KAIDAPounding boomed from my door, voices shouting for me to stop, but I was drunk with heartbreak. Too dead to hear.“Just say the fucking word!” I roared like a mad lion, hurling the stool at the bar, shattering the glass with a loud crash. The scent of liquor exploded in the air, the alcohol bleeding through the carpet like my wounded heart. The room was in havoc, shards of glass scattered on the floor like tiny knives, but none of them was sharper than her words. Every deadpan felt like a death sentence, the disgust in her eyes like venom, and her wince from my touch like a frostbite. I tried to be honest for once, give her a sneak peek of my dark side: I was an addict, and I did terrible things, but I’m changed. My body yearned for her touch, one hug, one pat, one kiss. She’d hold me tight and whisper in my ears: ‘It doesn't define who you are. You’re changed. You’re my husband and a good father. That’s all that matters.’ There was none of those things in her eyes. Instead,
LAURA:He’s hovering over me, watching me sleep, and taking precise details. The subtle rise and fall of my breast as I inhale borrowed breaths, the uneven bop of my throat as I gulped nervous lumps, and the lazy fluttering of my lashes, terrified of seeing this nightmare. It’s been like this for a week. Hell in a penthouse. Secluded from civilization. Somewhere, he’s my god, and I succumb to him. Somewhere, he could break me even when I scream at the top of my lungs. Somewhere that doesn’t require patience. I’m lying spread-eagled on the bed, chains locked on my wrists and legs, like a prey in a hunter’s cage. A part of me is relieved that he finally showed his true colors, because this isn’t obsession or promise. It’s darkness, deranged, and toxic.His intoxicating scent now smells like ammonia, his touch feels like icy claws against my skin, and his voice sounds like the devil himself. Notes of vodka stung my nostrils, his warm lips teasing my ears. He’s very close now. I want h
ONE WEEK LATER:KAIDA: “Is it because of the way I acted? I forgive her. I didn't know she’s still angry with me,” Kevin said bitterly, his doe eyes lacking their usual sharpness. I coughed throatily, guilt scratching my throat. Kevin hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday, and I don't want to yell at him, but he isn't making it easier for me. How do I tell him his mother’s safe, somewhere secluded from civilization, somewhere I won't fear her running away, somewhere for only us. Laura and Kaida. Magnificent, isn’t It? I ruffled Kevin’s hair. “She’s not angry with you. She needed space, and she’s in New York, building your future. Very soon, she’d be back, okay?”My words went down the drain as Kevin turned away. “She left me.”My fist clenched, bending the spoon in two. Kevin loved his mother more than himself, but when she’s around, he acts like she doesn't exist. Proud just like his mother. Lucian’s glare has been suspicious. We grew up together, and he knew me too well. His th
KAIDA:“There’s no fucking way that’s possible, because ghosts don’t come back to life!” I snapped, making Wifey flinch. I raked a hand through my hair. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” She rubbed her throat, the words stinging like a bitter pill. “It’s him. I swear it.”My chest tightened, but I masked my anger with a smile; one so fragile that would crack if she mentioned his name again. “He’s not coming back,” I squeezed her shoulders. “It’s all in your head. Your paranoia. Your guilt… You didn’t kill him, okay? It’s not your fault, just like mine was a mistake.”I cupped her cheek, swiping my thumb across her lips. “Get some rest, you need it. I’d handle myself.”She shook her head. “This has nothing to do with rest. Aaron Kai’s alive,” she stroked my neck, her voice low. “We’re finally free, Kaida. No more online scandal, Leila’s lawsuit, hiding from civilization. Everything will go back to normal.”“Free?” I laughed hysterically. “Because he’s coming back?”“Absolutely. He will,
KAI:The wicked chill hits my skin non-stop, I want to scream at the top of my voice, but my tongue is frozen. Dr. Paulo had a smirk on, while fuelling the machine with freon, he said It’d freeze my misery. Cold, sterile air fogged the room, swirling me in a gust of glacial wind. My body’s numb, there’s little mobility left in me, but the faint thrum of my heart tells me I'm still alive. The monitor hissed pitifully, the fan blades groaning slowly, and my veins pinched from the IV. Vials, syringes, and pill bottles littered the floor. Every time they came, I fought with every fiber of my being. For my Spitfire, my son, and my sunshine. Still, they beat me to it. But today would be different. I’d kill them all. I’d escape. I’d make things right because I made her a promise. They can't just save my life and torment the hope out of me. Grinding my shivering jaw, I sat up with a bite, forcing my heavy eyes open. Paulo doesn't know I am awake, else he’d knock me out with sedatives. Yes,
LAURA:A maelstrom of anger whirled my being as I glared at Seraphina, standing at the entrance, with a tray of food that looked homemade. I came here to manifest my asinine ideas, right before Kaida began lusting after post-surgery, and the mother-child bonding with Kevin. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Kaida bit out, looking ready to strangle her. Without consent, she padded to the bed stand, placing the dish with care. A responsible wife would have smashed her head on the heart monitor, and a doting husband would have gone ballistic by now; instead, Kaida’s pupil was dilating with anxiety. He could end it, here and now, but the event in the kitchen laid out the evidence of power imbalance. My nanny wielded a weapon that could destroy my husband, because the Kaida I knew had everything but patience— he’s never heard of it before. She smiled coquettishly. “Bless the heavens you’re alive, I almost had a panic attack thinking about the worst that could happen to my boss.”Di