Novels by JacqueAuthor

“Monique,” my aunt said, taking my hand. “This is… more than I expected. This is a lot, I have to say. I thought there was something odd about that woman, but I figured it was just… a family thing. Maybe you and she didn’t get along, maybe last night you exchanged words and decided to call the police... I’m so sorry, darling.”She pulled me into her arms, and if I hadn’t already spent weeks crying over this, if I hadn’t already burned through the grief and fury, I might have broken down. Instead, I just let myself sink into her embrace. It was warm, secure, and loved. We stayed like that for a long time before I finally eased back. Her cheeks were damp, and she quickly wiped her eyes.“I’m so sorry,” she repeated.“What can you possibly be sorry about? You have nothing to apologize for.”“But I still feel guilty,” she said softly.“You have no reason to feel guilty, Aunt. Really. It’s just… if anything, I should be the one apologizing. When everything happened with Ryan, I felt so alo

We stayed silent like that for a while before my aunt took a deep breath and said, “You want to take that walk now?”“Yeah, I would love it.”So we stood up, and side by side, we began walking through the garden, enjoying our surroundings.We walked slowly, the gravel crunching beneath our shoes, the morning air still carrying that damp freshness from the night before. The flowers were waking too, their petals stretching toward the sun. The stillness felt like a reprieve from everything weighing on me. My aunt pointed out a row of roses, her voice calm but her eyes sharp, as if she were quietly observing me as much as the plants. “These are doing well,” she said, brushing a fingertip over a bloom. “But they still need pruning. Left alone too long, they grow wild, and then…” She trailed off, giving me a look that felt more loaded than it probably should have.I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. She didn’t press, but I knew she would. Not yet, she was giving me space to choose my w

I stared at Ryan with anger.How could he think of ever touching me with those hands after what he had done?“If you don’t get out right now, I’ll scream.....and I don’t think you want to see the cops back here tonight so soon.”Ryan stared at me for a long moment, as if trying to figure out who I’d become. But I didn’t flinch. I didn’t look away. Eventually, he threw off the covers, grabbed the shirt on the floor, and walked out without another word.I waited until I heard the door shut behind him before I turned off the light and sank back into the mattress. My heart was still pounding hard.As I lay there, I thought about calling Marcus. My fingers even twitched toward my phone, but just as I was about to reach for it, I stopped myself. I can’t depend on him for everything. It would be just like the last time, when I depended on Ryan for everything. And look how that turned out.The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. I couldn’t go back to sleep after that. My mind wouldn’t st

He said nothing.I glared at him. “Get out, Ryan. Just....Get out .”“This is my house too,” he bit out.“This is my bedroom,” I shot back. “This is my bedroom too,” Ryan said, his voice low but edged with defiance. “I’m your husband. This is our house, and this is our bedroom, just like you told the police officers. So I have every right to be in this bedroom, just like you do.” His eyes narrowed at me, daring me to challenge him.I went quiet, just staring at him.“So…” I said slowly, “you want me to leave this bedroom for you and your mistress?”He sighed, as if suddenly exhausted. “That’s not what I’m saying. That’s not what I’m saying at all. All I’m saying is that you’re my wife, and I am your husband, and I have every right to be in this room just like you do. And right now, I just want to talk, okay? Like civilized people. Can we talk?”I shook my head. “I’m not in the mood to talk right now, Ryan. I gave you time. I gave you a chance to think about what you want. And I reall

I knew exactly how he felt,"I know, I’m sorry," I said softly. "But I had to keep my head in the game."There was a pause on the line. Then I added, “But now... now that I’m in, I think that’s when the real work begins.”“Just remember that you’re not alone, precious,” Marcus reminded me. His voice was low, steady, grounding. “And I’ll remind you that every damn day until you believe it.”I smiled. A real one.God! How I wish he were here. I wish I could touch him. I wished I could lie in his arms and just let it all go, just for a little while.“Thank you, Marcus,” I whispered. “Thank you so much.”“You don’t have to thank me, Monique,” he said. “I’m not doing this so you can thank me. I’m doing this out of love. And I don’t need anything in return.”His voice deepened. “All I want is for you to get everything they ever took from you. For you to be happy. For you to get your revenge. And for them to be miserable. Penniless. Out on the streets. With nothing.”There was venom in his v

MONIQUEWith determination, and a plan, an actual process.... I immediately ran up the stairs. The moment I was inside the bedroom, I shut the door behind me and reached for my phone.I didn’t even think.I just called him.He picked up on the first ring.“Hey,” he said.The way he said it, soft, calm, expectant, like he had been waiting. Like he already knew I would call....But I didn’t want to linger. I didn’t want to waste time soaking in the emotion. So I said the first thing that came to me. The only thing that mattered.“I miss you.”There was a pause. I could hear it, the smile in his silence.“What happened? Are you okay?” Marcus asked quickly.His voice was low, but laced with concern. I couldn’t help myself, I chuckled. A small laugh. A breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.“Of course I’m okay,” I said. “What do you think would have happened?”“I don’t know…” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on in Ryan’s head. I wouldn’t know what he did or said. But… is everything oka

Mina I was in the delivery room about to bring my baby into this world, and who knew it hurt like hell? Mmh! I was very lucky and very grateful to have my husband here with me. He kept holding my hand, telling me sweet things, and encouraging me when the doctors told me to push. He pushed with me, breathed with me. It was kind of crazy. I don't know, maybe after I was done here I would think about this moment and laugh about it. It was a moment in my life when I really needed him, and I was so, so happy and so grateful to have him here beside me. The two doctors that Mr. Emerson insisted on having here were top in their fields. He didn’t care, he had to fly one in as long as I got everything and I was in great hands. The doctors were great, they were encouraging. I just wanted this moment to be over and for my baby to come into this world so I could hear their cry. We were still in the dark; we didn’t know if we were having a girl or a boy. I was just waiting for that moment wh

EmmersonThe next morning, I decided to handle things myself. I know Mina’s already been through enough trauma with her family, so I don’t want to involve her in this. She’s still asleep, and I slip out quietly to deal with Eric.I find him at the hotel, slumped over, still asleep. I nudge him with the toe of my shoe, the force making him stir. Slowly, his eyes flicker open, and the haze of sleep and alcohol makes him groggy. He rises, blinking and groaning, his hand clutching his head."Wake up, Eric," I tell him as I open the curtains, letting the bright light flood the room. He immediately shields his eyes, groaning louder."My head... hurts," he mutters, his voice thick with a hangover. He grabs the bottle of water on the bedside table and gulps down a large portion in one go."Last night," he laments, "I didn't like how your men dragged me out of that nightclub.""You call that a nightclub? It was a strip

EmmersonOh yeah?” Mina’s voice is a little high-pitched.And then Rita says something that makes my blood cold.“Of course,” she replies, her voice dripping with arrogance. “I mean if I could take Eric from you so easily before… When you weren’t this heavily pregnant, and we weren’t even living in the same house. Just think how simple it would be to take his father from you now.”Her voice is low and suggestive. Mina scoffs, maybe out of shock, but Rita doesn’t stop.“I mean, look at you,” she continues, mockingly. “You’re pregnant. You can’t even walk properly without someone holding you. You have to be carried just to get around.” She chuckles,“And me?” she adds. “I’m just getting started. The exercises I’ll do, the maintenance I’ll keep up… You know I won't be breastfeeding, right? This baby is feeding from the bottle. Nothing is messing up this....hot body.”In my mind, I can already picture her motioning to her bo

Emmerson By nightfall, the police have already paid us a visit. It’s all over the news. Madeline had a little accident on the highway. Her car hit the side of a bridge and went down under. She suffocated. But I know the truth. Let her feel what it’s like to lose air. Anyway, the point is—she’s dead. The police came because, after her attack on Mina, there was already a record of her actions. They were just here to deliver the report. To tell us that she was gone. That also settled the issue with Rose. Mina had never been convinced that Rose was behind it, and now that Madeline was out of the picture, it was clear she had been wrongfully accused. Mina was shocked with the news, I never thought she would actually be upset after everything. Even though there’s still sadness in her eyes, I can see the difference. She’s no

EmmersonAfter I had taken Mina home, I gave her a bath, making sure she was okay and taken Care of. She was reluctant to eat at first, but I insisted. “You need nutrition,” I reminded her. “I know you don't want to but do it for the baby. You’re pregnant, you're doing it for our baby.”She sighed, but eventually gave in, taking small sips of the warm soup I had prepared. I watched her closely, ensuring she had everything she needed. Then, I sat her down and gently caressed her hair.I kept talking as I did it—about everything and nothing at the same time. Just filling the silence, making sure she felt covered and safe. My voice was low and comforting. I caressed her head, feeling the softness of her scalp, letting her know she wasn’t alone.And then, she fell asleep.Once I was sure she was deep in rest, I finally allowed myself to feel it all—the anger, the frustration, the overwhelming sense of failure.How could I h

As Emerson's voice continued on the phone, offering words of comfort, trying to calm me, I felt my tears flow faster. I couldn't hear him clearly anymore over the noise in my head, the panic, the certainty that I was going to die. I just listened to him, letting his voice be a thread tying me to something.Then, the banging stopped.I hadn't even realized it.Instead, a knock. A soft, reassuring knock."Mina, Mina, come on, open the door," Emerson's voice came through the phone, clearer now.I still didn’t understand what was happening. My mind was so clouded by fear, but hearing his voice… it soothed me in ways I couldn’t explain. I was barely aware of his words, just the sound of him calling my name, telling me it was okay."Emerson, is that you?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper."Yes, it's me. Open the door, Mina."The reality of it hit me. I had been trapped in a nightmare, my heart frozen with terror, bu

ARIELLALuca’s voice dropped lower, deliberate, each word heavy as it settled into the room.“This isn’t about threats anymore. This isn’t about the mistakes we’ve already made. Those mistakes are already done.”He paused, letting the weight hang between us.“Right now, this is about survival. For you, for Leon, and yes, even for Asher.”A knot tightened in my chest as I struggled to grasp what he was really offering.“I have a way to keep you away from him....a way to make sure you survive and stay with your son.”I swallowed hard, the fear swirling inside me growing sharper.“Listen to me, Ariella,” he said, leaning in slightly, his face calm but convincing. “I know how much you want to protect Leon, and I do too. I love the little guy, you know that.”He paused for a moment, then added, “I’m not going to keep quiet about what I know. You need a plan.... A real one. A way to protect both of you.”I nodded slowly, still unsure if I could trust him. We stood on opposite sides of a lin

ARIELLALuca was the one who killed the silence with a sharp snap.“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Ariella?”I jolted. I wasn’t expecting him to blow up like that. But after a deep breath, I looked at him head-on.“Don’t look at me as if this is my fault. This is all your fault, Luca. It’s all your fault.” I answered.He laughed, a bitter, dry laugh that made my skin crawl.“Really? So now it’s my fault that you’re lying to Asher?”I shook my head, steadying myself. “I’m not the one lying to Asher. You’re the one who convinced me it was in my interest to lie to him. And now he knows the truth and hates me.”Luca’s eyes narrowed. But I continued." If you’d let me tell him the truth from the start, none of this would have happened. If I had told Asher the truth the very first time, right when he found me....I could have prepared him. We could have handled this smoothly. I could have talked to Leon, helped him understand...."But now? I felt like I had wronged them both—Leon

ARIELLAMaria was still looking at me, her eyes wide, her face filled with confusion. It was like she’d walked into a chemistry lab when she’d only ever studied art; she had no idea what was going on here.“But… what did he say?” she finally asked.“Well, practically, he blamed me for everything.”“Blamed you for everything?”“Ketchup, Maria, okay? Didn’t you see the news? Oh my god, why am I even telling you this?" I took a much-needed breath"Anyway, Luca is mad because Asher left and came here, and after he found out about Leon, he got mad and left. Now, Luca doesn’t know where he is. He's not there...and not here either. Apparently, he was supposed to go back today, which I had no idea about. So, now Luca is blaming me for Asher going missing.”“He’s missing?”“Ah, Maria, could you just… I don’t know. Can you make me a coffee or something? Make yourself useful... ”“Okay, just… fine...... Leon was talking about his dad today. He said his dad made him a promise, and he was really

ARIELLAI didn’t move from my spot.I didn’t sleep. I just drifted in and out of little daydreams, half-asleep, half-awake, neck stiff against the wall, arms wrapped around my legs like they were the only thing holding me together. I watched the light change, night turning into bright morning. Light seeped across the floor and up the walls. Still, I waited.Because some part of me still believed in him. Still believed in us. But the truth was there in the silence.The door didn’t open.He didn’t come back.And eventually, the only sound in the house was the soft creak of the wood beneath me as I shifted on the step. The weight of everything we had, everything we lost, settled inside me.He left. And maybe this time… he wouldn’t come back.I went towards my bedroom, and I guess I was tired from everything, tired from crying, from the heaviness of it all, so I sat on the bed, letting my body sink into the mattress. My head was foggy, my limbs heavy.Then came the knock. Sharp, sudden. I

ARIELLAI found myself slumping down on the wall beside the door, knees pulled up to my chest, my head buried in my arms. I don’t know how long I sat there, wrapped in my own heartbeat, in the ache of everything I had just witnessed.But then… I heard it. Click!The soft sound of the door opening. My head shot up and there he was...Asher.Standing tall in the doorway, still and quiet, staring down at me. I scrambled to get to my feet, not thinking, just reacting. But my legs, my goddamn legs, they didn’t want to work. I staggered slightly, my balance faltering for just a second, and instinctively, I expected him to reach out. To steady me. To do something.He didn’t.His hands stayed right where they were, clenched at his sides, fists curling into the fabric of his pants like he was holding something in, like he was fighting something inside himself.And then I saw it. The look in his eyes.It was beyond anger. Beyond rage. It was something deeper. Colder. A kind of quiet fury that do

ARIELLAI was in the bedroom. I don't know for how long....Maybe hours. Maybe minutes. Time had twisted into a fog of silence, nervousness and fear.I felt like I was unraveling—like any second now, I’d lose my grip. Lose my calm and lose my mind. I started pacing. My fingers clenched and unclenched. My teeth ground together so tightly I thought they might crack.I couldn’t sit still. I couldn’t breathe right. And then, I heard footsteps.Footsteps on the stairs. My heart stilled. I stopped mid-pace, eyes darting toward the door, every nerve in my body flaring to life. I dropped down to the edge of the bed, trying to fix my face, trying to look calm, composed, like I hadn’t been seconds from breaking down.I didn’t know what I was going to say. I didn’t have a speech prepared. I didn’t have the right words. But I had to hold it together. I had to...... Because whatever came next, it had to be okay. It had to be smooth.No missteps.No chaos.No emotion leaking through.I could do thi