CELESTINE’s P O VOver the years, I got used to being silent. I had no habit of explaining things to anyone. Moreover… I didn't want Julian to know the truth because I knew that if he did, it would hurt him even more than it already does.As I proceeded further inside the house… I saw an open room and I walked inside to check who are they and I saw Arnold's father having a conversation with some older men who appeared to be their immediate relatives. The moment they all laid eyes on me, they became rigid.‘‘Could that possibly be Celestine?’’ I overheard the man with the dark hair sitting next to William Maxwell asking, and in response… he nodded before greeting me with a brief smile.Mr. William Maxwell was a very impressive man. In spite of everything I've done to his family, he was still pleasant to me and didn't show any animosity toward me. And I was glad to know about that.‘‘Does she even have the audacity to come here?’’ The other man, who had gray hair and wore it in a brush-
CELESTINE's P O V‘‘Put me down!’’ I tried to warn Arnold, but all he did was laugh at me, his eyes rolled back in his head, and I couldn't help but sigh in regret as I stared at him. I resisted the urge to touch his beautiful face, even though my hand was almost raised to do so, because I was afraid that he would interpret my actions in the wrong way.‘‘I said... put me down!’’ I yelled that made him freeze, and eventually put me down on the bed.I shot him a glare and stood up, walking towards the window and opening it after drawing the curtains. It startled me when Arnold hugged me from behind, and I flinched as he did so.‘‘Did I not tell you that you’re not permitted to allow yourself to be bullied by other people?’’ he murmured in my ear. I frowned and tried to make sense of what he was telling me, then I recalled how his elders talked about me earlier.‘‘If it's going to make them feel comfortable, then let them say a few more words...’’ I said as I slowly slid away from his ho
CELESTINE’s P O V‘‘Why?’’ Leina questioned as she looked at Arnold, her eyes turning red and trembling as she did so. Her hand was pressed firmly against her chest, and she was taking deep breaths.‘‘Don't be sad, Leina...’’ Ada said worriedly as she scooted closer to her and gently ran her fingers through her hair. ‘‘The doctor warned that you won't be able to handle any more stress than this...’’I was met with a glare from Mrs. Maxwell, who had recently emerged from the kitchen. ‘‘You're very proud of what you did, huh?’’‘‘Mom!’’ Arnold tried to stop his mother, but all she did was roll her eyes at him. Disappointment was written all over her face as she approached the area where we were standing.‘‘I don’t care how much trouble you usually cause, Arnold!’’ she said, gritting her teeth. ‘‘But do you even have any idea what you've gotten yourself into? Do you even realize how heartless the woman you married is?’’Arnold startled me by suddenly snapping his head in my direction whi
CELESTINE’s P O V‘‘Are you aware of the nonsense you're currently babbling about?’’ Mrs. Maxwell displayed an extreme amount of shock. She gave the impression of being someone who did not believe what her son had stated.‘‘That’s enough!’’ Mr. Maxwell rushed over and put his hand out to his wife in an attempt to reassure her. ‘‘Even if you're against their marriage, they've already gotten their marriage certificate. And you're asking them to get a divorce right away? Won’t we become a laughing stock to the public if you’re going to insist this to happen?’’After that, he looked up at me, and I didn't particularly like the trace of dissatisfaction that I could detect in his eyes. ‘‘You should respect your mother no matter what. Even so, she is older than you are...’’I bit my lip and looked down, nodding my head.‘‘What do you mean by laughing stock to the public?’’ Mrs. Maxwell turned to look at her husband who was standing behind the couch. ‘‘Was today’s incident not big enough of a
CELESTINE's P O VI was sitting on the balcony sofa in the room… curled up into a ball… staring up at the moon as it shone faintly above the night sky.‘‘Don’t you have sense of decency and shame! Was this what your mother had taught you?’’I could still make out the words that he was shouting at me.‘‘I believe that it was a blessing in disguise that your mother passed away at such a young age; had she lived, she would have been pissed to death by you!’’As the words he had said continued to play in my head, I moved from my seat and buried my face between my knees.‘‘Get a divorce from him as quickly as you can if you want to keep your conscience clear regarding your sister. You're not suitable for him!’’Conscience? Wow... that's a really big word!‘‘Don't you dare think that just because he married you, I won't be able to do anything to you! What kind of status does he have? You should know that if he could choose to marry you so quickly, he also has the ability to divorce you in t
CELESTINE’s P O VArnold walked up to me and leaned over and murmured something into my ear. ‘‘I don't care what’s your purpose for getting the marriage certificate…’’ His voice was husky as he spoke. ‘‘But during this particular period of time... you're still Mrs. Maxwell, my wife. Now that you want to sleep with my sister, are you trying to show them that our marriage is fake?’’He does have a point in that regard. But…‘‘Come on, have the porridge first. Otherwise, it will get cold soon…’’ he shifted the topic as he pulled me by the hand and dragged me to the table. ‘‘Don’t worry, I won’t touch you… I will never touch you without your permission, Celestine...’’He drew a chair over for me and helped me sit down by gently pushing my shoulders.‘‘Am I that scary...?’’ he asked, his tone was playful, and I looked up at him with my eyes wide open and a sense of alertness. ‘‘Hey! That look in your eyes is making me very uncomfortable. Don’t look at me like that…’’I maintained my silenc
ARNOLD's P O VThe conversation with my parents lasted for more than an hour, and by the end of it… I was really pissed off, especially to my mother.I heaved a sigh of exasperation as I irritably ran my fingers through my hair and turned the knob on the door leading to my room. It's already one in the morning, according to the time on my phone, which I just checked.I noticed the bath towel that was still untouched and spread out in its original position on the carpet as soon as the door was opened. The room was illuminated by the bedside lamp that was on the nightstand.My mind immediately went back to the previous scene that flashed clearly in my mind.Her creamy white flawless skin… her slender legs... her curves... those pink... ahh!I took a few deep breaths as the rising heat in my body caused me to gulp many times. I gave a little shake of the head and then dashed into the bathroom to get a cold shower.As soon as I had finished drying my hair, and put on a comfortable clothes
CELESTINE's P O VMy eyes flickered, and when I finally opened them, I discovered that I was in a room in a hospital. When I thought back to Arnold's terrified reaction when he spotted the blood on my nightdress, I couldn't help but shake my head.I tried to reassure him that it was nothing serious, and just a normal period… but he was so concerned that he even brought me to the Maxwell hospital. I was about to sit up when I felt someone’ arm wrapped around my waist, and I could feel a warm, steady breath coming from above me.I looked up and the man’s perfect jaw was pressed against my forehead.‘‘Uh...’’ I wanted to get out of his arms almost instinctually as I uttered a slight groan. However… even my slight movements were enough to startle the man who was holding me in his arms.His voice was raspy as he murmured, ‘‘Hmm... you're awake?’’I removed his arm from its wrapping around me by carefully lifting it up and away from my body. ‘‘I have already told you not to bring me here an
JULIAN’s P O VAunt Olivia insisted that Cynthia must first complete her education, and give birth to our child before she allowed us to get married. And I felt worried about Cynthia because I was aware that she was waiting for this moment. Even though she wasn’t voicing it out, I could sense that she was expecting me to propose to her, for us to build our own family, but Auntie asked me not to let Cynthia know about our agreement.After seven months, Cynthia gave birth to a healthy baby boy who she gave the name Mark Julian. And while I was occupied with the expansion of the business that Arnold had requested me to handle, Cynthia continued her studies.Finally, Cynthia graduated and I’ve never been so proud of her. I believed that as a result of all of the things she went through, she got more matured. She never complained about the fact that I did not offer her marriage.When it was time for Cynthia to get her graduation present from me---it’s not exactly a graduation present, but
CYNTHIA's P O VAt this moment, tears were beginning to run down my face. I couldn’t keep them at bay. Now that it was almost certain that I’m losing this baby.I may not know a lot about pregnancy, but I knew that bleeding was a bad sign.As soon as we entered the emergency room, an array of questions and answers ensued, and I answered them to the best of my ability, while my parents and Julian were listening attentively. Julian refused to let go of my hand even when I was wheeled back toward a room and directed to strip for an ultrasound.The nurse stopped Julian when he was about to enter the changing room, insisting that he wanted to help me change into a hospital gown. ‘‘I can help her, Sir. Just stay with her parents outside…’’Julian did not immediately follow the nurse after initially hesitating, but he did so eventually. Soon after, he began to loosen his grip on my hand before leaving completely.My parents sat in a chair along the far right wall, and Julian stood a few feet
CYNTHIA's P O VTWO MONTHS LATERI groaned as I sat up in bed and stretched my arms. A quick look at the clock that was sitting on my nightstand revealed to me that nightfall would arrive sooner. How long have I been dozing off?These past few days, my normal pattern of sleeping has been thrown off. Simply put, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted to the point where I lost track of time because of it. Even though my parents, Arnold, and Celestine regularly checked on me every once in a while, one of the harmful things I'd been doing was spending most of my time alone in my room. This was another habit I'd gotten into.They have been monitoring the media, calling people and giving them orders, as well as discussing the situation with the authorities. They would act wary every time I descended the stairs, as if they didn't want me to hear about those fucked up news again.I never heard from Julian again after that day. I was aware that his wedding took place last month, but none of
CYNTHIA's P O VNothing could have prepared me for the crushing agony I experienced when my mom told me that Julian had departed without even alerting me, or even bidding farewell to me before he flew back to France. Nor could anything have prepared me for the profound sense of loss that caused my heart to tighten, leading me to believe that it was going to cease beating altogether.Even though I was aware, on some level, that he was meant to return and marry her, the fact that he did still hurt. How could he? How, after making love to me? After I had already given him everything? After stroking my hair until I fell asleep? After spending so much time gazing at me with that breathtaking smile? How could he love her and marry her still?There was a painful lump that was lodged in my throat, and it was making it difficult for me to even breathe. In addition to this, I had to fight against my tear ducts in order to keep from crying in front of my family because of him. In total honesty,
CYNTHIA's P O VThe moment the door to the Maxwell villa opened, I was met with a resounding slap across the face from my irate mother.‘‘Aunt Olivia…’’ When she raised her hand to slap me again, Julian attempted to stop her, but she instead hit Julian which caused my eyes to widen in shock.‘‘Don't address me like that, you have no connection to any of us anymore!’’ she said through gritted teeth, a threatening tone was used as she glared at him.It appeared as though everything around me had come to a stop. I blinked back the tears that was on the verge of falling down my cheek. ‘‘Mom…’’Did Arnold tell her about us?‘‘What are your intentions with regard to my daughter?’’ She asked Julian while completely ignoring me. ‘‘Do you intend to take him as your mistress?’’‘‘No, I…’’‘‘There is no future for the two of you, and even if you leave the woman who will soon become your wife, I won't let you have my daughter!’’ And she smacked his face once more, which prompted me to push her aw
CYNTHIA’s P O VJulian grabbed the shower head, turning on the water. He pointed it at me and he made sure to let it pour all over my body, until every inch of me was soaked. ‘‘I’ll take it that it will make you behave…’’‘‘Uhmmm…’’ I agreed mindlessly, not really listening to a single word he uttered, for I was too busy gawking at his dripping wet physique. I could feel my lids becoming heavy, my veins burning under my skin as pure sexual desire course through them.Unwittingly, without even noticing it, I kneeled in front of him, coming face to face with his semi-hard shaft, but before I could even touch it, he grabbed my shoulders firmly. ‘‘Get up before I fuck you again…’’‘‘But I want you to fuck me again…’’ I protested with a pout, still resting on my knees.He chuckled amusedly, lightly shaking his head. ‘‘Come on, Cynthia, we’ve got to go…’’But I didn’t listen, I remained still.Julian decided to bring his arm under my armpits and pick me up against my will, laying small kiss
CYNTHIA’s P O V‘‘Do you think that somebody was listening to us?’’ I inquired anxiously as fear began to course through my veins.Julian gave a dismissive shake of his head before rising to his feet and reaching for the bathrobe that was still hanging on the door of the bathroom. ‘‘No, the rooms are soundproofed. You stay here...’’ he covered himself and left the room.But I couldn’t mind my business in a situation like this. I rolled out of bed and took a fluffy bath towel, wrapping it around my body before following him towards the living area.From the other side of the slightly open door, I could hear a feminine voice. ‘‘Uhmm, Hi… I mean, good morning. I was wondering if you saw Cynthia---’’I rudely pushed Julian out of the way and came face to face with Stef, who let out a sigh of relief upon seeing me.‘‘Oh, Cynthia… I was worried about you!’’I smiled at her and placed a kiss on her cheek. ‘‘Well, as you can see, I’m good…’’ I then stepped closer to her so that she would be a
CYNTHIA’s P O VI completely let myself go, carelessly giving up on trying to hold myself up and completely leaning against his tall, manly frame. ‘‘Oh, fuck…’’ I moaned as I gripped his hair and pulled on it, moving his head and craning my neck so that our lips would touch. I immediately opened my mouth, allowing his tongue to slip inside.Julian added a second finger into my tight canal, starting to thrust harder. ‘‘You’re such a sexy little thing, aren’t you...?’’ he pulled his hand away and brought his fingers which were coated in my juices, to his mouth, sucking them clean before he picked me up and walked back to the bedroom, letting me fall onto the bed, and then followed me immediately.I pushed him down onto the sheets and got on top of him, hovering over his rock hard member. ‘‘Do you want me…?’’ I inquired in a hushed tone as I took both of his hands in mine and placed them on my waist.He nodded with his mouth agape, looking up at me with full of desire and appreciation.‘
JULIAN’s P O VThere was something unbelievably intimate about waking up next to someone, especially when that someone was the one you love.Strips of golden sunlight shone into the room and Cynthia managed to wrap herself around most of my thin sheets.I woke up with my arm lay across her stomach and her head was tucked into my bare chest. We hadn’t bothered dressing ourselves after last night’s events, as we had already seen every inch of each other.Also we were exhausted, that we had drifted to sleep after another heated kiss.Cynthia stirred slightly, which brought me back from recalling what brought us here, and buried her head further into my chest while placing a hand onto my torso.But all of this felt so wrong, since everyone around see us as cousins, and in addition to that, I am already getting married.But then, why did last night feel so right? And why did her touch alone light my body on fire?I knew that my old self would think otherwise, but Cynthia and I couldn’t hap