With that, I walked out of the room in anger. As I left, I heard my mother scoff in disbelief.“Woah,” she said, “he’s sure getting bolder and out of control.”I ignored her comment and made my way to the guest room. Laurel and Anita weren’t there, so I figured they’d be in the living room. I headed there, and there they were, seated and chatting again.I took Laurel's hands, leading her towards the door but she suddenly stopped me.“Wait.” She tapped my hands.She turned back to Anita who was looking at me with disdain for taking her best friend away from her.“Let’s talk over the phone, love,” she said, pulling her into a warm hug. “Fine,” Anita said, returning her hug tightly. “Don’t let anything that happened today get to you. I’ll keep in touch, take care.”Laurel nodded and pulled away from Anita, making her way back to where I was standing.“Let’s go.” She said firmly, leading the way out of the house.As we walked to the car, the silence between us was heavy. The drive back h
LAURELAs I pondered over and over about the text I had received from the anonymous sender, my mind raced with possibilities of who it could be from. There were only two people who would be out for my necks at this moment, and that was my step-sister and mother. ‘But they wouldn't stoop so low, would they?’ my mind wandered.My mind drifted to how Rhett always came to my rescue at my most vulnerable moment, and I felt uneasy. I decided I was going to prepare and face my enemies heads-on moving forward. Did they want to come for me? Fine, I was ready. But first, I needed to get the approval of Rhett’s mother between us. I didn’t need any more rivals, especially not from another mother figure.With renewed determination, I quickly freshened up, settling into bed. My mind wandered on ways to win her heart, and slowly, I drifted into sleep.~~~As I entered Richie’s building, the rhythmic tapping of my heels echoed through the lobby. I had taken another day off work claiming I was still
‘Bang!’ Laurel’s body slammed against the door with a loud impact.“How dare you! How dare you question me on where I was last night?” Andrew yelled loudly at Laurel who was now on the ground.“I-I’m sorry. Please,” Laurel pleaded in tears, covering her face from any more hits she was going to get from Andrew.Andrew, suddenly aware of his actions, gently lifted Laurel to her feet. Laurel obliged, frightened for her safety. “Don’t make me keep doing this baby. You’re a mere orphan and no other man would take you in if I decide to break up with you.” He said, pulling Laurel into a forceful hug.“I-I’m so sorry. I’d never mention anything about you being home late ever again.” Laurel said as she watched Andrew storm out of the house.She fell, exhaling a sigh of relief as tears streamed down her face. Unsure of what to do, she faced the reality that her wedding was just two weeks away, and she deeply loved Andrew. He had been the only one to propose after learning she was an orphan. Sh
Laurel couldn't comprehend the shocking revelation. With her hands covering her mouth, she stumbled outside and began walking, unable to believe what she had just witnessed and heard. The betrayal stung even more because Andrew had chosen to cheat with her step-sister—one whom she hated.She struggled to understand where she had gone wrong. Her love for Andrew had always been genuine, and she had dedicated herself to ensuring his happiness. Recalling the two years they had been together, she thought back to their initial dating days. Despite her reluctance, she agreed to date him to escape her foster family’s home life and eventually developed sincere feelings for him.Now, the realization hit her—what did she expect? After all, it was her stepmother who had introduced them. She shouldn't have let her guard down; they were all up to no good.Lost in deep thoughts, a horning car brought her back to reality. It was night now. She fell and began weeping loudly.“Where do I go now? Where
The crowd erupted in chaos as they watched Rhett walk out of the wedding, hand in hand with Laurel. He took her in his car and zoomed off immediately. Driving swiftly to an unknown location, he made a pit stop for Laurel at a shopping store for Laurel to have a change of clothes. Laurel was anxious about what his response would be, as they continued the journey in silence. Laurel couldn't help but speculate on whether he'd accept or reject her as his bride. Her thoughts were interrupted when Rhett stopped at a grand mansion, almost resembling a palace.“Where are we?” Laurel inquired.“At my house. Step down, Rhett answered, opening the car door for her. Laurel entered the mansion, marveling at its beauty as Rhett invited her to have a seat. Rhett sat beside her, making physical contact. As his gaze met hers, Laurel could feel shivers running down her spine. Taking in his strikingly handsome appearance, attractive muscles and even his sweet scent, she found herself yearning for him.
Laurel was taken aback upon seeing the unexpected person that called out her name. In shock, she struggled to comprehend why this person, whom she never wanted to meet again, was sitting beside her.“Laurel, meet Rhett Simon from the Opulentia Group. He’s the CEO of Opulentia Fashion and is here as a representative of the whole Group,” Shirley intervened, snapping Laurel back to reality.“Oh. Hello,” Laurel greeted, masking her surprise with a fake smile.Facing forward and getting ready for the meeting, memories of her painful past suddenly flooded back. She didn’t want to ever encounter anyone from her history, yet here was Rhett, sitting beside her. She wiped the tears forming in her eyes as she sensed Rhett's gaze on her and deliberated on how to react—whether to feign ignorance or acknowledge their shared history."Isn't he good-looking?" Shirley whispered to Laurel with a giggle.Laurel forced a smile."Remember, he's our main focus today. Convince him to invest in our company. I
Laurel felt a wave of surprise. Why would Rhett be calling her? How did he get her number? How could his voice sound so attractive over the phone? Questions raced through her mind, momentarily making her forget that someone was on the other end of the call.“Laurel?” Rhett said, bringing her back to reality.“How did you get my number?” She blurted out in frustration.“Relax. We can talk about that later. I’d like to see you for a moment,” Rhett answered calmly.“And why would you want to see me at this time of day?” Laurel retorted.“It’s concerning the company where you work. Meet me there in 30 minutes.” Rhett replied, sending her the venue details via text.Laurel scoffed as he ended the call.“It better be something worthwhile,” she said as she grabbed her mask and cap and headed out of her apartment.The day was getting dark and Laurel tried hailing cabs, all to no avail. After waiting for 20 minutes, she decided to walk to the venue since it wasn’t far from her apartment and sh
Rhett’s POVI, Rhett Simon, the CEO of Opulentia Fashion was not your typical CEO. Yes, I am successful and wealthy, but my reputation as cold and ruthless in business dealings was just a small part of the story. Unlike most successful men of my stature— strikingly handsome, and tall— I am not interested in any form of romance. I have always gotten what I wanted, but getting Laurel to accept my proposal just weirdly made me anxious. She was no longer the former woman I knew, she was now bold and outspoken and held her head high.With all my wealth, I could get any woman I wanted at my own will but that lifestyle wasn't my type. I was fixated at my work and you’d never see me around any woman.My past relationship with Laurel’s sister was just an arranged union by our parents, and I had gone along with it for the sake of appeasing my family and maintaining the status quo. I had never truly felt a connection with her, and it had always been clear that our relationship was one of convenie