BENEATH HER ASHES

Delilah’s Point of View“Everything has been set. The car tracker shows that she is on her way to the hotel as we speak.”I read the message my younger sister sent me, and a wicked smile curls on my lips. The trap has been laid perfectly. I have waited too long for this moment, and soon Emily will witness the truth with her own eyes. She will finally know that her precious husband, Jackson, has been mine for years.I smooth down the satin red dress that hugs every curve of my body. The slit along the side rides high, revealing just enough leg to keep Jackson intrigued but not suspicious. My fake baby bump presses tightly against the fabric, giving me the illusion of carrying his child. The irony makes me chuckle. I went all out tonight : flawless makeup, blood-red lips, and stilettos that could stab the heart of any woman who dares to cross me. But it is not the heels doing the stabbing tonight, it is the truth.As soon as we enter the hotel room, I walk over to the minibar and pour J

Delilah Tomson – Point of View“The father of the baby and I have decided to keep our baby. Please do not contact us, or we will call the police and tell the media about your fake pregnancy.”My eyes widen as I stare at the message on my phone, the glowing screen burning itself into my vision. She did not just say that. My surrogate , the same desperate little nobody I handpicked from that rundown agency has decided to double-cross me at the final hour.Who does she think she is ? Threatening me ? Delilah Tomson ?She must have a death wish . I clench the phone in my fist, my nails digging into my palm. Does she have any idea who I am ? What I am capable of? If she knew even half the lengths I have gone to in order to make this plan work , she would be trembling.That ungrateful little girl ! When her so-called boyfriend walked out on her the moment she showed him the pregnancy test, I was there. I comforted her. I paid for her rent, prenatal vitamins, doctor’s visits. I even fake

Delilah Tomson Point of View“Delilah ! My connection at the hospital just gave me the worst news you can hear today . ” Rosaline’s voice trembles with disbelief. “Emily… has delivered. Three healthy babies. Triplets. All of them survived.”The words hit me like a slap across the face. I can feel my pulse pounding in my temples, rage bubbling inside me like a volcano ready to erupt. I grip the edge of my dressing table so hard my nails dig into the polished wood.“What?” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the storm building within me.“I am so sorry, Delilah. ” Rosaline murmurs, her tone laced with sympathy. “Everything we feared , it is happening.”I stare into the mirror in front of me, barely recognizing the furious woman reflected back. My lipstick is smudged, my perfectly curled hair in disarray, and my eyes ,those once confident, dazzling green eyes are now wild with disbelief and fury.All of this… for nothing?I gave up everything for this plan. I pressed pause on my ri

Emily’s Point of View “The game has begun.” It has been a week since I set foot on the same soil that stole everything from me . In that time, I have remained hidden, carefully orchestrating every step like a master puppeteer pulling strings from the shadows . The ruined hospital, once a graveyard of my dreams, is now rising again brick by brick under my direction. The permits, the funding, the renovations… all handled discreetly under my foundation’s name, with no connection to my former identity. No one knows who is behind this sudden act of philanthropy, and that is exactly how I want it. Let the city speculate. While rebuilding from the ashes, I have also been watching the snake who slithered into my life and destroyed it , Delilah Tomson. Her penthouse, just across from mine makes surveillance easy. I have studied her routine, her visitors, her weaknesses. And then I saw him tall,

Emily’s Point of ViewThe black town car pulls up to the driveway of the mansion I once called home. I pause before stepping out, gazing through the tinted window at the grand estate. Time has not aged it—the architecture remains pristine, the lawn perfectly trimmed, and the stone lions on either side of the gate still stare with their cold, majestic presence. But the garden…That garden used to bloom with life.It had once been the centerpiece of the house, the first thing guests admired. A mix of wildflowers and roses danced in the breeze like children playing under a summer sun. I remember Jackson placing a small fountain there , he said it would be the heart of our family memories. I used to picture our children running around the garden, laughter echoing while Jackson and I watched from the porch, sipping lemonade.But now, the flowers are dull, overgrown in some parts, missing in others. The fountain is dry and cracked at the edges, a forgotten relic. It is like the life we plan