I Can't Shake The Pain Away

The moonlight slips through the thin curtains. I toss and turn, restless, the silk sheets tangling around my legs like a trap, refusing to offer me even the smallest comfort. It’s as if the more I try to find a place of peace, the further it slips away from me.Every time I close my eyes, I see the confrontation with my mother. Her words echo in my head, slicing through the quiet of my thoughts.Disowned. The word hangs in the air like a curse, a final severing of the bond I had foolishly hoped still existed between us. I had always known it, deep down, even when I was her daughter only in name. Her rejection isn’t the worst part, though. It’s the realization that she never meant well for me.I roll onto my left side, the cool sheets sliding beneath me as I try to steady my breathing. But no matter how hard I try, the image of Knox fills my mind, and a fresh wave of pain grips my chest. He was the only one who ever really saw me for who I am. The only person who offered me somethin

My Mother's Rage

EmmaThe day drags on, and I do my best to focus on the work in front of me, pushing everything else out of my mind. The sound of typing and the soft murmur of office noise all serve as a distraction. I need to stay busy, need to bury myself in something just to keep from succumbing to the mess inside my head.I’ve just finished replying to a string of emails when the click of heels echoes through the office. The sound grows louder, and before I can fully register what’s happening, my mother is walking towards my desk. I freeze, my heart thudding loudly in my chest.Then she walks past my desk without so much as a glance and heads straight to Iva’s desk. I watch, still sitting frozen in my chair, as my mother drops her laptop in front of Iva with a sharp, irritated movement. My heart sinks as I see the tension on Iva’s face.“What is this nonsense?” my mother snaps, her voice icy. “You were supposed to get the details of every lead you found. Where are they?”Iva looks up from her

Ending Our Secret Affair

EmmaHe reaches for my hand again. I pull it back before I can even think about it. That actually hurts, like a pain deep inside my chest that will not go away. Every part of me wants to fall into him to disappear where it feels safe and warm.I cannot do that anymore. Not after everything that has happened."So that is it then?" he says, his voice rough with disappointment at first then it quickly changes to something angrier. "You are seriously not going to change your mind?"I cannot even look at him. If I make eye contact with him for one second I will completely lose it. So I stare at things instead. His laptop, the edge of the desk, the floor. Anything but his face."Do not make this harder," I say. My voice is tiny and weak, barely loud enough for him to hear.He steps closer, his voice dropping lower. "Then let us fight for this Emma. Come on. You are really going to throw it all? All those nights, every promise, every time I held you and swore I would never let anything hurt

Is She Guilty?

KnoxI sit behind this massive oak desk, knuckles white from how hard I’m gripping the edge. The evening light coming through the tall windows.Mr. Adams is across from me, laptop balanced on his lap, looking all pale and fidgety under that screen glow.“So you’re telling me we got compromised?” I ask, voice low, but I can hear the rage barely holding back.He nods slowly, pushes his glasses up with a shaky finger. “Yes. I was digging into those missing funds and this popped up. Someone’s been leaking client data to the competitors. The trail goes right to one of Emma's logins.”My stomach drops. I can’t wrap my head around it. Emma? Doing this to me? I trusted her with everything. Let her get way too close, into my life, into my damn heart. Now this betrayal is staring me right in the face. Was it her mother pushing her? Or did she cook this up herself? The thoughts burn like acid in my gut. All this time I thought she actually loved me, and she could just turn on me like that. Mak

Breaking Under The Lie

EmmaI sit on my bed, knees pulled up to my chest.My work clothes still cling to my skin, stiff and uncomfortable, like they no longer belong to me.I’ve been avoiding Iva all night. Every time she knocks on my door, asking me what happened, I turn her away. Earlier, she knocked twice. I lied and told her it was just another argument with my stepfather. She believes me, because that’s how it always is at home.But that’s not the truth. The scene keeps replaying in my mind. Knox and Mr. Adams, standing there, their eyes cold. Their words cut through me like knives. They accused me of leaking client data. They said they had proof. But that is no proof, because I didn’t do it.Tears pour down my face. I can’t stop them. I wouldn’t ever do that. My work is the only thing I have left. Why would I destroy it?The door creaks open, and I quickly wipe my eyes, trying to hide the evidence of my tears. My hands shake as I scrub my face.Iva peeks in, her eyes immediately softening with conce

All Chapters of My Step Father, My Desire : Chapter 181 - Chapter 185

I Can't Shake The Pain Away

My Mother's Rage

Ending Our Secret Affair

Is She Guilty?

Breaking Under The Lie