her hand and looked away, feeling a little embarrassed. “I’m not! I won’t cry!” “Gu
Shane shook his head. His attention was also drawn to the two beautiful women talking a few meters away. He could not take his eyes away from his ex. His feet tapped on the floor, restlessly waiting for Leila to leave her. “Lucky you. Don’t miss the opportunities given to you, bro.” “Of course, you too, bro.” Julius remained mum as he observed his friend’s back disappear in the distance. ‘If only he did not cheat. Maybe he and Rui would be married by now.’ With a stoic look, he looked unapproachable. But still, there are people who recognized him as the heir of Crest Fashion Group. And… And as Leila’s ex. He smiled and politely talked to the people who asked him to send their regards to Leila. Of course, his presence means one thing. Leila and him are on good terms. After all, who would invite their ex-boyfriend to such an important event like this? Unbeknownst to him, another watchful eye observed everything that went down. Her hands gripped her mobile phone in disgus
“Leila! Hurry up!” A petite high school girl ran towards Leila who was tying her hair with a silky red ribbon. The red color emphasized her beautiful ebony hair. Her fair skin was glowing under the sunlight. Leila Parker and Rui Yoon hurried after their friend Phyllis Lu. They were all dressed in blue checkered skirts and navy blue blazers. The only difference is the color of their ties. Rui Yoon was wearing a navy blue tie for senior students while the other two ladies were wearing muted blue ties for middle school students. One can know the level of students of Centriona School of Gifted by looking at their neckties. In this case, Rui Yoon is already a graduating student, while Leila and Phyllis are middle schoolers. After a long and tiring school day, Leila and Rui were dragged by Phyllis to a nearby mall to see a mall show. Phyllis stood behind a pillar, far away from the stage. Leila confusedly looked at her friend, who was trying to hide herself from the artists on the
“So? What happened to your face, Lei?” asked Phylian Lu, who was comfortably resting his arms on top of Phyllis’ head. From the moment that Leila woke up, she’s been in a bad mood. She doesn’t know how to take in what her father just arranged for her. ‘Marriage?! I’m still too young for that!’ ‘Does mom know about this? When is she coming back from Paris? I need to see her…’ Her frown deepened as she thought about what happened. Just then, Phyllis yanked her twin’s arms away from her head. “Get off, asshole!” “Hey, I’m your older brother, watch your words!” “Oh, yeah? Older by a minute?” Phylian snorted. “I’m telling Mom!” “Go tell mom, you suck up!” Phyllis fearlessly argued back. Phylian couldn’t help but pinch his sister's nose in annoyance. “Isn’t that you? You even suck up to Grandma and Auntie!” Phyllis did not back down and delivered a flick on his arm. “They favor me because I’m pretty and you look like shit.” “We’re twins! We look alike!” Listening to the twi
Leila rushed out of the office and went straight back to their classroom. Phyllis and Phylian who just made up with each other both noticed the change in her mood. But since the afternoon class was about to start, the twins did not bother to ask her. RING~ The class bell rang once the class hours ended. One by one, Leila’s classmates all went out of the classroom to attend their extracurricular activities. “So? What happened to you?” asked Phyllis, who was fixing her bag. She was getting ready to attend a practice for an upcoming dance competition.“I… I’m getting engaged…” she said with so much difficulty. She couldn’t bear to think of the engagement, much less speak of it. “Pardon?! With whom?!”“HOLY SHIT?! With whom?”The twins’ loud voices echoed in the classroom. Both Phyllis and Phylian were surprised to hear about this news. They couldn’t believe that at their age, Leila would get engaged.Leila’s eyes watered as she suppressed the anger in her heart. She doesn’t want to b
“Laura…”Laura Ning glanced at her friend, Hillary. “Hmm?”“What if Leila wants to be engaged with that boy?” Hillary curiously asked. “There’s no way! She was crying when the kids brought her here yesterday! She hates that boy!” Margaret answered for Laura. Laura just looked at Hillary, crestfallen. The question made her think of the what-ifs. No matter how absurd the idea is, at the end of the day, Leila’s happiness is her top priority. “MOM!”Leila yelled in joy as she saw her mother waiting in the living room for her. She hurried down the stairs to hug her mother.Laura welcomed her daughter with a tight and warm hug. “My Leila, how are you?”“Mom! Dad, arranged a marriage for me!” she complained straight to the point without dilly-dallying. She did not bother hiding it from her mother. She has always been very close to her mother to the point that she shares everything with her. From the minor annoyances that she feels to the happiest moments of her life. Her mother knows it a
Leila — “Mommy~” Lucienne Lown, my daughter, ran towards me with her arms spread wide. She was wearing a beautiful pink dress that I made for her paired with cute white sandals. “Lucy, don’t run fast!” Taylor Lown, my husband, anxiously ran after our daughter. Yes. Husband. We got married weeks before Lucy was born. Well, it was a shotgun civil wedding. I thought that instead of waiting until Lucienne was born, I just figured we do it before the due date. Of course, Taylor was all for it. He was so quick to arrange the most beautiful ceremony and reception I could ask for in that short amount of time. He did not dilly dally as he was afraid of me changing my mind. His words, not mine! I smiled as spread my arms, hugging Lucienne. “My light…” I kissed her curly hair. “Mommy, can I play with Esme?” Lucienne pointed at Esme, Rui’s daughter, who was walking around the beach with her older brother, Eon. “Sure, darling.” “Daddy, can you accompany Lucy down with Esme
Leila — I got discharged from the hospital a week ago, and I am now staying in my mother’s house upon her insistence. After my parents found out about my pregnancy, they practically threatened me to go home with them. Well, it’s mostly just my mother who threatened me, but my father did worry about letting me live alone after that damn stabbing incident. Every now and then, Taylor would visit the house to talk to my dad about the progress of the investigation. And right now, he’s downstairs talking to them again. Whenever he’s around, I’d pretend to be busy so I have an excuse to not see him. However… “Miss, Ma’am Laura is calling for you. She said she needs you to come down now.” “Tell her I’m busy,” I answered. “But ma’am Laura said she’s not going to take no for an answer…” The maid frightfully ran downstairs, avoiding any of my rejection. “What do they need now?!” I can’t just go down… I can’t see him! But my mother might drag me down if I don’t go down there… Ais
Taylor — “Thank you, handsome!” An old florist passed a beautiful bouquet of roses to me with a huge smile on her face. “I made it extra pretty for your wife,” she winked. With an image of Leila’s beautiful smile flashing in my mind, I unknowingly smiled. “Thank you. She loves roses.” The florist threw in a few petals of lilies on the side and said, “Well, take this lilies for your daughter.” “I— “Ah, ah, ah! It’s okay, don’t refuse! I want to put a smile on your daughter’s face as well. She must have been burdened on making your wife feel better.” “You should do better, handsome.” Confused with the florist’s vague words, I couldn’t help but frown. Still, it’s not like I have a daughter to make a big deal out of it. I walked out of the flower shop and headed back to my car to drive by Leila’s atelier. After everything that happened, perhaps I can formally court her this time. I’ve been so engrossed with work and helping with Leila’s case that I have put my love on hol
Theodore intimately held Laura’s hands, and with a relieved smile, he said, “I’m so happy that the most important woman of my life gave me a chance to express my side.” “I fear of losing you both, especially now that I experienced such a blissful family life.” A surge of warmth emanated from the loving couple in front of Leila. Seeing how her mother’s messy love life unfolded in front of her eyes, she couldn’t help but feel a little bad. She realized that convincing her mother to divorce her father was completely out of line. Rather, she finally understood how deep their love developed. ‘Who am I to ruin such a beautiful couple?’ ‘I don’t even feel that hurt because of what he did… I know, and I can feel that he did it with good intentions.’ ‘The only thing I need to worry about is my family… My mother is already so old, she can figure out the life on her own.’ She instinctively touched her tummy, feeling the baby bump. ‘So long as I have my baby, I know it will all work out
“Darling, you’re awake…” Theodore slowly walked up to the mother and daughter who were staring at him silently. “Did you hear from your mom already?” “About what? That I’m your biological daughter?” She passively asked. With the whirlwind of happenings the past day, everything is just overwhelming Leila. The neglectful father that she knew growing up turned out to not be her biological father. All her life she craved for her father’s affection only to be cast aside without knowing the reason why. It turns out, Allen Parker may have a reason for doing so. After all, not everyone can treat stepchildren as their own. ‘I don’t know if I should be relieved or what… This is so frustrating…’ Leila’s eyes were focused on Theodore who sat next to her mother. “Leila, darling…” “Why didn’t you tell us?” Theodore hesitated, his face looking a bit conflicted. “Darling, it’s complicated…” Laura sneered. “That’s what I asked him, Leila. He never explained why. If you didn’t urgentl
“The baby seems very healthy, Mommy!” Said the doctor as she checked on Leila’s pelvic ultrasound on the screen. “But the baby bump is barely there, doc. What should I do?” With her slender body, she’s still concerned about how the bump that she wishes to see is barely visible. The OB-Gynecologist wiped the cold jelly from her belly and said, “Mommy, I can see a small bump. You’re just naturally fit. But if you observe your body, there are changes.” “I bet you had a really flat stomach before you got pregnant. Am I right?” Leila nodded. The doctor pointed at the visible bump in her lower abdomen area. “This bump right here is not there before right.” “But it’s not big yet… Is my baby getting all the nutrition she needs?” “Of course, mommy. It’s just that your tummy won’t grow that big yet. But it will definitely as your baby develops.” Leila reluctantly nodded. “Alright, doc. Thank you.” “No problem. Visit me whenever you have concerns and don’t miss your scheduled prenat
Several weeks passed in a blur, and it was now Rui’s wedding. It was initially planned for her wedding dress to be loose so that it wouldn’t show her figure. But since she gave birth to her daughter, Esme a few weeks before the wedding. She was able to rest and spend more time with her newborn. The entire wedding preparations were handled by her husband, Chase. Leila expertly adjusted Rui’s gown to perfectly flatter her body. They were all satisfied with how the gown turned out. “Lei, where is Esme?” Rui in a beautiful chiffon gown asked Leila. The guests are having fun as they proceed with the wedding activities. “She’s sleeping in her room and Phyllis is looking after her,” answered Leila as she sipped on the sparkling soda that was handed by a server. Rui sincerely smiled, “Thank you, Lei.” Leila squeezed her hands, “Of course, I got you, my dearest.” Rui then went on with the activities with her husband, Chase. As one of the Maid of Honor, she was in charge of helping
Leila was carefully driving her car back to her mother’s house after driving her friend, Phyllis to the airport. On their street, she saw a lot of cars parked near Phyllis and Zacharias’ house. “Are they media people…? That’s a lot…” The amount of people with big cameras waiting outside her friend’s house is insanely plenty. Just a few days ago, Phyllis’ husband was hospitalized because a crazy fan attempted to kidnap him. Now, people got a hold of this incident and were eager to get a scoop about it. “So that’s why Taylor told me not to go out…” “Well… No wonder that couple decided to flee the country.” She then parked her car in front of the house’s front entrance. She swung her keys as she walked inside her mother’s house. “Leila?!” Her mother jolted up from the couch as soon as she walked in. “What’s up?” “You! What did you do now?!” Confused, Leila asked, “What did I do…?” “First, you lied to Aunt Amanda about Rui’s wedding and impulsively went home. We’re not don
KNOCK KNOCK Leila was drying her hair after a warm bath when she heard a knock on her door. “It must be him.” She hurried out of her room and opened the door. There, she saw Taylor standing outside, his whole body drenched from the rain. “Goodness, what happened to you?!” “Haha… It rained and I forgot to bring an umbrella.” “You didn’t drive?” “Why would I drive if there’s a convenience store nearby?” His hair is still dripping wet and the rainwater made Taylor’s dress shirt see-through. His lean body is showing because of this. His body was shivering from the cold, but still, he smiled as he handed over the plastic full of food that Leila requested. Feeling a little sorry for his appearance, she bit her lips. “Uh…” “Why don’t you come in and change?” She offered. Taylor beamed, “Sure!” He quickly took off his shoes and went inside. Leila could only watch him as he wore the fluffy pink bunny slippers he used before. ‘I mean, I’ll feel guilty if he gets sick aft