THIRD PERSON POV ****At the dinner after the show The sounds of glass clicking filled the air as the environment buzzed with light conversations and laughter, warm breeze moving gently in the space, probably due to the trees in the school grounds. But regardless, most will say it was a welcomed change from the heavily air conditioned hall they had just left about 30 minutes ago. True to the proprietress words, a dinner was specially organized after the show for the parents. Nothing too grand, just a few meals to warm the tongue and enough champagne to wash it all down but still, the chairs arrangement remained in the order of relevance to the school. A rooftop space was used to host the dinner. Several round tables that had already been decorated with white tablecloths filled the space, the color-coded ties on each chair round the tables signifying the rank/relevance of each parent. An Ivory colored tie for the Diamond class, a burgundy chair tie for the Ruby class and lastly
THIRD PERSON POV His emotions were just all over the place and he didn't know how to stop them either. This wasn't something he had learnt how to cope with, this wasn't something he had experienced before that he could think of solutions right then and there to address his issue once and for all! This was all new to him, she was new to him. This-this version of HER was new to him, and he had no idea what to do. At that tough realization, his shoulders slumped a bit and he saw her smirk a bit despite the distance between them. It was as though she heard his thoughts in that minute he glanced at her, a triumphant smirk slowly presenting itself on the left side of her lips... and without a second more he looked away. Better to die in silence than to let anyone hear the kind of thoughts he was having. "You're here for Aby, don't forget." He slowly reminded himself and reluctantly chose to focus his attention to Charlotte, who was now busy in a heated conversation with the proprietr
HUDSON'S POV What was that thing people always said about listening to your instincts...That it was never wrong, right? You should always listen to your instincts! Well, It was the same case with me right now. I should've listened to that calm voice inside of my head. That voice that warned me of my daring ventures outside that exit door...to follow her, but at the end i didn't listen. I didn't heed to those warning bells inside of my head when I reached for the exit door or worse, when i followed the scent of that flowery fragrance. If only I listened, maybe I wouldn't be in this cock holding situation right now. "Huddie!" Charlotte called out loudly and instantly pulled me out of my thoughts. "Baby, where have you been?!" Quickly blinking away all distractive thoughts, and suddenly aware of my environment, I took brisk steps towards her. Forcing a smile as well to hide my inner turmoil as I took her side at the drink stand where I had initially left her earlier. "Are y
HUDSON'S POV "Argh, what are all these thoughts for crying out loud!" I groaned under my breath for at least the 100th time today since I saw Val on stage. Without so much as a thought I reached for the glass of champagne on the drink stand, maybe it would help clear my thoughts. Not like all the others I had gulped down had helped anyways, but there was no harm in trying for the last time. But just then as I reached for the glass, a slender hand with perfectly manicured white nails reached for it as well, pausing me in my tracks. Both our fingers were at the bottom of the flute glass, it was a simple mistake or unplanned action but i felt my throat go dry instantly. Without needing anyone to enlighten me, I knew just who had those fingers and when I looked up, following the smooth skin of those nails, I met the very green orbs i had been avoiding all along. Those green pools that seemed to draw me in and rope me down in it's grip the more I stared into them. Way to go Hudson,
VALERIE’S POVThere is a fine line between persistence and destruction. A line that could either forge new beginnings or bring havoc to a person, that is why it’s advised that in everything there should be moderation. A balance…don’t do too much, don’t do too little. Give room for self-reflection, but yet, some people just can’t seem to understand this principle. They never learn, they never stop…until everything comes crashing down.*BOOM*“Valerie you wench! How dare you!” Amelia shrilled as her hand went flying straight to my left cheek, the impact alone sent me flying backwards till I landed on the cold white floors of the Rodriguez mansion with a thud. “How dare you play foolish tricks such as this?! Do you want to kill her?! You want to cause her harm!” she screamed some more, and quickly reduced her form to meet me on the floor, her hands slapping and pulling at my hair almost immediately.Pains quickly replaced my shock of been slapped. “Stop! Let go of me!” I screamed, while
VALERIE’S POVOh, how I would have loved to see Charlotte’s reaction when she learns of what her dearest lover had been up to all evening, it would have been a blast honestly. To see her pompous smile fall as she stood there clinging to his arm like it was her lifeline.Quite tacky if you ask me, I mean they were a couple; that I already knew. Was there a need to be even more dramatic about it right in front of my face? Like seriously, “Pfft! What a joke!” I scoffed out loud at the memory and turned up the heat in the bathtub. It was just unfortunate that I had to wait to squash that smile of hers. This was just the beginning, no need to rush. Besides Charlotte deserved way more, a frown can’t cut it. After all she did to me back then, the one she openly confessed to right outside my house plus her threat to my kids? C’mon, she deserved way more than just her losing her usual triumphant smile.In fact, after her uninvited visit in my yard that day, I had realized that my babies would
VALERIE’S POV“Huh?? You want him to know where we- ah! oh my God, oh my God…” Nanny Beth exclaimed loudly, so loud that the sound waves probably affected her aged body and she rushed to sit on Mason’s bed opposite me while holding unto her back. I could only chuckle at her display but she didn’t seem to take it lightly though. “This is serious Valerie, just what are you thinking baby girl?! If he comes here and then…sees them, what are we going to do?! Isn’t that like the opposite of your plans!?” she added, her voice slightly lower this time but her tone all the same tensed.“Ah! Nanny…” I droned out before standing up from the bed, “You worry too much! Who said anything about him coming here? I mean he could but! He won’t.”“Pretty confident, huh?”“Absolutely confident!” I responded with a smile and turned to head out the room. She didn’t see Hudson at the event, I did. And one thing I was sure of was that talks about me having kids made him uncomfortable. Just like how he lost hi
HUDSON’S POV“Boss, the documents you asked for has arrived. It's in your study" James said the moment I stepped out of my car to head into the house. "From Paul? Is it everything?" I asked, handing him the car keys and walking to the steps on the front porch."Yes Boss, everything.""And Aby?" I added"Taking a swim with Madame Charlotte at the pool" he replied and I froze almost immediately on my feet. "The pool? Are you sure about that?" I asked in surprise"My eyes are still working fine Boss, I'm pretty sure that's them at the back. They look pretty happy too, Ma'am Aby especially." He replied with a sass but I just chose to ignore it. James will always be James; true he was becoming bold these days but that was not the point.The point is that Charlotte seemed to be doing a lot with Aby these days, it was nice to see but also quite worrisome. So worrisome that I had to tell James to keep an eye on them, I don't want something fishy happening right under my nose. And especially n
VALERIE’S POV“Pa!”“Pa!” Babara’s loud voice echoed in the air even before we saw her face. The urgency in her voice clear, and it only seemed to get worse as the clicking sounds of her heels drew closer to Papa’s hospital door.My eyes flickered to Papa’s for a moment, just making sure I didn’t need to stop her before she got to him right. Cause I was ready to! I won’t let her rashness take away the only family member I had left. I wouldn’t let him encounter another panic attack, not on my watch!I think he kind of sensed my uneasiness, and gently placed his hands on mine. Wanting to assure me he was alright, and as much as that calmed me, I still wasn’t putting down my guard. Not while the enemy was so close by.And as if hearing my thoughts, the door slammed open!“Papa!” and in came Babara herself. Rushing in with all her might, desperation and anxiety coating her every move. “Papa, I have looked everywhere for you! Everywhere… hospitals after hospitals, ward after ward, just… ev
HUDSON’S POV“Do you understand now?”“First, the man you wanted left you, Amelia left you, Ethan also did, and now… your own father has abandoned you.” her voice sounded softly, almost considerate but the underlying cruelty was hard to miss. A total contrast to the nonchalant expression on her face, like even speaking to the woman on phone was not worth wasting her energy.It was enchanting, to say the very least.“No one wants you; no one wants to be with you.” She whispered slowly, “You will die alone, Charlotte. A long, lonely death. Remember that,”And just like that, the call ended. The phone sliding from her ears, every movement smooth like she had finished the deal right then and there, which she had though. The bait had been set.The bait we both agreed upon after Ethan showed up at our doorstep, with information about Charlotte. A very daring attitude from a person with his record of betrayal. Ever since he attempted to kidnap Valerie back then, he had gone off record. Which
CHARLOTTE'S POV“Oh yeah?” she sneered, sounding totally unbothered as I continued to brew with anger. “What will you do to Drake then? You see he made a deal with me; to hand over all his dealings with my family, testify against you in court, revealing all the many corpses that was buried underneath the garden in his house for you.”What?“What are you talking about you bitch, I killed no one!” I responded, my breathing shaky as memories of how so many dead bodies were used as fertilizer for the rose garden back home. Dead bodies that were as a result of several tortures and beatings given to men doing business with the heartless man that was my father!It was all him!How come this bitch was saying something else here? How did she even know about the bodies?!“Those corpses are as a result of the many murders that you have done over the years, Charlotte!”“That’s not true!” I argued angrily, losing my cool.“But Drake said it is, and he is testifying against you in court!” she insis
CHARLOTTE’S POV“What the hell are they doing?”“Why are they even together at the hospital? Just what the fuck is this?!” my voice resounded everywhere, bouncing off the walls in the apartment I currently occupied with Raymond.But could you blame me? I was pissed off!Pissed off by the stupid ass video that was been displayed on the tv screen! A video of what supposedly had happened between my man and that bitch Valerie today! Or was this some sort of trick? That bitch Valerie was pulling a stunt again?But even if she did, how did Hudson come onboard with this?! To do this with her! Act like they were all perfect and okay, when I knew they were not! They most definitely were not! They shouldn’t even be!Valerie’s schemes have been exposed! Hudson knows all about this now, I was sure of it! I watched him drive off angrily that night, away from their new place. He didn’t go home that day I sent those cameras, they had a fight. I was sure of it!So why instead of packing his things an
HUDSON’S POVSilence settled between Val and I as we walked all the way to the ward. Our fingers still interlocked, until finally we reached the very door that held Miley’s excited laughs behind it. And then I stopped, facing Valerie right then.“What money?” I asked, but she simply blinked. Probably not expecting my question, but I heard the conversations between her and her aunties anyways. Or at least part of it, since they were already speaking before I arrived there. So…“The money your aunt was referring to” I explained, my voice calm as I waited. “She said something about a stolen money that was in Mason’s name, and you were going to be arrested for it if they called the cops. What was that all about?”“Oh,” was all she said, a deep sigh following right after. “It’s… it’s a bit personal,”Huh?“Personal?” I repeated, not believing she was about to do what I thought she would do. “How personal is this that I can’t even know about it? Mason is involved here, that’s my son, Valeri
HUDSON’S POVComing back home was nothing short of what I had expected. My kids gathered were together, happily playing games, absolutely oblivious of the current happenings surrounding me and their mom. As far as they were concerned; daddy had to take a little trip to check out a building site.A strategy Nanny Beth took to save them from the hassle of wondering why I wasn’t home for 2 days. But aside my kids, everything else seemed fine. The maids, Nanny (Whether or not she knew, she didn’t behave like it at all. But assuming she didn’t know anything will be highly stupid on my part cause Valerie tells her almost everything despite their huge age difference!) but above all, there was no Valerie.I wouldn’t lie to you, a part of me immediately thought of going back to the house outside the city, to check if she had still gone back there. But I just held back. Forcing myself to focus on taking a nice shower, eat a really satisfying meal and then catch up with my kids.The last time I
VALERIE’S POV“I-I’m truly sorry,”“I am- am so sorry for lying about that day,” I apologized, my voice breaking as I tried to keep my tears at bay. “I shouldn’t have lied! I should’ve… I didn’t know you and the kids were at the office, I didn’t know you guys wanted to surprise me so we could have lunch together. It’s all my fault! I’m sorry…”“Of course you are. You are sorry now, Valerie.” His voice sounded in the air, bitter but yet so calm. Unlike his explosive self that I had seen that day in the secret room. “But you weren’t sorry when you just lied to both me and the kids that day, running off to go clear evidences of your actions for fear that someone would get to it first before you do. Maybe someone already got to them-Charlotte had! She did send a few cameras after all; I’m guessing that is what got you agitated and also what had been bothering you days before the kids and I even went to your office!”“No! That’s not it at all,” I rushed to explain, “I wasn’t bothered about
CHARLOTTE’S POV“What? What did you say?”“They are still under the same roof? My Huddie is still living in that house? With her? with bitch Valerie?!"He simply nodded in confirmation, amplifying the horror I just heard. “How?!” I blasted, loosing my shit right then and there. “How is any of that even possible?! He should’ve left her by now! They should be fighting and him not forgiving what she has done! How can they still be together? That’s impossible!”“It is possible!” Raymond insisted, his tone similar to mine. “I saw him myself! I saw Hudson drive into that mini city of his- the Sky Walls! I saw him, and even waited for over an hour to see if he would come back out, but he didn’t! The man simply went home to his woman and kids, get over him kiddo. We need to leave the country before things get out of hand!”“No,” I responded, not wanting to believe a word he said.“Kiddo, You-“No! I said no!” I boomed, smashing the glass of water I was supposed to take my meds with. “I’m not
VALERIE’S POV“He just suffered from a mini panic attack, ma’am”“Given his age, attacks like this could often lead to stroke, full blown heart attacks, or even death on the spot!” The doctors voice resounded in my ears, sending yet another terrible ache throughout my temples. It has been this way since we took Papa to the hospital. And by we, I meant myself and Babara.Patricia came along too but quickly left after hearing he was still breathing and alive. Davis didn’t even come at all. Displaying their exact feelings towards their own father. Making me wonder even more that; what would have happened if I had already driven out of the estate before he collapsed today? What would have become of my Papa? Would he have- would he have really died? Just like that? Because his own children were too busy fussing over him instead of hurrying to get him to the hospital immediately?!“We have managed to stabilize his blood pressure for a bit, but I would advise no more shocking news to be brou