I looked at my phone in a daze.
Somehow, Caleb’s mom’s tirade did not surprise me. Caleb’s mom did not like me, but she could not do anything three years ago to stop Caleb from marrying me.
But even so, she would let her disgust of me froth her mouth every time Caleb brings me to her home.
She did not want a lowly secretary for his son’s wife.
Shaking my head from my trance, I went to the bathroom to do my morning rituals and then got down.
“You look like h*ll." Mrs. West looked worried as she ran her eyes over my face.
Feeling self-conscious, I tried to evade her scrutiny and asked what was on my mind.
“Have you seen Caleb?”
“He left very early this morning.” She replied.
Then, in a kinder tone, she added, “Did something happen, Cassy?”
I shook my head. Until now, I still could not wrap my head around the idea that Caleb is divorcing me.
Turning around, I went back in the direction of the staircase. “What about breakfast, Cassy?” Mrs. West’s voice held me up.
“I have a breakfast appointment, Mrs. West.” I said.
“Be sure to eat, Cassy. Remember that you are eating for two now.” She reminded me.
I nodded, feeling stifled because of the lie I concocted. If Mrs. West knew what I was thinking, I am sure she would try to stop me. But I can’t be stopped.
I needed to confront my husband. I am not letting go without putting up a fight.
Thirty minutes later, I found myself in front of Kingston Enterprises, the building houses one of the largest businesses in Glendale - the Kingston Conglomerate, where Caleb sits at the helm.
It was nearing lunchtime.
I hunched my back, trying to be unobtrusive as I entered the building but two security guards blocked my path and almost immediately stopped me for inspection. “Where to Miss?”
I groaned in my head when I had almost forgotten about the strict security protocol implemented at Kingston Enterprises.
Since we secretly got married, I stopped working for Caleb and concentrated on working on my reproductive health. My doctor, Tony Richardson advised me to lay it low for a while to focus on preparing my body for pregnancy.
No one knew I existed outside of our home.
“I need to see, Mr. Kingston,” I said in my most glacial tone, trying to appear confident despite how my knees quake in fear.
The guard looked me up and down.
“And may I ask about your purpose for meeting with our boss?” He asked, not the least bit intimidated by my show of confident aura.
“I am his wife.”
An unusual silence greeted my pronouncement while the guard looked at me in disbelief. I even heard a snort of disgust from somewhere.
“Our boss is the most elusive bachelor in Glendale. You must have mistaken him for the other Kingston.” He told me and asked to leave the entrance passable for others.
“You have to believe me. I really am Caleb Kingston’s wife.” A surge of urgency filled my voice as I tried to convince them.
There were exclamations of surprise around me, but the two guards remained unperturbed.
“Miss, do you know how many women come here every day to claim that they are our boss’s wife or girlfriend? Some even claimed that our boss knocked them up.” He asked, none too gently.
At a loss, I could only reach for my bag for our marriage certificate, but before I could pull it out, I heard a melodious voice behind me, followed by awestruck gasps.
“Hello boys, I have an appointment with Mr. Kingston.” She said that made the guards pull their attention away from me and into her.
My body stiffened when the guards’ stance changed almost immediately, almost bowing down to the newcomer.
“Ms. Hayes, welcome to Kingston Enterprises. Mr. Kingston has been expecting you.” The two guards said fawningly, to my chagrin.
Then, they turned to me with an impatient look, making me feel like a vermin nobody wanted.
“Miss, can you please step aside and allow Ms. Hayes to pass?” One of them ordered.
Grudgingly, I turned around, and retreated to the side of the building near the bushes. It was not far but not far enough to hear some employees interacting with each other after Amanda Hayes left.
“That’s the kind of girl that matches our boss -graceful, beautiful and classy.”
“I heard she was his last girlfriend. They broke up when Ms. Hayes left for Paris to pursue her international modeling career.”
“Maybe they patched things up. I am sure she was not here for business.”
Then, they giggled like they knew something others didn't.
Everything they said seemed to plunge a knife deep into my heart as I pulled at my jacket to keep me warm.
Even if it was summer, the air was still cold.
I don’t know how long I remained haunched on that wall until I saw Caleb emerge from the building. He had a more relaxed air about him, a contrast from his countenance last night.
Coming up from the shadows, my steps faltered when I saw him turning around to wait for Amanda Hayes. I saw Caleb’s surprised expression when Amanda Hayes wrapped her arm around his, but he did not pull his hand away.
“Caleb,” I called out.
His eyes turned glacial when he saw me.
“What are you doing here?”
“You know her Caleb?” Amanda Haye’s eyes were fixed on me, trying to gauge my relationship with the man she was with.
Caleb turned to her and patted her hand. “She was my former secretary. Can you give me a minute or two? I just need to talk to her.”
Amanda nodded.
“I’ll wait for you in the car.”
I saw her hand squeeze his arm before she sashayed out of our sight and into the direction of the parking lot.
When she left, Caleb turned to me and said frostily. “Have you signed it?”
For a moment, I was confused, but later it dawned on me that he was referring to our divorce agreement.
I shook my head no.
Caleb’s eyes narrowed. “Then, we have nothing to talk about.” He said in a clipped tone and moved toward the direction Amanda Hayes had taken.
Alarmed, I moved swiftly, spreading my arms wide to block his path.
“Cassy, do not make a fool of yourself here.” His voice had become strained, and I knew how hard he was trying to hold himself back. Caleb hates public scandals.
From out of the corner of my eyes, I saw people looking at us and whispering among themselves.
“Is there any way I could change your mind?” I asked.
Caleb shook his head to affirm what he said last night. “No.”
“Is it because of her?” I asked.
I did not say her name out loud, but we both knew what I was talking about. We were talking about his first love, Amanda Hayes, the woman he was with.
“She’s back, and she wants me. I do not want to ruin this chance for anything.”
That hurts.
Absent-mindedly, I nodded. “I understand. Tomorrow, let’s meet at the Civil Affairs Bureau at nine o’clock.” I said before turning away from him.
Sigh. Have you ever felt that you have to go but cannot make that first step? That is how I feel today. Cassy and Caleb’s story has ended, yet I feel sad at the thought of saying goodbye. I started this story December 2023, and since then, it has brought me so many firsts: * First book with more than 200 chapters, * First book with 200k+ words, * First book with a banner promotion, * First book with highest reads at 70.2k to date, and * First highest-grossing book. This book wouldn’t reach those milestones if it weren’t for you. So, on this page let me thank some of the people who left their marks in my book: First is my editor Lyra Pinter. Thank you for the patience, support and tips you provided to make this book where it is at the moment. Also for GoodNovel. This platform gave me the opportunity to reach out to more audience. Thank you for the gems Chi, Lean Cantara. Jennifer Gonzales, Lhyn, Susan, Yolly Villanueva, Maria Theresa Sant
Cassy POVCaleb spun me around in excitement, and I squealed in delight. When the children noticed what we were doing, they abandoned the toys scattered in the playpen to run toward us. “What’s happening?” Oakley asked.From the background, I could hear my mom tell her. “You and Joachim will have a baby brother or a sister soon.” “Oh!” Oakley sounded surprised.By this time, Caleb had already put me down, and I was watching the enraptured emotion on my little girl’s face. A grin worked its way to her face, making her more beautiful in my eyes. She took her brother’s hand excitedly. “We are going to have a baby! Yay! I am going to be a big sister!” Oakley and Joachim jumped at the news. They were clapping, and so were everyone around us. Even Rosalie Kingston Pierre looked at us with a wistful smile. Greg and James, Caleb’s friends, proposed a toast.“Congratulations on the baby!” They both shouted and tapped their glasses with spoons.It created tinkling sounds that gave off
Cassy POVDuring the party, I could feel that something was bothering Caleb. It's not that I was suspecting him of anything. It was more like I was just puzzled at the antsy behavior. From time to time, he would leave me to talk on the phone, and my lips formed a straight line in displeasure. I am sure it was business, but can’t he postpone business for a while to enjoy the children’s party?“You look lonely, babe. Where is your husband?” Reynold approached me when he noticed I was standing alone in the corner, watching the event while my husband was out of sight. Caleb just stepped out of the room, purportedly to answer Gordon’s call, and it is honestly pi*sing me off. I shrugged my shoulders and looked murderous. The day began magnificently. Caleb and I rose before dawn and tiptoed our way to the twins' bedroom to spruce it up with birthday decor. We wanted to surprise the twins, and we did!The smile on their faces was priceless. Caleb and I could not contain our tears whe
Caleb POVWe started milling around, stopping by some tables to talk to some parents. From the happiness wreathed on the children’s faces, I could see that everyone was having a good time. My two best friends arrived, and I immediately snaked an arm around Cassy’s waist when I noticed Greg smiling at her. I still hadn’t forgotten what he told me before - that he had a crush on my wife. Cassy was surprised but did not remove my arms around her waist while we talked to my best friends. This alone made me shoot Greg a gloating look. If I didn’t need them for my proposal later, I wouldn’t have invited them, especially Greg, but they are the only people I could rely on.A crowd gathered around us, and my two best friends entertained them, allowing Cassy and I to extricate ourselves from the circle to welcome Adam and Cassy’s friends as they trickled in one by one. Martin Crest, Cole Higgs, and John Collins came in one after the other, bearing boxes of gifts for the twins. When Joach
Caleb POVWarmth filled my heart as I listened to Oakley divulge their wish for everyone to hear.My chest felt stuffy when I learned that their wish was me.Even though they did not know me or had no idea about me, my kids longed for me like I longed for them the past years.“I am happy, too,” I responded before grabbing them to kiss the top of their heads.Oakley climbed into my lap. Her little hand started caressing my face.“Thank you, Daddy! I love you!” Oakley declared.My shoulders started to shake. I don’t know what I did before to deserve these children, but I was so happy.“I love you, too, Oakley. You, Mommy and Joachim, are Daddy’s treasures.” I admitted and realized that my voice sounded guttural, even to my ears.I looked at Cassy and saw her smiling through her tears.I don’t think I will ever
Cassy POVDays passed by quickly, and before we knew it, it was already the kids' birthday.“Shhh!”Caleb said when I giggled because, for the first time, it was us barging in on them, not the other way around.The kids were still sleeping soundly.Oakley slept with her arms spread wide. She had kicked off her blanket to the foot of her bed.On the other bed, Joachim slept on his side, facing the wall.“I could not believe they were four years old.” I gushed.Caleb walked to the bed holding the cake we ordered at Felicity&rsq