As Natalie and Avery walked towards the cafeteria for lunch break, Natalie peppered Avery with silly questions about her weekend getaways. "'I'm not talking about it now,' Avery said calmly, crossing her arms over her chest. " But before Natalie could respond, someone barged into Avery, sending her tumbling to the ground. As she sat up, rubbing her sore bottom, she found herself face-to-face with Valarie's smug grin. "'What's going on with you?' Natalie demanded angrily, helping Avery get up from the ground. "'I didn't do anything,' Valarie sneered, blowing a bubble with her gum. 'You're just being paranoid.' Just then, Nikki chimed in, 'Hey, Valerie, why waste your time talking to these two losers when Maxwell is waiting for you at the cafeteria?' "Nikki is right, Val," Melanie, the dark-skinned one with brown curls and cat eyes, chimed in. "Right!" Valarie smiled sweetly and smoothed down her short skirt. "Let's go, girls," she said, and they immediately spun on their h
Maxwell walked into the house, his face twisted in anger. He threw his backpack onto the ground, making a loud thud sound. The image of Avery getting into that flashy car earlier flashed back in his head, causing him to run his fingers through his hair.He was sure she was jealous when she saw him together with Valerie, and he could have sworn he saw the pain and discomfort in her eyes that she couldn't bear to watch them anymore. That made him happy, knowing that Avery indeed still had feelings for him.Maxwell had planned to meet her in high spirits, hoping to work things out between them. But as he trailed behind her without her knowledge, all his hopes were dashed into the mud when he saw her getting into the backseat of a car.The questions swirled in his mind like a vortex. Was Melanie right? Was Avery selling out for materialistic things? No matter how badly he wanted to clear his head of these thoughts, they lingered like a shadow.He clenched his fist tightly and fetched out
Avery was left in a state of shock, taken aback by Evan's sudden appearance. Her mouth went open, but no words could come out. She couldn't help but wonder how he’d known she was here."Will you get in, or do you prefer to stand there staring at me as if you saw a ghost?" he asked, his gaze focused on hers.It was pouring heavily, and her situation made her feel overwhelmed; Avery couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Evan shook his head in disbelief as he got out of his car, swiftly took off his coat, and draped it over her shoulder.Avery's small frame trembled as she felt the warmth of Evan’s body against hers. He guided her to the car, and as she got into the passenger seat, she noticed how wet she was; her shirt was sticking to her body like a second skin, with water dripping from her dress.As they drove back home in silence, Avery couldn’t stop crying, no matter how hard she tried to hold back her tears. She hated the fact that she was always troubling everyone with her prob
"Thanks for the ride," Maxwell said dryly as he prepared to get out of Vincent's car."Max, I think you should let Avery know how you feel about her; that was the only reason you reacted that way," Vincent replied, letting out a sigh. He hated seeing this troubled side of Maxwell.Maxwell glanced at him, a mix of frustration and defeat in his eyes. "Well, thanks for caring, but I don’t think that’s necessary. Avery hates me after what happened last night.""As long as she loves you, she'll definitely forgive you," Vincent insisted. Maxwell pressed his lips together, nodding, though doubt lingered in his mind.Vincent snorted, fully aware that Maxwell wouldn't take his advice and would likely continue with his original plans."Don't forget to send my bike to school after getting it repaired by the mechanic," he reminded Maxwell before walking away.As soon as Maxwell stepped onto the school grounds, he spotted Avery and Natalie talking and giggling as they walked past him.A sad smile
"Take care of yourself, Avery. Don't let it bother you, okay?" Natalie said after stopping a taxi. She had a shift to cover for her coworker at the coffee shop where she works after school hours.Avery forced out a smile, giving her best friend a hug. "Thanks, Nate. See you at school tomorrow," she said as she embraced her."I love you," Natalie said, and Avery returned the sentiment as she watched her friend get into the taxi. As the taxi drove further into the distance, a surge of loneliness washed over Avery, prompting her decision to walk to the hospital.Upon arriving at the hospital, Avery stood outside Christine's door, gathering her composure before facing her mom. Things had changed over the past few weeks, and her heart ached with the weight of it all.She slid the door open with a wide grin on her face, putting on a brave front despite having shed tears on her way to the hospital. In her hands, she held fresh lilies she had bought along the way."Mom!" she called out excite
Avery couldn't believe her ears or process the situation. Her palms became sweaty, and her head spun for a few seconds, leaving her light-headed.She had only watched such scenarios in dramas, where the evil mother-in-law pays off the wife to leave her son. But this case was different; this was a reality she never thought would happen to her, and it shattered her expectations."I can't take it!" Avery exclaimed, her voice barely audible as she got out of the car and rushed into the house, her heart racing.Once she entered her room, her phone buzzed, jarring her from her thoughts. It was a text message from an unknown number: "I promise, you'll regret your decision." An icy shiver ran down her spine as she glanced around her surroundings, suddenly feeling vulnerable.A knock at the door caused her to flinch in fright. “Who’s there?” she asked, her voice trembling.Meanwhile, Michael strode into his mansion, and his wife, Grace, rushed over to him, her face etched with worry. "How is I
Avery rushed into the hallway, her head heavy with thoughts as she tried to digest the news Evan had broken to her just moments ago. Her gaze was glued to the floor as she shuffled through the crowd, finding her way to the restroom. "Avery!" Maxwell called out to her from behind and pulled her by her arm."Let me go," Avery said, licking her lips nervously as she fought the urge to burst into tears."Are you okay?" Maxwell asked, a look of concern etched on his face.Avery broke free from his grip. "I told you I'm fine," her voice came out firm this time. Maxwell watched her dash into the restroom. As soon as she closed the partition, she pulled out a pregnancy test strip, hoping it would come out positive. Her period had already been delayed for over a week.Meanwhile, the hallway was clear, as everyone had moved to their respective classes. Avery finally emerged from the restroom after what felt like an eternity. Once she stepped out, she saw Maxwell leaning against the wall, pati
As the day ended, Natalie accompanied Avery to her place to help clean up, as she would be moving back to her house. The place was dusty, as Avery had thought it had been more than two weeks since she last visited their neighborhood. Everything was exactly how she had left it the day she moved into the Bensons’ residence.Her heart grew heavy at the thought of Evan Benson. As she walked toward her bedroom, she came across the portrait of their perfect family—her mom, Monica, and her smiling happily as they held each other so closely.The picture was taken at Monica's graduation from high school. Tears welled up in her eyes as the memory flashed in her mind, causing her to break down in tears.“Come on, Avery. You need to stay strong,” Natalie said gently, giving her hand a small squeeze.“Are you sure you can stay alone? Dad wouldn't mind if you moved in with us; that way, we could stay together, and you wouldn't have to think about Evan Benson anymore,” she suggested, but Avery imme
"Mr. Benson," Avery teased, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she burst into laughter, "are you jealous?"A rush of embarrassment heated Evan's cheeks, but he pressed on, unable to conceal the sting of his feelings. "I saw you feeding him at the shop the other day.""I was carried away," Avery said, her arms crossed over her chest. "I was eager for him to taste it. He took me out just to lift up my spirits after you had coldly turned me down in your car.""Tell me the truth," Evan demanded, his voice tight. "Did you know I was there, and you did all that to make me jealous?"Avery shook her head quickly, defending herself. "I didn't know. It was all a coincidence."Evan sighed loudly. "It might have been a coincidence, but it made me extremely jealous. The way he was staring at you made me want to punch him in the face," he confessed, and Avery's cheeks turned red."He's just a good friend of mine," Avery said shyly, a small giggle escaping her lips."I don't want him around you,"
She giggled shyly, a sweet smile spreading across her face. “Alright. I’ll think of something,” Avery whispered.Evan had an urgent matter to attend to. After dropping Avery home, he quickly went back to the company to sort it out.As she rested in bed, the maid entered quietly, carrying a bowl of chicken soup for Avery. She couldn’t help but sigh. “I’m not hungry,” Avery said softly, but the maid shook her head gently. “If you don’t take it, sir will get mad at me.”“Mr. Benson is after my life!” Avery thought to herself inwardly. Reluctantly, she asked the maid to leave the soup behind before she got up.After taking a few sips, she decided to watch a movie while waiting for Evan’s return. As she lay there, her eyelids grew heavy, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.In the middle of the night, Avery felt a gentle weight settle beside her. She was carefully scooped into someone’s arms. Recognizing the familiar scent, she buried her face into his chest, a content smile on her lips.“
Maxwell forced his way into the crowd; he looked as angry as a bull in a china shop. He pushed Cynthia and the rest of her teammates aside as he helped Avery up. Just then, the principal entered, and everyone hurried back to their respective classes.“Are you okay?” Maxwell asked hurriedly, carefully lifting her off the ground and fixing her hair, which was all over her face.“There’s a little cut on her face,” Natalie said worriedly, looking at the scrape on Avery’s cheek.The principal instructed them to take Avery to the health room for a thorough check-up. Natalie nodded and gently guided Avery out of the gym.“I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you,” Natalie said, her eyes turning teary. “Who do you think made that video?”“It’s fine, Nate. They outnumbered us,” Avery muttered slowly. “As for the video, I have no idea.”Evan heard from the principal what had happened to Avery and immediately left work to go to her school.As she exited the school, she saw Evan’s car and made her way
The next morning, Evan woke up to an empty space beside him. He touched the space; it felt cold and well-kept, making it obvious that Avery hadn’t spent the night in his bed.As he sat up, he held his head, feeling an unusual weight pulling him down. Evan recalled last night’s events, and his eyes widened in shock as flashbacks came to his mind of how he had kissed and touched her forcefully.A wave of shame and regret swept over him. He got up from the bed and got ready to start his day, deliberately wasting time so Avery wouldn’t have a choice but to go to school on her own.As Evan entered the company, feeling energized and positive to start his day, Felix informed him that Tara was outside requesting to see him.Tara was let in, and as she stepped into the office, she smiled sweetly at Evan. “Good morning, Evan,” she said as she dropped her bag on his desk and took her seat, her legs crossed over the other.“What brings you by?” Evan asked, uninterested, as he opened the laptop in
This made Avery clench her fists tightly. She felt her breath stuck in her throat as an envious feeling washed over her. Maxwell, who looked in her direction, had his eyes darken as he saw his father's mistress, Tara, with another man.Avery watched as Tara and Evan sat at the same table and began to converse; his gaze was focused on Tara, acting as if he hadn’t seen her earlier.Maxwell felt like capturing a photo to use against Tara, but a feeling suddenly stopped him. He looked at Avery, who seemed invested in the scene. “Was she looking at Tara or the handsome guy she was with?” he couldn’t help but wonder to himself.“Do you want to get out of here?” Maxwell asked softly, and Avery nodded vigorously. She didn’t think she could bear the sight of Evan on a date with another woman.“I’ll have this packaged for you,” Maxwell said as he went to the counter to get it packed up. Just then, two teenage girls came up to Avery while chewing gum.“OMG! Your boyfriend is so dashing,” one of
Venessa barged into Avery’s bedroom as soon as she heard about their arrival. “Avery! You guys didn’t come back last night. What were you up to? Huh?” she said, taking a seat on the bed while swinging her legs like a little kid.Avery, who was dressed in a baggy T-shirt and shorts with her hair tied in a messy bun, buried her face in her thighs, embarrassed to look Venessa in the eyes as she recalled what happened the night before.“Ouuu, someone is blushing so hard!” Avery’s ears turned red, making it obvious as her hair was tied in a messy bun.“Stop teasing me already!” Avery said finally raising her head from her thighs. She didn’t expect anything to happen between herself and Evan last night.When she had woken up in the morning, Evan was nowhere to be found. Her clothes were littered on the ground, showing how urgent they were with each other. As she got up from bed with the duvet around her chest, she felt her limbs felt weak as she quickly got dressed.She saw a little blue no
Avery didn’t mean it that way. She had gotten emotional because she found someone who truly cared for her unborn baby, aside from herself and Natalie, and it warmed her heart to talk about her baby freely with someone else.But it seemed it was too late because Venessa was already hell-bent on getting both of them on a date. Ever since they got home, she had been singing its praises.As the sun began to set, Avery lounged on the bed, watching a seasonal reality show. Venessa rushed into the room, excited to inform Avery that she had successfully booked a reservation at one of the most popular steak restaurants in the city.“Did you convince Evan to go on the date with me already?” Avery asked, stunned, wondering what spell Venessa had cast upon him.“Oh, silly, don’t worry about that! It’s easy peasy to get him there. Just do one thing for me: I want you to freshen up and get ready while I try to round up my planning phase,” she said mischievously before leaving the room.Avery let ou
“Venessa?” Tara said, surprised, as she cast a glance at Venessa before her gaze shifted to Avery beside her.“Hey,Ms Tara! Long time no see!” Venessa replied with a smile that felt somewhat forced. Once upon a time, they could have been referred to as besties; Venessa adored Tara, even though Evan wasn’t particularly interested in the alliance.But everything changed the day Tara decided to betray Evan by entering into a scandal with a wealthy business tycoon old enough to be her father.A mischievous smile crossed Venessa’s lips as an idea took shape in her mind. She looked at Avery and said, “So, which one are you going for, sis-in-law?”Those words felt like a slap to Tara’s face. She turned abruptly and stared at Avery, scanning her from head to toe. “Impossible!” she thought to herself.“Why would Evan be into a kid?” she questioned her inner voice. Just then, Venessa excused herself to use the restroom, leaving Avery and Tara alone in the same section.Tara surveyed the shelf p
Evan was just about to leave for work when he opened the door to find long arms wrapped around his neck. He was stunned for a moment, unable to react. Once he regained his senses, he pushed Venessa away from his body.“Venessa! What are you doing here?” Evan exclaimed, looking as if he had seen a ghost.Venessa pouted her lips like a little kid who had been wronged. “Bro, are you not happy to see me?” She said, placing her hands on her waist.“Why didn’t you inform me you were coming?” Evan’s eyes travelled to the suitcase beside Venessa’s leg.“Since when do I need permission before visiting my cousin?” Venessa replied, a silly smile spreading across her face. She then inched closer to Evan, her lips brushing against his ear. “I was so eager to see my sister-in-law and my unborn niece,” she whispered.Just then, they both heard footsteps from behind, prompting Venessa and Evan to turn around in unison. They found Avery all ready for school.As Avery stood beside Evan, confused about