Ben The room became deathly silent as everyone just paused to stare at Shirley and me. She stood facing me squarely while she had her back to the rest of them.Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Ana's facial expression which was a mix of curiosity, intrigue, and…jealousy?“What the hell are you doing here?” I finally asked Shirley, rising from my seat. “Come on now Ben. This again?” She crossed her arms on her chest and pouted. “Don't tell me you didn't miss me. It's been weeks and you couldn't even bother to call and check up on your family. That is no way to behave.”She turned around and headed for the couch but came to a sudden stop after two steps. I couldn't see her face because she'd turned her back to me but I could tell her hesitation was because of Ana.She'd never met Ana and was probably envious—which was insane considering she cheated on me with my own brother—but that was Shirley for you.“Well, hello there.” She approached Ana.Ana immediately stood and offered her h
AnaOnce the Shirley character left the room, everyone exhaled in relief. Her energy was such that it'll either keep you on edge or threaten to choke you till you passed out.The resulting tragedy would depend on the type of person you were and how strong you were at detecting and filtering BS.No matter how strong and unaffected Ben had tried to seem, or how much he wanted to present his masculine strength, I could tell straight away that Shirley had some kind of effect on him.Who was Shirley to Ben? Were they past lovers or a past married couple? Was she the reason he'd mindlessly caressed my palm this morning at the elevator, thinking it was Shirley as they might've done in the past?I had a lot of questions running through my mind all at once but no single answer to any of them. This only made me realize that as much as I thought I knew Ben, I was still very much in the dark about his personal life.He wearily waved Kelly and Flynn away, sank into his chair and began to rub his t
AnaThe rest of the day saw Ben and I battling with files, trying to keep reporters away from spreading false news about the bankruptcy of Ben's company, and generally worrying about whether we were going to find something before Shirley makes it impossible to.It was nearing evening, the time when Shirley had asked Ben to meet her at the Imperial Suites.Watching Ben working, his mind focused on the stacks of files scattered on the desk, I wondered whether he was considering meeting Shirley. I was concerned for Ben, and the thought of him being alone with a scheming character like her made me uncomfortable.Shirley was a looker and they obviously had history together. No man can resist a beautiful woman no matter how hard they fight or say it. And I wondered whether Ben might be like that?What if he goes to meet her and Shirley seduces him and sleeps with him. That would be a huge opportunity for her to further take down the company and Ben with it and I couldn't let it happen.‘I h
AnaIt was 6:00 pm on the dot when Ben and I finally left the office and headed for home.We left the same way we'd come in: hand in hand. But this time, it didn't feel as forced and uncomfortable as it did in the morning.I settled in the back seat of Ben's jeep and thought back to the various incidents of that day and how each changed the way I looked at Ben.The first one was Kelly. Maybe I was wrong about the incident with Kelly, because Kelly turned out to be not-so-good at her job.And Flynn? Ben probably only yelled at Flynn because he was stressed and frustrated. After all, he did apologize for his outburst later, didn't he?But Shirley? Hell no. As far as I was concerned, that woman deserved everything Ben and I said to her in the office. You don't just walk into someone's establishment and start making threats and expect to be let off with a pat on the back.Thank God I was there to put her in her place, because Ben sure wasn't doing a great job of it. Their history together
AnaI gave Candace a questioning look. “What kind of…situation are we talking about?”She pursed her lips, then nodded and handed me a piece of folded white paper. I opened it to find scrawny handwriting by someone named…Anonymous?The note read: "My lovely Beth, You think you're too good for me? You think you can just dump me and move on?Newsflash: nobody dumps me, I do the dumping.You're gonna pay for humiliating me, and your precious sister won't be able to save you.You're not as special as you think.”My eyes scanned the note, my mind racing with questions. "Who wrote this?" I demanded, my voice barely above a whisper.Candace's expression turned grim. "We don't know," she admitted. "Beth received it earlier today. She's been shaken ever since."I read the note again, my heart sinking."Is this related to Tony, or even Shirley?" I wondered aloud.Candace's eyes widened. “Did you just say Shirley?"I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. “Yes, Shirley. She came by Ben's office
Ben“What's taking so long?” The priest came up behind me and whispered in my ear. He was getting impatient.“She'll be here soon, Father. I answered. She's probably stuck in traffic.”But the congregation was beginning to get fussy. People were muttering and grumbling, but quietly, careful not to make too much noise in the house of God.I stood there at the altar, heart thumping beneath my new suit, as I waited for Shirley, my lovely bride, to show up.I turned to my twin brother, Benjamin.“Try her number one more time.”“I have, she's not picking up. And just now it's switched off,” he answered.I nodded, but the anxiety was beginning to gnaw at me.“What if I go and look for her?” He suggested.“No, Ben. I need you here with me. You know I can't handle this big crowd alone.” I said as I removed my glasses, and cleaned it for the hundredth time.It was a great suggestion but I needed him. My introverted nature can only handle so much at once.As we stood whispering to each other, m
Ana My phone had been ringing off the hook since I resumed my shift. I knew it was my sister, who was probably calling about my son. I answered it on the second ring. “Beth?” “Ughh. I'm tired Ana. Little One is crying for his mama.” She whined over the phone. “Stop calling my child that. His name is Liam, and he'd grow up to be a great man.” I chided my sister for the umpteenth time. But she doesn't listen. “Seriously Ana, when will you be home? I need to get ready for practice, remember,” she said. My sister was the sweetest, helping me care for Liam while I worked to put food on the table. “Give me an hour, two max,” I answered. “But two hours is too–” she started to complain but I cut her short. “Sorry, Beth. Gotta go. My boss is here.” I dropped the call and heaved a sigh. I'd lied. But it was a necessary evil. I needed to work at least two more hours if I was going to successfully dodge Tony today. And the queue was getting longer. “Hey sweetheart, get me a
Ana I closed for work and left the shop, eager to get back to my son Liam, and also relieve my sister so she could go for her music practice. As I stepped out the door, I noticed a black car that looked a lot like the one from earlier, parked a few blocks away from the entrance. A lot of people own black cars so I didn't worry about it. I didn't have a car of my own and I had to walk some distance to catch the bus. I hurried along but soon noticed the black car idling alongside me on the sidewalk. I swallowed hard and clutched my bag tighter. I increased my pace, looking back intermittently to see if I was still being followed. The car increased speed as it tried to keep up with me. Why would the man who tried to save me a few hours ago be following me? I've had enough of stalkers and wasn't interested in adding another to my list. I picked up speed and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. The car revved up too and sped along, nearly knocking down an elderly couple who w