This is the last flashback chapter thanks for staying. ***DON'T FORGET TO ADD THE STORY TO YOUR LIBRARY, #Comment #Like #SUPPORT #SherahHawke #EthanFarwell Feel free to check my other stories here: Hey, Stranger! Goodbye My Love & Alpha's Last Chance
Presently…It was Sherah's 26th birthday and Ethan had left the country without even greeting her. While Eliot who she had known for only a month had wished her a happy birthday the moment the clock struck midnight. Even Grandma had sent her a cake that morning.Later, Eliot invited her to drop by the hospital, saying he had a gift for her. Though hesitant, Sherah agreed, wanting to personally thank him for everything he had done.As the day progressed, greetings from the maids and Farwell employees who knew her contact information started to pour in. Their greetings and appreciation warmed her heart but it was not enough as she still longed for her husband and the things he used to do for her. He used to wake her up with a birthday cake at midnight while singing Happy Birthday.Sherah had finished gathering all her belongings and already called a moving van to send her things to a storage unit. Shortly, she walked into the Farwell Group’s towering headquarters, her expression unreada
After more than 24 hours on the plane, Ethan had arrived in Perth, Australia.He set his suitcase down in his hotel room, rolling his shoulders as exhaustion settled in. The long flight had done little to clear his mind, and as he unzipped his luggage, he let out a quiet sigh. He pulled out his neatly folded suits, crisp shirts, and underwear—everything seemed to be in place.Until he reached for his scarves.His brows furrowed. They weren’t there. The maid must have forgotten to pack them. Annoyed, he ran a hand through his hair, but the frustration quickly turned into something else—something heavier. It wasn’t just the scarves. He felt that he had forgotten something much more important but was unsure what it was. A strange unease settled in his chest, gnawing at him, though he couldn’t quite place it. The air in the room felt different, colder, emptier. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the open suitcase as if it held the answer.Then, his phone buzzed.Ethan glanced a
In Perth, AustraliaEthan’s hand trembled as he stared at his phone, his reflection barely visible against the dark screen.His jaw clenched in frustration as Eliot’s soft, gentle voice replayed in his mind.~Smile for me, birthday girl.~A bitter scoff left his lips. "It’s already 1 in the morning in New York. Why are they still together?" He questioned while thinking of something obscene and the idea left a sour taste in his mouth. He crossed his arms, his chest tightening at the realization. "So that’s why she didn’t even bother to check on me. Not even a simple ‘Did you arrive safely in Australia?’ Nothing. She wasn’t even mad that I had forgotten to greet her. Was it because she no longer cared?"He exhaled sharply, gripping the phone tighter. “She’s too busy celebrating… with the doctor.” His voice was laced with venom, his teeth gritting as his frustration boiled over.With a deep frown, he sent a message to Brooke. Find out everything you can about Eliot."I should have done
Sherah’s offer for Harlene to stay for dessert lingered in the air, thickening the already tense atmosphere with each passing second.Instead of relief, Harlene felt like she had been slap in the face."I called her a whore, yet instead of lashing out, she's being kind to me?" she thought while stealing a glance at Eliot. His gaze wasn’t filled with judgment or anger but concern—concern for Sherah.It only made Harlene angrier.Without thinking, she stormed forward, snatched Eliot’s cup of hot coffee, and hurled it at Sherah before turning on her heels and bolting from the restaurant, tears blurring her vision.Sherah gasped as the scalding liquid drenched her clothes, a sharp sting spreading across her skin.Eliot reacted instantly, grabbing a handful of napkins and gently dabbing at her shirt. As he wiped, his eyes widened in alarm at the redness forming on her skin.“You got burned,” he murmured, his brows drawing together in concern. “We need to go to the emergency room and get som
In Perth, Australia.Ethan sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, exhausted, jet-lagged, and drowning in emotions he couldn’t quite name. He needed space—from Sophia, from everything.His mind was a storm of frustration and confusion. Who deserved his anger and blame? His grandmother, for meddling in his life? Or the woman he had waited for, only for her to leave him behind?A sharp ping interrupted his thoughts. A notification from In$tagram."Sherah Farwell added a new story."Without hesitation, he tapped on it. It's a beautiful portrait of Sherah with Eliot's signature, posed boldly in the corner.Ethan’s grip on his phone tightened. Jealousy consumed him and just like that, he had found the perfect target for all the emotions raging inside him.Before he could think twice, his fingers moved, and started typing. His response was passive-aggressive, edged with bitterness."Seems like you had a blast with the doctor." Back in New York.Sherah could taste the bitterness in Ethan's
Even after assuring Ethan they’d leave soon, Sophia remained effortlessly wrapped in conversation, her laughter echoing through the grand ballroom as she floated from one group to the next. The glitz, the gossip, the glamour—it was her element. But for Ethan, it was suffocating.The night dragged on longer than Ethan had the patience for.With that he started drinking, savoring the burn of alcohol as it slid down his throat. A small conversation sparked with the bartender—just casual talk about his drink, and different types of liquor, nothing forced or superficial. It was the most normal, unpretentious exchange he had all night.At first, just to take the edge off. A sip of whiskey here, a glass of scotch there. But the more he drank, the easier it became to drown out the meaningless chatter, the fake smiles.The weight pressed against his chest regarding, Sherah’s date with Eliot on her birthday. Her lack of concern towards him.The way she blocked him in all possible means of c
Without hesitation, Ethan booked the earliest flight back to New York.After 24 grueling hours, he arrived at JFK International Airport, exhausted yet resolute. His secretary, Noel, was already waiting, expecting to drive him to Farwell Villa. But to his surprise, Ethan ordered the driver to take him straight to Farwell Manor instead.As the car pulled up to the grand estate, Ethan stepped out, his jaw tight, his exhaustion drowned out by sheer determination. He had been away for weeks, but now that he was back, he wasn’t wasting any time.Inside, Madam Rosalie Farwell sat in her favorite sunroom, a book resting on her lap, her silver hair perfectly styled, her expression unreadable. She had always been a step ahead of him—today was no different."You look tired," Madam Farwell remarked, flipping a page. "Traveling across the world, chasing the past, will do that to a man."Ethan clenched his jaw and took a step forward. "I’m done playing your games, Grandma." His voice was sharp, unwa
The Farwell Villa became oppressive, and he had no choice but to drive to the only place he could take his mind off things, his office—The Farwell Group.Inside his office. Ethan sat behind his massive mahogany desk, his fingers pressed against his temples as he tried to drown out the suffocating silence in the room. He glanced around only to see that Sherah had cleaned his office.The knitted cupholder neatly arranged near the coffee maker is gone. The yellow smiley stress ball on his table that he loves squeezing is nowhere to be found.The cactus that Sherah purchased from the farmers' market that she insisted would add color to his office was missing in its usual place.Even the throw pillow on the sofa is different.As he sniffs the air, it smells unfamiliar, different from the bamboo mint scent Sherah uses in the air purifier. Work was supposed to clear his mind, but no amount of reports, meetings, or endless numbers could distract him from the emptiness that followed him like
In the Farwell Group Head Office.On the CEO Floor.Sophia walked with purpose.Today wasn’t about business. Today was personal.Dressed in an elegant navy coatdress and heels sharp enough to pierce glass, she stepped into Farwell Group’s headquarters like she already owned it. She wasn’t here as Walton Unlimited’s liaison officer, she was here as Ethan Farwell’s fiancée.The future Mrs. Farwell.And she wanted everyone to see it.To accept it.To forget the first wife.That name still lingered like an unwelcome ghost. Employees still whispered it. Some still spared glances at the portrait in the founder’s wing, quiet reverence for a woman long gone.Sophia noticed. She always noticed.“Sherah’s memory ends today,” she whispered under her breath, her tone low and eerie.She stepped onto the CEO floor and was immediately intercepted.“Miss Hawke,” Noel said carefully, positioning himself in front of the office door. “Mr. Farwell is in back-to-back meetings. He doesn't want to be disturb
Fallon moved through her day like a ghost, efficient, poised, unreadable. By the time the sun dipped behind the cold New York skyline, she had locked herself inside Nathan’s private office, the room softly humming with surveillance feeds from Nathan's CLO office.She navigated through hours of recorded footage. Most of it was mundane: meetings, empty chairs, Nathan pacing during late calls. It was a safety measure, those hidden cameras, installed not to spy but to guard. Guard their secrets.Until something caught her eye.The timestamp was weeks old. The sound is grainy. The footage showed Ethan walking, tense, brisk, and demanding.“Two scoops of coffee, one scoop of cream, two scoops of sugar.”Fallon didn’t realize the words had left her mouth until they did.“Two scoops of coffee, one scoop of cream, two scoops of sugar…”She laughed softly.“You forgot to tell him the temperature.”Her voice dropped to a whisper.“It should be exactly 200 Fahrenheit, so the coffee will be strong
After the incident at the boutique, Sophia grew unexpectedly attached to Fallon.What began as gratitude slowly turned into dependency—an instinctive pull toward the calm, poised woman who had rescued her from her own spiraling fear. Fallon had barely said a word during that terrifying ordeal, yet her presence was steady, grounding. In the days that followed, Sophia clung to her like a shadow.She brought Fallon everywhere…To the mall, to wine tastings, and every last-minute errand involved in the exhausting orchestration of the Farwell-Hawke wedding. An event that doesn't even have a date yet.Fallon even accompanied her to pick out the centerpieces for the imagined reception tables, patiently sifting through color palettes and floral arrangements with a soft, distant smile.Oddly, not once did Ethan join them.Each time his absence was mentioned, Sophia would try to wave it off with a laugh or a shrug. But the shadow in her eyes always gave her away.Fallon didn’t mind.Not because
The classical music had long since stopped, but Sophia was far from recovered.Fallon and Nathan returned to the store, playing the role of concerned bystanders.Fallon’s performance was flawless—too flawless. She stepped into the fitting room, where Sophia sat half-naked in the corner, cowering, covering her ears, rocking herself back and forth.“I’m in a safe place.”“Safe place.”“I’m in a safe place.” She keeps repeating to herself like it is her mantra. “Are you okay, sister?” Fallon mumbled, pinching her elbow to suppress her laughter. “What happened? Let me help you.” Her voice was so sweet you could get diabetes.She then helps Sophia to put on her clothes. “Do you want me to call an ambulance or at least your parents?” Nathan asks through the hallway, his voice laced with concern, but his face is filled with amusement.“NO…”“NO… Don’t…” She yelled as she clung tightly to Fallon as if her life depended on her.Fallon held Sophia’s cold, trembling hand and began patting her b
Weeks had passed since Fallon’s descent into chaos.With Madam Kingsley’s harsh method, Fallon picked up the shattered pieces of herself the way she always does, quietly, methodically.The change was slow, suffocating, and silent.Her thoughts had been trapped in a web of nightmares, haunting memories, and flickers of guilt she no longer knew how to name. But that phase is over now. Her silence had ended.Today is a new day for a new plan.She stood in front of the floor-length mirror, dressed in black with an elegance and grace that conveys sophistication. Her eyes no longer looked hollow, they looked focused. Ruthless. The bruise on her lip had faded, but the lesson had not. Nathan hadn’t spoken of it again, nor had she. Some things didn’t need repeating.Fallon applied her lipstick slowly. A blood-red shade that suited her new resolve. Then she lit a cigarette, a habit she adopted while picking up her shattered self.She then walked toward the room at the end of the hallway where
As days passed, Fallon began to lose her spark—the fire that kept her going started to dwindle.She started returning to her past self and longing for her husband and friends. Her actions left Nathan no option but to tell his mother about it. INSIDE Fallon's room...The curtains remained half-drawn. The once-bright space was now dulled by shadows, the light from outside filtered and gray.Fallon sat at the edge of the bed, still in the clothes she wore yesterday, her gaze unfocused as she stared at nothing in particular.The spark that once made Fallon dangerous, driven, unpredictable—it had thinned. Dimmed. Her posture slumped more with each passing day, the steel in her eyes softening into sorrow.She’d stopped bothering with the little rituals—her coffee grew cold in untouched cups. No more carefully planned vengeance. No more late-night whispers with Nathan about their schemes.MEANWHILE…In Nathan’s home office…Nathan stood by the liquor cabinet, pouring himself a drink with
Fallon sleeps restlessly on the bed, her limbs twitching, her breath shallow. Sweat beads on her forehead.She’s having a dream, or more to say, a nightmare. She is seated across from Ethan at an elegant table. He’s in a tailored suit, polished and charming—too charming. He’s smiling at her, but there’s something hollow behind his eyes.She reaches for his hand, but he retracts it.Ethan smiled faintly, “You knew this wasn’t real, right?” He pointed out.Fallon frowns—the lighting shifts, flickering like a faulty bulb. The surroundings distort—wine glasses melt like wax, and chandeliers bend unnaturally.“What are you talking about?” She asked, her voice cracking with every word. “You were just a distraction. A placeholder… until I didn’t need you anymore,” he explains, grinning. "Because she's back."He stands and walks away.At the far end of the restaurant, Sophia appears, her hand laced tightly with his. They kiss passionately. Fallon staggers backward, knocking over her wine gla
Ethan’s hands are clenched. His nose flared in irritation as he walked back to his office.He was just about to dismiss the earlier incident as nothing more than a coincidence, but Nathan’s words irritated him so much that there was a part of him wishing that Nathan was the person behind it, so he'd have a reason to punish him. He angrily and mindlessly strode the hallway to his office when he bumped into Sophia, who was holding documents for him to sign. She followed him into his office, watching intently as he reviewed the papers. She admired his calm focus, the way his fingers moved across the text. He noticed her staring and looked up. She blushed. He smiled faintly.By the time he finished, it was lunchtime. Sophia invited him to eat, and he agreed—but suggested they order takeout and eat in the conference room.They found Nathan, Oliver, the head of the finance department, and his secretary, Analise, already eating inside.Nathan waved and gestured to them. “Lovebirds! Come sit
Noel was busy photocopying important documents for the afternoon meeting when he heard Nathan's voice nearby, speaking in hushed tones on the phone to a woman.Fallon and Nathan were talking about their plans for tomorrow when Nathan felt someone’s presence near him. His eyes sharpened, and his movements became cautious."I’ve been so stressed lately. Can you come visit me here? I want to be with you every second of every day," he says playfully, abruptly changing the topic.Fallon laughs. She understood the sudden change in Nathan’s tone meant someone was nearby. “You’re disgusting.” She replied. Noel couldn’t hear the woman’s response, but Nathan’s tone was unmistakably affectionate."I know, I know… But what can I do? I miss you so much," Nathan said louder than necessary, just enough for Noel to hear. He knew Noel would tell Ethan everything he did.He was slowly planting whispers about Fallon. Each mention was deliberate, woven gently into conversation, like a memory everyone t