“Good morning honey, I got you a gift to celebrate your new promotion.” My mom’s voice comes from my room doorway.It’s Monday, the day I'm going to resume working directly under Nathan. Checking the time on my phone, I see that I still have about twelve minutes before my alarm goes off, but I sit up in bed and stretch luxuriously.“Good morning, Mom.”“I didn’t know that you were still asleep; if not, I would have just dropped it on your chair and left you to sleep.”“It's okay. My alarm will soon go off, anyway. Thank you so much for the gift. You really didn’t have to. You've done more than enough for me already.”“Nonsense! It’s my way of making up for lost time. I enjoy spoiling you with gifts, as I should have done all those lost years. But hey, we said we’ll stop dwelling on the past and only think of the present and future going forward, so let’s do just that.” She finishes, handing me a bag containing the gifts.Inside the bag is a beautiful black tailored blazer of high qual
Lucy’s POVAmanda spends several weeks in the hospital because she keeps developing severe complications, so much so that I begin to fear that I’d lose her to the cold hands of death.My parents are so helpful during this period. They treat her as though she were their own daughter, make sure that she has the best doctors and treatments, and visit her whenever they can, all of which means a lot to me.Also, despite the fact that I tell them that I can handle the hospital bills after they ask me about it, they go ahead to offset it before I can get a chance to do so, and tell me that it’s the least they could do for both Amanda and I.I spend every weekend at Amanda’s bedside, to make up for when I can't be there during the weekdays, since I'm always busy with work. It’s the least that I can do, seeing as she has no one else.In the span of time she’s been at the hospital, she hasn’t had a single visitor, and I can't imagine how lonely that must feel.Thus, I try my best to make sure t
Diane’s POVMy heart is shattered, and my mood is in shambles. I can't eat, can't do anything, can barely sleep, and can only think and cry.It’s been a little over a week since my father broke the horrible news that the trust fund that I had been dreaming about getting and living off for the rest of my life is gone for good.Each day, I wake up and hope that somehow, by some miracle, I will receive a phone call from him telling me that it was all an elaborate joke, or a test, or something, and that my trust fund is still intact.At this point, I don't even mind playing by his rules of settling down, and if it comes to that, I'm even willing to marry a gold digger, as long as I'll get my money. All I have to do is make sure the person I'll marry signs an iron-clad prenup.Unfortunately, as the days pass, it has begun to dawn on me that I have to accept my new reality, and the money is gone for good. So today, I pick myself up after a long bout of crying and feeling sorry for myself.I
“What are you not telling me? I can see in your eyes that there’s something else. What other thing did you do with the money?”There’s silence for a long time, before he finally speaks.“I gambled some of it away.”“Huh? You did what?”“Listen, I have a problem, okay? I have a serious gambling addiction. I tried to stop, believe me, I tried, but I couldn’t. It got worse after your mother and I got divorced, and somehow, I never stopped after that.” He tells me, unable to look me in the eye.“Hmmm…” I say, wondering why he feels the need to unburden himself to me, as if I care.“Yeah. Anyway, I thought you should know.”“Well, how’s any of this supposed to be my business? It’s your money. You can do whatever the hell you like with it. All that concerns me is my trust fund. You gave Amelia one hundred and fifty million after she got married, and told me that I was going to get mine as well after I got married. That money should still be intact, right?” I ask him, but I'm met with silenc
At first, I’m certain that my dad is playing a cruel joke on me, but as the seconds pass by and he keeps staring at me with that helpless, tired look, it dawns on me that he’s in fact not joking.Once this realization hits, I burst out laughing out loud. If I don’t laugh, then I'm going to cry. The both of them do not say anything during my laughing spree, or try to stop me. They just let me go on and on.“You’re serious. You’re really broke.” I say when I'm done laughing.“Yes, I am, honey. I really wish it were a joke, but it isn’t. I’m sorry I kept it from you for so long, but it is better late than never. Naturally, there are going to have to be several big adjustments in our lifestyle … bigger ones than the ones we made several months back, I’m afraid.”Before I can think of what to say next, we hear voices and greetings coming from the entrance of the house, and a minute or so later, my step sister, Amelia, comes in. I didn’t know she was coming. If I had known she would come,
Diane’s POVEvery time I get an instinct, I always make sure to trust it. My instinct has never failed me, and I don’t think it’s about to start failing me now.I lie back and try to enjoy the massage I'm currently getting at my favorite spa, but today, my mood is ruined, and try as I might, I can't bring myself to enjoy it.“Ouch! Watch it, you buffoon! Do you want to break my spine in two? In fact, stop touching me. I'm done for today.” I tell the masseuse angrily, getting up and putting on my clothes, while ignoring her frantic pleas and apologies.While it’s not her fault that I'm pissed, I need an outlet for my anger, and she’s right there, so of course, she's going to be the outlet for it.The reason for my anger is none other than that Lucy woman, who is taking me for an utter fool. She’s a bloody liar and I can see right through her bullshit. Each time I think about her, my mood darkens.Why the fuck is she following Nathan everywhere like a goddamned puppy? And why the fuck is
Lucy’s POV The four of them come to a halt as they get to us. A very awkward silence, which is thick with tension with tension ensues as they get to us. Lucas is the first to break the silence by talking to me.“Hello, Diane. Fancy running into you here. What are you doing here?”“My friend is very sick. I brought her to the hospital for treatment.”“Ah, I see. I'm sorry to hear about your friend.”After that, Nathan introduces his sister, who is watching me with barely concealed interest, to me. “Lucy, this is my elder sister, Doris. Doris, this is Lucy. She works in my company.” “Hello, Lucy, it’s nice to meet you. I assure you that I don’t always look like this, but I'm currently going through a rough patch. Hopefully, when next we meet, you’ll see me in all my glory.” Doris tells me, smiling self-deprecatingly.I return the smile and tell her it is nice to meet her as well. Even though I’ve only heard her speak a few words, I can immediately see what my brother meant when he said
“Doris? Doris is here? What’s wrong with her?” Asher asks worriedly.For the first time since I’ve known him, every sign of playfulness is gone from his expressive face, and is now replaced by grave concern.I can sense Nathan’s reluctance to answer the question. He looks a little embarrassed, which is weird because there’s no reason why he should be embarrassed that his sister needs treatment.“She was beaten up pretty badly.” He says at last.“Beaten up? What the fuck? Who on earth would beat up Doris of all people? She’s the calmest and kindest person I know. Was it a robbery or something? Please tell me that it was!” Asher exclaims, but his tone says that he knows it wasn't.“Asher, calm down. No, it wasn’t a robbery. That bastard, Steven, was the one who did it. The police have been searching for him, but they haven’t found him yet.”Asher doesn’t look surprised, but he does look extremely furious. I have no idea who this Steven person they’re talking about is, but one thing I kn
Lucy’s POV I have never liked hospitals, but to be fair, I don't think anybody likes them. According to what I've been told, I spent almost six months in one, after I was found swaddled in a cardboard.Naturally, I don't remember that time, but I do remember when Amanda was hospitalized for a long time because she needed a heart transplant.That had been one of the scariest times of my life, as there was the possibility that I was going to lose the one person whom I loved most in the world.However, my fear of hospitals is the last thing on my mind as I pace up and down the hospital hallways, waiting for an update on Amanda. Suddenly, my phone starts ringing, and when I check it, I see that it’s my mom who’s calling. It is then that I realize that in my panic, I forgot to update her that I'm going to come back home very late. “Hello, Mom.”“Honey, where are you? I hope there’s no problem?" Her voice sounds worried.“I’m so sorry, Mom. I meant to inform you guys, but somehow, I got c