Mackenzie dunked down another glass wishing that the alcohol would dissolve the weight on her heart.
How could her husband whom she worshiped for years in their marriage cheat on her with…?A tear rolled down her cheek.Three years ago, she was a bustling young refreshing woman at the peak of life. Although she lived in the fields with her father, she was happy because she could help him out and give him a foot massage when he needed it after his tedious day at the farm. They lived a very limited life but since she was with her father and the neighboring sisters, she did not hate it.Then Jeffrey came along, sweeping her off her feet the instant they laid their eyes on each other— Or was it her who fell in love first?Jeffrey was a newbie in North Dakota and he'd somehow wandered off and got missing in the Noose Hage village due to the night's heavy rain. Like the lovely lady that she was, she helped him through the rain with her umbrella.Sex happened and it created a passionate romance. She got pregnant, and Jeffrey married her straight away. Blinded by love, she did not give herself the benefit of the doubt. Neither did she turn around and look back at her old man. She had made herself believe she could bring to him what seemed to be a better life.Mackenzie dunked down another drink and cried.She'd thought of Jeffrey too much as a god and looked at him with a distorted eye view.He dressed nicely. Along with his fine attires, he was a man of a charming disposition and sophisticated personality. That was how she saw him but then…One day, he requested that she straighten her hair. Her natural chunk of black curls was too uncouth for her to wear in the presence of his family.Without understanding the underlying meaning, she'd straighten her hair and slowly watch the shine in her eyes disappear along with the passion to be herself.She started to live for her husband and the baby they were expecting.And when she finally put to bed, the baby was delivered dead. She hadn't managed to breathe life into her offspring.That was when the twist began.Her husband changed. Not a 180-degree change but since she'd dedicated herself to him, she perceived the subtle shift from within him. However, that shift soon became something she feared when her mother-in-law started acting mean to her like she didn't just lose a child.She didn't even have time to mourn her dead baby. Instead, she spent that moment of hardship trying to pacify her husband and mother-in-law so they wouldn't neglect her. Her husband was still important to her even when it seemed as though he didn't hold the same weight for her in his heart after the loss of their child.How could a woman whose new life was dependent on her husband live?She wanted his attention back. And most importantly, his affection. She'd seen a glimpse of how important having a child was to him so she decided to sacrifice her inner wounds to give him another.A living child.She lived through her mother-in-law's insults and husband's neglect. Recently, their behavior toward her began to be more positive when they suspected that she was pregnant with all the sleepiness, lethargy, and lightheadedness- symptoms women who have once been pregnant could attest to as the early stages of pregnancy.Was it that the universe was shining kindness on her once again?Would she be accepted and loved once again after telling them what they wanted to hear? That she was pregnant?Mackenzie grabbed the liquor and chugged it down, feeling nothing but an indescribable feeling of emptiness as she drank away her sorrow.But when she got to the hospital…Instead of being diagnosed with pregnancy, she was diagnosed with a fucking tumor!Why?!Mackenzie was screaming in her head. Her drowsy system and unresponsive body wouldn't let her let out the screams. Tears rolled further down her cheeks which she didn't bother to wipe.The bar lights were dimmed. The music was pretty loud. She was alone in a crowded room, completely and utterly drunk.As if cupid interfered, on the seat next to her was a man whose whole disposition screamed wealth and power."If you can't handle your liquor, then don't drink." He said to her before turning to the waiter to make his order.The lights seemed to dim further as Mackenzie looked up with equal disregard at the man who had spoken to her with contempt. From her side view of him, she could easily tell that he was a huge man. Even sitting, his toned and strong looking shoulders were a mile long in his shirt.Did that stop her righteous indignation? No.How dare he?Did he know what she was dealing with? No. Did he have any idea that there was no hope for her? No. So he definitely did not have the right to sit next to her on the table only to pick on her!"If…" Her voice trembled as she spoke, the heat of her anger radiating off of her. "If you don't know… what someone is going through, then you have no right to be mean to them!"There seemed to be a pause as the bar lights went even dimmer to flash swift spotlights to fit the soft but frenzy music blasting in the background.The man looked at her, awed by the rawness in her voice and the fierceness in her eyes. He noticed the parted sweep of silky hair covering her face and the dullness of the lights. She glared back at him, getting a glimpse of intense blue eyes through her swimmy vision, but she was too pissed off to care right now.Without another word, Mackenzie got off the seat with the liquor tightly in her grip, placed a wad of cash on the table, and found her way outside.As she got away from the club's vicinity, she felt droplets of cold liquid fall on her face. She dunked down the liquor she was holding to contain herself but as the heaviness in the sky thickened and sent down an overwhelming amount of rain, she exploded into tears and the bottle fell next to her feet, breaking into a thousand pieces."WHY?!" She roared into the rain.A crowd passed her frantically to search for shelter away from the rain, only she didn't move from where she was standing despite the consistent but unintended shove on her side and shoulders.It continued to rain thunderously and she just stood there, drenched and soaked. She felt a mess just like she was on the inside."Hey! Over here!" A voice called.She barely looked up when a strand of her once-straightened hair fell over her face.It was just like before,When she first met Jeffrey, her hair had been wet and in its natural curly state. Mackenzie reached to touch her hair when she heard another shout."Miss! Are you coming or not?!"Mackenzie followed the voice and saw that a taxi had stopped a few meters away, reaching out to her. Like a robot, she ran towards the cab, barely conscious of her actions. She sat in the cab and closed the door. It was then that she noticed how soaked she was."Sorry, I'm all wet." She said in a monotone."It's okay. Where are you off to?"Mackenzie told him to drive her to the nearest hotel. Unlike many fortunate people, she no longer had a home. At least for tonight, she would feel more comfortable anywhere in Greensville hills. As long as she wasn't in her husband's house.When they arrived at the hotel, it had stopped pouring. Mackenzie paid her fare and got into the hotel.She got checked in and got a key for room number 223.By now, she was completely tired and wasted. She could no longer hold control over her body. Although it was her spirit that was broken, it affected every piece of her being.Ding!Mackenzie got off the elevator and started to unbutton her shirt when she saw what seemed to be her room number in sight. She opened the door freely, forgetting that she must have needed a key."Wrong room—" A voice said"No…" She whispered.It was the man from earlier. That deep, masculine voice was the same. His heated blue gaze washed over her skin, taking in her disheveled and wet appearance. His lips twitched when he heard her.Mackenzie unbuttoned the last of her shirt and tossed it aside, revealing her wet but sturdy bra that tugged so close against her chest, enunciating her ample breasts.Before the man could say anything else, she slid off her skirt and the man only reached her as her skirt hit the floor."Miss,"She stumbled and he caught her before she could fall, enveloping her in his strong arms.He would've loved to keep an oh-so-dear distance between them but it seemed almost impossible because this woman clearly could not even stand.He shivered, aware of the meshing of her skin with his. Despite its coldness, he found his body induce another layer of warmth into his skin. He could not ignore the rapid throbbing between his legs underneath his towel.This naturally intelligent man looked at Mackenzie's face and was astonished.He'd seen many women but none felt as real and innocent as her.Mackenzie threw her arms over his neck, all her uptightness and conformity to her own rules, broken.It hadn't gotten her far in her marriage anyway.If she would have to end up doing something this obscene, she didn't mind it. Not that her rigidity towards her husband's standards mattered anyway. He still cheated.So she kissed the dear stranger, a tear trickling down her face as she did.The stranger froze, taken aback by the woman's boldness. But he was much more surprised by how much he found his body reacting to her touch. Her lips…However, he broke away and gently pushed her away but she seemed to find her way back to him. He was about to push her away once again but when he stared down at her pleading eyes, he hesitated.Mackenzie grabbed the stranger's hands and said with shaky lips, "Please… touch me."Intimacy.What was it exactly?The stranger took her to his bed and went to close the door before tossing aside his towel. Then he got on top of her, muttering one more time. "Are you sure?"She touched his lower body and muttered a yes.Her eyes were teary but firm, showing her resolve. The stranger didn't know what it was but he felt as though this woman needed something and somehow, he had the cure.So he made love to her. Taking her with a passion she thought she knew, but was missing in her life all along.Intimacy…Was it just the connection of two bodies? Or was it much more?Like, the connection of two souls, one of them healing the other's hurt?The night had slowly passed, along with the cupid's arrow of passion that seemed to have been fired previously.BeepBeepThe sound of the message notification seemed barely enough to wake a ponderous man like Chase but it did.Chase woke up and when he did, his woman was not in his arms.His woman?!Chase sat up in bed, rubbing the heaviness in his eyes but it didn't seem to be any good. He brushed back his tousled-from-sex hair and let out a breath.Last night…The innocence of that woman's voice, the intensity of feelings in her eyes, and the precision with which her curves were carved. The beautiful curls that danced across her face, her melodious moans when she cried with pleasure. It was beyond incredible the amount of effect she had on him to make him mad enough to wish she was his woman.But where was she?He touched his lips and when he stared down at the sheets, he was convinced she had been here in his room.She hadn't been a dream!Chase's gaze shifted to the nightstand an
The black Lamborghini pulled over at the mansion and once the door opened, three imposing figures stepped out. Two were men, and the third was a familiar woman with a pair of seductive green eyes and amber hair."Honey, we're late." She said to the aloof man standing next to her after checking the time on her Patek Philippe brand wristwatch. His answer was a simple shrug before walking to the mansion. He didn't want to be here anyway.The other man placed both hands behind his neck, his playful light brown eyes gleaming with mischief. "Isn't he the coolest?" He said to Selene sarcastically.Selene looked at him from the corner of his eyes, her eyes unfriendly as she walked past him.He slowly followed behind the odd couple, a large portion of his brown hair falling over his face as he walked, due to his fringe hairstyle.He was wearing a white turtleneck knitted shirt and gray pants with a pair of brown sandals. His appearance looked clean, fresh, and laidback like his personality.T
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Mackenzie pushed him aside, her lips trembling from the repercussion of what he'd just done to her. This was Chase Axford, her brother-in-law!No matter what had compelled him to act this way, it was still wrong!Chase grabbed Mackenzie by the shoulder and instinctively nudged her until she was up against the wall. "W-what," She stuttered, trembling as he placed a hand next to her against the wall, leaving her with no way to escape his enclosed trap."Look at this face properly," he roared, staring down at her with clenched fists.As if it wasn't enough that she kept a calm face throughout dinner, she even had the nerve to pretend not to know him.Mackenzie struggled to gaze into his stormy blue hues and instantly plunged into the memories of last night. Her words stopped in her throat. She couldn't come up with coherent words.The person she'd had a one-night stand with was her brother-in-law.Shivers ran down her spine and so did fright. She also had the fe
Hello, father. It's me, Mackenzie. How are you? How's everyone?As Mackenzie hit the send button, tears rolled down her cheeks.This was the first message she ever sent to her father in a while that did not involve her informing him that she'd wired some money to his bank account.Now that she thought about it, she realized that was vain and all the efforts she was putting into helping her father was just a heap of heavy dust. What was money going to do for her now? It could never make her a better daughter.She might die. How would money save her from her unlucky fate?"Mackenzie!" A shrill voice yelled, "Are you going to neglect the house chores again?! Your disease is not even life-threatening so don't you dare try to use it as an excuse!"Mackenzie could hear it. The mocking tone in her mother-in-law's voice.It wasn't the same tone she'd used to speak to her in the past. Could money take her back in time, when everything was so perfect?No—If anything, she'd sacrifice all the i
Mackenzie ran into the elevator and pressed the second-floor button. The moment the elevator stopped, she got out, hurrying through the hallway until she found the room door.Knock knock"Open,"Mackenzie turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.She was immediately perplexed by the sight of Chase in a silky blue robe. Her pulse immediately jerked into an erratic rhythm at how devastatingly handsome he was.He looked as though he'd just left the shower. Wet tousled black hair danced over his face, hiding away his beautiful eyes, and his lips were stunningly pink. Despite wearing a simple robe, his aura emitted prestige and his body posture was regal.The robe was parted along his chest, only held together at his waist. His smooth, tan skin flaunted his naked chest and abs muscles, sending a warm feeling through her cheeks.Mackenzie did not know what to do with herself. She felt uncouth in front of him. "It's sarcastic, isn't it," Chase spurned, "The last time you came into my ro
It was a feeling that she'd never felt before.Not even with her own husband.The pressing of his groin against her hot core and the lustrous moan that escaped his mouth as he gasped against her neck, the muscles in his arms flexing as he fucked her at a rather rapid pace."Ohh yeahh," She moaned, nothing but the sex on her mind.Usually, with her husband, she could keep her moans to a minimum and hold back slightly when it came to the sounds but with Chase, she couldn't suppress it, nor could she fake that she wasn't enjoying it because she was. And Chase was making so much effort as well.Even with the trail of sweat dripping down his forehead as he gazed down at her very naked body, he didn't seem to lose sight of what he was doing to her."Ngg," As Mackenzie's face scrunched up, focusing on the pleasure he gave her Chase slowly pulled his cock out of her causing her to open her eyes and look at him with a gaze of confusion."W-why?" She gasped breathlessly. Her breath is a mixtur
Mackenzie boarded a taxi and went straight home, ignored the untidiness of the house and picked up two simple outfits and shoved them in a bag. Then she bathed and shaved properly, barely bothering with skincare.Mackenzie got into the hospital and went up to the secretary's desk. "Mrs. Axford, how are you today?""Hello, Cecilia. I'm fine, thank you for asking. How are you?""Great. How may I help you today?""I'm here to see Dr. Paul."She was directed to him immediately as a VIP patient.Eventually, she got to see Dr. Paul who looked relieved to see her."Mrs. Axford," he enthusiastically greeted. "I'm glad you came. Your husband already gave the go-ahead to commence your treatments. You came right on time.” "Thank you, doctor."Just then, Mackenzie heard familiar voices calling out her name and when she looked, it was her husband and mother-in-law."Your husband is here," Doctor Paul said, Mackenzie noted the forceful smile on Jeffrey's face and instantly knew what it was about
When Mackenzie's eyes opened, a familiar pair of overt hazel eyes were staring down at her, audible sounds of remorse escaping his lips. The sight, although blurry, she could note the familiar lines of wrinkles around his eyes.With a strangled breath, she uttered, "Pops?"Although she wasn't certain if that possibility was correct, who among her in-laws had bushy gray hair and deep wrinkles on their face with a generous amount of white hair around their mustache and jawline? Not only that, this man smelt a lot like natural strawberries and grapes, something only a fruit farmer like her father would smell like.The sob of the man halted on hearing her voice, and when he stared down at her face, he broke down into another round of sobs."Mackenzie! My daughter!" The next thing she knew, he leaned in, hugging her gently, his tears dropping onto her face.Mackenzie was surprised.The voice really sounded like her father. She'd recognize that gruff voice anywhere.But…The last thing she