LOGINBERNARD REED “What?!” I exclaimed in disbelief, staring at her as though I had heard wrong.“Listen to me, Avery,” I said carefully, trying my best to remain calm despite the chaos raging inside my chest. “I know you’re grieving right now, and I understand that you’re in pain, but it’s wrong to accuse someone without any proof. How could Hazel possibly kill our child? Harper told me you accidentally fell down the stairs.”“Exactly!” she cried out immediately, her voice trembling violently with emotion. “Someone pushed me, Ben! And I saw her face clearly... it was Hazel! She had that wicked smile on her face while I was falling. She tried to kill me… she killed our child!” she insisted desperately, grabbing my hand tightly as tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks. “Ben, please… you have to believe me. I know what I saw. She pushed me!”What the hell was going on?How could Hazel possibly do something like that?Was the trauma of losing the baby affecting my wife's state of mind th
AVERY WINTERS Just as Rose had instructed, Harper moved in with me, and thankfully, everything had been going smoothly. Today made it the fifth day since Bernard left for his business trip. Deep down, I had secretly hoped he would return today, but earlier this morning when we spoke on the phone, he told me they still hadn’t finalized the deal yet and wouldn’t be able to come back.The disappointment lingered heavily in my chest, but I tried not to dwell on it.Earlier this morning, Harper had left the house very early because she had an important deal to seal. Since I was the only one left at home, the silence inside the mansion began to suffocate me. Feeling bored and restless, I decided to go outside for some fresh air... perhaps take a walk around the garden or the field nearby.After getting dressed, I stepped out of my room and began heading downstairs. But suddenly, I felt a forceful shove against my back.“Ahhhh!” I screamed in terror as my body lost balance instantly.Befo
AVERY WINTERS My eyes widened immediately as I snatched the phone from Harper at once.“Did you seriously assign someone to spy on me?” I demanded angrily the moment I placed the phone against my ear.“Babe,” he sighed softly, “we already agreed there would be no outings. Why did you leave the house again despite knowing your condition?”I instantly began looking around suspiciously, trying to identify whoever was secretly watching us.“Stop looking around for anyone,” he said immediately. “And stop rolling your eyes at me too. You know I hate it when you do that.”I scoffed.“And you already know I hate being followed around like a prisoner,” I fired back immediately. “Why would you assign people to secretly monitor me?”“Because I worry about you,” he answered patiently. “And you know that very well too.”His voice softened even more.“You have already been outside for three whole hours now, Avery. You promised me you would rest properly, but the moment I leave for a few days, Harp
AVERY WINTERS The moment those words left my mouth, Aubrey’s expression instantly turned anxious again. Her eyes widened slightly, and she looked completely flustered, as though she could not believe I had spoken to her in such a manner.“Forgive me, Mrs. Reed,” she said quickly, panic evident in her voice. “It’s just that I—”“You are not some insignificant maid to me, Aubrey,” I interrupted gently before she could continue degrading herself again. “You are far more than that. Ever since I stepped foot into this house, you have cared for me sincerely. You looked after me when I was sad, comforted me whenever I felt lonely, and always treated me with kindness. To me, you are like a mother figure, and I cherish you deeply.”As I spoke, I reached for her hands once more and held them firmly in mine.“It is my responsibility to protect the people who care about me,” I continued softly. “And that includes you too. So never belittle yourself in front of me again.”The corners of Aubrey’s
AVERY WINTERS THREE DAYS LATERIt had already been three whole days since Bernard traveled, and I missed him terribly. The silence he left behind inside this room, inside this house, and even inside my heart felt unbearable. I had grown so used to having him around me every second of the day, especially his constant possessiveness, his overprotectiveness, his endless warnings and nagging that I always complained about.Yet now that he was gone, all those little things I once found annoying suddenly felt comforting instead.I missed the way he constantly worried over every little thing concerning me. I even missed the way he always argued with me whenever I refused to listen to him.The house felt emptier without him.And for those past three days, Aaron had been sleeping in my room with me, and surprisingly, it had been one of the most beautiful experiences I had ever had. Every morning, Hazel would come into my house to spend at least an hour with him before leaving again. Howeve
AVERY WINTERS “My goodness, Avery… he actually stopped crying immediately!” Rose exclaimed in utter shock, her eyes widening with both amazement and excitement.She looked between Aaron and I repeatedly, completely stunned by the sudden change in him.“What kind of magic do you always use on this child?” she asked with a soft laugh. “Honestly, this boy is completely attached to you. The moment he enters your arms, he becomes calm. He never cries, never throws tantrums… nothing.”As if proving her point, Aaron let out the sweetest little giggle and snuggled deeper against my neck, his tiny fingers clutching my dress tightly as though he never wanted to let me go.My heart softened almost immediately.God… How wonderful would life have been if he were truly my child?If I had been the one to carry him… To give birth to him…To call him mine without any hesitation.“Mrs. Reed,” Lillian suddenly spoke up with a smile on her face, “I can confidently say he is deeply attached to you. He ha
AVERY WINTERSAn hour and a few minutes later, we were done with the meeting. Although, we're still engrossed in our conversation.Just then, the waitress from earlier arrived again, but Mr. Moore dismissed her. He let her know, she would be called once we're ready.As soon as we are done talking,
AVERY WINTERSAs we waited outside the patient's room, at the hospital, pacing back and forth, waiting for the doctor, Bernard suddenly appeared."Bernard, you-" I began.But he brushed passed me, walking up to his mom. "What happened? Why did she fainted?" he asked, his gaze fixed intently on Rose
AVERY WINTERSI sauntered downstairs, the soft click of my heels on the marble floor announcing my presence. Bernard's gaze slowly snapped up from his phone, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart skipped a beat.His lips gently parted, and for a moment, time seemed to sto
AVERY WINTERSI stared at him, my heart with fear. "Yes, Bernard. That's all he was to me. My ex, and my past. Please, don't listen to his words," I pleaded, my voice trembling with fear.I didn't know how things suddenly turned around between us, just a moment ago, we were both happy, things were







