MasukMONIQUE My inheritance?“I found that strange,” she continued quietly. “Because last he knew, you and I weren’t even talking. I was still… against Marcus. So for him to call me instead of you…”She trailed off, and I could hear the hesitation in her voice.“He told me to warn you,” she added finally. “To be very careful of Marcus. Especially now… after everything that happened with Mrs Bennett and her daughter and grandchildren on the news. He said Marcus might try to use you because of the inheritance.”I blinked, absorbing that. It didn’t sit right. Not even a little.“And this was before the press conference, I assume?” I asked.“Yes,” she said. “Before everything came out. And I don’t know… he sounded… off.”“Off?” I repeated.“A little nervous. Agitated, maybe. I can’t really explain it, but it didn’t feel right.”I stayed quiet for a moment, letting her words settle.“Maybe you should go see him,” she added.“Okay,” I said. “I’ll do that.”We spoke a little longer after that, a
MONIQUE I couldn’t take it anymore.I moved before I could stop myself.I walked straight to him and wrapped my arms around him. Tight.Grounding him.Stopping him.“I’ve got you,” I whispered.I didn’t want him to keep going.I didn’t want him to relive it anymore.It was all too much and enough.He paused just for a second. And then I gently pulled him away from the podium. No one stopped us. No one said anything.We just… left.We didn’t speak on the way to the car. Although the silence wasn’t awkward. It was the kind of silence that says everything without words.We got into the car, and the driver pulled away. For a few minutes, it was just the sound of the road. Then suddenly,“Stop the car.”The driver braked immediately and Marcus got out before I could say anything. I gave him a few seconds before I followed him. And right there, on the sidewalk… He broke.Not loudly. Not dramatically. But completely.All the control. All the strength. All the restraint he had held together
MONIQUE I held Marcus's hand more tightly, needing him to feel me.“You’re not a child or alone anymore,” I reminded him gently.This time, he turned his head slightly, looking at me.“I know,” he said. And again… he meant it.I held his gaze for a moment before speaking again.“Tomorrow is going to be hard,” I said. “But it’s also going to be the end of something.”His brow furrowed slightly. “The end?”“The end of them having power over you,” I clarified.Something in his expression shifted at that. Something real. He looked back up at the ceiling, like he was turning the idea over in his mind.“The end…” he repeated quietly.“Yes,” I said. “And the beginning of you finally being free of all of it.”Another long pause. Then, finally.“You'll Stay,” he said.I squeezed his hand gently. “I am here to stay. I’m not going anywhere.”His body relaxed just slightly beside me. Not fully, but enough. Enough to let the silence settle. Enough to let the night pass.*Morning came faster than
MONIQUE The rest of the day moved fast. Too fast. Phones kept ringing. Messages kept coming in. Names I didn’t recognise, numbers I didn’t trust, all trying to reach Marcus. Reporters, partners, people pretending to care, people waiting to see him fall.Henry barely left his side. Files started appearing on the table one after another. Old documents. Medical records. Legal reports. Things Marcus had buried years ago, things he had survived, things he had never spoken about out loud.And now… all of it was coming back. For the world to see.I stood by the window for a moment, watching the sky slowly dim, my arms wrapped around myself. It felt like we were standing at the edge of something big. Something that was going to change everything.“Monique.”I turned at the sound of his voice.Marcus was watching me. Not the businessman. Not the man preparing for war. Just… Marcus, My Husband.“You’re quiet,” he said.I walked back toward him slowly.“I’m thinking,” I admitted.His eyes staye
MONIQUE I stepped closer toward Marcus, placing my hand gently on his arm.“They’re using sympathy,” I said. “They’re using a newborn, a little girl, and a grieving family. People are going to believe them.”Marcus looked at me then, calm and steady, his eyes searching mine.“And what do you think I should do?” he asked. “Do you think I made the wrong choice to kick them out of here? Do you think I should have given them what they asked for? Do you think I’m a bad person?”I frowned, not hesitating for even a second.“Of course, I believe you,” I said firmly. “I know the Bennetts. I have lived with them. I know just how manipulative and how cunning they can be. How can you even ask me that?”Something shifted in his expression. Softened.Just then, Henry exhaled sharply.“Belief is great,” he said, “but public perception is something else entirely. We need a strategy. Damage control.”Marcus stood slowly. And just like that, the calm shifted. Not gone but sharpened. Focused.“They wa
MONIQUE But nothing came out of her mouth because there was nothing to say. Not anymore.“Please…” she tried one last time, her voice breaking now. “At least for the children.....”“Stop,” Marcus cut in. Sharp and Final.“If you say one more word trying to use those children to manipulate me,” he added, his voice dropping dangerously low, “I won’t just ask you to leave.”That was enough. Lydia finally looked up Just for a second. Her eyes met Marcus’s, uncertain, conflicted, maybe even ashamed. But she didn’t speak. Didn’t defend. Didn’t even apologise. She just… stood there And then looked away again.Mrs Bennett straightened slowly, whatever pride she had left pulling her back together.“Fine,” she said, her tone stiff, brittle. “If that’s how you want it.”Marcus didn’t respond. Didn’t even blink."But don't blame me for what I will do next." She added.Silence responded.Realising what was coming next, she grabbed Lydia’s arm. “Let’s go.”And just like that, they turned and walke
MONIQUEI stared at the open car door, my heartbeat pounding in my ears so loudly it almost drowned out everything else.“Get in, Monique,” Ryan said again, softer this time, but there was something underneath it. Something tight. Something impatient.I didn’t move.“I… I think we should go back in
MONIQUEIt surprisingly took a lot of effort, a lot of pleading and negotiation to get Marcus to finally let me go to my sit-down with Ryan.He looked okay at first with it, but as time got closer to the sit-down with Ryan, it came quicker and quicker, and he got clingier and clingier. It kind of b
MONIQUEMy whole body went rigid. The first instinct that hit me was screaming. My lungs burned with the need for it, but no sound came out.I even forgot for a second that Dale was there.And then he was suddenly in front of me.He moved fast, too fast, throwing himself between me and the van. He
MONIQUEI sit there for a moment longer, staring at the document like it might burst into flames if I look at it hard enough.This cannot be happening in real life.“So let me get this straight,” I say finally. “After everything he’s done to me, after the lies, the cheating, the child,...I have to







