I want to leave this party before my mom gets the idea of introducing me to any more of her friends, or even worse, tries to make things more awkward between me and Abel. She just made me agree to take him for dinner at her place when I had already made it clear with her that we were no longer toget
I walk down the hallway, and I can't seem to see anyone. My heart is beating so fast right now, and I just hope, really hope, it was just my delusions and he didn't somehow make it to this party. I could say that it's impossible for him to make it to this party because there's no way my mom would in
"How are you two doing?" I ask her referring to her and the baby on the way, and she smiles."I get heavier every day," She says and I nod. "So what did you tell him?" Ellis asks on the other end of the screen, and I shrug my shoulders. "That there was no 'us' because he shut that down so fast the
"Ellis, what are you talking about?" "Don't tell me you know he was being threatened by his baby mama?" I shake my head. "I didn't." Now that she has mentioned it, it's kind of making sense to me. I wouldn't have believed her or him even if he told me that a few days ago. But given that I have me
Trigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of domestic violence and abuse. Reader discretion is advised.“What are you doing here, Winston?” I ask and he shrugs his shoulders.“Can I come in?” He asks ignoring my question and I shake my head. That is the last thing that I’m going to do, let him i
“What is so special about him?” I furrow my brows when he asks that.“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”“Abel! Stop acting dumb, you know it’s him I’m talking about.”“I… I don’t know, nothing.” I don’t even know what he wants me to tell him. That Abel isn’t an abusive psychopath like h
Trigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of domestic violence and abuse. Reader discretion is advised.“What the hell?” I tremble with shock and pain as tears fall down my cheeks. I move back on the sofa, fear flashing in my gaze as I stare at him. My whole body is shaking right now because I k
I stare at my swollen face in the mirror and wipe the single tear that rolls down. I’m trying to figure out a way to cover up the black eye. I was kind of hoping it would have disappeared by today, but it seems like the weekend wasn’t enough for it to heal. I’m not even sure how much concealer it wi
“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