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Orlando Cortez
Arianna laughed at something Mike said. She clapped and threw her head back, and her laughter chimed out. The custom-designed diamond ring sparkled on her finger. Was it the lights playing tricks, or was she really glowing? I couldn’t tell, but certainly, her spirits were high, and she beamed like Christmas lights. Bright and warm.
Rosalinda and Mike continued to joke with her. They arrived two days after our wedding. Enrique gave me a hard time for not waiting, but he understood my need to tie the knot. Mike and Rosie had the most surprising reaction to our wedding and pregnancy news. They laughed, saying they expected me to whisk Arianna away long ago.
My wife’s cheeks and neck had flushed on hearing something Rosie whispered in her ear. She playfully hit her best friend, her gaze briefly meeting mine. I wished her smile would last. The next couple of months would be hard on her with the legal proceedings. T
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Resisting Her 26
The tension I’d experienced for the past couple of hours ebbed away as soon the judge said those words. He saw no point of me being involved, since it was clear I wasn’t the one in the photos. The defense had no proof, apart from the lab reports. Since they received the photos from an unknown source and couldn’t validate the information, the court refused to consider that as evidence.Benji argued that someone who held a grudge against Orlando or me could have done that to tarnish my image. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the courtroom with a wide grin on my face. Benji had nailed it. It wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be. He had turned the case around without even mentioning her name.“It’s not over yet.” Benji approached us. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to come again. I’ll handle the rest from here,” he said, noticing my frown.I nodded. Orlando was right beside me. His hand rest
Resisting Her 27
Brian SchultzThe bar sat on the edge of the city limits. Though it appeared rundown on the outside, the inside looked like a posh club. Music blared, vibrating through the floor. Nicki Minaj’s and Drake’s voices drifted around me. But my mood was far from enjoying the beat.The whiskey burned down my throat. I drained the glass, welcoming the familiar burn, and signaled the bartender for another round.I watched the crowd dancing like headless chickens, swirling the amber poison the bartender delivered. Laughter bubbled in my throat.Is this how Alana partied?I pulled at the knot of my tie.Nothing made sense. Alana was much more sophisticated, while Arianna followed her heart. What went wrong? The cat was out of the bag. No more secrets. My heart knew Alana was the culprit all along. Only I struggled to comprehend the truth. The strong denial slowly lost its fight with the moment of truth a
Resisting Her 28
The world zoomed in and out of focus when I woke. Several hammers pelted my head, making me groan. Guessing by the blinding sunlight, it must be close to noon. I looked around, realizing I was still in Alana’s room. I clutched my head. Last night’s events came flashing to my mind, and the pounding in my head increased.“I’ve been waiting for you to wake up forever,” Chris announced urgently.Did he stay?No. He changed his clothes. I squinted against the sunlight. He’d ditched last night’s suit and now wore a t-shirt and jeans.“What is it, Chris?” I groaned, raising myself on my elbows.“Come on, man.”“Give me a sec.” I staggered out of the bed and headed to the bathroom. I relieved myself quickly and washed my face.Loud voices reached us when I stepped across the threshold.“What the hell, Alana? I believed you. Is this how y
Resisting Her 29
Arianna Cortez“Are you sure you want to do this?” Orlando asked for the seventh time that morning. We sat in our car outside the rehabilitation center.“Yes.” I wanted to see her. It had been a week since Brian left, and she was all I could think about the entire week.“You don’t have to see her, you know.”“I know.” I gave him a small smile. Orlando has been a doting husband with unconditional love for our unborn child. I understood and embraced his overprotective nature. But this plagued my mind ever since I discovered the truth.Despite what I told him, I’d been religiously following the news. I witnessed how they tore her apart in the past months. While Orlando acted normal, Benji kept no details from me. I looked at the forlorn building. Perhaps I needed closure.“I don’t like this,” he said, pressing a feather-soft kiss on my
Resisting Her Epilogue
Brian Schultz Four years later A black sedan pulled away from the otherwise deserted parking lot. Alana sat in my car, sipping the soft drink I bought for her. It had been four years since I left Linnesse. I kept tabs on her treatment and supported her in every way I could. When I asked her what she wanted after she got out of the rehabilitation center, she said she wanted to start over. Only this time without me. She wanted a divorce. Though I wanted us to give our relationship another chance, I adhered to her wishes. Now we waited outside the building where our attorney’s office was located. I saw the attorney coming out of his office, talking over the phone as he made his way to us. He disconnected the call and greeted me with a curt nod. “Something came up.” He offered a small smile, pulling out the papers from his briefcase. “Here are the pa
Resisting Her Bonus Chapter #1
Alana Swanson Seven years later With shaky hands, I secured the last pin in my hair and smoothed the non-existent creases on my simple white dress that ended a few inches below my knees. Butterflies fluttered in my belly as I gazed into the mirror. I’m getting married. Memories from my past tried to crowd in. I was in the room with my friends. Friends I grew up with. Professional stylists skirted around me as my friends made fun and laughed while I got ready for my big day. I pushed the unwanted memories aside and blinked my tears away. No. Don’t go there. I had come a long way since then. The path to redemption wasn’t easy. People judged me at every turn. I took it all. Because I deserved it for what I did to my sister. My throat constricted. I lifted my hand to rub my chest where it hurt. Guilt still ate away at me, and my only consolation came from knowing Arianna was better off w
Resisting Her 1
I never realized leaving her would be this hard. Even though it was just for three months, it felt like a lifetime. We hadn’t been together for that long. Still, from inside, I felt torn when I held her that morning.“I’ll miss you,” she mumbled, kissing my lips. Her lips lingered, and I tasted her sweetness now mixed with her salty tears.I should tell her I’d miss her too. My tongue glued to the roof of my mouth and my throat constricted. No words came out as I gazed into her hazel eyes. She tried hard to blink her tears away, but they kept falling.Brushing away a teardrop, I kissed her eyelids, unsure what to say. I wouldn’t see her for another three months. The past twenty-four hours had been pure bliss. My cock ached from all the lovemaking. It was time for our goodbyes. Only I wasn’t ready. I’d never be ready.“I…” Words failed again. Closing my eyes, I rested my forehead on hers. I
Resisting Her 2
The sun was a huge ball of fire, floating lower on the horizon. I gazed into the ocean, lost in thoughts. The restaurant scene kept replaying in my mind.“You promised, Orlando.”I didn’t even hear him coming in. With a deep sigh, I turned to face my younger brother, Enrique. He used my name only when he was pissed. He must have found out about my meeting with Desmond.“I’m sorry, Enrique. You know how much expectation we had from this deal.”My brother glowered, running a hand through his unruly hair. His honey-brown eyes pinned me with accusation. His eyes were the only feature he inherited from the woman who brought us into this world.“And I tell you we don’t need this deal anymore. That bastard is dating her, brother.” He stabbed the air with his index finger. “The gossip magazine is full of their photos. Didn’t you read how she dated his son for a year before jumping i
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