TYSHASeeing Rue after I opened my eyes again was like a dream come true. My head throbbed, and I clutched the edge of the bed, trying to steady myself. Rue sat in the corner, his face etched with worry. His knuckles were white as he clenched the armrest of the plastic chair.The door creaked open, and a middle-aged doctor stepped inside. His eyes were kind, but his expression held the weight of countless diagnoses. He glanced at the clipboard in his hand, then back at me.“Tysha,” he said, his voice gentle. “I’m Dr. Hernandez. Rue here tells me you took quite a tumble.”I nodded, wincing as the movement sent a jolt of pain through my skull.“Yeah… I hit my head pretty hard,” I just said, not wanting to mention that I got this bump from my abusive ex.Dr. Hernandez pulled a pen from his pocket and scribbled something on the clipboard.“Let’s take a look, shall we?” He approached me, his fingers deftly parting my hair. His touch was surprisingly gentle, and I closed my eyes, trying to
TYSHA"How are you feeling?" Rue's voice cut through the silence, his concern was evident even over the phone, just moments after my family had dropped me off at home.When we got there, I thought I would see my messy house but the mess was already fixed. Then, Rue called and said he had it cleaned up."I'm alright now," I replied, trying to sound stronger than I felt.However, the thought of talking to him again on the phone kept making the butterflies in my stomach go wild.Yeah. The butterflies in my stomach still had the audacity to react this way as if I hadn’t experienced something traumatic earlier. Gosh!"Are you sure you're up for school tomorrow?" Rue asked. His worry was like a warm blanket, comforting and suffocating at the same time."Yeah, I think I'll manage," I assured him.Though the thought of working and going to school again so soon after what happened felt daunting, I needed to work to divert my mind from what I just experienced."The doctor said you need to rest.
RUE Last night’s talk with Tysha left me feeling unsettled. I urged her to take some time for herself, but she was determined to be at school today, saying she missed her students. After I dropped my son at his class, I headed straight to the faculty room at Mason Academy to see how Tysha was doing. And there she was at school, as resolute as ever. Upon entering the faculty room, Celeste greeted me with her typical charm. “What brings you here? Do you need something, Sir?” she inquired. I barely gave her a glance, her allure lost on me. My thoughts were solely on Tysha; no one else could catch my interest. "I was just checking to see if..." I started to say but paused, catching Tysha's eye. She gave me a look that reminded me of our agreement to keep our personal connection under wraps at school. I quickly shifted gears. "If my son's adviser is around today." Her response came with a smile, "Yes, I am, Sir. Apologies for any trouble caused." Nice acting. Her performance was
TYSHAWhy does Rue do this? One day he was all about getting me back, and the next, he was soaking up Celeste’s flirty chatter like he had been in a desert for years. It was irritating! Fuck mixed signals! I watched them earlier, Celeste’s subtle hints of her interest, and I could feel this… this knot tightened in my stomach. It was ridiculous. I shouldn’t care. I mean, I’ve been known to send a few mixed signals myself, but that’s different, right?And there he goes, falling for her trap and agreeing to fetch her later for her “tutoring session.” The same one that he used to do for me. I wanted to march on my way out of the faculty room earlier but I didn’t want to be obviously irritated. So, I just convinced myself to get it together. But gosh, if he doesn’t stop playing these games, I might just lose it.I let out a sigh, pushing aside the morning's drama, and turned to my class. "Alright, class, let's review some math concepts since I was away for a few days. Who can tell me
TYSHAGosh! Challenging Rue to a race with my old clunker while he zoomed by in a sports car was like bringing a snail to a cheetah marathon. Oh, how dumb of me!As I sat behind the wheel, my brain was racing faster than my clunker of a car. What just went down felt like a tornado hit my plans. Talk about an unexpected bombshell!This wasn't how I imagined spilling the beans. I thought it'd be a smooth, sit-down conversation, not a slip of the tongue brought on by jealousy and panic.Why couldn't I have picked a better moment? Why did I let my emotions take over and steer me into this mess? I cursed myself for being so clumsy, for letting my feelings run wild. My gosh! My heart pounded like a jackhammer, trying to outpace Rue's car. It felt like I was being chased by a murderer, and fear gripped me like a vice. I was sure he could leave me in the dust if he wanted to, but after a few tense minutes of playing cat and mouse, he eased off the gas and let me go.What a relief!Though I w
RUEFinding out I was the real father of Tysha’s kids was a real shock. I was angry, no doubt about it. Tysha had kept this secret for six long years—a betrayal that cut deep. How could she hide something so important? Why didn't she tell me that sooner? Six years is a long time to keep something like that secret! But then, there was a flicker of happiness too. It was like my subconscious mind told me, "She never cheated on you." And that suddenly, my ex-friend Charles was no longer a specter haunting our past. And then came the confusion. The suddenness of it all left me reeling. Two children—Aiden and Addison—my flesh and blood, yet strangers to me. How would they react? How would Tysha explain my absence? The questions piled up in my mind. Damn! As I stood there, torn between anger, happiness, and confusion, I knew one thing—the truth had shattered Tysha's carefully constructed lie. I knew there was something special when I first saw Tysha’s kids. I thought it was just becaus
TYSHAHearing Rue say he'd never leave my kids again made my heart ache. I stood beside them with my trembling lips, trying to stifle my sobs. The sight of Rue, holding our twins close as they cried together, was once my dream. And I couldn't help but feel a mix of happiness and guilt seeing them have a family hug that was long overdue.I was happy because my kids finally had their dad in their lives. Rue took them in his arms as if he'd always been there, no questions asked. It was a sight that warmed my heart. They didn't have to wonder about their dad anymore. He was real, he was here, and he loved them.But then, there was this twist in my gut, a pang of guilt. For six years, I kept this secret, kept Rue out of their lives. I thought I was doing the right thing, but now, I wasn't so sure. Those years were gone, years they could've spent with their dad, making memories.I watched Rue with our kids, his hands gently holding them, and I wondered about all the moments we missed. The
RUEAs Tysha revealed the truth, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. For six long years, I had been plagued by questions, haunted by uncertainties. Now, finally, I had the answers I had been searching for. And despite the pain of her betrayal, I found myself choosing to accept her, to forgive, and to move forward. With the twins now asleep, I seized the opportunity to return home. Though I wanted to spend more time with them, Henry was waiting for me. I needed to tell him everything, to ensure he understood the situation before he heard it from anyone else. I didn't want him to feel blindsided or hurt. As I entered the penthouse, a sense of quiet enveloped me. Henry sat in the living room, his small frame curled up with a book in his hands. His eyes lit up as he saw me approach. "Dad!" he exclaimed, bounding towards me and enveloping me in a hug. I hugged him back and patted his back gently. I've always admired that about Henry – his ability to express his