Melissa opened her eyes to the sun shining in, she rolled off the side where the sun had set on her bed and groaned.
She was just beginning to enjoy her sleep but unluckily for her, someone just ruined it. She lay on the bed with her eyes open boiling in anger.
She sat up after some minutes with her hair all over her face, frowned, and used her hand to brush them backward.
She was glaring at the maid in front of her, who had annoyed her already without knowing.
“Did you do that on purpose?” Melissa asked.
The maid opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
“What do you mean ma'am?” The maid managed to gather some meaningful words together.
“You knew opening the curtain would make the sun enter my eyes, and you went ahead to do so.” Melissa asked.
“I am sorry ma'am, I was only following your orders,” the maid said in fear.
“My orders” Melissa Mumbled
She stood up from the bed, glaring at the maid.
The maid knew what was coming for her, so she shifted back a little bit.
“Don't you dare move” Melissa mumbled.
She stretched her body and held the hair of the maid.
The maid yelped in pain, and Melissa tightened her grip on the maid hair.
“I am sorry, I won't do it again” the maid pleaded.
Melissa chuckled and let go of the maid's hair.
She wanted to make more pain for the maid but she changed her mind trying not to ruin the nails she had done the previous day.
“Yeah, you won't do it again because you are fired” Melissa said and went into the restroom.
The maid knew better not to wait in the room and try to beg. She rushed out of the room in tears, meeting her mate on the way, they knew what happened already and they shook their head in pity.
“It's a hot morning, everyone should try to avoid madam Melissa and not annoy her” One of the maids said.
That seems to be their everyday slogan.
They all went into hiding, knowing Melissa had woken up on the wrong side of the bed, so they had to be careful.
Melissa finished washing her face, packing her hair into a bun, and walking out of the restroom.
She went downstairs with her nightie still on her body.
She was holding her phone, it was always with her, that is her only friend since She had none.
She was chatting with someone who had been disturbing and pleading to date her. She went into the internet to search who the guy was, and she frowned when she saw what he was worth.
“Dumb fool, so much gut,” she mumbled as she reached the dining.
She sat on the chair, still focused on her phone. She put the guy's message on hold and went to her page to post.
Minutes after posting, she started receiving comments, and when she went through them, she grinned in satisfaction.
They were begging her to reply their messages and consider their request but she was going to ignore them as usual. She closed her phone and put it aside.
She looked at the table to see what she was served, and she frowned.
“Who prepared this?” She asked
The maids shifted back, looking at each other to see who was bold enough to reply to her.
“Are you all deaf?” Melissa asked and faced them.
“No ma'am” they chorused.
“Then answer the question and stop staring at me like a dummy” Melissa half yelled.
“I am the one” one of the maids raised her shaky hand.
“You know I don't like eating this in the morning right” Melissa mumbled.
“It's what was in the food table for this morning. Besides, you said you want it every saturday morning” the maid said.
“Even if I said that, are you dumb enough to know I am not interested in eating it this morning?” Melissa asked.
“I am sorry ma'am,” the maid mumbled under her breath.
“Saying sorry annoys me more, if you can't do your job right, then leave” Melissa said and groaned.
She picked her phone and glared at the maids.
“Get me something better than this rubbish if you all don't want to lose your jobs” she yelled and walked out of the dining.
She stopped just at the entrance of the dining and looked back.
“You” she said pointing to the lady who had claimed to prepare the food.
“You are fired and also whoever served this,” she said and left.
The two ladies sighed and went in to pack their things knowing they dared not defy the order.
The maids scattered around to think of what to cook for the unsatisfied daddy's princess.
The door bell rang, Lauren, one of the maids, rushed to the door. She opened it and saw a strange face.
“Good morning,” Lauren greeted.
“Good morning, this is for your boss” the man said and dropped the parcel in Lauren's hand, and then he left.
Lauren arched her brow while staring at the letter, she checked it all over and shrugged when she saw nothing on the parcel.
She closed the door and proceeded to their boss's room, she knocked on his door, but there was no answer. She tried again like two times before leaving.
She went to the back of the house where he always stayed and she met him there, he was sitting and resting his back while on a call with someone.
Lauren stood in front of him and bowed slightly.
“Arrange the meeting and tell me the time, then I will try to show up,” the man said and hung up.
He seemed to be in his late fifties. He was the father of Melissa. He gave her everything she wanted and allowed her to do anything she wanted without questioning her, which made her spoilt and rude.
“What's that?” The man asked.
“I was told the parcel is for you,” Lauren said and stretched forth the parcel.
The man arched his brow while staring at the parcel in Lauren's hand.
“Open it” the man said, and Lauren looked at him. It was the first time he would ever allow a maid to open any message meant for him.
She slowly unwrapped the parcel and opened it. It was a letter.
“It's a letter,” Lauren mumbled.
Melissa walked in at that moment and went to hug her dad. It was the first time she was smiling that morning.
“Dad” Melissa mumbled and sat beside her father.
“You look annoyed, Did something happen?” Her father asked.
“Those maids won't stop getting on my nerves. It's so annoying dealing with them,” Melissa said, and eye Lauren, who was still standing in front of them.
“What are you doing standing there?” Melissa asked
“Read the letter out,” Melissa's father said, and Lauren nodded.
“What letter, Dad?” Melissa asked
“It's a marriage proposal letter, ” Lauren said.
Melissa frowned and rolled her eyes, she had been getting constant marriage proposals from people all around, but she felt like they were not up to her league, and were not worth her.
She gave Lauren the go-ahead to read, and Lauren read the content of the letter.
Melissa chuckled, trying to hold back her laughter.
“People that have always been asking for my hand in marriage never hold themselves back in saying how rich they are and how they will care for me, I am shocked he didn't mention any of that” Melissa said.
“That's suspicious” she mumbled.
“I know about this, Lisa, he is very rich and famous, you will know him, trust me, he is the one for you,” her father said.
“Dad, you know about the proposal?” Melissa asked, frowning.
“Yes, I do,” Her father replied.
Melissa took her phone and quickly went to search about the man when her father mentioned his name.
She frowned when she saw how rich he truly was, but something spoiled him. He is crippled.
“What? Dad, how can you do this to me?” Melissa screamed.
“You don't expect me to get married to someone like this,” Melissa said.
“Just look at the bright side, darling, the things you will benefit.”
“Dad,” Melissa yelled, and her father kept mute for her.
“I am not getting married to a cripple. The proposal is rejected,” Melissa said and walked out in anger.
Lauren bit her lips and shook her head. She knew she will never reject such an offer like that.
“Discard the invite” Melissa's father said, and Lauren gasped.
The man looked at her with disdain, and she quickly rushed away.
She went to a corner when no one could see her and she read the letter again and again. She brought out her little phone and searched for the person.
Truly, he was really rich, she gasped at his beauty.
“He is really rich and handsome” Lauren mumbled to herself.
She squeezed the letter in her hand with one thing in her mind.
To take advantage of the proposal.
It had been a year since the chaos, the lies, and the tangled web of deceit had unraveled. A year since Emmy and Carl had stood together, side by side, as everything around them had crumbled. Now, they were slowly building a new life, one without the shadows of their past hanging over them.The world had changed, but the love between Carl and Emmy remained unshaken.Carl had accepted a position at a different college, away from the constant scrutiny that had once followed him. He taught philosophy and ethics now, giving lectures that inspired young minds to think critically about the world. His days were filled with books and discussions, but in the evenings, he was still the man Emmy had fallen in love with—a man who held her close when the world seemed too big, too loud.Emmy, on the other hand, had found her passion in giving back. After the collapse of her family’s empire, she’d dedicated herself to running a foundation for children from broken homes. She poured every ounce of her
Emmy sat in the back of the car, the world outside a blur of rain and shadows. The weight of Carl’s news pressed down on her chest, suffocating her. Carl’s mother, arrested. And now, her own mother’s name dragged into a web of lies and betrayal. The promise of their perfect weekend, the quiet moments they shared, was shattered in an instant.Her thoughts spiraled in a thousand different directions. How could this be happening? How could her mother, her everything, be involved in something so dark, so destructive? She wanted to scream, to lash out, to deny it all, but she knew deep down, the truth couldn’t be ignored. Carl’s hand rested on hers, but the touch did little to calm her. She was slipping away, drowning in her own confusion.“Emmy, we’ll get through this,” Carl’s voice was low and steady, but even he couldn’t hide the tension that gripped him. “I’m here. Whatever happens, we’ll face it together.”Emmy swallowed hard. “But my mother… she can’t be a part of this. She’s everyt
The weekend had come like a breath of fresh air after a week of chaos. Carl had planned the getaway in secret, whisking Emmy away without warning, just like the first time they had spent a weekend together. When everything between them had felt so right. They drove for hours, the tension of the city life slipping away as the landscape outside the car window changed from concrete and glass to towering trees and winding country roads. Emmy had no idea where they were going, but the soft smile on Carl’s face told her everything she needed to know. He was trying, and that was enough for now.When they arrived at the cabin, nestled on the edge of a peaceful lake, Emmy’s breath caught in her throat. It was perfect—quaint, cozy, and utterly secluded. The tall pine trees surrounded them, their needles whispering in the wind. "This is beautiful," she murmured, turning to Carl, her voice soft. "You really know how to make up for things, don’t you?"Carl chuckled, his eyes locking with hers. "
The sound of the rain against the window was steady, almost rhythmic. Emmy stood at the threshold of the living room, her heart racing as she saw Carl and his girl in an embrace. Then the memory suddenly struck her. The girl in the picture. Maddie. Emmy had seen that face before…a diary or a picture? She wasn't sure, but she knew she meant something to Carl. Was it his ex?Their bodies were too close, the kind of closeness that only familiarity could breed, and it hit Emmy harder than she ever expected. She froze, her breath catching in her throat. The girl, Maddie, was taller than Emmy, with dark hair that cascaded like a waterfall down her back, her hands resting on Carl’s shoulders as he pulled her in. From this angle, it looked innocent—like a greeting, but Emmy didn’t believe it. The hurt surged, and she turned sharply on her heel, fleeing the room before either of them could see her face.She couldn’t breathe. The air in her chest was tight, her pulse quickening with every step
Theo wasn’t supposed to be back. Not this soon, not after everything.Emmy stared at him across the coffee shop table, her fingers wrapped tightly around her warm mug, barely touching the drink. Theo’s jaw was tense, his eyes shadowed with urgency.“Your family's company is about to be hit with a lawsuit,” he said quietly. “It’s fake. Manufactured. And it’s coming from Carl’s mother.”Emmy blinked. “What? How—why?”Theo leaned closer. “I think she’s doing it to ruin the Langstons. And to get to you. Alicia, Carl's mother.”For a moment, Emmy felt like she was underwater, the air sucked from her lungs. Everything had been… quiet lately. Too quiet. After the chaos of Carl’s disappearance and return, after their tearful reunion and rekindled passion—she had foolishly let herself hope that maybe the storm had passed.Theo slid a manila folder across the table.“She’s using an offshore holding company to file it, but I traced the signatures back to one of her shell corporations. Carl doesn
The letter was unmarked, folded neatly in a plain white envelope slipped under Emmy’s door sometime during the night.She found it just before leaving for class.There was no greeting. Just one cold line written in red ink:*“End things with Carl… or he’ll pay for what he did.”*Her stomach dropped. Tucked inside was a crumpled newspaper clipping. She unfolded it with trembling fingers.*“Fatal Crash: Local Woman Dies Swerving to Avoid Child.”*Her eyes scanned the faded text. The date was over a decade old. It described a tragic accident involving a child running into the road. A woman, swerving to avoid him, had crashed head-on into a tree. Died on the scene. The boy’s identity had never been made public.Emmy’s chest tightened. What does this have to do with Carl?***That night, Emmy stormed into his apartment, the envelope in her hand. He was on the couch, half-asleep with the TV still on.She didn’t say a word at first. She simply tossed the letter onto his lap.Carl blinked, sa