~~~~And I was right.I arrived in New York on a Sunday, but this time, I wasn’t in a rush to find a place or a job. I rented a little cottage for a month, just in case things went south again. The following Monday, I headed over to the restaurant address.As I walked in, I spotted the front clerk, a formidable woman with a no-nonsense look. She was typing furiously on her keyboard, and the moment I approached her, I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.“Hi, I’m here for the job opening,” I said, trying to sound confident.Without even looking up, she waved me closer. “And you are…?”“Uh, just a hopeful candidate,” I replied, trying to maintain a casual tone.She finally looked at me, narrowed her eyes, and said, “Hopeful, huh? We’ll see about that.”Before I knew it, she had jumped out from behind her desk and took my hand like she was leading me to the gallows. “Come on! We don’t have all day!”“Wait! I thought I was supposed to interview or something?” I yelped, trying to pull ba
~~~~Ah! This junkie bitch.“Is this some kind of joke?” I spat angrily, marching to the door to flick on the light.“Seriously, can you not be a killjoy all the time, Madam Fussy Pants?” Clara shot back, wrapping the bed cover around her drugged-up, naked body.“Killjoy? You know what? Never mind. I will not take this crap anymore. You want to screw each other? Fine by me, but please do it somewhere else! You’re not the only one renting this place!” I snapped.“Then move out,” her half-naked boyfriend chimed in, lounging on the bed like he owned the place.“Yeah, much better. Why didn’t I think of that before?” Clara agreed with a smirk, her eyes glinting mischievously.I shot him a glare. “I wasn’t talking to you, asshole. So stay out of it.”“What did you just say to me?” he growled, rising from the bed with a menacing stride.I stood my ground, staring him down, refusing to be shaken. “You heard me.”“You slut…” he began, raising his hand as if to strike, but Clara intervened just
~~~~Halfway down the stairs, Clara's boyfriend and his gang were lounging, the air thick with smoke from some hard drugs. I hurried past, doing my best to ignore them, even when he called out, "Oh, you work on Saturdays now? How lovely."At his comment, I threw him the'middle finger salute' without even looking back and continued out of the complex. Their chuckles followed me, and I couldn't help but wish they'd all choke on their cigars.I arrived at the restaurant right on time—exactly 7:00 AM—and just as I predicted, the silver-haired lady was already seated with the manager. She looked younger than when I’d last seen her, and that threw me off for a moment.“There she is,” the manager declared as I approached. “I told you, she always keeps to time.” He turned to me, raising an eyebrow. “And she’s pissed.”I let out an exasperated sigh, trying to mask my annoyance. “No, I’m not. This is my usual face,” I lied, even though it was obvious to anyone who paid attention that I was more
~~~ “You’re quiet?” Mrs. Black asked, her sharp eyes studying me closely.Of course, I was silent—how could anyone just respond to such a bombshell? I could tell she doubted me the moment I said I didn’t know her family.To her, that probably only confirmed her low opinion. She took another sip of her wine, seemingly unbothered by my shock. “Well, it’s fine. You don’t need to say anything. As long as you understand what I’m talking about, then that’s good enough.”I finally managed to clear the lump in my throat, forcing a polite smile. “Sorry, ma’am, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m finding it very difficult to understand your words. You want me to act as a wife for your son? I mean, it’s kind of funny, right? Wouldn’t it just be easier for him to get married?” I chuckled nervously.Her expression hardened, the politeness in her tone disappearing. “Don’t act smart with me, young lady. After all, if you were indeed smart, you wouldn’t be in the position where I found you.”The chill
~~~~Clara, still standing at the doorway with her shopping bags, chuckled to herself like she’d just won a marathon, completely unaware of the chaos inside me. Meanwhile, I sat on the floor, staring blankly at her, my mind numb and heart heavy.“Wow! What happened here? Did we get robbed?” she asked, a smile playing on her lips, as if it were a joke.I kept staring at her, my gaze fixed on those bags—my stolen money. I struggled to push myself up, my legs shaking beneath me. As I approached her, tears silently streamed down my face.“Clara,” my voice trembled, barely above a whisper, “where did you go, and what are you holding?”Her eyes widened, clearly not expecting to see me there. “Oh shit! Damn, Mary, you scared the hell out of me!” she laughed nervously. “Why are you back already? I thought you were at work,” she stammered, her voice laced with poorly concealed guilt.She was pretending not to know I was in. Fine. Play it cool, Mary. I forced myself to keep my voice steady. “Ye
~~~~~Turning to me with rage, he demanded, “What did you just say to me?” His eyes darkened as he gripped my neck harder. “I think it’s best I kill you now, since you clearly don’t know your place. And just so you know, I don’t feel bad fucking a corpse,” he sneered, pressing both hands down on my throat.“Great, because I won’t feel bad killing you either,” I hissed, glaring at him. Summoning the last of my strength, I kicked him hard in the groin. He winced in pain, his grip loosening just enough for me to breathe. Desperate, I reached for the hand mirror on the nearby cabinet.Without hesitation, I smashed it into his face. He staggered, trying to regain his balance, but as he lunged at me, I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed a shard of the broken mirror and drove it into his hand, the jagged edges sinking deep. He screamed and collapsed to the ground, clutching his bleeding hand.I stood over him, panting and trembling as I forced ragged breaths through my nose. Seeing her boyfriend dow
~~~~The Black Multiple Enterprise, New York“THEY’RE CALLING YOU a wealthy, ruthless bastard, sir.” Carol said as she scanned the article in the business magazine. “You must be happy.”Eric Black looked at his secretary but didn’t speak. Eventually she glanced up and smiled. “You like being called a ruthless bastard, one that is wealthy too.” She reminded him.“I like respect.” He corrected.“Or fear.”He nodded. “Fear works.”Carol dropped the open magazine on his desk. “Don’t you ever want someone to think you’re nice?” she asked.“No.”Being the nice guy meant nothing in his world. He didn’t see the need for it. As the firstborn of the third-generation conglomerate family of the Harry Blacks, no matter what path he took, people would still stick to him, whether out of fear or ambition. Connections and power were handed to him like an inheritance, and in his mind, niceties were just another form of manipu
~~~~~While Ms. Nora Black spoke sharply into the phone, documents clutched in one hand, I found myself silently admiring the clean streets outside. For some reason, we had switched cars, and now she was sitting next to me in the backseat while a different driver took the wheel.As we moved from the quiet lane onto the bustling highway, Ms. Black finally looked up, a practiced smile slipping into place. "Oh! Sorry about that, just had to make a few calls," she said smoothly."It’s fine," I replied."We have a lot of ground to cover—starting with the hair salon, then makeup, and shopping. We’ve got our work cut out for us."I blinked, glancing at her styled hair. It looked perfectly fine to me. "Your hair seems fine, ma’am. Why do you need to go to the salon?"She gave me a stunned look, as if I had spoken an alien language. "I was talking about you, dumb girl," she said, her tone slicing through the air."Oh." I forced a smile, ignoring the insult. "But my hair looks fine.""To whom?"
~~~~~~“Yes… the CEO is in the car, so we can’t keep him waiting,” I told my father, trying not to let my growing frustration show.Suddenly, my mother reached for my hand. “Okay then… drive with us,” she said quickly. “Since the place isn’t that far, he can go on his own. You’ll ride with us.”Wait—what?“Seriously, Mother?” I blinked at her.“Yes,” she insisted. “Ride with us. He can drive alone.”“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” I sighed and gently peeled her fingers from mine. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but please… don’t. It’s not healthy.” I turned to Dad, forcing a smile. “We’ll wait for you to follow behind. See you there.” Without waiting for a response, I walked back to the car.Opening the door, I slid in and shut it firmly behind me, the
~~~~~~He looked completely shocked—like the idea of coming with me had never even crossed his mind. Seriously? Did he really think I’d go alone? So much for standing by me.“Why do you look like that?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “You are coming. You're the boss, remember? You're the one discussing the contract. I’m just the middle woman—the one who connected you guys.”“But…” he scratched the back of his head, visibly nervous, “you’re the actual boss, Mary. The land belongs to you, not me.”“I know,” I replied calmly, “but I also know my parents. They’ll only take this seriously if it looks official—if it feels like a real business deal and not some favor from their daughter. They’ll work their hardest if they know it’s a proper contract and they’re earning from it.”Eric looked like he wanted to argue, but I reached for his hand.“I already planned to pay them for their work, but they won’t take my money. You know how they are. Please… do this for me. Just play the part, okay?”“Yo
~~~~We moved from the dining table, our fingers meshed together, silent but connected.The house felt quieter now that Nora had left, and maybe that’s why my heart beat louder. Every step toward the sofa felt heavier than it should have.Eric dropped onto the big white couch, casually leaning back like he had no idea my brain was in knots. I sat beside him and faced him fully.“I… I don’t really know how to say this,” I started, voice low. “But I was wondering… that piece of land you showed me the other day—does it still belong to me? Is the contract still valid?”His reaction was instant, but not what I expected.“Huh?” he muttered, staring at me with a strange, unreadable expression. His brows drew together slightly, but it wasn’t confusion—it was something else. Something darker.What the hell?That look alone made my stomach tighten. He’s
~~~~~~Eric collapsed onto the bed, breathing hard, his chest rising and falling like he’d just run a marathon. He dragged a hand through his hair, dazed and a little stunned. He had never—never—done something like this before.Not even back when he was single. Masturbation? That just hadn’t been his thing. He’d never needed it. But tonight? Tonight was different.Who would've guessed that giving someone else so much pleasure could leave him this breathless, this wrecked?He sighed, turning his head to glance at Mary—curled up beside him, flushed, glowing, looking like something out of a dream. And the way she moaned his name… the way she came undone beneath him like he was the only man in the world who could make her feel that way…“Damn,” he muttered under his breath.He wasn’t just drained—he was gone for her. Emoti
~~~~Or so I thought.When I woke up the next morning, my entire body was sore—like every muscle was personally protesting the wild passion of the night before.“Ouch,” I winced, slowly turning my head to the side.There he was, Eric—sleeping peacefully beside me. He looked like an angel. Honestly, since we got married, this was the first time I had the chance to really just look at him while he slept. No business calls, no press, no drama—just him, wrapped in soft sheets and peace.I blushed, memories of last night flooding back in a rush of heat.Gently, I slipped out of bed and tiptoed into the bathroom like a mischievous teenager sneaking off after curfew.After a long, hot bath, I stood in front of the mirror and blinked. “Wow… that’s a lot of bite marks,” I muttered, lightly touching one on my collarbone. My skin looked flushed and... well-loved.Then I reali
~~~~Once she lowered herself onto him, Eric felt an overwhelming wave of heat and pleasure flood his senses. Mary began to move in a slow, deliberate rhythm, her hips rotating in a sensual dance that drove him to the edge of control.The soft strands of her golden hair brushed against his bare skin—gliding over his stomach and thighs like silk. Her presence above him was ethereal, radiant.At that moment, she looked like a golden rose blooming under a quiet spring night—delicate, powerful, and breathtakingly beautiful.“This… this is mine,” Eric thought, a foolish grin tugging at his lips before he could stop it. She noticed—of course she did—and smiled at him, as if savoring the power she held over him. She kept moving slowly, almost torturously so, and even though it frustrated him, he couldn't help but love every second of it.The hotness of her, the way her body held him so completely—it was almost too much. His desire only intensified, growing stronger with every subtle movemen
~~~~Eric carried me into the room, laying me gently on the bed. He kissed my forehead, as if trying to kiss away all my worries.“God! I miss you,” he whispered against my skin, his voice filled with emotion. I smiled softly, feeling everything between us begin to melt away.Even though I wasn’t saying anything aloud, my eyes spoke volumes. I pushed him gently onto the bed, feeling the heat between us burn.“Mary—” he started, his voice filled with desire."Shush," I whispered softly, calming him. "Let me take care of you," I said as I gently straddled him, planting soft kisses along his neck.I took off his shirt, savoring the closeness, as he let out a quiet sigh. My hands moved lower, but I paused, making sure he was comfortable. I continued with a gentle, affectionate stroke, and he moaned softly in response. But when I began to move further to unzip his pants, he halted me, gently grabbing my hand.
~~~~“Jeez,” I sighed loudly as I opened the bedroom door. I stood at the threshold, just observing the dark, empty space. No wonder Eric didn’t want to stay here. Honestly, I didn’t want to be here for even a moment.I couldn’t even remember the last time I slept here, not since the whole Diana mess. I walked in and went straight to the window. “This room needs light,” I whispered to myself, pushing the curtains open. “Ah! Fresh air,” I muttered as the cold wind greeted my face. I sighed again and stepped out onto the balcony.As I walked out, my mind started to drift. What’s going to happen to us now? I questioned. Denying the pregnancy doesn’t mean she isn’t pregnant. And then there’s this whole thing about our marriage—no matter what I tell myself, the marriage is still as fake as it could be.I turned to the room, resting my back on the metal. “I didn’t co
~~~~~Nora followed my gesture and then looked back at me with a half-smile. “You’re right,” she said before her expression darkened, and she glared at Eric. “I’ll leave the stubborn one to you,” she muttered under her breath and turned to head to the kitchen.I sighed and turned back to Eric. “You want to tell me what the problem is?” I asked, the words tasting bitter as they left my mouth.“Don’t know what you mean,” he replied, eyes still closed, like he was avoiding the question altogether.“Don’t play that game with me,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “I’m seriously not in the mood for it,” I said, my face cold. “What you did was dangerous, Eric. Putting your life at stake like that… How could you do something so stupid without even telling me about it? If your mother hadn’t told me what Diana did, I wouldn’t have even