Fenella’s POV
Thank goodness, that misunderstanding is over. Luckily, Tom didn't push and understood me. I took a long breath and looked up at the New York sky, covered with dark clouds without any stars visible.
It's strange how life changes. At first, I remembered how Tom used to treat me well at the beginning of our relationship. Gradually, he seemed bored with me. Maybe Jessy was right; I often love people too much until they feel annoyed and bored with me.
But is that wrong? Am I wrong if I want to love someone and give them as much as I can in this world? Am I wrong if I expect the same kind of love in return? Didn't mom always say to treat others as you want to be treated?
I just want to be loved that deeply. Affection, isn't that simple?
Fenella’s POVI felt like I was going to explode with the pent-up anger tonight. What's wrong with tonight? Everything was supposed to go smoothly, right? Why, at the moment I was about to show off my greatness to Laird, was I instead disturbed by this chaos?"Laird!" I yelled out his name.My fists were clenched by my sides. I held myself back as much as I could while looking at the scene unfolding before my eyes.The man named Laird was sitting on one of the red chairs. A single sofa chair should only fit one person, but this time it was being used improperly. Laird sat with two women sitting on his lap. Just like Oscar.Around Laird, there were still many women and men surrounding him. They seemed to be playing a game and giggling with joy. When Laird saw me, he immediately widened his smile.One thing I couldn't accept was a woman playing with Laird's hair while kissing his neck. I knew that woman well, and I couldn't be mistaken. When she raised her head and turned to look at me
Fenella’s POVA man's voice echoed from a distance. Over time, people started echoing that voice. They kept shouting the same two words: strip dance.“Strip!” They roared."Do you hear that? They want you to do a strip dance." Laird still looked at me closely with his crooked smile. He put his hands in his pants pockets."If you do a sexy strip dance there and manage to impress me, maybe I'll consider liking you and being your slave for as long as you want," Laird said, raising his chin towards the stage.I smiled back at him crookedly."You don't know anything, Laird. Get ready to worship me and be my slave forever," I said with determination burning in
Fenella’s POVEveryone screamed even more wildly, and the room roared loudly. Laird even widened his eyes as he watched me. He seemed very surprised, especially his expression, which now showed anger.Wearing only a sexy bra and underwear, I smiled widely. My eyes could only see Laird from the stage. I walked to the edge of the stage, very close to the audience. Then I knelt, opened my legs wider, and arched my back.The audience screamed more fiercely as I bounced my back up and down, causing my breasts to move along. I tousled my hair once more before finally getting up straight and grinning towards Laird.Didn't you start this game yourself?I bowed to the right side of the stage, taking the whip prepared on
Fenella’s POVI sat on the club sofa in the VIP room. My hands still clutched my phone, constantly checking the messaging app on the screen. I repeatedly called Laird and sent him messages, but he didn't reply to any of them.‘Have you gone home?’‘Did you leave me?’‘Let's talk first.’‘Why aren't you answering my calls?’My head lay on the table. Jessy sat beside me with Mike. I ignored what they were doing, even though Jessy giggled after being kissed by Mike."Aren't you so funny?" Jessy giggled after their kiss."Ugh, can't you find somewhere more private? I'm sad because of Laird, and you're all being lovey-dovey! Where's your empathy?" I asked in an exasperated sigh over the loud music.After being scolded like that by me, Jessy cleared his throat and moved away from Mike. He shifted closer to me. His hand patted my back, and he began to speak to comfort me."Come on, Fenella. Maybe Laird is still driving," Jessy said to me."It's been almost an hour. Could he still be driving?
Fenella’s POV"Hey, why so fierce?" He chuckled."Oscar praised you and promised to make you the main model for his new collection series. Perfumes, dance dresses, accessories, and even lingerie. Isn't that great?" Alan asked as if trying to persuade me."I don't know; I feel like I can't focus on my work. I'm not enthusiastic about all this suddenly," I said, still gloomy, wiping my wet cheeks.I didn't even care about my makeup, which had begun to smear unevenly. Although I used waterproof makeup, my makeup was still not perfect and was starting to be erased by my own hands."Hm, what if I cheer you up?" Alan asked."Come on, follow me." Alan reached for my wrist.
Fenella’s POVThere was a pang in my chest for a moment. I couldn't deny it; Alan was truly amazing. He was kind, charismatic, good at dancing, and good at business, and now he had shown how he was a leader adored by women and men alike.Still, I was thinking about Laird."So, are you ready to drive?" he asked. "Come on."Alan took my glass and placed it in the cup holder. Then he closed the bottle again and placed it on the back seat of the car. He handed me the car keys and guided me to sit in the driver's seat. Alan closed the door for me and then rushed to the passenger seat next to me."Let's go!" Alan exclaimed with a hearty laugh.Alright. I swallowed my saliva and started the car. I fastened my seatbelt, as did Alan. I held the steering wheel with both hands and prepared myself. After adjusting the height and distance of the driver's seat, I looked at Alan."Are you really sure we'll be okay?" I asked again."Yes, trust me," Alan said. "Let's go!"Encouraged by his enthusiasm,
Fenella’s POVI felt like I was suddenly hit by a panic attack. Sweat dripped down my temples, and my head suddenly started to ache. This was the first time I had been in a car crash. It felt similar to riding a roller coaster, but without the joy. There were no loud laughs and no desire to do it again. Only fear and anxiety.The police car drew closer, with the sirens blaring louder. Alan had already gotten out of the car and seemed to be checking the damage. He looked at the side of the car that was hit, then inspected the iron fence. He also slowly walked towards the traffic light that was grazed.I looked around, and it seemed like there were no casualties at all. Really? Yes, it felt like I didn't hit any humans or animals.After calming down, I turned my body and noticed Alan walking back to the car. Two police officers approached Alan behind the car. Initially, I hesitated about whether to get out of the car or not, but I remembered Alan warning me not to get out of the car.Th
Fenella’s POVNot wanting to escalate the situation, I got out of the car as the police instructed me by my window. I quickly opened the small bag I brought and took out my identification card to show it to the officer.As I stepped out of the car completely, I realized the cold wind felt as if it were piercing my legs, causing them to cramp and ache. The calf-high boots I was wearing seemed insufficient to support my body.I felt dizzy but managed to hold onto the car until I stood up straight again. It seemed like a muscle in my leg was slightly strained from hastily jumping over the car seat."Are you okay? You look scared," the officer asked me."Yes, I'm fine. Just startled," I replied in haste.
Fenella’s POVThree months later…“State of New York vs. Alan Schmidt! All rise, and please be quiet!”The bailiff announced the case name in a loud voice. I sat in the audience with my heart pounding and my feet restless. The reporters waiting in the back of the room fell silent, capturing every moment as the judge entered.I squeezed Laird's hand to quell my nerves. He smiled at me and whispered that everything would be okay. I nodded and offered a small, reassuring smile in return.This was the final appeal at the Supreme Court. After this, Alan wouldn’t be able to appeal again until his sentence was served. After two long years of a drawn-out case with various appeals from Alan’s side, we had finally reached the finish line.The judge began reading various considerations and court notes. They took turns reading the decision documents. Time seemed to crawl, and I began to feel drowsy.I occasionally glanced at Alan, who sat in his prison jumpsuit. His once curly, neat hair had grown
Fenella’s POVTwo years later…I held Laird's hand, squeezing the palm that felt damp with sweat. A smile appeared on my lips as I tried to calm the nervousness he had felt since we left the house. This was the first award ceremony for him, Dave, and Rowan. They couldn’t sit still in their seats either.I couldn’t deny that I felt the same. My heart raced, even as the host made jokes that had the audience laughing. Still, I tried to remain calm because I didn’t want to make him more anxious than he already was.“The winner of the Best Mobile Game of the Year is...” The music stopped, the announcer paused, tension built, “My Supermodel!”“Oh! Thank God!” I exclaimed behind my hands that covered my open mouth.“Congratulations, honey!”I immediately stood up and hugged Laird tightly beside me. I cupped his face in my hands and kissed his lips strong and quick. He smiled broadly and whispered for a moment, “I love you, baby. Thank you.”“Congratulations!” I shook hands with Dave and Rowa
Fenella’s POVI stood at the edge of the balcony. My hands are firmly gripping the iron rail of the balcony as my eyes gaze at the nighttime scenery in the distance. Puerto Vallarta, a cliff with a stunning coastal view that showcases the beautiful side of Mexico.Perhaps there is truth in the saying—including Lloyd's yesterday—that bad memories must be replaced with good ones.Since arriving in Mexico until now, all the bad memories have been erased and replaced with the beauty of a honeymoon vacation with the love of my life. It's not bad, really.Despite the heavy trial we went through yesterday, we finally had some peace of mind. The night breeze blows through my hair. There's a strange sensation, but I don't want to go into the room yet. Until Laird came from the balcony door and immediately hugged me, enveloping me in soothing warmth.“Hey,”“Hi, baby. Are you done showering?” I asked, raising my head to look at Laird's face for a moment.“Yup.”“You smell nice,” I said as I inh
Fenella’s POV“Oh, sweet Mother, that was divine!” Jessy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then he opened his eyes wide while his mouth continued chewing my mother’s crab cakes. The murmurs and cheers were still heard until he finally finished his last bite.“I was glad you liked them,” my mother smiled broadly.“I didn’t just like them. I loved, loved, loved them!”Everyone around us laughed at Jessy’s confession. We felt the same way because my mother had succeeded in making a super delicious wedding reception dish. Truly, our Baxter family home was filled with guests. Even though we had invited only a small number of people, our home had never been this lively.The decorations of pink, white, and red flowers and balloons filled the entire room. The furniture had been rearranged to create enough space for the guests to dance or chat. Soft music played through the speakers set up in the corner of the room.Occasionally, guests would step up to change the music, hold the microph
Fenella’s POV“Honey, you looked absolutely stunning,” my mother said. “Thank you, Mom.” I smiled wide upon hearing my mother's compliment. She handed me a bouquet of wedding flowers that was a mix of pink, red, and white colors. I then grabbed the small bouquet and held it tightly. “I couldn’t believe we pulled this off all in just a week.” My mother shook her head, her eyes wide. “We even thought to get married the day after he proposed, but I remembered your words about wanting to prepare every detail of my wedding. You only have one chance because I'm your only daughter, so here we are.”“I just hoped those fruit tarts and crab cakes would be enough for all the guests.” “It’s okay, Mom. If the food wasn’t enough, we could stuff them with the wedding cake. That’s the job of the five-tier cake you ordered.”“You're right. I'm grateful that Mrs. Maddox's bakery shop is willing to take on the order." She sighed and stared at my face."Oh, I wish your father could see you, even th
Fenella’s POV“Fenella.”“Yes, Laird.”Laird called me right after I arrived at the apartment.“Where are you right now?”“I'm at the apartment,” I replied quickly as I grabbed a glass of mineral water from the dispenser.“Oh, thank goodness. I'm on my way home,” he said.The apartment door opened, and I immediately saw Laird's figure enter. My mouth was slightly agape, with my eyes widening. My forehead wrinkled as I watched him walk in. I glanced at the clock on the table and realized it was 2 p.m.“Fenella,” he called in his distinctively low voice.He stepped inside and met me in the kitchen. I hurriedly set my water glass down on the dining table. For some reason, Laird's face looked different. There was a hint of a happy smile on his face, though the look in his eyes was dark, and I couldn't describe the meaning behind it.“You're home? One second you're calling me, the next you're standing in front of me,” I chuckled.Suddenly, he let down his backpack on the floor. Then he hug
Laird’s POVI took several deep breaths and let them out. I couldn't help but feel uneasy and anxious, and various bad thoughts were raging in my mind. My hands repeatedly smoothed my tie or combed my hair. Hell, I couldn't calm myself down!This wasn't the first time my father had gone this far. Using bodyguards to pick up other people by force, who does he think he is?I hate his methods. He's called the shark of the legal world for a reason. This is how he acts. Stalking, coercing, and making people bend to his will until they're crushed by Hugo Evans' ambition.Now he was after Fenella. He flew from Boston to New York for her. I just knew it.I almost know what my father wants from my girlfriend. Maybe he wants to tell her to stay away like some of the girls I dated at university. It could also be that he wanted to ask about the case involving me and Malgolm Golden together.Whatever it was, I was waiting for a call or mes
Fenella’s POVMy eyes blinked after hearing Mr. Evans' words. My brow furrowed as I tried to understand his reasoning and failed miserably. I remained silent, but eventually, my heart was stirred to dig deeper.“Excuse me? Why is that?” I asked slowly, being careful not to make a misstep.“Because he helped my enemy,” Mr. Evans replied firmly.Again, I could only blink. An enemy? Yes, Laird had told me how Mr. Golden had an affair with his mother. But wasn’t that ten years ago? In fact, Mr. Evans had been busy with his young girlfriend.Still, Laird had helped to do the right thing. I didn’t want to argue with him, but I began to feel that Mr. Evans' disappointment in Laird was beyond reason.“But he helped capture criminals. He has contributed to the community.” I voiced my opinion again and swallowed to ease my nervousness.“You don’t know anything, kid. He helped my arch-enemy without considering my feelings.” Mr. Evans scoffed in frustration. “How dare he? Sometimes Laird can be u
Fenella’s POVI willingly got into the black van, leaving Jessy alone on the sidewalk. I was sure he would immediately contact Laird. Maybe he would explain the situation to him, and Laird would call me right away.Sure enough, my phone rang just minutes after the van had driven away from Laird’s office building. I answered the call immediately.“Hello, Laird.”“Hey, Fenella. What is this about Jessy seeing you being abducted by a black van? He said you willingly got into the vehicle and mentioned it was my father’s men.”Laird asked with tension in his voice. His breath sounded hurried on the phone, but I didn’t want to make him more anxious.Well, yes, I was panicking too because suddenly I had been approached by men in black suits who resembled mafia. However, they mentioned Hugo Evans, Laird’s father. I didn’t want to give his father a bad impression, or I would lose th