Mag-log inMy head ached badly and I still had hours left before my shift ended.
I went to the bathroom for the third time that evening just to splash water on my face.I barely slept after finding my father's letter.I'd planned to go to the orphanage this morning, but I didn't want to worry anyone.Instead, I spent the entire morning searching for apartments and jobs before coming straight to work."Genesis!"Maria's voice cut through my thoughts."Don't spend all day in th"Genesis, what happened?"The look on her face went from shock to anger instantly.She avoided my gaze."It's nothing.""Genesis.""Esme, I think we should leave now."She grabbed Esme's hand.I quickly stopped her.She tried to pull free, but my hold tightened."August, what are you doing?" Esme snapped."Let her go."I ignored her.My eyes stayed on Genesis."Talk to me."She laughed.A bitter laugh."Oh, talk about what?""Genesis"She shook her head."There's nothing to talk about."Then she turned to Esme."I need to leave now.""I'm not leaving Genesis here." Esme folded her arms. "She's upset. I'll take her in my car and drive her home."I held out my hand."The keys."Esme narrowed her eyes."No.""The keys."She stared at me for a second.Then tossed them over.I caught them."Axel take her home.""Excuse me?" Axel called from somewhere behind us.Nobody paid attention.I turned and walked toward the parking lot before either woman could argue anymore.By the time I got there
After dinner, we got back into the car.I thought we were heading home.Instead, Esme stopped in front of a nightclub."Esme?"I looked at her."I thought we were going home.""We are."She grinned."Eventually."I groaned."We had a big dinner. We need to dance it off.""Seriously?"She laughed."I mean, look at you."Her eyes swept over me dramatically."You look beautiful tonight. You should let the world appreciate you."I rolled my eyes."I think you have to be the only sister-in-law who wants other men gawking at her brother's wife.""Oh?"She smirked."Now you're claiming him as your husband?""You know what I mean."I felt my cheeks warm.She laughed."I was teasing."I settled back into my seat.“Besides, like you said before, August and you are only husband and wife on paper.”Nobody here knew that."Come on, we'll stay for only thirty minutes" Esme said."Tw
"Bro, how are you sulking right now."Axel leaned back against the booth, raising his voice over the music blasting through the club.I rubbed a hand over my face."I'm not.""Then why do you look like someone just shot your dog?"I exhaled."I've just got a lot on my mind."Axel laughed."If you came all the way out here just to think, you could've stayed home."I shook my head.Then he smirked."Let me guess.""Don't.""Genesis."I rolled my eyes."No."The annoying thing was that she hadn't actually been on my mind.Well.Not until he said her name.I took a sip of my drink."I just... worry about her sometimes."Axel shrugged."That's normal.""Why?""Because she's kind of your responsibility now."I frowned."That's not even it.""What is it then?"I hesitated.Then sighed."Esme said something today.""What did she say?"I stared into my glass."S
"Get your hands off her. Now."Everything stopped.The receptionist froze.The security guards immediately let go of me.I closed my eyes tightly.Ashamed.Humiliated.Did being poor mean people could treat me like this?"It's okay. I got you."I knew that voice.My eyes flew open."Esme?"She rushed toward me."What are you doing here?"Before she answered, she slipped off her jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders.Only then did I notice the man standing behind her.John.August's head of security, with a few others standing behind him.My stomach twisted.How were they here?Esme's expression darkened."John tracked the accounts bullying you online and ended up here"She glanced toward the blonde woman.Then she smiled coldly."When he told me, I decided to come with him."Her gaze landed on the blonde."To slap some senses into Maddie Reynolds."The girl visibly paled.
I left the house very early.Way too early for an interview that wasn't until twelve.Maybe having a recommendation letter from Thorne Automotive Group really had given me a little too much dopamine rush.Or maybe I was just desperate.Either way, I couldn't sit still.Since I had time to kill, I stopped by a few smaller firms and dropped off copies of my CV.I finally arrived at the company where I had an interview scheduled.The building itself looked impressive.The kind of place that screamed corporate success.I walked inside and approached the reception desk.The receptionist smiled politely."Good morning. You're here for the interview, right?""Yes.""Perfect. Have a seat. I'll call you when they're ready for you.""Thank you."I sat down.And waited.There weren't any other candidates.Somehow, that only made me more nervous.Instead, I kept smoothing my skirt over and over again.Checking my ph
The other night was crazy.I was just glad an emergency had come up because I didn’t want to face her the following morning.But all through the night, and even into the day, I couldn’t stop wondering if she was okay.And why she had even thought she was pregnant.She had been in pain.Was she feeling better now?The moment I got a chance, I headed back to the house.“She's not around?” I asked the second I walked into the kitchen.Edwina looked up, then nodded.“Do you know where she went?”“Oh, she said she had a job interview. She said she’ll be back late.”“Okay.”“Would that be all, sir?”“That will be all.”I was about to leave when I remembered something.I turned back.“Edwina?”“Yes, sir?”“Are privately owned orphanages common?”She looked at me like I’d suddenly grown a third eye.“Sorry, sir?”“I mean... Genesis funds an orphanage. Why? Shouldn’t it be funded by the government or NGOs?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Thorne, but our records indicate that you are already legally married.”For a second, I thought I had misheard him.The officiant sat across from me, his fingers hovering uncertainly over his keyboard, his expression caught somewhere between discomfort and confusion, the later match
GenesisAs I heard his door close, I slid to the ground, exhausted.I'd been holding all of this in.From almost being drugged at Enzo's, to losing my house, to being here, to Dad, and now this.The comments.They said all these things about me.They didn't even know me.
A few days after that night passed. And fortunately I spent all of them successfully avoiding August. Well... I couldn't exactly call it avoiding him when I hadn't stepped out of my room in three days. At first, I was angry. Angry at the situation. Angry that he had been there again. W
The meetings were unending, one strategic meeting after another.Every supplier was trying to get into the Winslow Group’s good books, so it was either the hardware was unavailable or it was unavailable.And now rumours were flying around that our rivals were suddenly pushing for an







