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
Reyna hesitated, resentment warring with longing for parental approval, which she still unconsciously craved. At last, she managed a tentative greeting. “Mother, Father, it’s been a while. You both look well.” An awkward beat passed. Elisa arched one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “Come now, Reyna; let’s not play pretend. We all know exactly why we haven’t spoken in years. You selfishly put your…love life ahead of this family’s good name and status.” Carlos clenched his fists at his wife’s side. Reyna blanched, feeling again like a naive teenager unable to meet their exacting standards. Some wounds never heal, no matter how much time passes. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. What could she possibly say after all this time? Elisa gave a thin smile of satisfaction at having rendered her speechless once more. Elisa gave a thin smile of satisfaction at having rendered her speechless once more. “Such a pity to witness the ruins of potential,” she lamented dramatically. “Why, jus
“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
“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.”
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
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
William drove like a mad man from the office to the park, bypassing every sign and speed limit just to get to Reyna, he had never broken any speed limit but for Reyna, he was ready to do anything. He had never felt this strongly for a woman in all his life. In less than five minutes, he was at the park, racing crazily to the park, frantically looking around for Reyna or her car. He tried calling her but for some reason, he could not reach her and it made him more anxious. Thankfully, after a few failed tries, he was able to get her. He heaved a sigh of relief as the call went through. “Hello, William”, Reyna’s voice sounded more like a whisper from the other end of the line. “Reyna, thank goodness. I have been trying to reach you since forever. I’m at the park gate. Where are you?” He asked in a single breath. “I’m at the lake just by the big tree”, she said. She sounded so stressed and tired and William’s heart went out to her. He quickly ran out to meet her, spotting her car do
Nicholas stood at the door of the office. He was surprised to see her so soon, even more surprised when he saw her name flash on his phone in a call about five minutes ago. True, he had been in a meeting but he had immediately cancelled and rescheduled the meeting, but he would never let her know that. Reyna took a deep breath as soon as the door started to open. It was time to put on her big girl pants and face Nicholas. She started walking out of the elevator, a sudden air of confidence in her stride as she walked into the room. She was never a timid woman and Nicholas would not make her one. “Reyna, what a pleasant surprise. I never imagined I would see the day you would walk in to my office.” Nicholas said as his face widened in a smirk. Reyna scoffed. Of course he was going to try to rub it in her face. “I am not here on my volition, if that’s what you are thinking. I only came to talk to you about Mia.” She said as she finally reached him. His smile dropped a bit but he didn
Mia felt so weak and so much pain that talking had become more of a Herculean task for her. She slowly woke up as she felt someone crying and holding her hands. She had not even realized that she had fainted and had been rushed to the hospital. There, kneeling next to her bed was the unmistakable head of her mother who held her hands and cried into the sheets. She looked up to see aunt Mildred also standing there, in tears. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. Her throat felt parched and even being awake was painful to the young child. Soon, she felt like screaming as her heart started beating faster, offsetting the machine next to her and drawing her mother and aunt’s attention. She could hear them talking to her and crying and moving around between themselves but she could not do anything but look around and just observe her surroundings. Soon, a doctor and a nurse rushed into the room as her mom and aunt were ushered out of the room. She could hear the do
Reyna slowly woke up, she tried to get up but fell back feeling a pain in her head. She laid back down, moving from side to side to try to fire out where she was, the pain in her head increasing with each movement. For a brief moment, she had no clue where she was or what had happened. After a few minutes, the curtain was pulled to the side revealing a distressed looking aunt Mildred. “Oh! My poor child. You are awake. You had me so worried. How do you feel now? Does it hurt anywhere?” Aunt Mildred asked as she walked up to Reyna’s bed, placing a hand on her forehead to check her temperature before going on to give the still confused Reyna a once over. Reyna still felt the last waves of the sedatives running through her veins and was still a bit out of it. “Oh! Thank the heavens. You look better. I’ll have the doctor come in and see if you’re out of the woods yet. Just stay there, don’t you move a muscle, you hear me?” Ain’t Mildred said as she hastily ran out of the curtained ro