Who do you think is at fault? Arthur, for being oblivious to his wife's true feelings? Millicent for being so bitter about it all? Anyway, wait for the next chapter before you decide. If you see what actually happened, maybe you will be able to see things in better light on who was really at fault... HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU ALL. I GOT A MAN! Yep, your author is now a taken woman... Eh eh eh (Cue random laughter.)
โWonder why she went to go get groceries herself when I offered to help.โ Arthur mutters to himself as he paces around his study.He had resorted to working from home as soon as Millicentโs pregnancy clocked four months, choosing to stay at home with her so she is not bored. And even though she has not been saying much lately, he still tries to make her laugh, which she does sometimes, and today, he has something planned for her.If it works out, sheโll have something to think back to and smile even till their Azalea actually becomes a living human baby.โUghโฆ Waiting around is killing me. I should stroll over to her or something.โ Impatient, Artur dons a casual white tee shirt and some denim pants, choosing to walk over there instead, to clear his head and get his thoughts in order.The babyโs coming has taken most of the toll on Millicent but he has also made some sacrifices, even having to turn billions worth of contracts away because he canโt leave his wife at the doctorโs and leav
The lights in Unique Auditing company flicker once, then slowly began to fade floor by floor, casting the building into darkness. Each levelโs lights went off in sequence staring from the grund floor, leaving only the top floor illuminated, the faint glow cutting through the night surrounding the tall building.Up on that top floor, a figure sits motionless and unmoving in the CEOโs chair, waiting patiently.As the final lights went out, the entire building was plunged into silence and darkness.The figure rose slowly, pulling off a black mask that had been obscuring their face for the whole day. They rubbed their sore jaw, letting out a quiet sigh of relief as they stretched their stiff muscles. Sitting the whole day just to keep an identity hidden is a lot of work but the rewards make it entirely worth it.Reaching for the phone on the desk, they hesitate before turning on the flashlight.The beam of light was kept low, barely enough to illuminate the room but just perfect for what t
John Worth sits at his desk, a complete mess, his head buried in his hands.His office, once the center of his confidence and power, now feels like a prison. He has nowhere to go and rest his head and worse, no one to go to for comfort. The weight of everything, the scandal with Sienna being his child, and the suffocating guilt of having an affair with her for years and now, she is dead, presses down on him, making it hard to breathe.But the worst part is the uncertainty, the part that he does not know.Had he been the one to kill her? He couldnโt remember.His mind is a fog of confusion, and the last few hours of that day with Sienna were nothing but a blur. He recalls the anger, the confrontation, but after that... it was all darkness.A shrill ring from his phone startled him, pulling him out of his confusing thoughts.John blinks, his hands shaking as he reaches for the device. He doesnโt recognize the number, but something inside him tells him to answer it.โHello?โ His voice cra
The press conference hall buzzed with anticipation.Every seat is filled with bloggers, reporters, tabloids, newspapers, and even people with online news channels and cameras were positioned in every corner, and journalists from various media outlets had gathered to hear the truth from the couple who had been dominating the news lately, first, secod and third ost searched news were about them.The hushed voices amd comemnys in the air was thick and full of gossip, and all eyes were fixed on the stage, waiting for the moment when Arthur will make his appearance and the conference will start.They have their questions down and written already, also, they are immensely curious as to why Millicent and Arthur had divorced anyway so that is the main reason for their presenceโฆAs the lights dimmed slightly, signaling the start of the conference, Arthur stepped forward.His demeanor was calm, collected, and resolute, most especially since his wife now knows everything that happened in his past
Up in Arthurโs office after the short conference that is safe to say had left all of the reporters with even more questions than the answers that they have come for, Bethany sips some orange juice, laughing at something that Arthur had said.โYou know, you are like the regular kind of CEO but you are a money grubber too. I canโt believe you said it out loud that you will get only richer with the lawsuits, come on.โ Bethany comments, while laughing.โWell, if there is one thing I know people hate in our society, it is the rich getting richerโฆ and yet, they are not helping themselves either. So I know that if I make that statement that I will use their money to get even richer, they will stop, or at least, it will reduce.Bethany bursts into another round of laughter.โWhy were you at the hospital anyway?โ Arthur asks, coming to sit on the same couch as she is.Bethanyโs face lights up and then dies down. โI learnt quite a lot of things there today. Iโll start with Quinn. She told me th
The next morning starts as a peaceful one.Itโs end?Maybe not.Bethany rises from the bed, pushing her legs to the ground. After getting freshened up, she goes downstairs and has breakfast with her husband.Being a Saturday makes it all better since she can spend the entire day inside with her husband but she has something to do.Returning upstairs, she sits on their bed and dials a number.It rings for a full twenty seconds plus before anyone picks it up.โGood afternoon, my name is Bethany, I am hoping to speak to Millicent Atkinson?โThere is a pause at the other end before a cheery sounding lady responds. โOh hi maโam, my name is Tina and I am Millicentโs manager. Can you please call back in about two minutes from now? Iโll go hand the phone to her now.โโOh, I can wait online while you go ahead, thank you.โShe will give them no chance to weasel out of it. It wonโt be surprising if she hangs up, calls back in the said two minutes and they refuse to pick.She has to talk to Milli
โIโll be back in a little bit.โ She calls out as she grabs her bag off the couch.โCome on, let me drop you off.โBethany chuckles. She is out to get him a surprise, so no. โNot this time, pleaseโฆโโFine. Be back in time for dinner?โโPromise. I wonโt have a bite of food there and be on my way home as soon as I am done over there.โโI love you.โ He calls out, blowing her a soft kiss.โLove you too.โWithout taking a driver, she decides to drive herself, it has been quite a while since she just let the wind whip through her hair, scattering it.. but as much as she would love to do that now, she would rather stay poised so that woman will see no flaw to pick atโฆ will see nothing to make her think she is inferior to her.After the little over twenty minutesโ drive, she stops the car right in front of Paradise block of apartment, high rise with its penthouse inhabited by our former wife, she walks out the lobby, her heels clicking loudly on the marbled floor.Bethany rolls her eyes, thank
Bethany pushes herself off the floor, letting her gaze fall to the black clothes she has on, now with very visible specks of dust around it. She wipes it off with her hands but they donโt do much.โMillicent, why did you shove me like that?โMillicent takes one step backwards, her face turning red as she glances around into the cameras around her, all of them clicking and recording away.โGive me your phone. You canโt record our conversation without my permission.โโWhat recording? Why are you blaming me because I married Arthur? He is my husband and I love him so much, I donโt have any recordings on my phone. Stop yelling at me.โโTell them to stop recording and tell the truth.โBethany looks around at the crowd but she turns back to Millicent, feigning a gasp. โMillicent, what did I do to you? Just because you called your fans puppets, you are taking that anger out on me now?โThe people in the restaurant all gasp collectively, some of them turning to their partners to gossip and wh
The invitation arrives in a black velvet envelope.No name. No logo. Just a gold wax seal marked with a wolfโs head.Bethany turns it over twice before she slits it open with a knife and slides the lacy edged card out.It reads,โThe Campbell Conglomerate is cordially invited to the Sterling Foundationโs Annual Black-Tie Gala.Theme: Midnight Masquerade.Date: This Saturday, 8 PM.Location: The Glass House, Midtown.Dress Code: Formal. Masks mandatory.Lifeโs a game, play it.โBethany does not react for a second, and then reads it againโฆ โThis is either someoneโs idea of a costume party or a shoddy job at making an actual party.โArthur reads it as well, over her shoulder and frowns, not even the flicker of a smile either. โThatโs not real.โโOh, it is real,โ Bethany murmurs. โAnd itโs bait. It is so obviously soโฆ Sterling Foundation.โArthurโs jaw tightens. โSo weโre not going, itโs that simple.โBethany turns slowly to face him, eyes clear and determination firm. โI do not run from
The Campbell Conglomerate headquarters is as full as it always is during the days of the week, and the staff are pretty loyal even when their boss has not been in to work for quite some time. The rumor has start to spread that she died or something most especially due to the fact that they had seen as she had been flung into the air two weeks before, had watched as her husband, with bruises of his own, had lifted her off the ground into the ambulance by himself and still making sure that everything, about her, was all in controlโฆFor the time she had been at the hospital, Arthur had made sure that Jade was always within reach and every of their works in progress, not out of reach, it had all been in control even when he had been devastated at the foot of her bed.And for it being so early in the morning, it is not silent, it is quite the opposite actually.Thereโs movement everywhere, in the halls and corners. Phones ringing and staff picking up. Meetings booked not minding that the b
He steps out of the car and closes the door behind him, Bethany is at home now and he just needs to stop by somewhere to make his point known, now that he knows who it is and his wife now does too, there is nothing to hide but to tell her to own up to her crimes and mistakes and just leave them be.Arthur Worth steps out of the sleek black elevator on the top floor and into hell, the dim lighting down the hall, the glass doors that do not reflect anything, looks like a childโs imagination of the opposite of heaven.The top floor of the glass building is colder than a morgue, the air conditioning in strategic positions not exactly helping either. Polished concrete floors. Steel framed windows. Air that smells faintly metallic, Ew.The place seems a little bit deserted and a little bit too silent for this mid afternoon period where staffs are supposed to be wandering around, talking and gossiping over cups of coffee and snacks, waiting for the time they can head for home.Ahead, the gla
It takes about an hour.One long, slow, silent hour between the couple.Bethany stubbornly keeps her back turned toward Arthur, stewing in her own complicated swirl of already fake anger and her pride not wanting to speak first.Bethany tries.God, she tries to stay mad at him but...For a full hour, she gives Arthur the full on, patented silent treatment, staring stubbornly at the wall on the other side of thr bed, answering in one word grunts if he so much as breathes too loudly so heโll catch himself from disturbing her โsleepโ.But sheโs very terrible at it.Sheโs always been terrible at it when it came to people she loved.She cracks before the sixty minute mark, because when she finally turns her head, awkwardly and carefully because of the neck brace, she sees him sitting at the very edge of her hospital bed.Not looking at her.Not doing anything visible to her.Justโฆ sitting there by the bedside.Palms flat on the mattress. Head bowed.Like heโs waiting to be sentenced. He do
The hallway is dim and seemingly never ending. Just like is her job to do this once in a while, she is going to do it once again before clocking out of work for the day.Ana Yang walks briskly down the sterile, silver lit corridor of Unique Auditingโs private floor. Her heels click sharply against the marble tile, echoing between the glass walls and chrome doors, ignoring everyone she meets on her way since she has one single focus in mind, do this and get the hell out of here.She clutches a thick folder to her chest, filled with updates, invoices, coded communications. The usual weapons of their currently losing war, sheโll be dropping off the file with the ceo before leaving.Ahead of her, the double doors to the CEO's office loom like the gates of some modern day hell.She swipes her keycard.The lock clicks and the doors swing open.Inside, the room is dim, only thin shafts of light cutting across the floor from narrow windows.And, as always, the swivel chair behind the vast mah
The fourth day in the hospital after the blast seemed just as bleak as the first three days that had come and gone, waiting for Bethany to wake up and open her eyes to absolutely no avail.Arthur hasnโt left her side. Not once, making sure to make sure that she is attended to every single time and cleaning her unconscious body every morning and night.The nurses have stopped trying to convince him to take a break and go home or something. At this point, heโs more permanent than the IV drip standing by her bedside. Martha comes and goes, bringing fresh clothes, home cooked meals that Arthur barely touches, whispered encouragements he barely hears but nods smilingly at anyway, the old woman already has too much on her neck so Arthur always manages to persuade her to go back home as well each time.He sits beside her now, as he has for four days, one hand curled over Bethanyโs motionless fingers, holding them as though he is using his bodyโs warmth to remind her of the way back to him, b
Time slows.Bethanyโs fingers brush the handle of the driverโs side door just as the second beep-beep fades into the air. A bird chirps from the lamp post above the lot. The wheels of a nearby shopping cart squeal as someone exits the pharmacy across the road. Arthur opens his mouth to say somethingโฆAnd the world erupts.BOOM.Itโs not just a noise., itโs a force. A living, monstrous thing that tears through air, glass, and metal like paper. The car explodes in a big explosion of fire and shrapnel, its roof splitting, hurling into the sky. The windshield vaporizes in a white hot flash and for the person standing right next to the explosion...Bethany is thrown violently backward. Not a stumble. Not a fall. She is launched into the air like a ragdoll and what goes up, always comes down.Her body hits the ground very hard. The sound is sickening, skin on pavement, ribs crunching, skull cracking and the audible sound of all of it.Then stillness.Alarms scream in every direction. The
The man walks in front of the station like heโs trying not to walk into a landmine, slow, tentative steps. He stops at the top of the stairs, takes one deep sigh, rubs his weak looking eyes and takes the few more steps into the building.He does not take big strides and no waving hands. Just quiet, precise steps through the front doors of the Precinct, wearing a weather beaten hoodie and jeans that have seen better years. His eyes are the kind that donโt blink enough, too haunted to remember how.Or at least that is what it looks like to whoever cares to give him a glance.At the front desk, Officer Laney gives him the once over. Sheโs halfway through sipping her third iced latte when she asks, โCan I help you sir?โThe man doesnโt answer at first, first choosing to check if she is a police officer since she is in civilian clothes, then seeing her badge in her hands, he sighs audibly before responding, sayingโฆโI need to talk to someone. Someone in charge of a particular case here.โL
Rumors begin less than three days later.Apparently, grabbing a cup of coffee with a beautiful female Major is grounds for rumors, and even people whom you donโt know who begin to study your every move. The rumors, with truths in them however, rage on the barracks.They spread like heat on dry bush. Fast, wild and pretty much unstoppable. A Major seen sneaking smiles at a Lieutenant during drills, the same Lieutenant caught slipping out of the officer's quarters too early in the morning.Chara doesnโt as much as flinch when she hears then, sheโs pretty much used to the weight of judgment.Chara doesnโt pretend to care, not at all.She keeps her chin high, her stride sharp like the boss lady that she is, like no one dares say it to her face, because they really do not dare say it to her face.But Mason hears it.He hears them and unlike Chara with her own steely indifference, he is not indifferent to it.And it gets harder to ignore, mostly because it is not all about him but her.Mason