LOGINThe morning of the procedure arrived much faster than I expected.After checking in at the clinic, a nurse led me to a private room where I changed into a pale blue hospital gown.I sat on the edge of the bed, nervously twisting my wedding ring around my finger while a nurse checked my blood pressure one final time.“You’ll be under light anesthesia,” she explained kindly. “You’ll be asleep throughout the procedure so that you won’t feel any pain.”I nodded, though my stomach continued to churn.The nurse smiled. “Do you have any questions before we take you in?”I glanced at Xavier who stood beside the bed with his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers. He looked impossibly calm.I envied him.“No.” “Ready?” he asked.I let out a shaky laugh. “Not even a little.”He pulled a chair beside the bed and sat down.“You’ll be fine.”“I know.”“You don’t sound convinced.”“I’m trying to be brave.”“You already are.”The simple words eased some of the tension knotting in my chest.A
We arrived at an enormous-looking hospital about an hour later.Xavier pulled into the driveway and parked the car.The hospital looked every bit as expensive as it was impressive. Its glass exterior gleamed beneath the morning sun, and people in crisp white coats moved purposefully in and out through the revolving doors.There was no way I would’ve been able to afford a hospital like this if I weren’t fake married to Xavier. The thought made me chuckle inwardly.My palms were sweaty. I was nervous.The silence inside the car wasn’t helping either. If anything, it only made my thoughts louder.Beside me, Xavier looked as calm and composed as ever.At this point, I wondered if anything ever rattled him.We climbed out of the car and quietly made our way toward the entrance. Neither of us spoke.With every step I took, my heartbeat seemed to grow louder.We stepped into the reception
“Woah, relax, man. I truly mean no harm,” Kendrick said to Xavier before reaching into a paper bag and holding out a small box to me.Before I could take it, Xavier stepped in.He took the box from Kendrick instead, opened it, and carefully checked its contents. Only after making sure everything was fine did he hand it over to me.I couldn’t help but find the gesture endearing.At the same time, it made me realize just how deeply Kendrick’s actions had damaged their relationship. Xavier no longer trusted his own brother—not even enough to let him hand me a simple gift without checking it first.I lowered my gaze to the box.In it were Muffins. I glanced at the label. They were banana-flavored, my favorite.He still remembered. How… thoughtful.If only he’d done this because he genuinely wanted to, and not because he was trying to make up for everything he’d done, maybe the gesture would’ve meant more than it did right now.“…Um… I thought I’d get you something you’d enjoy,” Kendrick
My phone chimed on the nightstand beside my bed as a notification popped up.I wiped my hands with a napkin and reached for it.DrakeKen__Crest829 started following you.I frowned as I tapped on the notification.Kendrick?Several months after blocking me on every platform, he suddenly wanted to follow me?The audacity.I opened his profile, only to find that his account was private.Of course it was. After the stunt he pulled recently, I’d be surprised if it wasn’t.I backed out and noticed a message request waiting in my inbox.Curiosity got the better of me. I quickly tapped on it.It was from Kendrick.I rolled my eyes in irritation at his sudden urge to reach out.I opened the message and quickly scanned through it.I stared at the screen for a few seconds.Hey Syd, I know I’ve hurt and offended you in the
“You have forty-eight hours to retract every statement you’ve made publicly.”I heard Xavier say over the phone just as I was about to walk past his room on my way to the laundry room.I couldn’t help myself.I quietly stepped closer and pressed my ear against the door, shamelessly eavesdropping on his conversation.I couldn’t hear what the person on the other end was saying. All I could make out were Xavier’s responses.“Look, Bianca, I am willing to fight you to extreme lengths over what you did. The least I’m asking is for you to retract every statement you’ve made, or I’ll have no choice but to follow through with the lawsuit.”Good Lord. He’s talking to the witch.“This is me being cordial. If you don’t oblige, then be prepared to face the consequences of your actions.”A few seconds later, the call ended and silence followed.I hurried into the laundry room, Xavier’s words replaying over and over in my mind.Why is Bianca really after me?Is this still about Xavier…Or is there
I sat up straight the moment I saw Xavier drive into the parking lot.Finally.He had decided to come home after leaving so abruptly this morning.It was already 9:25 p.m. I couldn’t help but wonder where he had been all day. Somehow, I had a feeling he hadn’t been at the office.A few moments later, I heard the elevator ding, followed by the familiar beep of the fingerprint scanner as Xavier unlocked the front door.I remained seated in the living room. The lights were off, leaving the room cloaked in darkness. I folded my arms across my chest, trying to keep the anger bubbling inside me under control.He stepped inside, completely unaware that I was there.He slipped off his shoes and was about to head to his room when I finally spoke.“Where have you been all day?” I asked, still seated.He flinched slightly before turning toward the sound of my voice. I had obviously startled him, but I was to
I was disheveled and trying to pull myself together when I saw Xavier strolling in with a bored expression on his face, two security guards walking alongside him. “Escort Miss Poe here out of these premises this instant” he said with no emotion to the security. I stood there, dumbfounded and tongu
I left the office very aggravated. Who does Xavier think he is?..... To propose a flimsy fake marriage to me. Does he think I am one of his whores? I wondered to myself. I hadn’t even bothered to read the whole of the contract before I rejected it. I started to blame myself for saying no when he a
I got to work a few minutes past resumption time because I slept through my alarm— it must be my body’s way of resting after my terrific weekend. My morning was rushed, I had to prepare hurriedly for work and still ended up arriving late. I rushed in, scared of the consequences of my boss arriving
“Whoa! Breathe Sydney— what happened?!” My best friend’s voice filled with panic asked in perplexity. “What’s happening Syd?” She paused, “I’m beginning to get very worried— did someone die?” She asked worriedly. “Okay, breathe— in, out, yes just like that” she says trying to get me stable. After







