“I hope you’re comfortable,” Alec uttered, and Aurora nodded. “Yes, I am. Thank you so much.” She answered as she kept her face on the road. “I don’t look familiar to you, right?” He asked and she narrowed her gaze and looked at him. “No, why? Do you know me?” She further inquired, and he nodded with a smile. “Yes, I do. I am a big fan of the restaurant where you work. I come there to eat dinner at least twice a week.” “What? Really? That’s nice. I’m surprised I don’t know you.” “Well, maybe that is because you are not working as a waitress. You are a chef, right?” “That’s right. I spend most time in the kitchen.” “I see. Well done. Your meals are the best around here. It even got better when you joined them.” “What? I don’t think so.” She chuckled softly. “I’m very serious. Their meals were not bad, but they got even better when you started working with them. You have magical hands.” He complimented, and Aurora’s cheeks slightly flushed. “Thank you so much, Mr. Alec. I ap
“Arthur…” Aurora called softly as tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t believe what was happening. Her wishes were finally becoming a reality but it seemed too good to be true. “Please don’t say no. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I have thought about it deeply and I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no point wasting any more time. “Let’s get married, Aurora.” As Arthur spoke, Aurora’s eyes shimmered with joy and emotion. She nodded as she stretched out her left hand to receive the ring. It was a beautiful diamond ring. As he slid it on her finger, he stood up and lifted her from the ground, swirling her in the air happily. “I love you!” He screamed excitedly as Aurora broke into tears. “What’s wrong?” He asked worriedly as he let go of her. He made her sit on the bed and knelt in front of her. “Why are you crying?? Are those tears of joy? I’m so worried right now.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I… I just can’t help but remember the first time we met and h
After the wholesome party at Derick’s with the kids, Arthur returned home. The kids had school, so they had to leave too. Aurora promised to come back home before Carter’s wedding because she couldn’t just quit her job. Since she accepted Arthur’s proposal, she had felt great joy inside her. She took one glance at her engagement ring and smiled widely. Wearing it made her feel more like a woman and she wanted to show it off. Aurora headed to work and went to Jack’s office to see him. Getting into his office, she met him on his phone. “Jack, good morning.” She greeted, grinning widely. “Aurora. Good morning.” He answered with the same smile, wondering why she seemed so happy to be at work. “You look super happy today. What’s going on?” He further asked as she sat in front of his desk. “Guess.” She whispered, leaning closer to the desk. Jack furrowed her brows as he stared at her. “What?” He asked in confusion and curiosity. He just couldn’t come up with what was making her so ex
“Aurora,” Jack called as soon as he got back to his office. She turned to look at him, her jaws clenched in anger. “Has she left?” She asked him, and he shook his head.“I’m not sure. What’s happening? Who is she?” He asked, sitting next to her. “She’s no one.” She answered coldly, lowering her head. “I heard you call her Mom…” “She isn’t my mom anymore. She became a stranger the minute she stepped out of my house and left me.” Aurora answered, tears heating the back of her eyes. “Oh… I’m so sorry, Aurora.” Jack answered. He held her hand, trying to give her some comfort. “She’s the most selfish mother I’ve ever known. She left when I needed her the most, and now she’s back. If she was a good mother, she would be with me right now, rejoicing with me. But she doesn’t even know how I’ve been.” She mumbled. “How long has it been? Did she leave when you were very young?”“Does it matter if I was young or not? It’s been two years since I last saw her. The boys were five years old wh
~The next morning~ “You should have let us do it my way. All these frustrating things wouldn’t even come up.” Alec uttered with a scoff, shaking his head as he slammed into the couch. “Can you at least tell me what happened first? Is this about Aurora?” Anita asked worriedly and curiously as she settled next to him. Her heart raced uncontrollably in expectation of his revelation. “Of course, what else is going to annoy me this much? He has proposed to her! Arthur has f**king proposed to her. He made it official.” Alec answered with anger evident in his voice. Anita went silent as she reminisced over what she had just heard. For some reason, she wasn’t as troubled as Alec was. “Why don’t you look mad, right now?” He asked after noticing her countenance. “Because I think it’s even better this way. If they get married, and I appear to ruin it, then the pain is even more on her. And then you will be there as a shoulder to cry on. It’s amazing!” She answered as she broke into laughte
Getting to Aurora’s workplace, Alec did the same thing. He opened the door for her and she stepped out. She walked into the restaurant, and he followed behind her. Getting into the waiting area, to her greatest surprise, she met Arthur seated. “Arthur.” She called in surprise as she approached him. Arthur, who had already seen them since Alec opened the door for her, couldn’t help but stare coldly at Alec. His eyes were fixed on him so much that Aurora noticed this. She hastily moved in front of him, blocking his view. “He’s just a customer. Stop staring at him like you’re going to kill him, okay?” She asked, and he let out a deep breath. “He looks like someone I have seen before. But I can’t recall where.” Arthur uttered. “Are you sure?? Maybe you saw him in the restaurant the few times you’ve visited.” She answered, settling on a chair next to him. “No, I don’t think it’s at the restaurant.” He answered, taking another glance at Alec, who was already heading out of the resta
~After a few weeks~ As the solemn music played, everyone seated turned to look at the designated entrance as they expected Carter to show up. In front of the congregation stood Derick, dressed in an emerald green suit, and behind him was Arthur, dressed in the same kind of suit, but about two shades lighter. Happiness and joy flowed from within Derick as he waited patiently to see his husband and make him his for life. In the congregation were Aurora and the kids, Brenda and Derick’s son, and a few friends from Derick’s workplace. All of them wore green outfits, and so were the flowers, cards, and decorations. It all looked very beautiful and organized. A priest stood in front of everyone, waiting to join the two men in holy matrimony. Suddenly, the solemn music grew louder as Carter stepped into sight. He had an emerald green veil on his head, and he wore a suit to match, with lots of embellishments on it. Everyone stood up as soon as he began to walk down the aisle to where
After the wedding, the driver drove Derick and Carter home in their wedding car. Getting home, they alighted from the car and ran towards the door. In excitement and anticipation, Derick opened the door and pulled Carter along with him. Carter staggered into his arms and before he could gain balance, Derick grabbed his head and captured his lips in his. He kissed him deeply and passionately, pinning his back against the wall. “Hmm… hmmm.” Carter moaned as his hands squeezed through the tiny gap between their chests. He held onto Derick’s suit and pulled it off, causing Derick’s hands to fall off his face. Derick, still keeping his lips locked with his, started to undress Carter too. Carter broke the kiss so he could unbutton his shirt, and when he looked into Derick’s eyes, there was nothing but passion and lust. In no time, their shirts were off. Carter went in for the kiss this time, pushing Derick to the couch. As they fell to the couch, they giggled and laughed as if they ha
~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