Derick’s phone began to ring, disrupting his sleep. He groaned softly as he reached for his phone on the bedside table. “Hmm.” He moaned, answering without opening his eyes to see who it was. “Mr. Derick?!” The ear-splitting voice of the event planner he has hired hits his eardrums hard, causing him to flinch. “Maria?” His eyes opened wide as her voice made his slumber disappear in seconds. “Yes, it’s me. We have finished the preparations. I sent you a picture already. Can you please get back to me on what else you’d love to add?” She explained to him. “Oh… yes. Of course, I’ll check it out now. Thank you.” He answered, and the very next minute, she hung up. He let out a sigh and proceeded to check the pictures she had sent. In the picture was the restaurant where Derick saw Carter for the very first time. He had booked this restaurant for a week, so it wasn’t open to anyone because of the things he was trying to put in place before the day of the proposal, which happened to be
‼️NOTE‼️DOMESTIC VIOLENCE/ASSAULT Please skip if sensitive Arthur finished his work at around 8:30 p.m. and started preparing to go home. As he cleared his table, his eyes fell on the empty bowl on his desk. He couldn’t believe he actually finished the biscuits Anita made for him. ‘But that doesn’t mean anything. I was hungry and had to eat something.’ He thought, picking up the bowl and throwing it into the trash can. On his way out of the office, he finally took a look at his phone after a long day and saw several missed calls from Derick. Also, there were missed calls from the recent phone number Anita used to reach out to him. “What the hell. Why are there so many missed calls from Derick?” He mumbled in surprise. Hopping into his car, he clicked on Derick’s phone number and put his phone on speaker. Gunning his engine, he made his way out of the parking lot, waiting for Derick to pick up. Derick finally answered the phone after he recalled his phone number about three t
It was just three days after Aurora moved into her new apartment but it seemed like forever. Her day passed slowly and lifelessly. She was always indoors, reading books, cooking, or sometimes, thinking about the boys or even about Arthur. The romantic date they had together, their first night together, she couldn’t help but recall these, and this kept her boring day filled with activities. She grew tired of all these so fast and couldn’t wait to start doing something. Either a white-collar job or a menial job. She just wanted to keep herself busy so badly. “Ding!” The timer of her microwave oven went off in the kitchen, diverting her attention from the book she was reading. ‘My cake is ready!’ She thought excitedly, running to the kitchen. She could perceive the delightful aroma right from the door of the kitchen. “Hopefully, it’s going to taste as good as it smells.” She muttered, wearing her oven mitt before opening the oven and pulling out her tray of cupcakes. Though Aurora
Derick opened his eyes and found himself in one of Arthur’s rooms. He cleaned his eyes and got out of bed, heading out of the room. He could hardly lift his legs without his head hurting. He dragged his feet to Arthur’s room and knocked on the door. “Arthur?” He called out, and almost immediately, the door opened, showing Arthur who was busy wearing his shirt. “You’re up…” Arthur muttered, walking away from the door. Derick walked into the room, letting out a loud yawn. “About yesterday. Thank you. I just had to…” “You didn’t have to, man. Don’t give flimsy excuses.” “Carter left because of my parents again. Two days before the proposal I already planned. I have tried to reach him since then, but his number isn’t reachable. I’m so broken!” Derick muttered, lying flat on his bed. “Your parents? They showed up?” “Yes. With Betty, claiming I have a child. A three-year-old child that I had zero idea about.” “What? How is that even possible?” “We had sex once. Betty and I, one ni
Throughout the night, Arthur could hardly sleep. He couldn’t get his mind off what he heard over the phone when he was talking to Anita. He knew deep down something was wrong, but he couldn’t say what. ‘But, I am going to find out.’ He said to himself. ‘Though I have no thoughts of letting her walk into my life again, she’s a person and I can’t help but worry about her. What if her life is in danger?’ He put on his shoes, picked up his briefcase, and walked out of his room. Getting to the living room, he met the boys on their way out too with Theo. They were ready for school. “Daddy! Good morning.” They all greeted, running towards him to embrace him. “Good morning, boys. How are you this morning?” Arthur asked with a wide smile, noticing how happy the boys were. “Great! Mummy is coming to visit us at school today. You should come with us.” Ryan uttered, and his brothers nodded in agreement. “Really?” Arthur asked, raising his eyebrows and they bobbed again. “Yes! We talked on
Aurora returned to Lake Charles after spending quality time with the boys. She headed straight to Jack’s restaurant and met him and the other workers busy in the kitchen. “Jack! I’m back!” She uttered as she made her way into the kitchen.“Hey!” He uttered with enthusiasm, flipping the scrambled eggs in the frying pan. “I’m sorry I came back late. I couldn’t help but spend more time with the boys.” She uttered, reaching for an apron. “Oh please, it’s fine. I understand you.” He answered, and she nodded, moving closer to him. “Where should I start from?” She asked, and he pointed to the crate of eggs. “Can you help me beat about eight of them?” He asked, and immediately, she got to work. While she beat the eggs, Jack stole glances at her, smiling softly as he watched her beat them with all seriousness. ‘She’s so beautiful.’ He thought, staring at her. “Jack, the eggs are burning already!” One of his workers called him back to reality, causing him to jolt. “Oh sh*t.” He cursed
Two days passed and Anita refused to show her face at Arthur’s office. Arthur became extremely worried and at the same time, tried not to blow her phone off with his phone calls. He expected her texts and calls but he got nothing. He feared something was wrong, but didn’t want to be too forward. He believed that she’d reach out sooner or later. Getting to the office on a Monday morning, Arthur got preoccupied with so many meetings and conferences, making it very hard for him to stay in his office. Anita arrived in his office and sat next to his door as she always did, waiting for him. She waited so many hours, hoping he was going to show up and have her time, but she was wrong. He was way busier than she thought. But she refused to leave. Instead, she kept herself busy on the phone till he had time for her. It was seven in the evening and Anita was beginning to doze off on the chair she sat on. Arthur finally got out of the hectic meeting and when he got to his office, he found
It was another busy day for Aurora in the restaurant, Carter could hardly see her outside the kitchen. He sat at a corner in the waiting area, waiting for her to finish from work so they could go home together. Carter found an apartment to move into not so far from Aurora’s. He was excited because he was finally getting away from Derick. Though it was nothing close to easy for him, he was gradually starting to get his life together. A life without Derick. He took a glance at his phone and saw it was 8 p.m. already. He knew Aurora wouldn’t finish until after 10 p.m., so he had to wait for another two hours. It didn’t seem tiring to him because he often saw Jack come out of his office to the counter. His face was too cute for Carter to get bored of staring at it. He could also see the chemistry between him and Aurora, even though she told him countless times that she wasn’t interested in any man until further notice. Carter hated that he couldn’t get himself to like another man l
~After A week~ While Aurora slept, she perceived the strong smell of pancake in her nostrils. She shook her head, furrowing her brows while her eyes were still closed. “Aurora.” She heard her name in a whisper, and this was when she slightly opened her eyes. Very close to her face was Arthur’s face, which had a large smile on it. “Good morning beautiful.” He uttered, and she smiled faintly, rubbing her eyes with her hands. “Good morning.” She mumbled, her eyes falling shut again. “I made you breakfast.” He added, and her eyes opened again. She looked down at his hands and saw a tray with him. He wore an apron on his singlet and black pants.“You did? I can smell pancakes.” She answered with a smile, and he nodded. “These are the fastest things I can make.” He responded, and she broke into laughter. “Baby, you didn’t have to. You shouldn’t stress your leg, remember?” She answered, sitting up and collecting the tray of pancakes from him. “My leg has gotten better, okay? I don’t
After making love to Arthur, Aurora fell asleep in his arms. Arthur could hardly sleep because he kept staring at her, thinking of how far they had come. Without a doubt, he knew they were destined for each other. ‘I have to make this work again. And this time, without mistakes.’ He thought, slowly and carefully caressing her face in a way that wouldn’t wake her up, but unfortunately, she ended up waking up. She slowly opened her eyes and when she saw him staring at her, she smiled widely. “Hey.” She uttered in almost a whisper, and he responded with a smile. “You didn’t sleep?” She asked, and he shook his head. “I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop staring at you.” He answered, and she scoffed, looking away. “Stop teasing. How is your leg?” She asked as she sat up. She took a look at his leg and looked at his face again. “I wasn’t teasing. And for my leg, I don’t know. It feels numb.” He answered, causing her to furrow her brows. “Is that a good thing?” She asked, and he shrugged with
The same day, they all went back to Arthur’s house, including Derick and his husband. They helped Aurora bring him out of the car and place him on the wheelchair, while she pushed him into the house. “God, I’ve missed this place so much.” He mumbled and raised his head to look at Aurora, who had a faint smile on her face. “I do miss it too.” She answered, looking at his face. Then she recalled the doctor had told her to clean the scratches on his face which were plastered. “We should clean your scratches as soon as they are gone.” She added, and Arthur nodded. “Okay, Ma’am.” He responded teasingly, which made Aurora furrow her brows. “Ma’am?” She asked with a chuckle, and he nodded. “Why is that?” She further asked. “Because I’ll be doing whatever you ask of me without questioning your opinion.” He answered with their gazes locked. “Can somebody get these two a bed already? They've been so flirty since we left the hospital,” Carter muttered, rolling his eyes. “You know we can
Getting back to the hospital, they met Rachel, Aurora’s mother sitting next to Arthur on the bed. The kids also sat in the bed with Arthur. Arthur sat up on the bed, his back resting against a pillow. “You’re back,” Rachel uttered with a large smile as they all walked into the ward. “Mom, when did you get here?” She asked, opening her hands so she could embrace her kids who eagerly climbed down the bed just to embrace her. “About an hour ago. I was finally told you were around today, and I couldn’t wait one minute longer to see you. I got here and saw that you and the others have headed out.” She responded, and Aurora nodded. “We went for Anita’s court hearing.” She uttered, moving closer to Arthur’s bed. She held his hand and smiled softly. “How are you feeling now?” She asked, taking a glance at his wrapped leg which now lay on the bed. “Better. I feel much better. Thank you.” He answered, and she nodded. “I’m glad.” “How was the hearing?” He asked, and Derick scoffed. “Th
~After A Week~“My Lord, the only evidence against my client is one provided by one man, who I am sure is not a friend of hers and is just looking for a way to complicate her. This may all just be a coincidence.”“Objection, My Lord!” “Objection overruled.”“Thank you, my Lord. Apart from this man who claims to be my client’s friend, there are no other witnesses to prove that my client is guilty. These were just words heard, and I must say that there are so many people who sound the same. It must have been someone else on the phone.” “Objection, My Lord!” “Objection sustained.” “Thank you, My Lord!” Arthur’s lawyer, Mr. Smith stood up to defend Arthur too. “My Lord, I bet my colleague here must have forgotten we also have a video of her on the phone with someone, saying this person should make it seem like an accident. I’ll play this tape now.” He said, giving a USB stick to one of the officers. Aurora looked at Alec, who sat beside her, with fear in her heart. She feared that A
Aurora left the police station with Derick, leaving Alec to do as he had promised. Getting back to the hospital, they met everyone where they had left them. “Aurora, welcome back.” Carter greeted, hugging her, before planting a peck on Derick’s lips. “How was it?” He asked, and Derick heaved a sigh. “It was Anita,” Derick uttered, and Theo scoffed. “I know it. That witch. When will she ever stop? After Mr. Arthur paid her to leave us the hell alone. She just wouldn’t listen.” Theo uttered in anger. “Paid her to leave? What are you talking about?” Aurora asked with her brows furrowed in confusion. “Yes. She came to the house after you left and Mr. Arthur was a total mess. She said he could give her a huge amount of money to make her disappear from our lives totally, and this included getting rid of the baby she claimed was his.” Theo explained, making Carter and Derick exchange looks. “How are we just knowing this? She probably used that money to fuel her next operation! Why wou
In the evening, Aurora and Derick visited the police station while Carter and Theo stayed with Arthur and the kids. Getting to the police station, Aurora walked behind Derick as she was unsure about where to go and what to do. Derick walked up to the cop behind the counter and said; “We are here for Arthur Howard. His wife is here.” Derick uttered, moving away so that the cop could see Aurora who was behind him. “His wife? I thought they never got the chance to be official.” The cop answered with a chuckle, and Derick raised his eyebrows in surprise. “What? It’s all over the internet. She ran away on her wedding day after another lady claimed to be pregnant for him.” He added, and this time, with laughter. Aurora scoffed and shook her head in disbelief. “Do you want to gossip? Or are you going to take us to your boss?” Derick answered with a stern look. “What exactly are you seeing him for?” The cop further asked. “He is just here to frustrate us, Derick. We should leave.” Aur
Aurora arrived at the hospital the next day. She ran into the ward, and when she saw the boys, she broke into tears, kissed them, and embraced them tightly. “Oh God. I was so scared it would be more than these. How are you feeling?” She asked them, and they hugged her again. “We have missed you so much, mummy. We are much better now. They keep giving us injections and drugs, and now it’s as if nothing happened.” Ryan said, and she nodded, tears still streaming down her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re okay now.” She answered and then looked up to see Theo, Carter, and Derick staring at her. She had almost forgotten they were there. “Hi.” She mumbled as she stood up to greet them. One after the other, they embraced her. She hugged Carter the tightest, burying her head in his shoulder. “Where is he? How is he?” She mumbled in tears, her eyes shut very tight in anticipation of the horrible response she could get. “He’s behind the curtain. Let me walk you there.” He said to her as he hel
While Alec was in Aurora’s house, sneakingly looking for clues about what her next evil agenda was, her landline rang. He furrowed his brows as he walked up to her bedside table and answered the phone. He remained quiet and waited for the person from the other end to speak. “Anita, it’s done. When do we come for the balance? He’s not going to survive it, that’s for sure.” Because he couldn’t answer, he hung up and hastily walked out of the room. “He is not going to survive it? What have you done, Anita!”He got out of the house and left, making sure he wasn’t seen. Driving to his house, he couldn’t help but wonder what had happened. He feared that Arthur was in great danger, and he wasn’t sure what to do if that was the case. Getting to his house, he turned on the television and drew his phone out of his pocket. He sat on the couch and began to search for news channels. He believed if it was Arthur, the news would carry it because of the influence he has in society. He passed