HUDSON'S POV There was only one reason as to why Grandpa was calling by this time and I knew exactly what it was. As much as I dreaded this conversation, right now I could only choose the lesser evil. Between putting up with Charlotte's plans and having the long overdue conversation with Grandpa, I was most definitely choosing Grandpa. We owed him an apology after all. But I must say that I am quite surprised he hadn't called before now or even that very day we left his mansion, looks like his housekeeper was actually a very capable woman despite her age. "Boy! Get that tramp that's hiding in your house on the phone, right now!" His voice boomed through the speakers immediately I took the call. His voice was so loud that I knew Charlotte heard it as well. Her grip on my arm had noticeably loosened if anything and now hung low by her side, her doe eyes wide with fear. I could tell she was scared of him, so I took deliberate steps away from her, sighing deeply as my ache resume
HUDSON'S POV "So boss, we are to resume our trips to the Red Bites today, I presume?"James asked cheerily as soon as I settled at the back seat of the car. His words obviously held an underlying meaning but was I going to acknowledge it? No! So I kept quiet, not sparing him a glance. 'Big headed talkative, just won't stop teasing' I grumbled in my mind and took a moment to scroll through the messages on my phone. But then, after some seconds I noticed we were not moving, the car wasn't moving, rather we just sat silently in the car. I was on my phone, and he... well, he was doing God knows what at the front seat and so I proceeded to stare at him through the rear view mirror. As if on cue, his eyes met mine on the mirror and like the idiot he was he went ahead to ask, "Is there a problem, Boss?" and quite cluelessly at that. Was he pretending to not know what he was doing right now? My lips pursed in a tight line, a distasteful scowl evident on my face as I stared at him. "
Note from Author; Hey guys, before I start let me apologize for dropping this. I am so sorry, but I'm trying to avoid any miscommunications that's why I am dropping this message. There has been a bit of an edit at the end of the last chapter (chapter 50), nothing too major just a scene that best explains the beginning of this very chapter. The edit is most likely to reflect on Monday due to the fact that it's currently a weekend. Again I apologize, I know how this sounds and you might probably cuss me out but don't give up on the story pretty please. Your continuous reading means a lot to me. Thank you for your understanding in advance. ******** CHAPTER 51 HUDSON'S POV Everyone immediately froze in place, the sheer intensity of her tone overlapping every other action, even James was forced to pause. "Stop." she repeated breathlessly and in my fuzzy gaze I saw her hurry towards me. Or was I imagining it? "Let him go," she said as she got closer, her words obviously di
VALERIE'S POV These past weeks has been spent with me going through files upon files, documents upon documents that revealed the most unbelievable informations.I couldn't even believe these people were my family members. For heavens sake the company was founded and grown through the sweat and blood of their own Father! Why ruin his sweat because of greed? They had eaten so deep into the damned subsidiaries they headed! Manipulations here and there, all at the main branch of each subsidiary.How was this even possible? They make so much profits yet have incurred so much debts! Loans everywhere with different suppliers, "What the hell is this?!" I snapped, unable to take much more as I flipped through more pages of the report. After the account managers of both De Hernandez Buildings & Repair and Commercial Kitchen Design & Installations had that distasteful display at my house I was forced to have an even more thorough checks and my God!You will not believe how deep these family
VALERIE'S POV My heart had to be next worst organ living in my body, right after my hairless skin pores. Like I literally had almost zero to no hairs on my skin! You would have to look closely to be able to detect any, that's if they were even there in the first place. And as for the life pump in my chest, all it does is to betray me every single time when it's cooperation is just needed. Like seriously, Hudson was the enemy. That fact is well known in body, soul, spirit, mind... you name it! So tell me, why is this damned heart of mine skipping beats just cause of a glance at our supposed enemy, instead of standing solid on our agreed resolve. Why? If this isn't betrayal, what else is it? I sighed deeply, getting ready to launch more complaints in my mind when a voice snapped me right out of it, "Hey! I was just trying to help!" I blinked, my brain registering my environment in a jiffy as I looked up at Rob's amused face and back to an... angry looking James? Before final
Valerie pov My confusion deepened as Hudson swiftly pulled out a chair from a nearby table to ours, invading my personal space. I quickly swallowed the water in my throat to stop him in his tracks and that was where it all went wrong. The water immediately clogged my throat, forcing a good measure of it into the wrong hole down my throat. My eyes bugged as a fit of coughs and gasping followed immediately, "Careful! You're going to get yourself hurt!" Hudson boomed and sprung up from his chair like a mother hen to get me a napkin. If my throat didn't feel like it were literally set on fire, I would have knocked down a couple of glass cups from the sheer force of his shouts. In seconds he was by my side, panicking and easing down gentle pats on my back while dapping every water droplet on my face. To say I was surprised by this whole display would be an understatement. Girl, I was stunned! He was just busy fuzzing over me, coupling my cheeks, feeling my temperature...like...l
VALERIE'S POV *Knock at the door* for some seconds, and a black haired young girl poked in, "ma'am?" I raised my head from my laptop to the angle the voice came from, smiling as I noticed it was the same girl from the IT department that I met earlier. "We're all set for you ma'am, at the conference room." She said, smiling gently. My ears perked up at her words, "Oh! Right!" I immediately moved to stand up but then I remembered the thing I kept on my desk, so I sat back down. "One minute please." I called out to the girl before going ahead to mumble absentmindedly as I shuffled through several paperworks on my desk. "I, ugh... I just need to... Erm..." I paused for a second, realizing what I was doing and quickly stole a glance at the door and sure enough she was still standing there, watching me. The moment our eyes met she smiled nervously, making me smile too before I resumed searching for it. This time more seriously and further off the desk. "Where is it... Where is... Wh
HUDSON'S POV Will it be strange if I said seeing my ex-wife was like a breath of fresh air?You know, like that feeling of when you've been stuck underwater for so long and then you finally get pulled out, the air rushing into your lungs suddenly feel so delicious that you could taste it? That's the feeling right there!I couldn't believe it honestly. Everything was happening so fast, I could hardly keep up with these new emotions going on inside of me these days. But one thing was clear though, 'I'm attracted to my ex-wife, Valerie.'Yes, that's what it was. Attraction.I maybe ignorant on some matters because I didn't want the burden that came with it but I wasn't a fool. I knew myself and behaviors better than anything, lying to oneself is like petting an open wound. You're too scared to apply gauze on it cause of the pain you might receive but at the same time, you give the injury space to be infected and eventually rot on that part of your body. Same thing with lying to yourse
CHARLOTTE’S POV“I think you made a mistake, Madame”“No”“I didn’t. I couldn’t have” I muttered quietly, just enough for Maria that stood beside me to hear.“But Madame… he-they- they all look very happy!” she insisted, choosing to voice out my inner worries rathe than have faith like I wanted. And that alone, annoyed the shit out of me!With a death glare I turned to her, “Go and try to contact those greedy bastards, again! They still have my videos and I want it!”How dare those criminals?!First, they contact me and tell me they have the videos ready, even requesting for a ridiculous sum as payment! An amount I couldn’t even afford at the moment, all because Hudson had my cards connected to his accounts frozen!Then, when I finally came up with a tangible sum to at least get one video, those bloody twats decided to go mute on me! To ghost me! Like what the actual fuck?!“You make sure you keep calling, text them! I need that video now!” I whisper yelled at her, my eyes housing my
HUDSON'S POV“It feels like I haven’t seen you since forever! Hudson wouldn’t even let me meet the kids, claiming you all needed some family time! He’s so stingy…” Grandpa complained, narrowing his eyes at me as Val chuckled before guiding him to a seat.“We are back now though, so you can come visit the kids whenever you want! I’m sure they will love that” Val comforted, taking a seat beside him. And almost automatically, my smiles fell. “You’re sitting there?” I questioned, gesturing to her.“Why?! You’re so far from me! Come over here”Almost immediately, Grandpa grabbed her hands stubbornly. “Huh? Why does she have to do that?! You’re not a child and you most definitely don’t need her to care for you right now!”“Well, I do!” I retorted seriously, not liking how he was arguing about my woman with me. She was my woman and not his!“I do need her to take care of me! I’m hurt! Only her can help”“Huh? You? Hurt? From what?! Falling off your ego, now?!” Grandpa taunted, his voice loud
HUDSON’S POV“To the mansion, James!”“Yes, Boss!” he responded solemnly, his attitude reflecting my mood as we drove off from the darned restaurant.I knew this was a bad idea. I just knew it!Now, here I was getting all worked up from seeing her again. Fucking crazy woman!She still didn’t give a shit about her child! Everything else was important to her, everything else held value in her eyes except her daughter! Her very own flesh and blood! If I hadn’t watched over her all through her pregnancy and even the delivery, I would honestly be doubting f Abrille truly was hers!Because how do you explain this? How?!Even postpartum depression wouldn’t make someone this selfish! How could my own… how could such a little girl be tied to this self-absorbed person?!It broke my heart the more I thought about it. Just how much my little girl had to suffer because her mom was like this.But I won’t let this continue. I won’t allow her life to be destroyed simply because of this! I will make s
CHAPTER 231VALERIE’S POV“What happened?!” I whisper yelled as soon I flung the door open. My eyes frantic as I scanned the room for the one person I was looking for. And the moment I spotted his tangled-up self in the sheets, my feet moved on their own accord, next thing I knew I was all over him. My heart beat suspended in panic as I rushed to help him out.“Oh, my goodness, what happened here?!” he winced from pain as I pulled on a side of the sheets. “Oh my, sorry! Sorry…does it hurt? Does it?” he nodded gently to my question. His expression pitiful as slowly, I untangled with from the sheets that had wrapped him up like a sausage roll!“Hold on, let me see” I cooed softly, helping him relax as I gently checked his bandages. Everything looked good. There were no blood stains or any signs of an added injury, so we were all good. But only after I had calmed down did, I realize just how quickly our sleeping arrangements had changed.Nanny Beth’s orders were strict; no sharing of bed
CHAPTER 230VALERIE’S POV“I don’t-I don’t know…”“You don’t know? You don’t know what exactly?” he questioned; his tone perplexed. “Charlotte, you accused me of emotional abuse! On national Tv! I have even received a copy from court concerning the details of YOUR sue! And you sit there to cry that you didn’t do it? It was someone else and you don’t know who that is?! Can you hear yourself?”“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry baby” were the words she kept whispering. Her cries filling the air as I listened, as we all listened. Myself, Hudson and Charlotte herself!“I’m sorry Huddie, I will fix this I promise! I will close the case right now and-” she whispered; her voice thick with emotion as she addressed him.“No need!” He interjected, his voice firm. “Just send the documents after you’ve signed them, if you want that is. Otherwise, see you in court, Charlotte. I’m not letting you ruin my daughter!”“No. No way! No Huddie, no!” Charlotte cried out, her voice panicky and I knew he was leaving.
CHARLOTTE’S POV“Char?”“Ohh Charlotte…” the voice sang out, its mocking laughter following soon after as it echoed everywhere in the hotel room that I currently stood in. Looking all confused and properly scared to the bones as I couldn’t find the source of the sound.Someone was definitely talking; laughing and taunting at me, right here in this hotel room I had booked after no luck at getting into Hudson’s other buildings that he owned! Everything he owned had cut me off! All the entitlements I enjoyed and had been enjoying all these years, framing my lavish lifestyle… everything has been cut off!It was just me now.Me and this hotel room, plus the voice I as currently hearing inside it!“Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me now, Char” the voice continued, sounding clearer and clearer as a silent sob left my mouth. My lips trembling as I refused to believe it. I refused to believe the obvious truth that was right before me.“No,” I whispered, my hands flying to my ears to block ou
HUDSON’S POV“I’ve just talked with Charlotte, she decided to move out of the house. You don’t need to worry about the kids anymore, I got you!”A smile crept to my lisp as I read that last line; ‘I got you’. It felt extremely comforting to hear, just as it was having her sleep beside me on the hospital bed for the rest of the day before she finally went home to the kids.That was also before we publicly announced the end of our partnership as well. An extremely closed off event to be honest, not the way I would’ve wanted it but the situation demanded it. Plus, Val absolutely refused for me to be on my feet for more than an hour. A bit laughable if you ask me, but I loved every minuet of it! To watch her fuzz over me brought me so much assurance and comfort that finally silenced the constant doubtful voice in my head. It has always been there, making me feel like what we had wasn’t real and Val just tolerated me for sex and the kids. But now, I was sure. I was so sure it wasn’t like
CHARLOTTE'S POV“Get out!” she said simply, moving towards me again. Her gaze purposeful and dead serious, I could tell she wasn’t playing but before I could give a response. “Get out of here!” she yelled, pushing me backwards again, this time with more force compared to earlier.That was when I knew this bitch wasn’t playing at all. What the hell did she mean by doing this? Right here! In front of everyone! To disgrace me?! To proof she had the man and I didn’t?!“Hey!” I snapped, aiming to push her back as well as my anger broke free. But she immediately snapped my hands away, clenching it tight before pushing me backwards again. This time, into a clique of nurses close by. “Get security!” she called out, “She is not allowed here”And like a movie, a nurse ran out. Obviously to do as she had spoken. That means, I would be… thrown out? Thrown out of a hospital that my Huddie laid in all hurt?! I didn’t even know if he was okay! First, I hurt him. Maybe not literally but still, it was
CHARLOTTE’S POV“I’m not leaving him”“I’m not splitting up with him!” I yelled out as I stormed to the direction of the living room that I knew my dad would be present in, with Raymond hot on my heels. “I’m not leaving Hudson, cancel that countersue right now!”“Kiddo!” Raymonds shushed, his panic clear as he tried to pull me away from the direction of the living room. “Please, let’s do this tomorrow. Your father just finished handling a troublesome job, you know how he gets on days like this”My annoyance flared at his excuses; he was obviously trying to avoid the main topic on ground! They all were! “Get off me!” I snapped at him, shrugging my arm away from him as I glared. “You all…how could you?! How could he apply for a sue against my man and even announce it on the news! Without my consent, Raymond! He is my man, Raymond! My man!”I watched as is eyes squinted, slanting to the side at my yelling’s. My voice echoed everywhere in the house and I loved it! Everyone should hear me!