Sonia“Dennis! How could you…” Freya didn’t let me finish before she turned to me and cut me off.“Ohh save your strength. There’s no need to shout and startle my guest. If he says it’s fake, then what about this?” She let out just in time for another video to come on. This time, it was the one from the restroom where Dennis and I were just having s*x. I couldn’t even fathom how they recorded it but whoever set the camera did a really good job. They got all angles and there was no way Dennis could deny it now. Our faces were as clear as the day, and the way he f*ked me silly showed he wasn’t forced. It was with his full consent.“She couldn’t have doctored this in such a short period, especially since you seemed in control and still in the same suit… or did you, Sonia?” Freya suddenly asked, but I couldn’t say a word. I opened my mouth but no words came out. I looked at Dennis and I saw the scare on his face as he raked his hands shakily through his hair. I couldn’t really read his
FreyaI just couldn’t wrap my head around how much of a shameless wh*re Sonia was. Even after everything, she still had the gut to try to spin a lie against Victor…“That man raped me! Victor Whitmore!! He rap*d me!!!” Sonia started to yell the moment she sighted the police. She turned to everyone but only cold stares from the guest. They were all amazed by her shamelessness. Who wouldn’t?“Freya, tell them! You know he was the man who harassed me then. You know that Freya, tell everyone! You can’t turn your back on me now. I’m your sister, you said so yourself, you need to talk please. I know you’re mad at me right now, but that doesn’t mean you turn a blind eye and just let the man who harassed your sister hold you like that!!” I was so irked by her words. It was such a disgrace to even be associated with her. How could I be friends with such evil? “You’re not my sister, Sonia. You never were, it just took me long to realize it and, now that I know, it stays that way.” I let out,
JeffMy head rested against the cool glass, my eyes staring blankly at nothing in particular, as the driver drove through the busy streets. The ache in my chest was unbearable and no amount of deep breaths or thinking could ease it. I raked my fingers through my hair for what felt like the hundredth time, tugging slightly at the strands as if that would somehow pull the pain out of me. How could she? - I kept asking myself. Sonia. The woman I had loved with every fiber of my being. The woman I had planned a future with. I had adjusted my entire life, my ambitions, and my plans to include her and our baby… or at least the baby I thought was mine. My fists clenched at the thought. The baby isn’t even mine. “Sir, are you okay back there?” the driver asked hesitantly, his eyes meeting mine briefly in the rearview mirror. I cleared my throat, trying to sound composed despite the chaos in my chest. “I’m fine. Just… keep driving.” The driver nodded silently and focused back on t
Freya “Who was that?” I asked once Victor was off the phone. He showed the screen to me and I saw it was Jeff.“Jeff?” I quizzed while he nodded slowly.“Why was he calling you?” I pressed.“He said he needed Officer Kane’s number. He was one of the officers that came to arrest those fools.” He chimed in.“Let me just send it to him,” he added, and then proceeded to do some things on his phone before looking back up to face me.“Let’s get you something to eat now. I’m sure you haven’t had anything to eat all day. Did you?” he asked, while I just crashed onto the sofa. The last thing on my mind was food.“No, I didn’t, but I honestly don’t think I have the appetite. Maybe I will feel better tomorrow and eat something,” I replied, while he scoffed.“No can do, ma’am. You’re eating tonight and that’s final. Even if I have to feed it to you, I will. I’m not sitting by and watching you starve yourself when you should actually be celebrating right about now. I mean, you did that. You stoo
VictorI got into the kitchen with high expectations, ready to impress Freya with my cooking skills, and I was really trying… or I thought I was… until I stopped for a moment and took a look at what I had done.It was a complete mess!The kitchen smelled of chopped onions, raw chicken, and a faint hint of garlic from the clove I had just crushed. The scene before me was nothing short of chaos, bowls stacked on top of each other, half the flour on the counter instead of in the bowl, and an unopened can of tomatoes rolling dangerously close to the edge. I stood there with my hands on my hips, staring down at the assortment of ingredients I had pulled out, my confidence already dwindling. How hard could cooking be? Just follow a recipe, right? Wrong. There was no need to cry over spilled milk. I needed to find a way out and fast. The first idea that popped into my head was YouTube. I was confident I was going to find help there.The first video I pulled up was a cheerful chef who s
FreyaSeeing the tears in my eyes scared Victor so much. He didn’t even wait a second before snatching the phone from me the moment I turned the screen to him.“See for yourself…” that was all I could manage to say. He kept scrolling through while I started pacing the room, the headlines screaming loudly at me. After everything, how could they still be blaming me? “This isn’t good.” He finally found his voice, while I quickly turned back to him.“I know right. I mean I am the victim here. Why am I still the one getting all the hate? Why? Was I supposed to cover for my cheating fiancé? Is that really what they want from me? To cover for him, keep sponsoring his affair with my money? Keep quiet while he keeps f*cking that b*tch?” I let out and just had to stop when the tears started to choke me. I crashed heavily onto the sofa, and it got out of my control. I couldn’t stop the tears from coming, but I was silent. It was more of a quiet sobbing and that was the worst. I knew I was goi
VictorThe first thing I checked as I opened my eyes was the time. I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw it was only fifteen minutes to six in the morning. I would have set an alarm if I was back at home, but I didn’t want anything to disturb Freya’s sleep. I knew it must have been a bit difficult for her to get some sleep.I lay still on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, and before I knew it, I had drifted back into a short sleep. I saw the morning light streaming through the curtains and then checked the time again. It was twelve minutes past six now and though I had an important meeting later, I indulged my mind in the different thoughts that were fighting for attention. All thoughts were entirely consumed by Freya. I’d even spent half the night wondering if she was okay. The weight of everything she had been through hung in the air like an unspoken truth, and I knew today wasn’t going to be any easier for her. I sat up, did a little meditation to prepare myself ahead for the day
SoniaThe night at the police station felt like a never-ending nightmare. The cold metal bench beneath me, the dim lights flickering overhead, the muffled sounds of inmates arguing, it all felt surreal. I hadn’t stopped shaking since the moment we were separated. Every second stretched endlessly, the knot in my stomach growing tighter with each tick of the clock. Dennis hadn’t even looked at me. Not once. I’d spent most of the drive here pleading with him to talk to me, to at least let us talk and reason together. We both said mean things to each other in the heat of the moment, but he was taking it too far… ignoring me and refusing to talk to me. I mean, we have no one but each other… we planned it all together and a little bust isn’t the end of it. Dennis was playing right into Freya’s hands, she wanted us divided because she knew that was the only way she could win. I won’t let that. I would have gotten through to him in the car if the officers had to shut me up when my voice
FreyaMy hands were trembling long before I realized it.I had the phone on speaker, and Victor had barely finished parking the car when Nate dropped the first bomb.“It was Darla, Victor. The intruder… she’s your stepmom.” “What!!!” Victor and I exclaimed and then turned to each other at the exact same moment. His hand froze on the gear, and my heartbeat stopped dead in my chest.“Darla isn’t who you think she is.” Nate replied.“What the hell does that mean?” Victor asked sharply, his voice climbing.Nate didn’t stall. “She’s Sonia’s mother.”“What?!” I screamed, and this time, my voice cracked as the air got sucked out of my lungs.Victor echoed me, louder. “What the actual f… Nate, what the fuck are you saying?!” “I’m saying,” Nate continued, his voice too calm for the storm he was unleashing, “your stepmother, Darla, is actually Sonia’s biological mother. Her real name is Anna… Anna Wesson. Years ago, she dated a young man, a waiter. They were in love, but he couldn’t give her
Victor The moment I stepped through the door and saw Freya rushing over to greet me, something inside me softened. No matter how long the day was or how much weight I carried on my shoulders, seeing her smile made it all worth it. I held out the flowers I picked up on the way home. It was nothing extravagant, just fresh white tulips she liked. Her eyes lit up once I handed it to her and she beamed with smiles, making my heart flutter even more.She buried her face in the bouquet, inhaling deeply, and I watched her like a man who had no business owning this much peace. "Thanks baby, it smells so amazing," she murmured.“You do too,” I said with a grin, and kissed her. Her lips were warm, soft, familiar.As I slipped off my jacket, she asked the question I knew was coming. “Any word from Nate?”I sighed. “Not yet. He’s still digging.”She nodded slowly, that glimmer in her eyes dimming just slightly.“Don’t worry, I trust him, huh?” I let out while she nodded slowly. I know she’s stil
Victor The moment I parked the car, I didn’t even wait for the engine to go off completely before I flung the door open and rushed out. My pulse was thudding like a war drum in my ears, my heart hammering harder than it should for someone who had been reassured over the phone that everything was fine. But how could I trust that? How could I trust that when my woman was just confronted in our home by a stranger with a veiled threat? And I wasn’t there.How the heck did they even know she’d be there? It’s not as if we live together, and we stay at her place more than we come to mine! I should have been more careful. I should have stayed at home today to look after her!The guilt chewed at my insides like acid as I unlocked the front door and stepped in. My ears were tuned for any strange sound, my eyes scanning everything. The house looked calm, too calm for the kind of emotional earthquake I was sure she must’ve endured.Then I caught a whiff of vanilla and chocolate and followed it t
VictorStacey and I got into the car and I drove off. Having her with me changed my routine a bit, usually while driving to work in the morning, it’s always silent, so I use the time to reflect on my thoughts and day ahead. With Stacey, it’s totally different. She was seated beside me, quiet at first, just scrolling through her phone and occasionally replying to emails or whatever it was doctors did before a long shift. I didn’t think much of it until I caught her stealing glances at me. Once. Twice. Then again. And again.At first, I chalked it up to coincidence. Maybe something was on my face. I rubbed my jaw subtly, checked the mirror, and even adjusted the rearview to make sure nothing weird was going on with my hair. Nothing.But then she did it again, this time, a full glance paired with this shy little smile before looking out the window like I hadn’t seen her. And to top it off? She blushed. I mean actually blushed.That was when I knew something was up.I kept my eyes on the
FreyaI woke up to the softest brush of lips against my forehead, a tender, lingering kiss that stirred me from sleep far more gently than any alarm ever could. My lashes fluttered open, and for a second, I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming. But then I saw him. Victor, sitting at the edge of the bed, fully dressed in a sleek dark suit, his tie perfectly knotted, and that boyish, heart-melting smile on his face.“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he whispered, his hand lightly caressing my cheek.I smiled back at him, still feeling a little dazed from sleep, from everything that had happened the past few days. “You’re all dressed up,” I mumbled, stretching lazily beneath the covers. “What time is it?”“Almost eight,” he said, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. “I didn’t want to leave without seeing you awake first.”My heart squeezed at that. God, how did I ever get this lucky?I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and propped myself up slightly. “The court hearing...?” I asked, my voice stil
VictorMy fingers gripped the steering wheel so tight I thought it might snap off. Every mile I drove, every second I spent away from her, the anger in me only grew bigger, hotter. My mind wouldn’t stop flashing back to the way Freya looked lying unconscious on that hospital bed. She was so pale, so fragile.I slammed my palm against the steering wheel, the loud crack of it echoing inside the car.“Son of a b*tch!” I roared.Dennis was going to pay. He wasn’t just going to lose in court. No, that was too easy. Too clean. I was going to break him.I sped the rest of the way to the villa, not even caring that I was pushing way past the speed limit. Let the cops try to stop me tonight, they wouldn’t be able to slow me down if they tried.When I pulled up, I killed the engine and climbed out, slamming the door so hard the whole car shook. I didn’t even bother to check my surroundings. I was past the point of caring.Inside, the low sound of music filled the air, the smell of expensive liq
FreyaI was starting to feel restless, lying there and staring at the ceiling like I had nothing better to do. Victor was taking too long and it got me worried that he didn’t know what he was doing in there. I was about going to meet him when the door creaked open. I lifted my head and then blinked again just to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating.Victor walked in... and right beside him, Stacey.“Stacey!” I gasped, my voice practically breaking with surprise and relief.Before I could even process it properly, she rushed over to the bed and threw her arms around me. The sweet scent of her cologne and the warmth of her hug almost made me cry. I missed her so much.“Careful!” Victor’s voice cut sharply across the room. I laughed into Stacey’s shoulder, pulling back slightly just to look at his ridiculously serious face.“She’s fine, Victor!” Stacey said, rolling her eyes as she squeezed me a little tighter to make her point.I shook my head fondly and looked up at him, mock pleading, “Plea
Victor I must’ve paced the same the hospital corridor at least a hundred times, maybe more. My feet had gone numb, my throat was dry from whispering every kind of silent prayer I could think of, and my mind… God, my mind was a mess. All I could see was her falling, all I could hear was the dull, lifeless thud of her body hitting the ground, and all I could feel was this suffocating panic sitting heavy on my chest.Just then, the double doors finally creaked open and I turned so fast my neck cracked. It was the doctor with his white coat and a calm face.I don’t even remember moving. I was just suddenly in front of him, my hands grabbing his in a desperate, reflexive gesture. “Is she okay?” My voice cracked. I didn’t even care how I looked. I would’ve begged on my knees if I had to. “Please tell me she’s okay. Please.”He blinked, a little startled by how tightly I was gripping his arms. “She’s fine, Mr. Victor. She’s perfectly fine now.”I swear the air came back into my lungs in a r
SoniaI stood there, completely still, even as the air around us felt like it was vibrating with tension. Marshall's voice echoed in my head long after he’d stopped talking, like someone had stamped his words into my skull with a branding iron.‘A video... a judge that doesn't tolerate abuse... no way out.’And Dennis? God, he looked like a damn ghost. He was pale, shaken and for once, speechless.I watched him, watched the slow crumbling of his ego, his plans, his fake sense of control. And that’s when it hit me.He’s finished. Like… really finished.It was written all over his face. I didn’t need a judge or a lawyer to confirm it. I’d seen that look before, on men who lost everything and had no idea how to claw their way back. That mix of disbelief and slow, dawning horror that they’d gambled with too much and lost it all.And just like that, everything in me snapped to attention.Because I might’ve been a lot of things, but I wasn’t stupid. And I sure as hell wasn’t going down with