When she heard their footsteps and their voices and the voices of their children talking over one another, she suddenly felt out of place. Rubbing her arms together with her eyes darting everywhere, she wondered if meeting her here first would be the best idea. But what if Asher had already told them she was there. Why was she stressing over unnecessary things?! "Dad's not here yet. I asked him to give me a break, but if he hears you're both here, then there's no stopping him," she heard Asher say with some sort of amusement in his voice. "Oh, thank God. Then everyone swears they won't tell Dad we're here, deal?" Yvonne said in a tired voice. "Deal! I just returned from a vacation. I have no wish to increase my blood pressure again, thank you." Ok, so the dislike for the old Ingram was still there. It was kinda nice to know she wasn't the only one. If his own children couldn't stand him, then he had nothing on her. It was quite sad though. Imagine Damien and Daniel grew up not bein
Anne looked like she'd just swallowed a lemon. She had to be hearing things. "Excuse me," she said, clearing her throat which had suddenly filled with bile.Yvette watched her, trying to understand what her reaction meant. They had a staredown for a while, each waiting for the other to speak. Anne wished she didn't look so obvious. She hadn't come this far just to lose everything. "You heard what I said," Yvette continued, still haven't figured out what was troubling Anne. "What makes you think they're his? They're my children," she stated but Yvette simply rolled her eyes. "Oh please, even a blind person can tell they're his. They look exactly like his baby pictures. No difference at all. What exactly is going on?" Could she trust her? Anne wondered. Of course not! Not only was she too close to the case, but she'd stabbed her in the back once. She wouldn't let that happen again. She was supposed to be older and wiser, not the other way around. "I don't know what you're talking a
"Yes…" Anne whispered, realizing she probably shouldn't have blurted the last part. They already knew too much, but she'd been too caught up in the moment that the words had just come out. It was already too late anyway. There was no way she could take it back. She didn't even want to take it back. Somehow, she expected them to share in her enthusiasm. "I've already planned to tell him whenever he makes it official, but you guys have given me a kind of boost. I'm gonna tell him once he wakes up. I just hope I don't regret this." "Hmm," Yvette said. "But you said you only met again earlier this year, why would you want to rush things? I know Asher would never want to go into something that's supposed to last a lifetime this quickly. Are you sure he proposed?" "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, getting defensive. Just when she'd thought they'd forgotten the last and started bonding. "That I'm just making up the whole thing? Or I'm tricking him in some way?" "Well, you wouldn
Anne didn't know how, but she slept off not too long after. When she woke up, Asher still hadn't returned to the room. There was some music playing from somewhere in the house but when she went downstairs, she didn't see anyone outside their room. The cook was making breakfast, but Anne was really in no mood for chitchat which she knew the woman was good at, so she avoided the kitchen. Asher was in his study as she expected, turned over his computer, working even on a Sunday morning. He didn't turn around when she came in even though she knew he'd heard her. "Good morning," she greeted, standing by the door. "Good morning," he replied, still not looking at her.There was a lot of tension in the room which she didn't understand. If anything, she was the one who had the right to be angry and not him. He'd lied to her and still hadn't tried to clear her doubts in any way. Everything he did was suspicious. "You didn't sleep in the bed last night," she said. He took a sip from his c
"So that goes there and the ribbons should go over the window. What do you think Asher? Too tacky?" Yvonne asked, with her hands on her hips. She had begun making the arrangements for the party even though Asher had been vehemently against it. "You're going to pay for this," he said with a dark look and walked into his study with the baby in his arm while the children followed after him. What was it about him that attracted children to him even when he currently looked mean, Anne wondered. Whatever it was definitely also attracted adults because even though they were supposed to be fighting she still couldn't stop watching him or even thinking about him after he left. "Yvette, stop moping around and come help me with this," Yvonne complained, helping one of the decorators attach the ribbons to the high walls. Yvette was sitting beside Anne, eating chips and watching the entire drama unfold while giving little sarcastic nuggets of wisdom whenever she could. She had her phone in her
He was smirking at her, leading her on at the most inappropriate place. She couldn't protest though, just do what she was supposed to, try as hard as she could not to think on his words, or imagine how badly she wanted it to come true. She moved awkwardly with him, unsure if she was supposed to smile at everyone or look at them like they couldn't get on the ground she walked on, like a few of them were regarding her. "This is Anne, my fiancee," Asher said to a beautifully dressed older woman. Her eyes popped open when his words sank in. Fiancee? Smiling down at the older woman, she started bringing out her hand to shake her, but when she saw the woman do a curtsied bow, she did the same instead. "She's so pretty dear. And well mannered as well." "I picked the best," Asher said but for some reason it made her uncomfortable. Like she was just one of many who was fortunate enough to be chosen. Again! She had to stop thinking the worst things about herself. He'd proved to her time w
"Anne, wait, it's not what it looks like, I promise you."He was coming closer, saying things he expected her to believe. His lies, as usual. What did he take her for? What did he even want from her?Mustering the last of her courage to get up on her feet, she took off her shoes and began to bolt off. She had nowhere else to go and her children had to be with her, but being in the same space with Asher was just not something she could handle right now. "I don't know this woman. You've got to believe me. She just came out of nowhere," he explained, gripping her arm and forcing her to turn to him. His face looked contrite enough. Anyone who was dumb enough to not see the full picture would easily fall for his gullible tricks. Anyone who was as dumb as she had been. "You have to believe me. I'd never do anything to hurt you, baby and you know that. Why would I go through the struggle of getting you this far just to do something this stupid. I've been set up. I don't know why or by who
Anne and Lola watched keenly as they beamed with smiles, listening to their best friend talk about her pregnancy experience. It was so heartwarming to discover Gabby was pregnant. Unfortunately, the father of her unborn child had been acting strange ever since he discovered she was pregnant. That had to be the absolute most depressing thing ever. "Where does he stay?" Lola asked, rubbing her friend's back."Upstate New York. We've been together for quite a while but it's been long distance. And then I got pregnant and I suppose that was not part of his plan." "You don't need him," Anne said, feeling her pain directly. "But I do," Gabby sobbed. "I really really love him and I want him to be very present in my child's life." "If Anne has taught us anything, it's that you can survive without your baby daddy, right Anne?" Lola said. "Oh, yeah. That's right," Anne said, suddenly feeling nervous. That wasn't currently going well for her at the moment thought. "I just know my child is
Six months later "Stop shuffling Danny. Don't you want to look good in the Christmas photo?" Anne warns, trying to keep smiling and also tell her kids what to do at the same time. It's Christmas eve and they're taking a family photo but the kids for some reason can't stay at a spot for more than a minute. "You heard your mother," Asher says in a deeper, sharper voice and the boys stay still as the cameraman once again takes the shot. "Aha. This is perfect!" he exclaims, urging them to remain in the same spot. After a few minutes, the photoshoot is finally over and they collectively breathe a sigh of relief. The pictures look so clean and beautiful on camera, even the boys look delighted. "I'll send the photos immediately after I'm done editing them," he says. "You have a beautiful family," he adds before leaving and Anne mouths 'thank you', with a blush. As they all sit down to have dinner, all in their pajamas, the word 'family' keeps ringing in Anne's ears. Even after six mon
"Trevor?" Anne repeated, not sure she'd heard right. But when she saw Trevor walk up to them with a determined look on his face, she knew he really had something to say. At the far end of the room, Lola and Asher's sisters kept gaping with open mouths. They were obviously just as unaware as she was. No wonder he'd shown up randomly and seemed to know about the wedding even when no one else did. When he reached up to them, he smiled and shook Asher's hand like they were old time friends. "A lot of you don't know, but Mr Ingram is now a very good friend of mine," Trevor began, addressing the crowd. "I have just started a small company in Chicago and it's very successful, all thanks to him." He gave Anne a slight nod of acknowledgement before he brought out a small flashdrive. "Some months ago, I met up with an old friend, Jason in Chicago. Unknown to me, he'd traced me there because he needed a favor from me. The favor was to burn down Anne's home with all of them in it." The cro
"What the hell are you talking about?" Jason asked, taking a step backwards. Asher smirked, turning to Gabby who looked like she was about to explode in tears. "You tell me," he shrugged. "You're the one who's desperate for this wedding to hold and I wonder why. You're in love with Gabby, she's carrying your child, yet you want us to be married. Why is that?" The congregation watched with keen interest as the drama unfolded before them. This was not what they'd expected but it was much better. Anne couldn't say anything. So this marriage was a sham from the start. It was comforting but strange. There were more questions than answers and she hated being in the center of attention but not knowing what would come next. "Asher," Gabby whispered in a weak voice. "Why are you doing this at our wedding? The baby in my belly belongs to you and you know this." "Will you just shut it already?" Asher said, rolling his eyes and turning to face her. It was evident he was sick of pretending
Halfway through the makeover, Anne already felt her spirits returning. The old man was in another room and Lola had joined in to help select the perfect dress that would turn heads, according to her. Within an hour she looked even more breathtaking than she'd looked at the ball a few weeks ago. Her jewelry matched her skin tone perfectly, her gown hugged her curves and flattered her glossy skin which glowed from the expensive ointment Yvette rubbed on her. Heads would definitely turn. "We should open a beauty salon," Lola gasped, shaking her head like she couldn't believe what they'd just created. "And Anne will be our model." "I second that," Yvonne said, honestly. "You really think so?" Yvette said, trying to mask her pride. "You look absolutely gorgeous.""Asher's definitely going to rethink everything when he sees you." Danny and Damien came in with Trevor who was wheeling in the old man when he heard a lot of noise. "You make me regret losing you." They laughed.The kid
Lola and Trevor agreed to wait in the car for her while she went in, simply because Yvette's voice had sounded very frantic on the phone and they didn't want her mincing words because of them. When she entered the house, she suddenly felt on edge. Breathing in again and again, she went up the staircase to the room Yvette assured her she'd be, and tried to remove the memory of her fighting and humiliating herself on that very staircase. She heard their voices before she reached the room so they were easy to spot. They? She'd only hoped to see Yvette. When she heard the throaty male voice come out from the room, accompanied by Yvonne's voice, her expression turned sour. This had not been part of the plan. She wanted no business with the horrible man who was Asher's father. Sometimes she wondered why God had taken her grandmother and not him. "Anne!" Yvonne called, just when she decided to go back down the stairs. "oh thank God you're here. Please come in. Asher's about to make th
"You need to go there," Lola said, trailing after her."And wreck their wedding?" Anne asked, trying to mask the anger and betrayal in her voice. "Of course. You're always letting things go. You want him and if he gets married to her, that's gonna be the end. Even if you don't do this for your own happiness, do it for your sons. She's a slimy bitch and that's how their relationship is gonna be forever. If he continues to take custody of them, they'll have to grow up with her. Forever." "Where else do you think I'm going?" She asked getting into her car. "I knew you had it in you, girl." Lola said, getting into the passenger side of the car beside her. As they zoomed off, Trevor gave them the directions to the wedding arena while Lola hyped her up. She didn't know what she would do when she got there, but it would all be worth it. As long as the anger in her remained, there wasn't going to be a wedding. "Wait!" Lola suddenly screamed, making Anne screech the car to an abrupt halt.
Her newfound admiration for Asher died down the moment he bade her goodbye, revved his car and started to leave with the kids. Perhaps she'd been wrong to assume that after the culprit responsible for her grandmother's demise had been found and him taking her out, the least he could do was let her have her children back, at least for some time. "I don't really think you're in the right frame of mind to have the children hovering all over you. I don't want you to lose it," he'd said before giving her an apologetic look and driving off. Now she was in her new house, telling everything to Lola after finally finding her voice. "Did you just say Jake was arrested?" Lola asked in disbelief. "For arson?" "I'm just as surprised as you are.""Hmm. I knew he was wicked but not a murderer. Are you sure the detective was right?" "They've been trailing him for a while now and even got his confession on tape." "Hmm. I suppose I'm lucky for everything that happened. Imagine we were still datin
Fear engulfed her body, making her mind run places as she searched for her sons. They were nowhere to be found. Oh God. Why did she have to turn her face away to listen to what Asher had to say. "Damien, Danny!" Asher screamed their names and she followed suit, suddenly remembering it was a possibility.Where had they gone? She had to be positive, she told herself, and realistic. No one could have possibly kidnapped them right under her nose without them screaming or yelling for help. They'd either left to find some other more interesting place not so far from there or worse, like the last time, they'd seen someone they knew and followed them."Danny, Damien!" She called, desperation entering her voice. "Mommy!" She heard from not so far away. She turned immediately to the sound of her sons' voice. "Oh, God," she breathed in relief as she ran to where the boys were. Asher was still on the other side of the field looking for the boys but she called him over, signaling to him th
Having the kids all to himself had not been anything like he'd expected. There were several things he never thought he would experience. He was only used to seeing them once in a while, usually when they happened to be on their best behavior because they were just excited to see him and tried to please him, but when the excitement wore off within a few days of them spending day and night with him, everything changed. Just at breakfast the other day, they'd asked for their mom and when Gabby told them she wouldn't be joining them soon, they began to complain about how the crusts of the bread hadn't been cut off like their mom always did. Danny made a fuss and threw the contents of his side of the table away and Damien soon followed suit. When he tried to get them to stop, they only spat at him and threw tantrums.. He wished that was the end but it wasn't. They complained about the most random things and threw a tantrum anytime anyone corrected them. The most unbearable part of it was