Chapter: HAPPY FAMILY The clinking of cutlery against plates filled the quiet dining room until Avery bowed her head down, small fingers folded together to pray. “Thank You, God, for the food,” she said softly, eyes squeezed shut. “And thank You because Daddy is finally eating with us tonight.”Jessica’s throat tightened. Her daughter’s prayer was so innocent, so disarming, yet it hit her in the face with the force of a tidal wave. She kept her gaze fixed on her plate, lips pressed together, while her chest was filling up with emotions that she refused to show.Ethan glanced at Jessica, a flicker of something unreadable in his expression before his gaze shifted back to Avery. “Amen,” he said quietly.“Amen,” Jessica echoed, forcing her voice steady.The three of them dug their cutlery into their food, silence stretching thin until Avery perked up, her eyes bright with curiosity. “Daddy, can you tell me a story about when you were little? Maybe when you did a school project with your dad?”“Avery,” Jes
Last Updated: 2025-08-17
Chapter: RUB MINDSThe kitchen smelled faintly of coffee, its warmth blending with the sharper tang of lemon dish soap that had been used earlier. Sunlight slid across the table, hitting Jessica’s open laptop. On the screen, a cheerful blog displayed rows of “Budget-Friendly School Fair Projects,” each photo showing smiling parents and kids holding popsicle stick crafts, paper crowns, or jars of homemade slime. That was the pace she wanted she wanted Avery to go in, something manageable, affordable, and something Avery could proudly say she’d done herself.The front door creaked open.Jessica glanced up to see Ethan step inside, holding a sketchpad in his hand, the faint scent of rain clinging to his jacket. His hair was damp at the edges, and there was an energy about him for some reason. It felt bright for this early in the day.“I’m right on time,” he said with a smirk, as though punctuality was a personal victory to him that meant something.Jessica didn’t look away from the laptop. “You want a
Last Updated: 2025-08-15
Chapter: SCHOOL BELLSJessica nudged the car door closed with her hip, juggling a paper cup of coffee in one hand and Avery’s purple backpack in the other. The school’s front walkway still glistened from last night’s rain, the air cool and smelling faintly of wet pavement and pencil shavings.Avery skipped a step ahead, humming some tune only she knew from one of her TV shows. Jessica followed, sipping her coffee, already mentally mapping out her day. She was going to do some laundry, a client call, and groceries, but it all disappeared when a voice called out.“Morning, Jessica!” Mrs. Diaz, who always wore a smile of sunshine on her face and warm cardigans, waved from near the classroom door. “Don’t forget, the parents’ meeting with the school staff starts in a few minutes!”Jessica froze mid-step. “The what? A meeting?”Mrs. Diaz’s eyebrows lifted in mild surprise. “Yes, for the Parent–Children Creativity Fair. It’s today in the school’s auditorium.” She gestured toward the double doors down the hall
Last Updated: 2025-08-14
Chapter: AMUSEMENT Jessica woke before the alarm, the pale morning light pooling across the bedroom wall. Avery was curled against her, her little fist resting near her chin, the purple wristwatch gleaming faintly in the soft light.Jessica’s eyes lingered on it, the small, shining circle that had made Avery beam last night — and the words from her daughter’s dream echoed like a quiet knock inside her head. ‘Daddy left just like Uncle Ricky did.’Her chest tightened. What if he does leave again? The thought came uninvited, dragging with it a heavy ache. What if I’ve just opened the door for him to hurt her in the same way he hurt me?“Good morning, Mommy.” Avery’s voice was still groggy, breaking Jessica’s thoughts.Jessica smiled, masking her worry immediately. “Morning, baby.”Avery sat up, holding her wrist toward Jessica like she was hiding treasure. “Look! Still here!”Jessica chuckled, though it came out softer than she intended. “It’s not going anywhere.” She smiled at her because last nigh
Last Updated: 2025-08-09
Chapter: TEST 1 2Jessica walked back and forth the entire length of her parents’ living room, her bare feet sinking into the rug’s fibres, but the soft texture did nothing to calm the restless storm happening in her heart. The air felt thick after Lois left, almost as if her friend’s presence had been holding back the tide of disappointment, and now that she was gone, it was free to wash over her once again.She hated the sting from yesterday, hated that it still sat like a stone in her chest. But she refused to let it spill into Avery’s world.This couldn’t continue happening.Grabbing her phone, she inhaled slowly, dialled a number and pressed it to her ear.Ethan picked up on the second ring. “Jessica...”She cut in, her tone steady but firm. “I’m not calling to talk about yesterday. I’ve made a decision.”A beat of silence. “....okay.”“I’ll allow you to be in Avery’s life,” she said, pacing again, “but there will be conditions guiding this. Strict ones. Scheduled visits only. You don’t jus
Last Updated: 2025-08-09
Chapter: TOO LATE TO APOLOGISE The house was still when Jessica woke up from sleep.The sun hadn't fully come up, but the soft glow of morning filtered through the curtains, casting gentle light across her bedroom floor. A quiet stillness filled the air, not the peaceful kind, but the heavy kind that comes after something has shifted.Jessica pushed the blankets aside and walked barefoot down the hallway. From the staircase, she could already see the soft flicker of the television lighting up the living room.Avery sat curled up on the couch, wrapped tightly in her bunny-print blanket. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, but her usual joy was gone. She had no giggles, no funny commentary. Just silence.Jessica approached quietly and lowered herself beside her. “Hey, baby. You’re up already?” she said, brushing a strand of hair from her daughter’s cheek. “Did you sleep okay?”Avery shrugged, her shoulders barely moving beneath the blanket. “I guess.”Jessica studied her for a moment. No mention of Ethan or questions
Last Updated: 2025-08-04
Chapter: ROAD TRIPCHLOE’S POVThe sharp blaring sound of car horns yanked me out of a deep sleep. My eyes flew open, heart thudding fast in my chest, and I shot up in bed with my hair sticking in every possible direction it could find.I squinted at the glowing numbers on the digital clock. Too early for this. Way too early for it.The horn blasted again, rattling my barely-awake brain. “Oh, for crying out loud,” I muttered, pushing the blanket off and dragging myself to the living room window to see who it was.When I cracked it open, warm, humid Miami air rushed in, carrying the faint scent of car exhaust and ocean salt. I leaned out, blinking against the bright morning light.Down below, the driver stood by the sleek black sedan, arms crossed like he’d been waiting for me forever. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Ma’am, you have a trip today!”That’s when the fog in my head finally cleared. Alex. The phone call from last night. “Pack your things. We’re going on a trip.”“Oh,
Last Updated: 2025-08-17
Chapter: M.I.ACHLOE’S POVI shut the apartment door behind me and leaned against it for a while, letting the day's problems slide off my shoulders. The quiet inside wrapped around me like a blanket, though not the comforting kind...more like a reminder that I was alone.I tossed my bag onto the nearest chair I could find, the strap catching for a second before falling limp. A clap of my hands brought the lights back to life, casting a warm glow across the open living space. I still wasn’t used to how instant everything was here, the lights, blinds, and temperature. It was living inside one of the big tech commercials I used to see on TV.“Still feels like I’m house-sitting for a stranger,” I muttered under my breath.Kicking off my shoes one after the other, I headed to the couch and let myself sink into the cushions, stretching my legs until the tension in my calves slowly eased away. My phone was buried in my bag, but when I finally fished it out, the screen lit up with the notification that
Last Updated: 2025-08-15
Chapter: FAR FROM HOMECHLOE’S POVI didn’t even wait until the close of work. When I closed my laptop, I had my phone in my hand already ringing up Lois on the other side of the country.She picked up on the second ring. “Hey, I’m at work. And you sound like a woman who either got proposed to or punched by someone in the face.”I let out a humourless laugh. “Neither. But you’re not going to believe what happened this morning.”“Oooh, story time.” Her voice turned smug. “Hold on, let me head straight to the restroom.”I took a deep breath. “Remember that elegant brunette I told you I saw Alex with outside the building the other day?”“Mm-hmm. The one who looked like she had just stepped off a runway?”“Yeah. Her name’s Tatiana. I know because she crawled out from under his desk today while I was in his office having a business meeting with him.”There was a pause. Then Lois choked on her coffee. “I’m sorry...you said she what?”“You heard me.” My voice was flat. “I was talking to him about the Cros
Last Updated: 2025-08-14
Chapter: COMFORTABLE I stepped into Alex’s office, the click of the door closing behind me sounding far too loud in his otherwise way too quiet office. The folder of documents in my hands felt heavier than it should, the pages inside creased from how tightly I’d been gripping them. I crossed to the chair opposite his desk, straightened my blouse, and set the folder on the polished wood.He looked up from his laptop, his expression shifting from focused concentration to something a little softer. “Morning, Chloe.”“Morning,” I said, flipping open the folder. “I’ve got the updated figures for the Crossline project that you asked for.”But instead of reaching for it, he leaned back in his chair, studying me like I was some puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out. “How are you doing?”My brows pulled together. “I’m fine. Busy nowadays but fine.”“Just fine?” he pressed. “That’s not much of an answer.”I gave a faint, tight smile. “I don’t really do long emotional check-ins, especially during office hours, with th
Last Updated: 2025-08-09
Chapter: FIRST IMPRESSIONSCHLOE’S POVI was at the office before most people had even clocked in for the day. The familiar scent of fresh coffee lingered in the air, but I didn’t have time for any caffeine or even a quick breakfast. My nerves were already doing backflips inside of me, and adding espresso to the mix felt like asking for the latest recipe for disaster.I shut the door to my office, took a deep breath, and turned back to the giant screen on the wall where my slides were ready and waiting for me to say hi to. It was my first official presentation to the board as their new General Manager. Everything I had been working on for the past few days was all leading to this.I paced in front of the monitor, repeating lines under my breath like I was prepping for a high school stage play. “Slide five... pause before discussing retention.... remember to breathe between your sentences.”I adjusted my blazer one more time. My palms were already sweaty.But this had to go well.I couldn’t afford to mess
Last Updated: 2025-08-07
Chapter: HOME SWEET HOMECHLOE’S POVThe car ride was quiet, not too long, just...quick and quiet. I kept my eyes on the window, letting the city's lights pass me by as I watched from the glass. The exhaustion hadn’t worn off from my body, nor had the ache in my jaw or the pressure behind my eyes from crying most of the previous night. I wasn’t even sure how I had survived since the divorce or how I’d gone from fighting my father to being taken to one of Alex Blackwood’s properties.When we pulled into a private, gated driveway, my posture suddenly stiffened in the seat. The gates rolled open like something out of those high-budget movies, revealing a sleek, modern house hidden behind carefully manicured hedges. The place was all sharp lines and shadowed glass that gave it a cool, clean, and luxurious feeling.“This is one of Mr. Blackwood’s smaller properties,” the driver said as he parked the vehicle. He stepped out and opened my door with a practised gesture, reaching for my duffel bag in the trunk befo
Last Updated: 2025-08-06
LOGIN
