Novels by MercyM

CHAPTER 8...RUSSELL'S POVI stared at Sharon from across the living room, guilt eating me alive. The clear, unfiltered vision of that night replayed in my mind like a horror movie.It was her. It had always been her.How could I have done that to her and not remembered? I thought, utterly disgusted by my own past irresponsibility. I should never have gone to that club. Betty had practically dragged me there, but I knew deep down this was no time to play the blame game. Sharon didn't deserve any of this. To make matters worse, I hadn't even recognized her during our first real encounter. I shut my eyes tightly, overwhelmed by frustration.Will she ever forgive me if I confess that I was the guy in the jacket? What if she’s already decided to raise this child alone, without any man claiming rights? Will she walk away from me if I tell her the truth right now? The anxious questions swirled endlessly in my head."Russell, you're not eating?" Sharon's voice drifted over from the dining ta

CHAPTER 7...SHARON’S POVI woke up feeling lighter, less burdened by the guilt that had been weighing me down over the past few weeks. It was a new day. Think positive, act positive, I reminded myself.Speaking of positive, I was desperately hoping Russell had woken up in a better mood too. It would be incredibly awkward if he kept giving me the cold shoulder, especially after I apologized yesterday. I brushed the anxious thoughts aside and rushed into the bathroom.After freshening up and changing into a simple, casual outfit, I stepped out into the living room. Immediately, the mouth-watering aroma wafting from the kitchen hit me.Once again, trying to show off his master-chef talents, I thought, a smile already tugging at my lips.I walked toward the dining table and stopped dead in my tracks. To my absolute shock, the table was overflowing with a massive variety of dishes. It looked like a full-blown feast was taking place in Russell’s home, and I hadn’t received the memo."Good

CHAPTER 6...SHARON’S POVI forced myself to breathe, pulling my scattered thoughts together before picking up my phone from the floor.With trembling fingers, I pressed play. The video rolled. Gary stepped out of the club's restroom lobby, his face mashed against a woman who was definitely not me. They kissed hungrily, a desperate, frantic exchange that lasted for agonizing minutes until Gary pulled the mysterious woman into the restroom area—where the cameras couldn't follow.Tears blurred my vision as I replayed the clip, my hands shaking so violently I could barely hold the device. I kept watching, desperately hoping the image would morph into someone else, begging my brain to convince me that the man onscreen wasn't Gary. But every single time the video looped, the reality remained the same.From the dining area, Russell noticed me unraveling. Realizing I was frantically losing my mind over whatever was on the screen, he rushed over and snatched the phone from my hands, forcing m

CHAPTER 5...SHARON'S POVI blinked hard, trying to process his questions."I don't have a choice but to keep it. The doctor advised me to," I said, my voice dropping to a low murmur as the specialist's words flashed vividly in my mind: “Your egg count is nearly depleted. By the time you are ready to try again in a year or two, your ovaries will have stopped releasing eggs completely. If you abort this pregnancy, you will face complete infertility.”I still couldn't believe I was experiencing early menopause. Life truly couldn't get any worse, I thought, exhaling a deep, heavy breath.Looking up from my plate, I caught him staring at me with an unreadable expression. Was that pity? What was the meaning behind that look? I stared right back, trying to read him.Russell picked up his fork, poked at his food, and took a mouthful of fried eggs. I kept watching, waiting for him to say something, but he chose silence instead.This dude is weird. He’s like a light switch—on and off, I though

CHAPTER 4...RUSSELL'S POV...I tried to pull my thoughts together, my eyes still fixed on the photo on my screen.Why Betty's elder brother? Why him? I gasped mentally.Just then, the phone in my hand buzzed. It was Betty."Speak of the devil," I hissed, tossing the phone aside. You ended the wedding yourself, so why are you suddenly being so clingy? I thought with a shrug.The phone kept ringing on the couch. I left it there, grabbed a notebook and a pen to draft the basic rules for our living arrangements, and headed to my room. After a warm shower, I sat on the mattress with my eyes fixed on the blank sheet, unable to pin down a single word. The photo of Sharon and Gary refused to leave my mind.Betty had never mentioned to me that her brother was engaged. Why did they break up? I wondered, curiosity suddenly eating me alive from the inside.After staring at the page for what felt like hours, I managed to scribble down a few words before exhaling a tired sigh and collapsing backwa

CHAPTER 3...SHARON’S POVThe wedding was finally over, and the guests had dispersed back to their respective lives. Now, I was left to deal with the aftermath: my father and my best friends."And just like that, you bring a stranger home?" Dad fired angrily, his glare so piercing I felt like I’d murdered someone and hidden the body in his bedroom. "I thought you loved Gary. I thought that was why you insisted on this marriage. How could you do this to me, Sharon? Claire always reminds me of how irresponsible you are, but I never truly believed her until now. Are you finally showing your true colors now that you have my approval?""Claire, Claire... she’s your wife, Dad, and I really wish you’d keep her out of my business," I shot back, refusing to back down. "I’m an adult. I can do what I want. I chose to marry Russell instead of Gary. Why do you have such a problem with that when I’m the one who has to live with him? Don’t you like Russell? Or are you just threw off because I didn't