Stolen Heart

Seline "Hey babe. Are you going to come over? I have a little surprise for you.” Jude, my boyfriend, texts me. We have been together, I mean dating, for two years now. And all I can say is, my relationship is doing so well. Every time I think of him, my heart does a little flutter. There’s something about Jude, the way he smiles, the way he looks at me, that makes me feel like I’m the luckiest woman alive. I smile when I see his text. I love him so much. And I can't imagine my life without him. Without his love. Without him texting me. I will die if that ever happens. "Yes, babe. I am coming over. Just wait for me.” I text him back. I was a secretary, and I was at work right now. Only a few hours remained before we finally call it a day. My office was buzzing with the usual end-of-day activity, people rushing to meet deadlines, phones ringing non-stop, and printers whirring. But none of it could steal my thoughts from Jude. * * * * * * * * Today, it was my birthday. I w

Seline I break free from Luca, the man who was standing beside me laughing as though my suffering amused him. The sound of his laughter cut deep into me, not just in my ears but into my very heart. It was cruel, mocking, and filled with triumph. “Why are you doing this, Luca?” I ask, my voice trembling as my chest rose and fell with panic. “I still love you,” he says with a twisted grin, his tone shameless and selfish. “And I want you back. So there is no way I will allow another man in your life.” he then adds. His words were venom. How dare he stand here, claiming love, when all he had ever given me was betrayal and hurt? I clenched my fists, anger burning inside me, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me fall apart. “You are sick, pathetic,” I say, my voice sharp even though inside I was trembling. I take my handbag from the where I had placed it and began rushing outside. My steps were hurried because all I could think about was Jude. The image of his face

Seline The man stops the car right in front of my house. For a moment, he does not say anything, he just stares at me. His eyes are calm, steady, but I cannot tell what exactly he is thinking. This has been a very quiet ride, almost painfully quiet. I had been sobbing the whole way here, drowning in my own pain and misery, and he hadn’t uttered a single word. At first, I thought the silence would crush me, but as the car moved along the streets, I started appreciating it. Sometimes, silence is the greatest kindness someone can offer. “We are here now,” he finally says, his voice low. I quickly wipe away the tears on my face using the handkerchief I had been holding in my hand to clear my vision, though my eyes still sting. I force myself to put on a straight face, even though inside I feel like I am about to collapse. “Thank you, sir. And here, your coat,” I say softly, handing it back to him. “Before you go, please tell me your name,” he asks. His tone carries no pressure,

IsabelI laughed as I watched Seline leave my gate. She had spent the rest of the day at my house, crying her eyes out, and I had to pretend I was a sympathetic friend. I cried with her while, in truth, I was laughing inside.At long last, my plan had worked, my plan to get Seline out of Jude's life for good. Honestly, I could not have done it without Lucas’s help. I was the one who contacted him and set everything in motion to make this girl’s life miserable. I was so pleased that it had all fallen into place with so little struggle. Now I would keep my promise to Seline, a promise that meant going to Jude’s house. But not to reunite them, I intended to make him hate her even more. I would make Jude mine. I would make sure it happened.After Seline left, I slipped into the bathroom to wash away the traces of the day. I was dying to see Jude, and there was no way I would let an opportunity like this pass. I chose my best dress, the one that hugged my body perfectly. I knew Jude would

Isabel I wear my clothes on with hurried fingers, heart pounding like a drum in my ribs. The chill of Jude’s apartment follows me as I slip into my shoes, his house smells like him. The memory of last night presses at my temples, his mouth on mine, the way his hand found my waist, the shiver that runs up my arm when I remember his name on my lips. I did it. I took him. And now he dares to push me away. No. I will not rest until Jude becomes mine. I will not stay silent about what we did. Seline must know. She will learn every humiliating, delicate piece of it. She will taste the betrayal the way I have tasted the victory. I am not the kind of woman who accepts defeat. I never was. Fighting is in my bones. Jude and Seline’s story has ended and mine is just beginning. I step out into the street and hail a cab. I rehearse my lines in my head about what I am going to say to her. I want Seline to feel it in her chest, to collapse under the weight of what I tell her. Her pain will ca