Mia felt blinding pain everywhere. She cried out to her mother who held her head in her arms. She could feel the cold hands of unconsciousness slowly creeping in as specks of black clouded her vision. Out of breath and in so much pain, she gave in to the dark recesses of unconsciousness as Reyna struggled to keep her awake. William had gone out to get the doctors and aunt Mildred had not yet come back from her errand. Reyna sobbed as she hugged Mia to herself. She kept begging Mia to open her eyes but the young child was not responsive as she lay limp in her arms. She let out a toe curling scream as the pain of seeing her baby girl unconscious and unmoving tore at her heart, shredding it up in pieces and stomping on them again and again. William bursted into the room, doctor Byers and two other nurse ls following him closely behind as they tried to make sense of the situation and get to work. William pried Reyna away from Mia’s unconscious body but the broken hearted woman fought ha
Reyna followed William to his car, dropping off her keys with him as he locked her doors and made sure that she had everything she had packed for Mia picked up in his car, he helped her climb into his car. Surprisingly, he had come in a rolls Royce cullinan pickup truck. It was a nice change from the ground level Bugattis and the Aston martins he usually rode in. She sat down and he closed the door for her after strapping her in. She had to admit, it was nice being taken care of and not having to always be the one to worry and take charge of things. All she had ever needed in her life was a man that she could lean on at the end of the day after juggling work and the full time job of being a mother. She needed someone who would take charge and rest after a long day. Somehow, William was not only offering to do just that but he was showing her all that he intended to do. She only wished she could let herself go well enough to finally allow herself to be taken care of by him. She watch
“Nicholas, what are you doing here?”“Reyna, Reyna, you know there is absolutely no need for you to be so defensive around me.” He said as he dna irked and tsked at her. Reyna didn’t need to hear him out to know that he was bad news. There was just something sinister about his sudden appearance at the hospital. But then, she thought, maybe he had given careful thought to her offer and agreed to come over and help out with the treatment process, but she refused to get her hopes up until she heard from him what it was that brought him here. “Why are you here?” Reyna asked, maintaining her stance. She refused to be swayed or intimidated by Nicholas’ presence. She was done being his little scared wife. “Straight to the point, I see. You know, that is one of the things that attracted me to you in the first place. You never liked beating about the bush. Always straight down to business. Always, always, never failed to get a rise out of me. Never. Even now, you’re just the same as ever.”
“I have some very good news”“Talk to us, doctor”, William said. “Well, as per your request, we ran the tests and we are happy to inform you, miss Flores that you now have a donor for Mia’s surgery.”Reyna was too stunned to speak. “What…. You’re joking right? Please tell me you’re not kidding. My baby is going to live?” She stuttered as she felt tears of joy beginning to fall from her eyes. She was beyond happy. Everything was beginning to look up and she could not wait to meet with the donor. “Of course, miss Flores. We had someone come in some time ago to run a test to check compatibility and the results came back positive. So, there you have it.” He said. “Oh! Thank goodness. Thank you so much doctor.” She said, as she reached out for a handshake. “It’s no problem, ma’am”.“If it’s no problem, can we meet with the donor? I would love to give my heartfelt gratitude to the person.” Reyna said. “Of course you can. Matter of fact, you can see him right now. He is sitting right n
“Get rid of it,” Nicholas said in a drunken tone. Reyna stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest, as Nicholas’s words hung in the air like a heavy, toxic cloud. The scent of alcohol on his breath added an extra layer of bitterness to the atmosphere. She had never seen him like this, and a cold shiver ran down her spine.“Get rid of it,” he repeated, his voice slurring with the effects of the alcohol. Reyna’s mind raced, trying to process the cruelty in his words. She thought about their shared dreams and the promises they had made to each other when they exchanged vows. Now, everything seemed to crumble around her.“No,” she finally said, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions within her. “I won’t. This is our child, Nicholas. How can you even suggest such a thing?”Nicholas’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint surfacing as he took a step closer. “Our child? This…this was not part of the plan, Reyna. I can’t have a child right now. It will ruin everything I’ve worked for.”
Reyna stood frozen at the top of the stairs, Nicholas’s chilling words echoing in her mind. He wanted to silence her, and protect his reputation at any cost. She knew then that she could no longer stay under this roof—it had become a den of lies and danger.Steeling her nerves, she retreated into the bedroom and closed the door firmly behind her. Her suitcase lay open on the bed, where she had hastily packed her most essential belongings. Glancing around the lavish room that had once felt like a sanctuary but now only brought pain, she said a silent goodbye to the remnants of her old life.She slipped on a long coat to disguise her belongings and paused at the bedroom doorway, straining her ears for any noises downstairs. Hearing only muted voices from the parlor, she took a deep breath and crept towards the stairs.Heart pounding, she descended one careful step at a time, gripping the banister so tightly her knuckles turned white. At the bottom landing, she peered into the parlor and
Six years had passed since Reyna fled from Nicholas in the dead of night. Those first few years of hiding and rebuilding her life had been the hardest, but now she felt strong and independent. Her vineyard and winery in the countryside were thriving, with distribution deals in few cities. Most importantly, she had her daughter Mia, now aged 6, who brought her endless joy. Reyna had poured all her energy into her business and raising Mia, determined to prove to herself and Nicholas that she didn’t need him. Reyna was ready to take her business to the next level by expanding into the city that held her worst memories—the same place where Nicholas wielded the most influence. “Are you sure about this, Aunt Mildred?” Reyna asked as they drove into the city, Mia babbling happily in the backseat. “What if we run into him?” Her aunt patted her arm reassuringly. "Now, it’s been 6 years. That sneaky snake’s claws have surely loosened by now. You have every right to do business here, so chin
Reyna wheeled the shopping cart through the school supply aisle, Mia skipping happily at her side. Her daughter’s wide-eyed wonder at the array of colorful backpacks, lunchboxes, and notebooks brought a smile to Reyna’s face. “See anything you like, Mija?” she asked. Mia immediately darted for a sparkly pink backpack shaped like a unicorn. Reyna chuckled. Her little girl had simple tastes. As Mia babbled excitedly about her impending first day at a new private school, Reyna felt a swell of bittersweet emotion. Her baby was growing up so fast. She wished she could freeze this innocent moment forever, before the harsh realities of the world encroached on Mia’s joy. Rounding the corner, Reyna collided straight into another shopping cart, jolting her abruptly from her reverie. “Oh goodness, my apologies!” a familiar voice exclaimed. Reyna’s stomach dropped as she looked up at the heavily made-up face of her cousin Olivia. Beside her cowered Olivia’s son, Anthony, peering at Reyna throu