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Isla is a hardworking single mother whom her husband passed away a few years earlier. She finds herself unable to heal. Her world crumbles when she discovers that her son's father is not her late husband's, but Keegan's, her CEO.
Isla is a hardworking single mother whom her husband passed away a few years earlier. She finds herself unable to heal. Her world crumbles when she discovers that her son's father is not her late husband's, but Keegan's, her CEO.
I don't want to go to work. I absolutely do not. I have been exhausted for the past few days, or months. One day off a week is not enough. There is tidying of the house, laundry, helping Lucky with homework (Listening to him explain how he completed his homework), grocery shopping, drafting lunchbox ideas and then hair washing.
I don't recall the last time I properly washed my hair and deep conditioned it. On my day off, I am always tired, and I usually spend the day lying in bed, and before I know it, the day is over. The weekends and holidays are mandatory for going to work. So, I feel guilty about my inability to spend time with my son on weekends.
I miss Callan. Very much. I miss him every day, and often wish that he was still around. We always did the housework together, until he decided to leave me. An unchecked tear slowly moves out of the corner of my eye and gently pats the pillow.
I glance at the unoccupied pillow next to mine. Somehow, I'm unable to get used to sleeping alone. It has been six years since he left me with our baby, and now Lucky is in school. I did everything I could to ensure that Callan survived, but there is a voice at the back of my mind that feels like I didn't exhaust all options. I should've done more.
Tears sting my eyes, as per usual morning ritual. This is always followed by wondering if I would ever stop crying.
I get out of bed and when I open the door, I find Lucky with his knuckles almost touching the door. This makes me smile every time. He reminds me of my reason to live. I lift him up and I nuzzle his cheeks.
He laughs like he usually does, and his hearty laugh makes my day.
"What do you want for breakfast?" I ask, lifting him up and carrying him on my back.
"I don't know mom. What do I need for my brain to grow?" He shrugs as I put him down.
"I don't know. Let's find out." I go through the sparsely packed pantry.
"You go take a shower, while I prepare breakfast."
He immediately does as instructed.
I make him oats, and I regret not preparing it the night before. Overnight oats usually saves time, and I love that it is nutritious.
"Will this help with my brain?" His eyes widen.
"This will help you very much, trust mom." I try by all means to sound wise.
I add strawberries, bananas and berries. I put them in a smiley face. He beams when I hand the bowl over to him.
"I will check the internet for the benefits later." He takes a spoonful of his oats and fruit.
I laugh at his obvious lack of trust in me.
"You should stop showing off your brain's abilities. You need friends." I comment, taking a spoonful of oats while preparing the lunchbox.
"I have friends. Was I not going to have friends in the third grade?" He asks.
"I need you to have friends your age." I continue to eat.
"That class is boring. They teach everything I know."
"That's my fault," I mumble.
I always long for ways to spend time with him, to take him to a park, to the mall, to play video games and to do anything that children his age do. But, there is never time. My time belongs to my job. On the other hand, he devotes his time to books, because he is alone most of the time.
After breakfast, he shows me his homework.
"I did the homework yesterday after school. I was bored."
'Your dad would be proud of how responsible you are,' I say internally.
I smile at him. With me, he wouldn't be proud at all. I spent all the money that we had, I can't afford a babysitter, and our son is practically raising himself.
"Did you take the keys?" I ask as I put the lunchbox inside the lunch bag.
He smiles. "They are in my bag, where they are supposed to be."
"Ok, your lunch is in the refrigerator. Warm it up when you get home."
He nods.
"Do you remember how to use the microwave?" I tease.
"Mom!" He whines.
I lock the door and head to the car.
"What is my home lunch?" He looks up at me.
"Macaroni and cheese."
"Thank you mommy."
I smile and kiss his forehead.
When we get to the car, I put him on his seat, and while fastening the seat belt, I gaze at him.
"Are you okay mom?" He asks.
I nod.
I wish that there was some resemblance between him and Callan. He does look a little like me, but there is no trace of Callan. I don't like how I feel, seeing my son as a relic. Callan would want him to be his own person. Not a reminder of him.
In the car, he asks me to play nursery rhymes on the Cocomelon channel.
We sing along, and I laugh at how much he can be an old soul and a baby at the same time.
I drop him off at school, and we wave at each other.
"You look exhausted," Mia says as soon as she sees me.
"I know," I yawn.
"How was your day off?" She asks.
"Same old. Sleeping the entire day." I put my bag down and make a cup of coffee.
"That sounds like you."
Ever since we have been informed of a new CEO, there had been enormous changes. Such as break room renovations, new espresso machines and fancy seats. We have also been told that our work stations would undergo remodelling as well.
"Mia. Do any of your children look like their father?" I ask, taking a seat.
"Where is this coming from?" She sips her coffee.
"Lucky looks nothing like Callan. I sometimes look at him, and I long for even a tiniest resemblance. Then I feel guilty."
"It's understandable, you loved him." She passes me her lunchbox filled with chocolate chip cookies.
"That's the thing. Lucky is not an antique or a piece of clothing. He is a living soul."
"Don't worry. It's normal. You are still going through grief." She gives me a sympathetic smile.
"It's been years," I sip my coffee.
"You will be okay. Don't force yourself to heal. Give yourself time."
"I suppose. His granny is going to fly here to take him to visit her for the holidays. That judgy woman." I grimace at the thought of meeting her.
Mia is fortunate to have the best mother-in-law. We spend the rest of the time laughing and talking about toxic mother-in-laws. Her cousin's cousin's mother-in-law, her other friend's mother-in-law.
"If I didn't know better, I would think I was like those female characters who wants to get away from their werewolf mates, but the bond is too strong. But, that's fiction and I have to go along with facing the fact that I have psychological attachment issues." Willow ***** Liam is Willow's mate, but he plans to reject her, since he doesn't want a human mate because he might be the next alpha. On the other hand, Leo tries by all means to protect Willow from this rejection in order to use her to humiliate Liam in front of a pack which prefers purity in the werewolf bloodline. Willow also discovers a secret about Leo that gets her fuming with rage and lust for revenge. Through their fights, Leo and Willow end up having to work together to survive in places that sees them as outcasts.
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
Vengeance is hers, not God's. Andrea Campbell's world is shattered when Thane, her ruthless CEO husband, divorces her. Left with nothing, she has no family, no money, no identity. But as fate would have it, she is reunited with her billionaire birth father, Mr. Campbell. Five years later, Andrea returns as a stunning, sassy businesswoman, fueled by a burning desire for revenge. She plans to pull Thane into a high-stakes business collaboration and then destroy him. Thane, consumed by his ex-wife's transformation, will stop at nothing to reclaim her. Unaware of their hidden twin children and Andrea's secret game. He becomes increasingly obsessed. As they dance around their explosive past, Andrea struggles to keep her emotions in check. Thane's determination ignites a risky game of cat and mouse, where old feelings resurface and new flames ignite. Will Thane's all-consuming love be enough to quench Andrea's fury, or will her thirst for revenge destroy them both? Can Andrea resist Thane's relentless chase, or will she succumb to the passion that once bound them?
Abandoned as a child and orphaned by murder, Kathryn swore she'd reclaim every shred of her stolen birthright. When she returned, society called her an unpolished love-child, scoffing that Evan had lost his mind to marry her. Only Evan knew the truth: the quiet woman he cradled like porcelain hid secrets enough to set the city trembling. She doubled as a legendary healer, an elusive hacker, and the royal court's favorite perfumer. At meetings, the directors groaned at the lovey-dovey couple, "Does she really have to be here?" Evan shrugged. "Happy wife, happy life." Soon her masks fell, and those who sneered bowed in awe.
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
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