LOGINAlisa was the first to move. She was standing beside Ethan and shooting Autumn glares. “Did you just talk to Ethan like that?”Autumn was tired, and the day had barely started. She was late. She was irritated. And none of those three things mixed into a nice cup of cappuccino.“Why does everyone assume they can talk to me however they want, and when I reply, I am the one being rude?” She said, almost throwing her hands up because of how fed up she was.She turned to Ethan. “Did you marry a wife or a mute doll who is just supposed to stand, take all the bullshit your family throws at me, and smile?”Ethan sputtered. He didn’t know how to answer the question. “I just asked where you are going?” He said, genuinely surprised at her outburst.Was Ethan Grant dumb?Autumn wanted to pull her hair. He still didn’t get what was wrong.“Have you ever bothered to tell me when you leave the house? Inform me of who you are meeting. Ask my permission before you bring your ex into our home." Autumn
Autumn sighed again as she stood in front of the mirror. She turned to Sofia and Irene, who had exhausted expressions on their faces.Autumn flushed as she asked them again for the countless times. “What do you think?”Sofia sighed and stood up. She walked to Autumn and turned her around so she was facing the mirror again. “You look amazing, Mrs Grant. Just like the last 9 outfits."Autumn wore a disbelieving expression and shook her head. “Outfit number 3 and 7 were too formal, and dress 5 was too casual.”“But it’s a casual date," Irene said.“It’s not a date." Autumn’s voice raised a pitch, drawing raised brows from both women. “I’m married. I’m just going to hang out with Leo. Mr Hendrick is just coming to supervise,” the words tumbled out of her mouth hurriedly.Irene giggled, and it surprised Autumn because she had never seen the girl this lively. Irene had been perched on the bed, so she climbed down and approached Autumn.“Except you wished it was a date because we meant an ic
“She knows." Autumn turned to Sofia with terror in her eyes as soon as Naomi closed the door. She gripped Sofia’s arms tightly. “What if she…”Sofia took her hand gently and sat on the bed. Her chest was pounding as well. “She wouldn't."Autumn shook her head. Her entire body trembled with fear.“I’m sure she would have seen the bottles when we went to the bathroom. I saw it in her eyes," Autumn cried out in hushed whispers, glancing towards the closed door.Sofia’s mind worked. “She knows, but she won’t say a word."Autumn frowned. “How do you know that? I’m certain she is running to Ethan right now to tell him what she found."Sofia had relaxed. She had an idea or a thought. “Miss Lang likes Mr Grant. There is no doubt about that, but she wouldn’t reveal your pregnancy if she knew…”“She knows."“She does,” Sofia confirmed, and continued. “She would not because she knows you are pregnant with the first heir. It would further make her an outsider. If you aren’t telling, she won’t tel
Sofia pulled the drawing gently from Autumn and helped her settle in. “You need to eat and take your medication so you can be able to handle your son when you finally take him out." She teased, and Autumn chuckled.A warm feeling spread in her chest.She had a son she didn’t birth and a baby of her own. Was the universe finally giving her a double dose of happiness for every suffering she had endured in the past?“It still feels weird,” She admitted to Sofia while she arranged her breakfast on a bed table in front of Autumn. “I hope Cal doesn’t feel offended. Or the child’s mother."Sofia looked up for a brief second. “If Mr Hendrick didn’t like it, Leo would not have called you, Mummy, today. He would have looked for a way to stop it. Also, a child who has a mother in his life would not call another mummy."Autumn had thought about it that day at the hospital. “I wonder what happened to her. Leo is still so young."“Well, that’s not for us to worry about.” She pushed the bowl of soup
Sofia enters Autumn’s bedroom the next morning and is surprised to find her awake and drawing. She had noticed that Autumn had a talent for making blueprints. She couldn’t understand most of them, but she was certain they were infrastructures that would definitely turn heads when they were built.She and Irene had talked about it. They were certain that Autumn studied something related to architecture, and they had continued to wonder why she wasn’t working with the talent and intelligence she possessed.Sofia shook the thoughts away and moved across the room quietly, doing her duties so she didn’t distract Autumn. Her eyes caught the drawing from Cal Hendrick beside her paper and pens. Autumn had refused to let it out of her sight after.Sofia didn’t know how Autumn and Cal was connected to a child, but she was certain that drawing was from a small boy. She couldn’t help but smile. Autumn was scared for her child, but Sofia was sure Autumn would be an amazing mother.That drawing fro
Naomi quickly hid when she noticed Alisa and Ethan were leaving the room. She pressed herself against the wall, watching as Ethan stormed out and Alisa followed after. Both of them had been too angry to notice her perched in the corner. “Ethan, are you really going to let that woman continue to act loose and get away with it?” Alisa complained after Ethan. “What would people say when they know my daughter-in-law is exchanging gifts with a man?” Ethan froze. When he turned to his mother, there was anger on his face. “You should have thought about that when you moved her out of our room. Didn’t you care about people’s thoughts then?” Alisa opened and closed her mouth multiple times. “I was doing it for you,” she exclaimed. “Mother, please. We both know I was not in the equation when you decided to move her out,” “But you didn’t protest. That means you have been thinking about it too. I was just the one who acted first,” His mother argued and Ethan couldn’t say she was wrong. It m
The door closed with a soft click behind Autumn, and she had to fight the urge to slide to the floor. Her body trembled with a mix of rage and hurt. Ethan’s words echoed painfully in her head. He didn’t think it mattered that Alisa had moved her out of their room. “Why are you acting like us liv
Autumn’s stomach rumbled loudly, and she rolled onto her back with a groan. She had been sketching for three days now with little to no breaks.Naomi had been in the Grant’s mansion for three days, which meant Lydia and Alisa were spending all their time catering to her instead of bullying Autumn.
Autumn woke up to the sound of footsteps in the hallways. It took a full minute for her to process why the ceilings were lower, and the lavender smell she loved was absent from the sheets. Her design notebook was still opened on the bed, and she was still wearing the red dress from last night. Wit
Five hours.Autumn had been waiting for five hours at the same table that had been booked to celebrate her fifth marriage anniversary to Ethan.Ironic, wasn’t it?“Mrs Grant, do you need me to refill your glass?” A waiter approached with a sympathetic smile and a jug in his hand.Autumn’s hands cle







