Bethany Worth stood silently in the hospital room, unsure of what to say or do. Daisy had just arrived, her eyes red and puffy from crying, and the air between them felt thick with the tension that had always existed. Despite everything, Bethany found herself wanting to comfort Daisy, even though she knew that Daisy had never been particularly kind toward her.For a moment, Bethany hesitated, unsure of whether she should say something or just leave. Instead, she sat down quietly beside Daisy, not saying a word but offering her silent support.Sometimes, just being there was enough, even though she has no idea why the older woman had bee crying or why her eyes were that red shade of puffy.Daisy wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, her breath shaky. For once, she didn’t push Bethany away. She let herself cry, and Bethany remained beside her, not knowing what else to do but just listen to the almost silent sobbing.Her heart just won’t let her get up and leave her in that state.
The afternoon air was cool as the man in black stepped out of his car. His brow furrowed as he watched the taillights of a vehicle pulling out of the parking lot, the sight strangely familiar. He stared after it for a moment, but once it disappeared around the corner, he shrugged it off as the car of another wretched individual coming to check up on another wretch living in the building ahead of him.He turned his attention to the run down building in front of him, its once strong structure now crumbling at the edges. The perfect example of age tearing down a place. The faint flicker of a streetlight nearby cast long shadows along the cracked pavement. Without a second thought, he began walking toward the entrance, his footsteps slow and deliberate.He knew who he was looking for but the exact room, he hopes on luck to find it because if he does not end the madness today, he does not know when he will.Inside, the building was just as bleak as its exterior. The walls were stained with
The five days left on their self planned mini vacation pass quickly for the duo, especially and mostly for Bethany, but she’s ready. She’s not dreading the board of directors' meeting, not in the slightest.In fact, there is an absolute calm sense of control in the air as she heads in her car to the company from her mum’s place, it’s the last day there anyway and she knows that whatever Kevin Fitzpatrick has up his sleeve, she’s more than prepared.Much more prepared than the money grubbing doofus could ever be.By now, the media is buzzing about the meeting, the entertainment and business world, news and tabloids about companies and private corporations and even some random enthusiasts are all aware of what is happening at the company, thanks to Kevin’s constant whispers to the press. He has been pretty busy making sure everyone knows he expects to walk out as the new CEO of Campbell Conglomerate, the man who finally toppled Bethany from her throne or at least, be the one who will mak
The glass doors of the boardroom swing open, and Jade walks in with Martha’s bag in her hands.The room goes silent as everyone stands, rising to their feet. The directors, except Mason and Bethany, are caught off guard by the presence of the matriarch of the Campbell family.Technically, Bethany did not just attain the post of CEO in hindsight, she is a member of the founding family and Mason had chosen by himself to focus on the hospital alone as seeing the whole conglomerate will be too much work for him considering he is a surgeon as well so Bethany, upon arrival, had automatically taken the baton.Martha, elegant and composed, moves gracefully toward the head of the table. Bethany steps aside without hesitation, vacating her seat for her mother. Martha sits down slowly, her eyes scanning the room.There is a powerful, or should we call it an intimidating silence that fills the boardroom as she looks from face to face, director to director and they look back at her, her gaze linge
“Your vote doesn’t count, Kevin Fitzpatrick.” Bethany starts simply. “You’re not a director anymore.” She pulls her eyes over to him, giving him the scariest death stare he has ever seen in his whole life as a man and as a business man. “Your presence here does not count either, you, here, is like a speck of dust, unwanted but can’t be gotten rid of. That, is who you are, Kevin. Nothing more than a leech, sorry for the language to everyone but Kevin…” She clocks her head to the side in a forty five degree angle and looks right into his eyes. “You are a dumb thieving mother fucker.”Bethany’s words hang in the air, and Kevin stands frozen in place, his face drained of color. His eyes dart between Bethany, Martha, and Mason, searching for something for him, an escape, a defense, any sign that this isn’t happening.The directors are also judging him with their eyes, the ones he blackmailed especially staring at him in disdain.But the reality of the moment hits him like a tidal wave. He’
After a long but fulfilling day at the company, Bethany closes off from work, feeling lighter than she has in weeks. As she gathers her things, she turns to Jade, who is busy organizing some documents off her table.Bethany chuckles, watching her for a couple of moments before speaking. “Congratulations on your new post as Director of Finance, Jade.” She says, offering a genuine smile.Jade beams at her, clearly proud and ecstatic but trying to keep it professional. “Thank you, Bethany. I’ll do my best to live up to the role.”“I have no doubt that you will, it’s the last day you’ll be a secretary or anyone’s slave.” Bethany replies, giving Jade a reassuring nod. “Now, get some rest. We’ve both earned it. Go out and celebrate and stuff, don’t let work be too much of your priority.”Jade chuckles softly and gives a playful salute before Bethany heads out, making her way home. The whole stress of the day is behind her, and she’s more than ready to enjoy the evening with her family.Well
As they walk into the building together, their fingers remain intertwined, a statement of togetherness and love.The studio is bustling with energy, producers and crew members moving about, preparing for the live show, at least they know it is one of a kind. The couple is quickly ushered into a waiting room where they have a few moments to touch up their makeup and get prepped for the show.Ten minutes later, Bethany and Arthur find themselves sitting in the main studio, under the bright lights, just a few seconds from going live. The set is polished, the atmosphere professional, and both of them are calm, despite the anticipation buzzing around them.Tammy, the host, glances at them from the side, her eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint. She leans over and whispers to them, her tone playful, “I promised you a surprise, didn’t I?” She glances from Arthur to Bethany, winking slightly at the puzzled couple.Arthur furrows his brow, opening his mouth to respond, but before he can get
It is a closed studio session and the interview has begun, everyone involved is on sit and Tammy is grinning from ear to ear, she can smell the tension in the air amongst the three… and as the host, it is her place to show the truth to the world and fan the flames against whoever has been lying all along.“So, just as a preliminary, you know, can you two please introduce yourselves to the audience?”Arthur sits up, looking at the camera. “I am Arthur Worth and this is my wife, Bethany Worth. I am the CEO and Founder of W. Group, there is nothing much to say about me, especially since our personal information leaked to the media already because of someone’s fabricated truths.”He throws the first jab for the night, Bethany stifles a chuckle.“And I am Bethany Worth, seemingly the most manipulative woman in the region due to someone’s, as my husband called it, fabricated truths. Arthur Worth is my husband and we have been married for over four months. I am the current CEO of Campbell Con
The invitation arrives in a black velvet envelope.No name. No logo. Just a gold wax seal marked with a wolf’s head.Bethany turns it over twice before she slits it open with a knife and slides the lacy edged card out.It reads,“The Campbell Conglomerate is cordially invited to the Sterling Foundation’s Annual Black-Tie Gala.Theme: Midnight Masquerade.Date: This Saturday, 8 PM.Location: The Glass House, Midtown.Dress Code: Formal. Masks mandatory.Life’s a game, play it.”Bethany does not react for a second, and then reads it again… “This is either someone’s idea of a costume party or a shoddy job at making an actual party.”Arthur reads it as well, over her shoulder and frowns, not even the flicker of a smile either. “That’s not real.”“Oh, it is real,” Bethany murmurs. “And it’s bait. It is so obviously so… Sterling Foundation.”Arthur’s jaw tightens. “So we’re not going, it’s that simple.”Bethany turns slowly to face him, eyes clear and determination firm. “I 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 control…For 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.There’s 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 child’s 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 he’ll catch himself from disturbing her ‘sleep’.But she’s very terrible at it.She’s 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.Just… sitting there by the bedside.Palms flat on the mattress. Head bowed.Like he’s 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 Auditing’s 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, she’ll 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 hasn’t 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, he’s 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 Bethany’s motionless fingers, holding them as though he is using his body’s warmth to remind her of the way back to him, b
Time slows.Bethany’s fingers brush the handle of the driver’s 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 something…And the world erupts.BOOM.It’s not just a noise., it’s 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 he’s 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 don’t 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. She’s halfway through sipping her third iced latte when she asks, “Can I help you sir?”The man doesn’t 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, saying…“I need to talk to someone. Someone in charge of a particular case here.”L
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 don’t 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 doesn’t as much as flinch when she hears then, she’s pretty much used to the weight of judgment.Chara doesn’t 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