These days, Angel and Henry Moore were getting along really well.“Do you like Mommy or Daddy?” Monique asked expectantly.She wondered if Henry’s involvement in their lives had left any significant marks.It would be a lie to say she was not worried.“I like both!”“Both?” The disappointment on Monique’s face was apparent.She had cared for Angel since she was a baby, but after spending a few days with Henry, the man was equivalent in standing to Monique in her baby’s heart? Would Angel love him more?Monique felt threatened.Angel gave her mother a sweet smile. “I like Daddy and Mommy.”“If you could only pick one?” Monique was not backing down.The little girl puffed her cheeks and assumed a thinking posture.Monique watched her daughter deliberate. Was it a difficult choice?Angel could recognize the look of jealousy in her mother’s eyes. She blew a raspberry and laughed. “I’m kidding. I love you more Mommy!”Monique let out a heartfelt laugh. “Oh you little brat, tryi
”Maybe another time,” Monique said as she shook her head at her daughter. “Be good, Angel. We’ll do it tomorrow.”“Mommy, are you going on a date?” Angel batted her eyelashes as she asked. Before the woman could answer, the young girl pouted and said, “Mommy, can you not go? I like this Daddy.”Despite her young age, the girl was able to piece together the details from the bits and pieces of conversation she overheard. Uncle was telling Mommy to go on a date!‘This Daddy?’ Monique was shocked by her daughter’s choice of words.She had underestimated her daughter’s affection for Henry Moore.No! Monique’s attempts to accept the man was greeted with stinging humiliation.One day, he would chase the mother-daughter pair away. She doubted any relationship between them would last and she knew Henry Moore would always have the last say in things.If Monique tried to leave now, Henry would definitely call the cops on her. She did not want to lose her daughter, so she stayed put.Stayi
Angel was not giving up. “Mommy, can you try calling again? Maybe Daddy was in the toilet.”‘Really?‘Again?‘Fine.’Monique dialed the number again. Although this was her second time calling, the nervousness did not leave her. ‘What is he doing?’The call remained unanswered.Monique bit her lower lip and said, “Alright, time for bed now. Mommy needs to head out tomorrow!”Angel studied her mother’s expression. She seemed unhappy, even though she had been adamant about not calling Daddy just now.‘Adults are weird’, Angel thought.The little girl pulled her blanket up to her chin. She decided she would call her father tomorrow.After an afternoon of play, the girl fell asleep quickly.The same could not be said for her mother. The woman tossed around on her side of the bed.‘Why didn’t he pick up the phone? Is he out drinking?’‘You said you could only fall asleep beside me. What lies!’Pretty words from men should never be trusted.She picked up her phone and stared at
How could Monique forget about yesterday? The bruises on her body had yet to heal. Luckily, the fall weather allowed for long sleeves, which shielded the purple and black patches on her skin.The mention of yesterday irked her. “You… You…”‘Bastard, savage, pervert.’The string of curses went on and on in her mind, but she dared not speak them out loud.The image of Monique gritting her teeth in anger pleased Henry Moore to no end. This call had brightened his day significantly.Amusement danced across his features as he asked lazily, “What did you want?”Monique tempered her rage and said, “I wasn’t the one who called.”In another way, she was saying she would never contact him.Henry’s dark eyes narrowed. She was one stubborn woman.“You sure?”Monique could sense the threat in his voice. She explained, “Angel wanted me to call you.”“You still dialed my number,” Henry stated matter-of-factly, the haughtiness in his tone unmistakable.Monique rolled her eyes in exasperati
Henry Moore laid down in Monique’s bed in the Moore manor and fell asleep with a satisfied smile on his face.*** The next morning, Monique was awoken by a series of knocks on her door. As she rubbed the sleep out from her eyes, she suddenly recalled the conversation she had with Henry last night.Henry Moore!She reached for her phone and saw the call was already disconnected. She massaged her temple. She could not believe she fell asleep on a call.How embarrassing!The loud and impatient knocks on her door showed no signs of stopping. The barrage even woke Angel up.“Who is it? Give me a minute!” Monique shouted.She crawled out of bed and went to the door.Standing on the other side of the door was a familiar face. The pretty woman wore makeup made her more mature for her age. Yvonne Xander plastered on a fake smile and said, “My father has prepared an outfit for you.”“I have my own clothes,” Monique replied. She was wary of any gifts from the family.“Father sends his
Yvonne was taken aback by Monique’s sudden outburst. This was her first time witnessing Monique making a stand; the woman had always been subservient.By the time Yvonne had woken from her stupor, Monique was already downstairs instructing Angel to stay close to her granduncle while she was away.Zephyrus studied Monique as she walked down the stairs. The floral-patterned top and the wide slacks were outdated, but by tucking in her top, Monique was able to pass it off as fashionable. Paired with her short hair, she looked like a capable woman.Zephyrus nodded in approval. Something caught his eye and he frowned. He would address it later. “Let’s have breakfast.”Monique noticed her uncle’s line of sight and tugged the collar of her top so that it covered the bruises. She bit her lip and explained, “I fell and accidentally hurt myself.”Zephyrus responded with a slight nod. He figured it must have been from the kidnapping.A moment later, Yvonne joined them. She eyed Monique from
Monique nodded. She would at least meet the guy before leaving.“Can you at least give me the guy’s number?” Monique said. The guy might decide not to show up and she refused to waste her time waiting.She did not trust Yvonne and her tricks.Yvonne smirked and said, “Oh? Yesterday you were so against the idea of matchmaking, yet now you want his number?”Monique took out her old Nokia and glanced at Yvonne. The younger woman complied for once and dictated the phone number before leaving.With Yvonne gone, Monique waited at her table for some time. She nearly fell asleep waiting when a man approached. He was approximately 1.6m tall and sported a curtain hairstyle. He was a dull-looking man, dressed in a drab business suit with a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.The man’s expression conveyed his unwillingness to be there, but he still greeted her politely. “Monique Xander, I presume?”Monique was startled by the stranger, but quickly nodded her conf
Monique looked down at the baggy clothes she was wearing. She could not refute the man’s accusation.It was Yvonne’s choice of wardrobe, not hers. Her cousin wanted her to look unpresentable for the date.“You tricked me!” the man shouted accusingly.Just as Monique opened her mouth to explain, the man grabbed his cup and hurled its contents toward her. The coffee splashed onto her face and dripped into her clothes. It was terribly uncomfortable.Monique was speechless.Her date then stormed out of the cafe.Monique did her best to wipe most of the coffee out of her face before heading to the washroom to clean up.In the washroom, she stared blankly at the coffee-stained face in the mirror.She studied the remnants of coffee on her face, arms and torso.Mrs. Zackery’s nephew stormed out of the cafe, anger bubbling inside him. That woman was below his standards. Was this a set up?At this moment, his phone chimed.He unlocked his phone. The incoming message read, “I forgot to