CHARLOTTE'S POV“I even heard she had held the post once already when her eldest child was in the same class! What more does she want then? She thinks it’s her family’s heirloom or what?! Humph! I absolutely cannot tolerate someone like her holding such power when we have young, sexy, beautiful and sophisticated women like you Mrs. Charlotte, in our gathering. So, I seized the position from them and came to meet you here to celebrate! I am willing to bear the title in name for you Madame, but the actual power will be in your hands”By the time she was finished, I was beyond speechless. I didn’t know whether to smile or be skeptical about her. It was almost unreal but it was actually happening before my eyes. “So, Mrs. Charlotte, will you be our Parent Representative and the real power of the position?” she asked with a smile but I said nothing, still contemplating it all in my head as she continued speaking.“I went a bit overboard and ordered a jewelry set you can use on the day of i
HUDSON’S POV“We won’t be able to tell of her improvements unless you bring her in for checkup, Mr. Rodriguez” the doctor explained calmly after going through Aby’s monthly report. After that last time, she was diagnosed, a routine report on her behavior was requested every month and I had ensured I submitted.Not skipping a month or make excuses because in a way, it also helped me keep track of Charlotte’s contributions/ changes towards Aby. And I thought everything was going well, at least not until I was called in by the doctor earlier today. “She has shown signs of improvement from your reports but we cannot be sure it is not her mind building a coping mechanism to make her seem like she is well, which is not that bad actually. Just that, the dangers of this situation, is a mental break down. The day the coping mechanism doesn’t work like it usually did, the mind will be thrown into a frizzy and might drastically affect her personality. I advise you bring her in for us to be sure”
VALER’ES POV“I can’t believe you’re actually going! You’re really honoring his invite?” Nanny Beth asked for at least the billion time already ever since I informed her of my meeting with Grandpa. I had already told her I was going, explained things to her but still, she couldn’t seem to sink it in. Even until now that I was fully dressed and almost ready to leave.“I can’t believe you agreed to go to that house! I can’t believe you agreed to meet those people! After everything they did to you, this is just insane!” she bellowed in a semi shushed tone so the kids wouldn’t hear. They were literally in my walk-in closet area right in my room that Nanny Beth and I currently stood. So, you can imagine Nanny’s efforts to contain her frustration.After a moment of her glaring giant holes at the side view of my face and me continuously checking myself and behaving like I couldn’t just feel the intensity of those glares, I finally gave up and turned to face her. “Nanny…I will be fine. Comple
VALERIE’S POV“My dear… it’s so good to see you. Thank you for coming” Grandpa gushed with a smile so big that it had his blue eyes twinkling like Miles when he was excited about something. He made me feel warm all over with how welcoming and accepting he was. I had to blink a few times to keep the tears away as he scanned my outfit from head to toe.“You look absolutely beautiful, my dear!” he complimented and we shared a warm laughter at his attempt to blow kisses at me. “Oh, stop Grandpa! Everyone is staring” I playfully scolded, feeling genuinely happy to see him. He turned back to face the waiting audience at my words. And truthfully, his outburst from earlier had caught a lot of attention if not all. And if they were still a few people left, his next words definitely had them at full attention, making the entire house totally silent.“My dear, are you worried about these people? Don’t be!” he said dismissively before pulling me close, “Everyone, this is Valerie Ann Marie Hernand
VALERIE POVSo, I squinted my eyes in the direction of the voice and sure enough it was another one of Hudson’s cousins- Coco. I call her the black owl because of her insatiable need to always wear a black eyeshadow every single goddamned time.She probably thought it made her look badass but it just seemed tacky for me. Cause just how old are you exactly? That you would still be freaked with been ‘badass’ and trust me, she was probably older than Hudson! Hudson was in his thirties, so you could imagine.“Are you sure about that?” I asked and took steps in her direction. “Why would she join us? This is literally the last round! Let her wait for the next one” Amelia, Hudson’s mom and the very person I had been hoping to see insisted conclusively at Coco’s gesture to make me join them.I finally got to them and noticed it was a poker game, the game of cards. And you know what’s more interesting? Charlotte, Amelia, Coco and Hudson were in on it. They were the main players but, Charlotte
VALERIE’S POVLeaving the bustling gathering behind, I walked over to a secluded part of the mansion. From my memory, this area used to be some sort of relaxation spot for when the sun was down. It had these transparent glass walls that gave an overview of the well-trimmed flowers of the gardens around.Plus, the peace and quiet anyone could get by just been here, I say it made the area all the more enjoyable. But regardless of the place’s beauty, it wasn’t the reason I was here. The reason I was here though, was standing not too far from me. Probably about 6 steps or there about, and cladded in a perfectly tailored black suit, with his dirty blonde hair styled in his usual wave. - Hudson Rodriguez.I think its safe to say his side profile looked good. He didn’t even look angry from the game, like I had imagined he would. He was just…lost in thoughts?Hmm, I wonder why…. “Hey,” I called out, to get his attention and his head turned in my direction. I noticed how he let out a low sigh s
VALERIE'S POV But my moment of triumph didn’t last long at all cause I somehow ran into a certain blonde hair on my way back to the main hall for the party. “Here she is, the little manipulative, bitch” Charlotte sneered, narrowing her eyes at me. ‘Ugh, not now please.’ I groaned inside my head and moved to the other side to leave but Charlotte quickly blocked my path. I moved to the previous path but she got back in the position again. She was obviously trying to get a rise out of me. “What do you want, Charlotte?” I asked after we went through the same process for the third time. “I should ask you that," she retorted sharply, "Why are you here? How can you come here?! Have you no shame?" "Huh?" I scoffed, blinking my eyes at the absurdity of her questions. "Excuse me? What exactly should I be ashamed of, Charlotte?" "A friend of mine invited me for his late wife's memorial, I honored his invite by coming here, what is the shame in that? And why are you all agitated and in
CHAPTER 131HUDSON’S POV“I don’t know about us been mirrored souls or not, but you sure do look like you’re running away” those were the words that had been continuously replaying in my head ever since she walked off, and so nonchalantly at that! Like she didn’t alter those crazy ridiculous words about her feeling some type of way for me.Like what the hell was that? And why right now?!Right now, when I was still trying to pick myself up from all the crazy feelings I had been having lately? Does she even know how long I had been waiting for her to show up at the house? How long I had been discreetly glancing at the front double doors? Despite knowing I shouldn’t?! despite trying so hard not to do it?She doesn’t know anything! And then finally! when she does show up, she just went right ahead to come bullshit me about her feeling something for me. Which we all know were lies!Horrible lies!It was okay if I kept having crazy thoughts about her, it was okay. It was all inside my head
CHARLOTTE’S POV“You fucking blonde bitch!”“How dare you! How dare you, Charlotte?!” The voice which I so much hate that I recognize right now shrilled in my ears. Literally threatening to render me deaf at such early hours of the fucking morning!‘Argh, this pompous bitch again.’ I groaned under my breath, groggily rubbing my eyes open as her voice continued to scream through my phone speakers. “You have a lot of nerves, Charlotte. So much nerves, but guess what? I’m going to deal with you. I’m going to deal with you stupid ass, you hear me?!”“Hey!” I yelled back, snapping at her. “What do you want, Mrs. Thompson?! What the fuck is wrong with you and why are you screaming in my ears at this time of the morning?! People are still sleeping you know!”“Sleeping?!” She mocked, laughing loudly like a manic. “You really are something, aren’t you?! You dare sleep after what you’ve done?!”What?“What are you talking about?” I asked, some sort of clarity coming to me as I looked around my
HUDSON'S POVWith one last exhale to calm the nerves, “I apologize.” I said, “I apologize for showing up on your property without an invite. For continuously trying to barge my way through every time i came here… I have thought about it all through my time out at your entrance and it truly doesn’t sound good.”“So, you do realize that, hm?” He mocked calmly, keeping his eyes trained on me.“Though my means was and still is wrong at the moment, but my reason for this is truly urgent.” I explained, “I am here today, because I am guilty man! A man that has done you wrong and simply disregarded you all these years, especially after finding out that things weren’t as I assumed. I have… I have hurt your daughter. Your granddaughter, Valerie. I hurt her, I abandoned her and totally neglected her when we were married!”“Oh? So, you married her?” He sneered, the distaste in his tone clear. “You married a daughter of mine without my knowledge?!”“Yes!” I confirmed, taking the bull by the horns.
HUDSON’S POV“I’m sorry sir, but the chairman is currently resting and won’t be able to see you.” The elderly man who I assumed was the chief butler of the mansion addressed me. His words, not surprising at all seeing as they were literally the exact words he used on me a few weeks back.Ever since I had officially gotten back together with Val after our last issue over housing arrangements, I had made it a point to reach out to her family. To get to know them, introduce myself and let them know I would be taking responsibility for my kids and Valerie seriously. Unlike how I had behaved 5 years ago.5 years ago, I wasn’t even aware Val had a family. That she had people, or even ones as powerful and commanding as the Hernandez backing her… I was clueless and quite foolish, as I have let you all know by now. But I couldn’t continue to be like that.I couldn’t continue to make up excuses and not take responsibility for my actions, especially as now, I badly wanted to be with her. Making
HUDSON’S POV“Son,”“I know you must be terribly mad at me right now; you don’t even want to listen to me explain any thing to you. But… I just want to say that I am sorry. I am so sorry for everything!”“I feel ashamed, disgusted with myself and completely embarrassed that I did all these things as your father. It wasn’t right, it was wrong on so many levels and I should have put a stop to it before it got to this extent. I shouldn’t have given in and let them use me, let them play you like this…it is all my fault. All my fault! My selfishness and desire to keep a clean slate without letting everyone know what I had gotten into pushed me even more to do this despicable thing! I-I am terribly sorry son. I am…so sorry. I’m so sorry!” He pleaded, his voice breaking a bit as he addressed me from his position on the floor. Where Mom had left him.I had thought yesterday was a lot, but honestly, today was even worse!So much worse that I almost wished these whole happenings were just a dre
“But it was what pushed me.” Gregory insisted. “That was the genesis of all my wrong decisions! I took your heritage, gambled and lost it! I tried to get them back and got into more debt! Tried some more and got into more and more debts! Which was why when Drake approached me, I took his bait! Without even thinking! Why?! Because I didn’t want to ruin things between us, Amelia. I didn’t want to totally lose relevance in my father’s eyes and most definitely not in my son’s eyes! Hudson was all I had left. I couldn’t bear to become a disappointment to him, so I did it!”“I settled all my debts and everything but what I didn’t realize was that Drake wouldn’t take back money as payment. Instead, he wanted me to marry his daughter-Charlotte. That was where I met her. I couldn’t of course, I had a wife and a son almost Charlotte’s age, how could I do such a thing?!”“Good heavens!” Grandpa exclaimed, banging the arm of his chair as he stood up abruptly. Fury burning within him as he paced a
CHAPTER 247“Drake,” Hudson repeated, his deep voice vibrating in the air as he spoke for the very first time. “How do you know, Drake?”Gregory’s eyes widened in surprise at that question. Realizing what was supposed to be his quiet thought had been voiced out instead, even reaching the others of the others in the living room!Everyone’s eyes were on him. Zooming in on him and filling him with dread as he swallowed, hard. “You just mentioned Drake,” Hudson repeated, this time his voice even more firm. “How do you know him? Why did you mention him and what does he have to do with this recording?”“I- err-I-” Gregory stammered,“Answer me!” Hudson blasted. His sudden anger startling everyone, but it was to be expected. He hadn’t confronted Gregory ever since everything that happened at the hospital. His anger was justified. But even at that, Amelia couldn’t help but cut in.“But who is this, Drake?” She questioned with confusion, seemingly feeling whoever that was could not possibly be
THIRD PERSON POVIt’s been less than 24 hours since the Rodriguiez mansion received the rude awakening that they had yet another family member and ever since, peace has seized to exist in the family mansion!Angry yellings and explanations bounced off their walls, multiple times at night and even continuing the next morning. And even until this moment!“Throw it out!” Amelia yelled at a confused maid.“Keep it down! I said keep it down!” Gregory instructed, countering Amelia’s order. Leaving the maid even more confused and slightly worried for her own safety as she looked between the couple.Or should I say, ex-couple.“Amelia, please. Let’s talk like grown adults! We don’t need to be like this, please” Gregory pleaded, repeating the words he had been saying since yesterday. But those very words seemed to drive Amelia even more mad with anger! So much that she charged at the maid, grabbing the set of clothes in her hands and threw them downstairs by herself.“I said, GET HIS FUCKING BA
VALERIE’S POV“I did it all for you, Huddie!”“It was all for you. Because I loved you and still do!” Charlotte cried out, her voice raw with emotion like she wasn’t the one spewing shit just a moment ago. Gosh! This woman… I would never understand her, never!“I love you, Huddie. Let’s start all over, please” She pleaded, sniffling back her tears as she moved to his direction. But instead, all she got was cold shoulder from Hudson as he walked right past her, like she was nothing in his eyes. “The only person I need to start all with is my woman who I abandoned because of how foolish I was. Next to her, you’re simply insignificant and that’s all you will ever be!”Woah‘Look at that nonchalance people! That man is so done with her ass!’And he doesn’t know the full story yet! Hahaha!“Amelia?”“Amelia! Sweetheart please, let’s talk. I can totally explain! I can-“GET. YOUR. HANDS. OFF ME!” Amelia declared; her eyes murderous as they spat fire at Gregory. He refused at first but after
HUDSON’S POV“Wah…what is she talking about?”“What is she talking about, Gregory?!” Mom’s voice bounced off in the air, further sinking in Charlotte’s words into my mind.“I don’t-i-Amelia listen” Dad tried to explain, gently taking mom’s hands. “I have no idea what she is-“You have no idea what I’m saying?” Charlotte cut in; her tone irritated. “You have no idea about the fact that we’ve been meeting up at hotels behind her back?! That you’ve been sleeping with me? or that Abrille is actually your daughter and not my Huddie’s?! What exactly is confusing you, Gregory? Or are you just trying to make me look stupid?!”“What?!” Mom exclaimed; her expression crowned with the exact same feeling of disbelief that I felt watching this entire show!A show! That’s what’s happening here!A fucking show for the premieres!“You…”“You…Greg… what?!” Mom shrilled again, disgust filling her bones as she immediately moved out of dad’s hold. “What th- you…Haha! This is a joke! A one big joke! What t