Anna was sitting on a bench near the river park, waiting for the presence of someone. The day is getting colder as she tightens the grip on her coat. The day might be cold, but it feels numb because the pain in her heart hurts even more.“Anna….”Anna turned around, and her lips curled a little upon looking at the guy who called her. “Leo.”Leo took a seat beside her and handed her a warm cup of coffee. “It's getting cold here. Do you want to go somewhere warmer?” She shook her head. “It's okay. It's still bearable. Thank you for the coffee.” She replied.“It's fine. You looked tired. Are you okay?” Leo asked, looking at her dark circles under her eyes.Anna sighed. “Did you do what I asked for?”“Are you sure of your decision?” Leo asked back instead of replying to her.She took another deep breath to keep herself from crying, if she spoke now, tears would undoubtedly flow from her eyes.“It's okay. Everything will be fine, I promise.” Leo comforted her by embracing her and tenderly
Anna was speechless, and she was almost in tears when she saw Natasha walk angrily towards her. “I thought Emily was hungry because she was crying.”Without waiting for Anna to finish her word, she took Emily from Anna forcefully. “You better pray that nothing happens to my daughter, or else I will not let you go.” She snapped.Anna replied to Natasha with a sharp gaze as well. Natasha never cares for Emily, and the fact that she suddenly acts like a mother literally made her feel sick to the bones. She is just trying to pick a fight. Instead of Natasha, it was Anna who looked after her.“What happened?”A sound of a man's voice successfully made both Anna and Natasha look at the owner of the voice. It's the man of the house, Ibrahim.Anna was about to open her mouth and explain what had happened but she was a little late, Natasha spoke first.“Emily choked and cried badly when Anna gave her the milk. I feel like this is not her usual cry, and I'm very worried if something might happe
Natasha POV [PAST]2 years ago, A marriage is about sharing your life with your partner, enjoying the journey along the way, and arriving at every destination together. When you realize that you truly love someone, you will want to spend the rest of your life with that person, through sickness and health, through poverty and wealth, and through thick and thin. The vow is holy and sacred and is spoken in front of God. It will be a life-long journey that thrives on love, commitment, trust, respect, communication, patience, and companionship.I have always thought that I loved that man. He is handsome, charming, and attractive, not to mention very wealthy and named one of the youngest billionaires in the country. His name is Ibrahim. Who in the country doesn't know him? Our first encounter might have been a coincidence, but I started to fall for this man during our second meeting.As I got to know him better, I started to see that Ibrahim is not an ordinary man. He is cold, ruthless, an
Natasha POV (Past) Time has passed, and autumn is approaching. Ibrahim offered to spend some time with him before marriage as we usually don’t go far, he planned a trip for us. I never thought that he would think of something like that, and I happily agreed. We went to Bristol. It was a month before our wedding when I eventually found out that I was pregnant. I did a quick calculation in my head, and the only possibility is Kevin. Ibrahim and I had never done it before we went to Bristol. I started to feel guilty and started to think about if I love Ibrahim, because if I loved him, I would not have cheated on him. A month has passed just like in the blink of an eye, and the wedding date is knocking on my door. I remembered that Ibrahim called me the night before the wedding. I can hear happiness in his voice, but what I feel is not happiness but fear. I was very scared and afraid. I was terrified that if he discovered that the baby inside me was not his child, I would spend the rest
Another year has drifted, and my daughter, Emily, is one-year-old. I was sad that this little girl will not even have a one-year birthday celebration because her parents are too poor, and I'm beginning to believe that living with Kevin no longer brings me happiness. It becomes sorrowful, so I decide to leave him.I bring Emily with me, of course. I left him and went back to England to look for my father. I thought that Dad would be willing to accept me back into his house. I looked very pathetic, but I was wrong.“You walked away from my house, and you think you can come back whenever you like? Am I a joke to you?” Dad snapped at me.I kneeled and hugged his legs, begging for forgiveness. “Dad, I'm very sorry. I regretted my decision, and I shouldn't have run from this house. It was my fault.” I cried.My father is a ruthless man. Even if I cried pathetically, he just wouldn't listen. “You were pregnant with a random man’s child, and you came back just because he couldn't feed you wel
PresentIbrahim and Natasha waited helplessly in front of the emergency room. As soon as they admitted their daughter to the emergency room, the doctor seemed to look a little nervous, and it scared the hell out of them. Ibrahim looked at Natasha, who just sat there while she held her head low. What's up with her acting like a real mother for the first time?“Are you the parents of Emily Saunders?” The doctor asked.Both Ibrahim and Natasha stood straight up. “Yes, we are.” Natasha replied.The doctor gave them a weak smile. “It's such a relief that you rushed your daughter to the hospital immediately, or things may have become worse.”“What happened to our daughter?” Asked Ibrahim.“She has a high fever, and she cried in pain each time we touched the right side of her lower abdomen. It's possible that she has appendicitis.”“Appendicitis?”The doctor nodded. “We should wait for the blood test result first, before confirming it. You don't need to worry; if it's really appendicitis, we
He entered his car and drove all the way to see his father-in-law, who was still dealing with things in the police station. It took quite some time before the police let him see Paul Rae. He sat on the chair while waiting for the police officer to bring his father-in-law.“Mr. Rae.” Ibrahim called once Paul was seated in front of him, and his eyes stopped at his cuffed hands. “How are you doing?” He asked.Instead, Paul gave his son-in-law a light smirk. “What do you want?” He asked coldly. He didn't expect a visit from him.Ibrahim’s gaze softened when the guilty feeling started to linger in his heart again. His hand went through his pocket as he took out an old picture. The picture looked rather dusty and crumpled. He pushed the picture forward, letting Paul see it clearly.“I bet you do recognize the person in the middle.” Said Ibrahim.Paul’s gaze is drawn to the image. He does recognize the three people in that picture. Starting from the left, it was him, Cole, and Arthur. They h
“Are you sure about this?”Anna heaved a heavy sigh as she looked at the white-colored envelope that Leo brought. Her hand reached for that envelope and opened it impatiently. Her heart clenched when she read her own name and her husband's name.Once both of them sign this paper, they will have to go their own separate ways. Will she be able to do that? Half of her still hesitates, but another half feels like she can no longer fight for that man. The wound that he caused was so deep that she wondered if it could ever heal. Anna took the pen and didn't hesitate to sign the paper.“Why don't you think about it again?” When Leo noticed how calm she was while signing the papers, he asked her.Anna forced a smile, pretending like she was okay. “I have thought about it enough and I do not regret this.” She replied firmly.Leo looked at her in disbelief. Has she really reached her breaking point where she doesn't even want to think about her husband anymore? This is completely ridiculous.“L
In the next second, Anna could feel his lips brush over hers, giving her a warm yet passionate kiss. A kiss that they missed, both. Each time he has her in his arms, she feels frozen. Why does his touch feel so magical? She can feel his tongue asking for entrance as she parted her lips only to let the kiss go wilder. She circled her hand on his neck, and as soon as she wanted to kiss him even deeper, she felt something kicking from her belly again, making her push Ibrahim away.“Why?” Asked Ibrahim frustrated.“He kicked again, it seems like he doesn’t like it when you kiss me.” Anna replied, rubbing her palm on her stomach.Ibrahim grinned at her. “He kicks because he can feel pity for his father that his mother kept on asking his father to go.”Anna glared at Ibrahim. “Don’t make such excuses! Look at the time. It’s almost evening and you should go back now.”“No, I’m not leaving yet if you don’t let me kiss you properly.” Ibrahim shook his head in stubbornness.She immediately stan
Sitting on the dining table, Anna poured the chocolate syrup on Sofia’s pancakes. “I know you liked your pancake with honey but we only have chocolate sauce and agave syrup. You won't mind right?” asked Anna because she knew her husband could be a little picky eater sometimes.Ibrahim was a little touched by her action. She still remembers little things about him. “It’s fine actually I’m very hungry as I haven’t had my dinner last night so I can eat anything.”“The last time I remember you didn’t eat Alan’s restaurant noodles, complaining that it’s too spicy and oily for you. And why didn’t you have your dinner last night? I've told you not to skip it.”Ibrahim smiled. “You still think of me all the time, isn’t it? And no, because I wasn't able to find a good stay here, all the hotels were previously booked because it's a holiday.”“So, where are you staying then?”“Don’t worry the room is small but it’s okay I can manage it.”Anna didn’t ask any further but focused her attention back
The night had turned into day in just a blink of an eye, but Ibrahim couldn't seem to forget what happened between him and Anna. He couldn't give up just because she was giving him the cold shoulder. Even if she keeps on pushing him away, he will always try to come back to her. He couldn't able to endure losing her for the second time. So that’s why now he is here, in front of a two-story bungalow that's located not too far from the beach where he met her.Ibrahim rubbed his palms together to warm himself because the air was getting colder. “Why is it taking her so long to open the door?” He mumbled on his own.However, not long after that, the door was opened. His lips curled up, thinking maybe it was Anna who opened the door, but the smile faded when he saw it was a little girl instead.“Who are you?” The little girl asked, looking at Ibrahim with a confused gaze.Ibrahim was confused as well. He looked at his surroundings and his phone screen, checking if he really had the right ad
Ibrahim heaved a deep sigh. He took off his spectacles as he massaged the bridge of his nose gently. He couldn't help but force himself to concentrate on his work as he looked at the piles of documents he had to go through. He put on his spectacles and moved his gaze back to his notebook screen. At the same time, his phone rang.“Yes Jessica.” He picked up the phone with his left hand while clicking the mouse with his right.“Sir, the annual shareholder conference will be held this afternoon after lunch. I have the documents and presentation slides ready.”Ibrahim kept quiet for a while when he heard Jessica say the annual shareholder conference because it usually takes place somewhere near the end of the year. Oh, how time flies, and it should be his wedding anniversary soon, but he is still here, alone.“Sir, are you there?” Jessica's voice was heard again.“Ah, yes. Notify me when we're about to start.” Ibrahim replied.“Noted.”After sleepless nights, skipping meals, and consuming
Anna POVHow does it feel to live in circumstances where you have to battle with your own feelings? To me, it feels like torture. People said feelings are more dangerous than ideas, because they aren't susceptible to rational evaluation. They grow quietly underground before exploding all over the place. You tend to act in the opposite way from the rational side if you act based on your heart, and vice versa, because your heart doesn't have thoughts.I loved that man. Oh no, I still love him. If the feelings could not be forgotten after sixteen years. I doubt if several months can. Day by day, I missed him a little more than yesterday. I missed his voice. I missed his smile. I missed his smell. I missed his hug, and I missed how he made me feel wanted. I missed how he praises every bit of my body while making love with me. If I love him that much, why would I leave him? I left him not because I no longer love him, but because I love him so much that it started to hurt me.I realized th
The cool breeze blew through her hair softly. The leaves have turned yellow and are slowly falling, filling up the street. Summer slowly collapsed into fall. There is a saying that goes, Autumn leaves don't fall; they fly. They take their time, wander around, and this is their only chance to soar.Anna tightened her coat as soon as she got off the taxi, walking into one of the most famous barbeque restaurants in London Road.Her lips curled up upon looking at the faces that she recognized wholeheartedly. She could see one of them waving their hand at her, and she didn't think twice but to approach them and hug them tightly.“Sorry for the delay. There was a lot of traffic.” Said Anna as she took a seat.Lily laughed softly. “It's okay, Anna. We are used to it.” She joked.“Let's order something first. I'm very hungry.” Jacob interrupted them before they could even start their bickering.Just like in the old days, the three had a nice barbeque meal with cheers and laughter. Anna couldn
“Dad!”Anna shrieked with delight as she noticed her father seated on the couch in their living room, smiling broadly at her. She didn't hesitate, but immediately plunged herself into her father's embrace.“Dad, are you alright? You didn't get hurt anywhere, right? How are you?” Anna bombarded the questions at her father, her eyes welling up with tears.Paul laughed amusedly. “You stupid girl. I’m fine.”“Dad, when did you get home? And why did no one even tell me that you came home.” Anna pouted, still hugging her father. Rachel and Paul looked at each other letting out an awkward laugh which didn’t fit into the environment. She looked confusedly at her parents’ reaction.“It's not such a big deal, Anna. The thing is that I will be fine.” Said her father trying to convince Anna.Anna sighed. “Why didn't you tell me? I have been so worried about you.”It's not that he refuses to tell her daughter. She just got discharged from the hospital and he does not want to add more pressure to h
“Okay. I will do everything you want, but could you please consider your thoughts again?” Asked Ibrahim as he looked at Anna with an expectant gaze.Could she really tell him to stop giving her that look? It feels like she is going to break down soon. He had become her weakness as much as she became his.“I have told you. We are done, and there is nothing more that we can do. I can’t even if I want to.” She replied the last sentence like a mere whisper without looking at him, trying to sound firm, but deep inside her heart, she's crying hysterically.Ibrahim tried to inhale as much air as he could to calm himself down because the atmosphere started to become suffocating for both of them. There was a brief moment of silence before he dared to look into her eyes, again.“Anna, do you remember when I first met you in the French restaurant?” Asked Ibrahim.Of course, she does, and things in her head start to fly back to the first time they met, when Luke had to gather all of his forces to
Alan patted Ibrahim's shoulder lightly, as if he were giving him strength. He even gave him a light smile. “Everything will be alright, Ibrahim.” He spoke.Ibrahim sighed instead. It has been two days since Anna was admitted in the hospital, and he couldn't see her since she was awake because he was told that she didn't want to see him. It feels extremely excruciating for him.“Do you think she wanted to see me now?” Ibrahim asked with his head held low.“Where did the strong headed Ibrahim Saunders go?” said Alan trying to calm him down. He understands from which phase his best friend is going through and he knows how to make Ibrahim face this situation, a little push is what he needed right now. Ibrahim looked up at Alan in confusion. “What do you mean? It's not the time to joke around.”“I have known you for how many years… twenty years Ibrahim. You’re a strong and capable man that everyone in his office is afraid of, but the one in front of me now is a coward.” Alan said, trying