Hannah’s POV:Josh looked at me like I had just declared we launched WWIII. His face was doe-eyed, his face had visibly gotten paler, and there was still a dribble of coffee droplets on his chin.He blinked himself out of oblivion. “You can’t possibly be serious!” He said in disbelief.I just looked at him, my expression calm but serious. I wasn’t joking.“Hannah! Stop!!” He gasped, his hands covering his mouth in stunned amusement as he realized I was being a hundred percent serious.He shook his head. “But that is madness! Just purely insane.” His legs were starting to wobble, and he sat back down, pushing the coffee cup a short distance away before folding his hands together. “So let me get this straight. You want someone to remind Lenora that she could sue you and ask for a huge amount for compensation?”“Yes,” I said simply.He burst into a deranged laugh. His head fell backwards before he brought it back forward, and his expression changed. “Are you burning up? Perhaps the whol
Hannah’s POV:My mouth went dry, the metal glass of the phone still pressed against my ear. “What do you mean revoke my spot from the competition?” I asked.I heard Josh’s heavy breathing from the other end, like he was trying to process something that shouldn’t be happening in the first place. “It’s the news, Hannah; it has spread like an infectious vine.” He paused. “These lies they’re spreading about you, are you okay? This must be intense for you.”Intense wouldn’t be the word I would use to describe what I was feeling right now. It would be something around ‘expected.’ I had expected this kind of feigned plot from Lenora. This playing the victim act was her logo, and she wore it like it was a badge of honor. The second word I would use to describe how I was feeling would be ‘unimpressed.’ I was unimpressed that Lenora chose to be this predictable and play this blaming game.Josh’s voice sounded through when he didn’t hear me respond. “I’ll be back in town tomorrow; let’s meet up
Hannah’s POV:Their eyes scanned me from head to toe, like you would a designer bag at a pop-up store, trying to find faults in its authenticity. I didn’t waver, I didn’t flinch, and I didn’t move.Let them look till their disbelief dissolves like morning dew.They broke into a loud chatter, each voice tripping over the other as they questioned, still not believing what I had said. “It is your face that is on TV.”“Do you think lying would get you out of this?”“A wolf can never hide behind sheep’s clothing for long. It’s too late for you; you’re exposed now.”They all voiced out.Adam’s hand rested on my shoulder, an act to remind me that he was there as a source of support for me through it all. He was there, and he was never leaving.I raised my hand up, they hushed, and their eyes followed my hand. I shook my wrist, causing the hospital tag wristband to wiggle. “Look at the name. I’m not his wife.”Not anymore.I pushed my hand forward, allowing them to see the name written on the
Hannah’s POV:My eyes widened, and the boy’s statement replayed in loops in my head like a broken record. What does he mean by ‘beat up your husband’? Where could he have heard that from?Like the room could sense my confusion. I heard the newscaster on the TV in the patient’s waiting room across from me. I took a step closer to get a proper view of the headline and to hear what the woman broadcasting was saying.“Breaking news! A young CEO has been hospitalized after being attacked by his own wife.” The woman in the black suit and round glasses read out on the screen. Cue in was a clip of Hayes being rushed out of an ambulance and into a hospital. Inserted at the top left corner of the screen was a picture of her.“The vicious attacker is the woman on the screen right now. The news has quickly gained traction, with the public sympathizing with the husband and calling for justice,” she went on, her voice maintaining a curated tone. “This has also raised more awareness of male domesti
Hannah’s POV:Silence filled the room like a cologne. The type of silence that made the pounding in your chest sound as loud as a herd of bulls running through a field.Adam’s face had gone red, his cheeks the color of a ripe tomato. He was quiet; his eyes that were usually filled with a calm sort of control now looked taken aback, like a deer caught in headlights. OMG!! OMG!! Why did I just say that!? Instant regret! I scolded myself in my head.I felt like it was partly due to the effect of the drugs influencing me because why else would I have just blurted out that question? ‘Do you have feelings for me?’Like, of course not. That couldn’t be true. Absolutely not.Why would I even think that?Was my mind all fogged up because of how considerate Adam has been? Him allowing me to stay over at his house, him helping out with my projects, and even constantly motivating me.Or was it because of how he had swooped in to save me and brought me straight to the hospital, staying with me
Hannah’s POV:My eyes fluttered open, only to slam shut again at the harsh sting of bright light above me. My surroundings felt like they were too loud, too white, and too unfamiliar.My whole body ached, and my head felt like it was stuffed with cotton.I blinked again, slowly this time adjusting to the light and the room around me coming into a clearer view. I looked around, observing my environment: the pale white walls and the tubes connected to me. Confusion clouded my mind until the faint smell of antiseptic and the soft beeping of the machine filled in the blanks.This is a hospital ward. But how?The last thing I remembered was—My breath hitched, and I felt a familiar lump in my throat as the image of Hayes trying to unbutton my shirt came playing in 4k. Like two crossover episodes of a TV show, Hayes's cold hands ripping open my shirt played simultaneously as the face of the kidnappers from back then drew sharper.I had reacted, throwing punches in defense of my dignity, b