While Aurora and Carter were out having fun, she noticed Carter wasn’t his best self either. “What’s wrong? You seem pretty distant too.” “What?” Carter chuckled, looking at her as he took in a large part of his vanilla ice cream. “Don’t pretend like everything is fine, Carter. I know you well enough to know that you are not always like this. Is there something bothering you? The least we can do is share it.” She tried to convince him to talk. He heaved a loud sigh and nodded. “I’ve been trying hard not to think about the future lately, you know? I mean, the future is now. I’m not getting younger. I’m in my early forties.” He muttered, taking another bite from his ice cream. “What are you trying to say, Carter?” “I’m saying I don’t know where my relationship with Derick is heading. I know he has stood up to his homophobic parents already, but we can’t just keep dating forever. I want to get married to him badly, but I don’t know how to tell him. I don’t know if he’s even ready.
Arthur impatiently checked the wall clock in the living room, waiting for Aurora to return. It was 9 p.m. and she had not returned. He tried to think of places where she could be, but aside from Derick’s house, he knew no other place she could go. He also didn’t want to call Derick either, so he tried calling her multiple times but her phone was switched off. “Daddy, mummy isn’t back?” He heard one of the boys ask from behind him. He looked back and saw Rowan, yawning sleepily. “Rowan, mummy isn’t back, but she’ll be here soon. You should go to bed, okay? It’s late. I’ll make sure she kisses you goodnight when she comes back.” Arthur assured him, brushing his hair playfully. Rowan nodded slowly and walked out of the living room, heading back to the boys’ room. ‘Where the hell are you?!’ He asked in his head, staring at his phone. He tried her phone again, but it was the same thing. Her phone was switched off. Just when he was about to lose it, he heard footsteps at the door.
~The Next Morning~ As Theo advised, Aurora headed to Arthur’s room still in the clothes she wore the previous night. Theo already told her the suit he planted the wiretap already. Getting to his room, she opened the door and walked in to find him dressing up. TtyHe turned to look at who it was, and when he saw it was her, he heaved a sigh and looked away. “Good morning.” Aurora greeted with a faint smile, but Arthur ignored her. He kept buttoning up his shirt in front of the mirror. Aurora moved close to him, fiddling her fingers. “About yesterday…” “We don’t have to talk about it. I need to get to work.” He muttered, still not looking at her. “We do need to talk about it.” She moved closer and stood in front of him. “I’m sorry, Arthur.” She uttered in a low and remorseful manner, causing him to finally look at her. “What exactly are you sorry for? That you came home late and drunk? That you left me worried sick about you? Or that you started saying things you shouldn’t say?”
Getting to the office, Arthur met Anita waiting for him in front of his office. She wore a white shirt that exposed her cleavages and a very short skirt that hardly covered her thighs as she sat. ‘Who even let her up?’ He thought in disbelief as he walked to his office. “Arthur! You’re here.” Anita uttered with excitement as soon as she saw him. She sprang to her feet and ran cutely towards him, but he wasn’t having it. He moved away from where he stood and headed into his office. “Go away.” He muttered, but this wasn’t going to stop Anita. After grabbing her bag, she headed into his office too, still grinning widely. She stood in front of his desk and looked around his office. “I knew you always had good taste. Even though your apartment wasn’t the biggest back then, you knew how to take care of it the little way you could.” She uttered, while Arthur kept ignoring her. He removed his suit and hung it on his chair before proceeding to sit. “Blue? I thought your favorite colors
On Arthur’s way home, he kept recalling what the therapist had told him to do. He had to forgive Anita and move on, and this wasn’t going to be so easy. He had to train himself not to be so mad at her when she appeared. ‘But how will I do this? Setting my eyes on her makes me hate her every single time!’ Arthur yelled in his head, hitting the steering in anger. He let out a deep sigh as he tried to calm himself down. “You can’t keep using Aurora, Mr Arthur. It isn't good to distract yourself with a romantic relationship or it won’t end well, we’ll have to start from the very beginning because, in the end, one of you will get hurt. “You need to be sure she isn’t just a distraction, and if she is, you should try to take things slow.” The words of Mr Richard came to him again. He began to think of ways to take things slow, but it was all cloudy. ‘She doesn’t want to be a girlfriend for a long time. She wants me to marry her, but how can I do this when I’m asked to take things slow
Theo walked into Aurora’s room after getting permission from her to enter. He met two big boxes on her bed, all filled up with her clothes. “What are you doing?” He furrowed his brows, moving closer to her. “I’m leaving.” She muttered. Her eyes were swollen from how much she’d cried. “Leaving? What are you talking about?” “Arthur doesn’t love me. I see no reason why I should still be here.” She responded, locking the boxes. “What? Why are you saying this? What happened? What did you hear?” Theo bombarded her with questions, still feeling very confused. “I heard everything. I’m just nothing but a distraction. He also told me he wouldn’t be able to reciprocate the feelings I have for him. There’s no use of me being here.” She pulled the bags with her and headed out of the room, leaving Theo speechless. “But… but wait… what about the kids?” He asked, causing her to take a halt. “What will you tell them?” He further inquired, and she looked at him from above her shoulder. “That I
The next day, Arthur went to his office feeling so much better. He felt relieved that Aurora now knew how he truly felt, and he didn’t have to deceive himself, pretending to reciprocate her feelings. She was right, he had to work on himself, and that was exactly what he was going to do. Work on himself, and get rid of Anita totally from his life, then he could heal, forgive, and then fall in love. This seemed like so many ladders for Arthur to climb, and the thought of it wore him out. ‘All these because of that manipulative woman.’ Getting to his office, he met Anita sitting in front of his office again. ‘Is she this jobless?’ He wondered, staring at her from afar. She wore a short pink dress, her flowy long hair dropped down her shoulders, and her canvas shoes were white. In her bag was a bag which she placed on her legs as she waited. Arthur let out a sigh and walked to his office door, alerting Anita. She sprang to her feet immediately after she saw him, holding onto the bag
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
~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