GENERALThe sun dipped low over the backyard, casting golden hues across the freshly mowed lawn and the shimmering surface of the pool.The scent of grilled corn and barbecue wafted through the air, and the sound of giggles echoed across the garden as Nyla and Nathan chased after each other with water balloons.Their shrieks were loud and unapologetically joyful.The family was putting on family T-shirts with the inscription of their status in the family on the back.Violet stood barefoot on the grass; the oversized T-shirt she was wearing had “Mum” embroidered at the upper back, and she paired it with blue denim shorts. She had tongs in one hand and a bowl of sliced mango in the other. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and her face glowed from the warmth of the evening and the chaos around her.Her eyes wandered over the children, who were engrossed in the fun they were having, and she caught sight of Nathan trying to throw the water balloon at Nyla’s face. “Don’t throw it at her
GENERALThe mansion stood like a silent promise at the end of the winding, cobblestone driveway—a perfect blend of old-world charm and modern elegance. White stone walls gleamed beneath the afternoon sun, with ivy curling gently around carved archways and wrought-iron balconies. Glass-paneled doors framed a grand entrance that looked like it belonged in a painting.But to Violet, it wasn’t just beautiful. It was theirs. Their home. A new beginning. The world she had dreamed of. The one that took a lot of discipline and sacrifice.Nyla was the first to leap from the car as soon as it stopped, her straight hair swinging with each step. Her eyes shone brightly, and her mouth broadened. “Is this it?” she asked breathlessly, eyes wide as she twirled in the center of the circular drive. The children hadn’t stopped talking about it since they heard from their mother that they would be moving together into their own mansion. The children were excited. They chattered about it every day.“This
VIOLET“My baby!” I shouted as soon as I got into her ward. It was the following day, and she had finally opened her eyes after 24 hours.The last hours were torturous and cruel. I kept thinking of so many possibilities and impossibilities. What if Nancy hadn’t found her when she did? What if Nancy had gone into their room later? There were a lot of what-ifs in my head. And they were scarier than the day she almost drowned at the beach.Sitting beside her bed, I hugged her. “My love. Thank you for coming back to Mummy. Thank you so much for coming back, my love,” I said, my voice trailing off at the end as my emotions took over. “Thank you, Nyla,” I mumbled, tears streaming down my cheeks.“Mummy! My neck,” she mumbled, and that was when I realized I had been pressing too tightly.Chuckling, I broke the hug and drifted away from her. “I’m sorry, darling.”“Where’s Nathan?” she asked, her eyes wandering around the room.“Oh! He’s with Daddy. They’re on their—”I hadn’t completed my sta
VIOLET“She is cold, Stewart,” I cried, clutching his arms. I let the tears stream from my eyes, unheeded and uncontrollably. “Nothing must happen to my kid, Stewart. Nothing must happen to Nyla. I don’t think I will be able to forgive myself if anything happens to her.”He patted my shoulder gently. “Nothing will happen to her, Violet. Nyla will be fine. My girl is strong. I’m sure she will be fine,” he asserted. Although he wasn’t showing it, from his erratic breathing, I could tell that he was just as emotionally disrupted as I was. He was just holding himself together because he was a man.“Please, Stewart. Nothing must happen to Nyla,” I begged.I didn’t know what to do. My daughter was in the hospital, fighting for her life, and I couldn’t do anything. What kind of mother was I? How could I be this powerless and useless?Soon, we arrived at the hospital. I didn’t wait for the car to be properly parked before jumping out and dashing into the building. Stewart joined in, running a
VIOLETMaybe we should have spent seven days in Mexico. The two days were extremely short for me. I didn’t want the vacation to end. I just wanted it to keep going. It was a memorable one, I must say. Stewart did everything to make me feel like the queen I was. He reminded me of how valuable I was. He made me know I was his priority and always would be. He was the best thing that had ever happened to me, and the trip was the best thing that had ever happened to us.It was a memorable one. I wanted to do it over and over and over again. I didn’t want it to end, but it had to.I wasn’t the Violet from the past. I am a businesswoman. I had a lot to tend to. I couldn’t keep everything from Liam. He had tried his best. Certainly, he would want to break my head anytime he set his eyes on me. I had made him work his ass to death.“Welcome to the United States of America.” The voice ripped through the air as we dragged our trolley out of the airport. As soon as we got out of the airport, we s
GENERAL“YOU. ARE. SUCH. A. FOOL,” Willow yelled, hurling a pen at Vincent.Vincent was quick to recoil before the pen could hit him. His eyes widened, and he gasped, shocked by what was happening. The woman in front of him was getting more insane and smitten with Violet and Stewart.He knew his regret for what transpired between them that night would be forever. It wouldn’t stop anytime soon because she never missed the chance to use that against him.“All you had to do was look for a way to split those two bastards. What have you been doing? Do you know that they are in Mexico? Together? Sleeping on the same fucking bed?” she fired, her eyes radiating fireballs. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.She paced across the room, putting a hand on her hip and rubbing her temple. The veins in her neck were visible. Anyone could detect that she was on fire at the moment.Vincent couldn’t say a word. He understood he had brought the mess upon himself, and he should endure whatev