Good Night, Mr. Tom

After one year of fighting heartbreak, failure, depression and pain, Tory finally trys to put her life back together to prove to the world and herself that no matter what happens she will never break but life has other plans for her, as she has a lot to learn, as she becomes the best and better version of herself.

My dad always calls me a lazy bum. It is because I often fall asleep without warning. I sleep in class, while eating, and even while crossing the street. My homeroom teacher, Yvonne Smith, suggests that he take me to a hospital for an examination. But Dad scoffs and says, "He's just staying up all night playing on his phone." After that, he confiscates my phone and removes the lock from my bedroom door. Every time I get sleepy, he slaps me. I don't want to be hit, and I don't want to make Dad angry. So, I start pinching my thighs, pulling out my hair, and even rubbing hand sanitizer spray under my nose to stay awake. But whenever the overwhelming drowsiness hits, nothing can stop it. On the day of the final exams, Dad happens to be one of the invigilators. I bite my lip until it bleeds and silently beg myself inwardly, "Just this once, please stay awake." Still, I fail to fight off the sleepiness. Suddenly, someone flips over my desk. The chair tips with it, and I crash to the floor. My temple slams into the corner of the desk, and darkness instantly floods my vision. Dad stands over me, furious and disappointed. "Zach Davies, are you really so obsessed with sleeping that you don't even care about your final exams? If you're that lazy, then stay down there and keep sleeping!" I lie sprawled across my exam paper as my vision slowly fades away. Dad, I think I am going to sleep for a very long time…

The day I found out that my pilot husband, George, had given our wedding band to his widowed childhood sweetheart as a talisman, I changed his contact name to Captain Tanner. When I was suffering from a severe stomach bleed, George got a call from Tammy, saying that her son had woken up from his sleep, missing his late father. Without another word, George walked out on me. He promised to be there for my follow-up appointment, but he was quick to change his flight for Tammy because she was afraid of the thunderstorm while at the airport. I snapped a photo of my medical evaluation and texted, “Have a safe flight, Captain Tanner.” It was the same old reply. “Quit acting up. Tammy and her son have had it tough enough.” Later, he booked our favorite restaurant to slip the ring back onto my finger in celebration of our seventh wedding anniversary. Before we could get inside the establishment, the call from Tammy came in. “George, I’m scared. Can you pick me up? Liam said that you’re the only father he’s got…” George took one look at me and opened his mouth to explain. I handed the ring box to the server. “Please dispose of this for me.” I then turned to him. “Captain Tanner, your passengers are waiting.”

"Just imagine all the things I can do to you now Anne. With you vulnerable, submissive, worthless, and at my every comand." He says then grabs my shoulder and whips me around. I try to keep my gaze down but his hand is on my face and he grips it hard, making me cry out in pain. Then he forces my jaw up to look at him. His cold eyes express power. Cold, heartless power. "But I won't touch you, ever. You're still a stripper, insignificant and meaningless and dirty." Marcella should have known it was a bad idea, that this was a bad idea. How did she end up working as a maid for Mr. Robinson? Why did she choose to be stuck suffering under his power? It was bad enough that she worked as a stripper for him, disguising her identity for as long as she could. But the minute she chose to leave and find something better, she ended up as his maid. And the answer remains the same… she’s doing this for her brother, and the one promise she made. Now she’s stuck working as a maid for the ruthless Mr. Robinson and as much as he takes advantage of her position, Marcella is not ready to give up. No. She will stay and remain strong with all that she has. And who knows? She might end up taming Mr Robinson.

Carol has harbored a forbidden obsession with Mr. Rich for as long as she can remember—a desire so intense it consumes her thoughts and fuels fantasies she could never confess. He's older, unavailable, and completely off-limits. But none of that diminishes the magnetic pull she feels every time they're in the same room. The problem? Kate—her best friend since childhood—is Mr. Rich's daughter. Carol is trapped in an impossible situation. Every visit to Kate's house is torture and temptation wrapped into one. Every casual conversation with Mr. Rich sends her imagination spiraling. She knows what she wants, but the cost of pursuing it could destroy the most important friendship she has. The questions multiply in her mind: What would happen if she finally made her move? Would Mr. Rich be horrified, intrigued, or something she hasn't even considered? And Kate—would she ever forgive such a betrayal? Could their friendship survive Carol crossing this ultimate boundary? Carol stands at a precipice between desire and loyalty, between the fantasy she's nurtured for years and the real-world consequences that would follow. She knows she should walk away, bury these feelings, and preserve what matters most. But obsession doesn't obey logic or morality. As the tension builds, Carol must answer the question that haunts her every waking moment: does she care enough to stop herself—or is the risk of losing everything worth one chance at getting what she's always wanted?

What happens when your life is just a lie? What happens when you finally find out that none of what you believe to be real is real? What if you met someone who made you question everything? And what happens when your life is nothing but a fiction carved by Mr. Fiction himself? "The truth is rarely pure and never simple." — Oscar Wilde. Disclaimer: this story touches on depression, losing someone, and facing reality instead of taking the easy way out. ( ( ( part of TBNB Series, this is the story of Clarabelle Summers's writers ))