LOGIN“Whatever time you wake up is your morning.”….~ Alyssa ~“You should make that place lighter, so the nose would blend perfectly well with the rest of the body.” My instructor, Jake Fredrick, said, staring closely at the image on my canvas. “Oh… thank you.” I responded with a smile. Though he was said to be quite strict with newer students of the program. So far he’d been all but nice to me. “You are welcome. How are the little ones doing?” He asked, and my face turned red. Though I had tried my best to keep my pregnancy hidden from everyone. The morning sickness that had hit me in the first trimester didn’t make it possible. Though I was grateful, it was just Jake that found me in the bathroom vomiting after classes.“They are fine.”“Any chance we’d be finding out their genders soon?” “In about a month or two.” I replied. “That’s great. Are you excited to know?” “Maybe.” I smiled. “I’ve got a hunch of what their genders are, so finding out from the ultrasound results would sim
“Maybe we are not meant to have all the answers. Maybe we are meant to simply trust in the one who knows it all.”….~ Austin ~I noted something different about the house the second I stepped into it. Unlike days ago, when it had been a beacon of hope and laughter. This current atmosphere feels dull and lifeless. I found my way into the room I shared with Alyssa, and my heart sank when I caught sight of the wedding ring on the divorce papers I had placed on the bedside table yesterday.I hadn’t been thinking straight when I asked my lawyer to draw up some divorce papers. He was stunned at my request and hesitated. Probably because he hadn’t expected me to move on so quickly from Joanna and obviously didn’t expect me to annul my months-old marriage. But I did. I opened the document, and as expected… her signature was there. As neat as day. The wardrobe called out to me, and I ran towards them… opening their little doors frantically. I took a step back when the empty lockers star
“Remember, you get to choose who chooses you.”….~ Alyssa ~“Austin… what do we do?” But even as I questioned him… I had a hunch on what should be done. It broke my heart to realize just how easily dispensable I was. Yes… I knew Keren’s safety was at stake here. But what about me? We were married, and this should be an “us” decision. Yet the look in Austin’s eyes speaks volumes about where I stood in his life. The next few hours passed by in a blur. I didn’t realize that I had fallen asleep in Keren’s room until I woke up with a sicky feeling. I ran into her bathroom and spent the next few minutes emptying my bowels into the toilet bowl. I hadn’t eaten much since Keren’s disappearance, so it didn’t take me long to start tasting the bile in my throat. I cleaned up and went up to the room Austin and I shared. It feels odd to refer to it that way when it had been ours previously. And it feels very odd to refer to this house as mine… when Austin had just shown me how easily replaceab
“Isn’t it funny how easily a moment becomes a memory?”….~ Austin ~I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that my only daughter was missing! My only connection to Joanna, and the symbol of our undying love for each other… was missing. “I have a feeling that Callum Turner is behind this…” Peter’s voice rang through the phone.“What do you think he wants?” I asked, hating the fact that I felt so powerless in this situation. Though Callum Turner dominated the south. It was no secret that his influence rang deeper than one could imagine. And if he was indeed behind Keren’s abduction… Then I fear that getting her back might not be as easy as it should be. “We both know what he wants…” I know… And it kills me to realize that the reason why my daughter is in danger is because of Alyssa.“He became obsessed with her the second he saw her.” “Was their engagement truly valid?”“Yes,... The Emersons and Turners have been close for decades. And it’s no surprise that our parents had
“How do you know it’s love? You don’t doubt it.”….~ Alyssa ~As much as Keren’s absence bothered me… It didn’t bother me as much as the accusatory look in Austin’s eyes. He was blaming me for his daughter’s dissapearance, even without saying a word. “We’ve contacted the police, Mr. Hook, and they’ll be here soon.” The principal assured, his voice shaky under Austin’s intense stare.“They better do it.”The next few minutes were the hardest of my entire life, as the police officers came and did their interrogation. They tried retrieving the CCTV footage of the time around which she disappeared. But like Ashley had mentioned earlier, it was unavailable. Meaning? Her abduction wasn’t an accident but something that had been pre-planned.Was that why I had been feeling uneasy all day?Would it have changed anything if I had made her stay at home rather than let her go to school?The questions were endless, and I found myself crouched on the school bathroom floor as tears poured down my
“And… I hope you leave a mark on history.”….~ Austin ~There was something about this particular case that tugged at my heartstrings. Though I was unable to figure out exactly what it was until my client was pronounced “not guilty” and was at last set free. Our eyes met, and there was a smile, the kind I recognized so well given how often I had seen it. It was one of victory at last, when one had almost given up on ever finding that. I watched as his ex-wife was handcuffed by the officers despite her protests. And it made me wonder just how often truth actually wins. Because here was a man who had been in prison for over a decade for a crime he never committed. “Mr. Hook.” I nodded, acknowledging his presence as he approached. If there’s one thing I have learned so far in my career, then it’s that no one is ever too far gone. As there’s always a layer of humanity in everyone. Even the hardest of criminals. Not to even talk more of one accused of a crime he never committed.“Congr







