My Stand In Novel Novels & Stories

And just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, when I was ready to turn around and fall into defeat, the door finally creaked open. Stanley stood there, his towering figure filling the doorway. His eyes narrowed when he saw me. The anger in them was unmistakable. “I thought I asked you to leave?” he said, his voice sharp like a whip, and it cut through the air. I didn’t flinch, didn’t back down. Instead, I dropped to my knees, the cold of the floor seeping through my clothes, and my hands shook as they pressed into the ground. Tears spilled freely down my cheeks, each one a bitter reminder of my mistakes.

However, encountering someone so clueless about humility was a first for her. Frank has such taste? With no chair to sit on, Oriel decided to stand.

~Zara’s POV~ When Stanley suggested a quiet place for our meeting, I didn't expect a noisy bar full of old, drunk men dancing and trying to flirt with girls. As soon as I walked in, all eyes were on me. I felt awkward, unsure if they were staring at my outfit or something else. Either way, I was irritated as I spotted Stanley sitting at the far end. The music was loud, and the smell of alcohol made my skin crawl. Stanley saw me and waved. I hurried toward him, ignoring the prying eyes.

Cassie’s POV I stood in front of the massive mansion, its towering pillars and sprawling grounds as familiar as they were overwhelming. Nostalgia swept through me in a wave I wasn’t prepared for. This place had once been my sanctuary, but also my cage. Compared to my small condo, this was paradise, yet I had left it behind because I couldn’t breathe here. My mother never supported my dream, so I chose to chase it alone. Now, with my career in shambles, I wondered if walking away had been worth it.

Far enough to pretend I had the choice to step in. I did. Varyn’s gaze dropped to the stitches along my ribs, then rose to my eyes. Unblinking. Unimpressed. “You stand,” he said, as if updating a ledger. “On a good day,” I said. “On a bad one too. Standing is kind of my brand.” “Your ‘brand’ bleeds,” he replied. “Today you’ll make it bleed under instruction.” He tipped his chin at three warriors who stepped forward: scarred, silent, the easy balance of men who’d broken more things than they’d counted.

I held my breath, but then a wave of heat hit me, carrying a thick, foul stench. "What are you doing here?" A girl's voice echoed in my ear. I spun around and shook her hand off. Jane stood before me with a trash bag in hand. I clamped my hand over my nose to block out the stench. Jane tilted her head down and chuckled. Then, she looked at me, her eyes filled with mockery. "Disgusted, huh? You think you're better than me? Last night, your boyfriend was begging for me. You should've seen how hard he held on to me at the end. I could barely breathe."

You should be writing your novel and not having obscene fantasies about your brother! " Thinking about me, little sister?” The familiar voice says. For a second I think it's all in my imagination until I take note of the shadow falling across my table. I shut my laptop and turn around with a gasp and truly, the subject of my imagination is standing there. He looks fresh out of practice, dressed in nothing but a pair of basketball shorts, sweat littered around his tatted torso, hair wet and sticking to the sides of his face and jersey hung on his shoulders.

I vividly remembered the night that she learnt that everything was set for her to relocate to New York. That was the same night that she dropped the bombshell about her pregnancy and the fact that she was keeping it and was going to raise the child alone. For months, I wanted to ask her what if it was.... nevermind. Looking at her now, watching her interact with the staff, it was clear she had forcefully picked up the shattered pieces of her life. Suddenly, a sound emitted from Stanley’s phone, cutting through the silence of the hallway and dragging me violently back to the present.

“Close the door fully and feel free. I’m not a monster. My name is Ethan. The first time I saw you at the bar, I wanted to come meet you. You were very beautiful to be looking so down that night. But when I saw that man from earlier approach you, I had to stop. I waited, watched and listened instead.” I just stood there listening to him with shame burning in my chest. My face felt hot. I remembered that night too well. The drinks, the one night stand with Mark, the bad decisions, how I paid him and left. Now this stranger knew details I wished I could forget. I didn’t say anything. I just listened, arms crossed tight over my chest.