Atlas’ fingers grazed my cheeks and his eyes glistened with tears. “I want…” He sighed. “I want to trust you. I really do,” he licked his lips, his vision clouding for a moment before it cleared. “I want to follow my heart but she brought so much evidence…”“What bigger evidence is there than me, Chewy?” I admitted, my voice cracking. “I don’t want to believe it,” I pushed him, “I don’t want to believe that you cannot recognise me. I’m your Julia but if you are indecisive, please leave.” Atlas stared at me for a few seconds but I brushed past him and tugged on the door handle. I frowned. It was still locked. “Hey! Is anyone out there?” I called out. “Lily? Leo? Louis? Open the door right now!” “I don’t think they’re going to come, Julia—”“They are not like you.” I spat, my fists tightening. I wasn’t going to cry. I couldn’t — I refused to. “Their words match their actions.” Atlas strolled over to me, “I could break the door down if you—”The sound of keys in the lock made us pau
“W-what?” I blurted as she brushed past me, walking into the mansion. “Atlas!” She cried, and I turned to see her tackling him into a hug. My eyes strained, my throat tightening as I struggled to process what was going on. How could she claim she was me? She had my face? How did she get my face? If she was me, then who was I?“Hey! What is the meaning of this drama? Let go of my husband!” I pulled her from him and she crumbled like a stack of cards. “Atlas!” she cried, clinging to him. “Mommy!” Elara pushed me, crouching beside her. She glanced up. “You are a bad woman!” She pushed me. Atlas’ eyes shifted from the woman to me, as if silently asking what the heck was going on. “Who is this woman, Atlas?” She stood, hiding in his chest. “Why is she yelling?”“I should be asking you that,” He turned to her. “Who are you?”“I am Julia!” She cried. “Can’t you recognise me?” she added, running her hands through her hair. “Look,” she sniffles, rummaging through her bag. I frowned as
I was still standing there, frozen and pleading with my eyes to keep the tears in them. Because, if one drop fell… the dam would break. My breath hitched as Atlas strolled over, grinning. “Alright,” He sighed, reaching for my hand. “Let’s get started,”I retracted my wrist, finding my voice, “When were you going to tell me?”Atlas frowned. “Tell you what?” I stepped forward. “Tell me that Adeline was never caught. That for the past few days while we were galavanting in Miami, while you and your kids were all over Miami, she…” I stumbled back as Atlas’ face fell. “That nutcase was free!”Atlas glanced around, “Who told you?”“That’s what you care about?” I seethed, my heart breaking in my chest. The pieces poked me and I found myself running out of the mansion, tears leaking from my eyes.“Julia, wait!” Atlas called after me, his footsteps louder than the music. I didn’t stop until I was far away— far enough and darn it —I would never be. My knees buckled and I recalled how he lied
“Y-you can’t threaten me!” “Oops,” I said, pausing the video, “I think I just did.”The principal glanced around, as if searching for a way out before he cleared his throat. “That video… delete it.”“Sorry, I couldn’t hear my apology over the sound of your demands,”Lily pulled my arm down and whispered into my ear. “Go Mommy!”“I think you don’t want us to settle offline,” My hand hovered over the post button. “Maybe we should take this on-line.” I emphasized the on and was about to press the button when his voice echoed through the room. “Stop, please wait.”“Ah, there’s the magic word.”“You two, come over here!” He called the kids. “Are you really Atlas’ Volkan’s kids? That woman sounds… she sounds serious.”“She sounds like Mrs. Volkan, Dummy!” Lily spat and I glared at her. “Where are your manners?” I muttered. “With people who deserve it,” She shrugged and I groaned, she was definitely Atlas’ daughter. “Tell me, are you or are you not?” The man gritted and the kids glanced
When the lights flickered on, Atlas was at the farthest corner in the room, offering me a sheepish grin that did not reach his eyes. I rolled my eyes for the millionth time — I was counting — and returned to work. Mendez arrived with more coffee and we continued adjusting the designs. “Ma’am! The flower girl dresses are ready,” A designer chirped and my breath hitched at one of the dresses. It wasn’t just the dress, it was the size, it was the gaping hole in my chest that ached when I recalled her. My little Elara. I still couldn’t believe she was so far away. Atlas assured me that she would be returning soon and it would be hard to abruptly move her from an environment she grew up in. Despite his reassurances, not a day went by that I did not shed a tear for my little princess. I reached for the dress, my hands trembling as I recalled the sound of her first cry. I pressed it against my chest and the designer frowned but averted her gaze, as if really how intimate the moment wa
“W-what?” My voice cracked, “But how…” I tried to form words as I stumbled. The memories of Adeline throwing acid at me replayed like a loop in my mind, my eyes stung with tears, and I could almost feel my skin burning as a shriek rippled from my throat. “Julia!” Atlas snapped and I opened my eyes, struggling to focus on him. He pulled me into a hug and held me tight. It was then that I realised I had been stuck in a panic attack. My bottom lip quivered, I tried to count one to ten in my head, heck, I tried to breathe. “She… she can’t be free! That woman is dangerous! S-she’s come for us! She won’t spare us Atlas! We just got our family back and—”“No, no, no,” Atlas said, holding my face. His thumb brushed a tear from my cheek. “No one will hurt my family. Not again,” He leaned and our noses brushed, “never again.”I nodded. Atlas gestured at Mendez and he scrambled out, leaving us alone. “Are you okay?” Atlas asked, already guiding me toward a sofa. I blinked, feeling dazed and