“I’m so sorry.”“Let’s just keep it professional, no one has to know this was a cronyism job.”“Got it.” He gives me one more look before leaving and I let out a long sigh that I didn’t know I was holding. I guess what he meant basically was that no one should know that I knew him before, and if I’m
Abel“Can’t we push the meeting by a week? I kind of have some family thing and I don’t think I can make it.” I tell the guy on the other end but he shakes his head. The twins are still on their kind of suspension for the whole of the week and I was hoping I would stay around and monitor their behav
“You got a new assistant?” She asks and I nod realizing that she doesn’t seem to be pleased by that fact.“I did.”“You didn’t tell me about it.” She says and I crease my brows further in confusion.“And why would I do that?” She chuckles and walks to seat on the seat opposite my desk. The way her p
“Yes.”“What about tomorrow?” I shake my head.“Still busy.”“Okay, when can we hang out then?” I bite my inner lip in frustration and clear my throat before running my fingers through my hair.“Never, I want us to stop this; I can’t be seeing you like that anymore,” I say and let out a low sigh. It
MillieI’m cussing a million times as I try to clean up my mess. Why wouldn’t I just be careful? I have already messed up enough for my first day at work, but I just had to make it worse. Toni doesn’t seem like she likes me. She hasn’t said it yet but she did show her dislike for me, and I just assu
“No, it was just a small spill, I’m fine,” I tell her and she nods.“I don’t think Toni is.” She says and I nod.“She kind of took most of the coffee,” I say and she giggles and I’m a little confused by her reaction. I do not recall saying anything funny.“Oh, she deserves that and more.” She says a
“I’m not his ex,” I say faking a smile because this whole conversation is now turning out to be a little too awkward. Too much for Abel saying it would be best if people didn’t know we knew each other around here. Maybe he should have thought of that before telling Dylan something like that. I don’t
“This will help with the pain.” He says.“Thank you.” I fake a smile because I know I would be damned if I took the medication. The ointment sure, but not the pain meds. I hate taking any sort of medicine, so I will just stash them somewhere in my medicine cabinet for when I will have some real pain
“Abel, you are proposing…” The words tumble out of my mouth in disbelief, more of a statement than a question. He nods, and then, to my utter shock, he gets down on one knee. I feel the world around us blur and slow down, my pulse pounding in my ears.“Mildred Turina, will you marry me?” His voice w
She scoffs playfully, giving me that familiar look that says she’s still got it all under control. “I know how to take care of children, honey. We will be fine. You two go have fun.”Relief washes over me. Even though we’re leaving them in the best possible hands, the part of me that has grown attac
We’re heading to Abel’s lake house for a weekend getaway—just the two of us. He said he got the place a few years ago but rarely gets to use it. He has only taken the twins there a few times because the only time he gets enough time to spend with them without many distractions from work is during th
Epilogue"Come here,” I call her over, and she reluctantly pulls her fingers off her brother’s chubby cheeks, then walks back to where I am. I crouch down to be at her level, trying to mask the amusement I feel at her little pout.“If you keep harassing your brother, I will have him stay with me at
“Did I?”“You bitch!” I burst out laughing. He has definitely been holding that back.“I was busy dealing with a concussion to see anything, oh, and my mom has way more money than you, you know, and her money combined with the money my dad left me, which I just found out was a lot by the way, then A
“Mom, I…”“I should have taken you with me when he died, but I thought you were already a grown woman and you wouldn’t need me anymore, and I will never forgive myself for that because if I did, then you wouldn’t have ended up with an abusive man. I could have protected you from repeating the cycle.
"Abel, he is good for you," she repeats, this time more firmly. There’s a strange sadness in her eyes, as if she’s remembering all the times she wished someone had said those words to her. I nod, acknowledging her observation, but I don’t want to delve into a discussion about Abel with her. "I feel
"Are you ready to go home?" Abel asks, and I nod eagerly. The sterile scent of antiseptic clings to the air, making me desperate to leave this hospital room and everything it represents. My heart pounds with a need to escape—to feel the cool air outside, untainted by the trauma that haunts these wal
“Oh…”“I love you, and I would want you in my life and the twins too, but you need to accept that fact about me. I don’t even know if I can be a mother to your children or a stepmother. I just don’t know if I have it in me, even though I love them, and I love you,” I say, and I’m nervously waiting f