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No 2024-05-08 18:45 active 760 0 2889405614549694 Twin Keeps Pointing at Sister's Head, Doctor Makes a Surprising Discovery The twin's pointing game takes a dark turn as the doctor uncovers something sinister lurking in the sister's head. LEARN_MORE https://parentztalk.com/baby-keeps-on-pointing-ua/ 107617451792482 Data Stories https://facebook.com/100078180787100 109 1 461,165,739,824,712 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 Data Stories 120210011300380439 parentztalk.com NONE image For some people, becoming parents is the ultimate life goal. Even still, the path to parenthood isn't always easy and no matter how much you try to prepare, things rarely end up going as planned. When Cara and Joe tried to get pregnant, they faced just about every hurdle possible until a miracle hap... https://parentztalk.com/baby-keeps-on-pointing-ua/ 2024-05-07 15:17 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438165309_987531082735545_4268385795719574937_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7BFkdUQT-R8Q7kNvgGw8ZcF&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCOZvFUg_gmgyLz0xTibCFByTm5caMe4vGYscyQZBbpLg&oe=6641F8DF person_profile 0 Data Stories https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441068498_1613386049426852_2074381003823218967_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tFfcVZYlDfYQ7kNvgHBcjeX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAtCTKyDC4_IY7dx1OqDM5Ec8TiGrbtkHjOzAYpW6A75g&oe=6641EEFA 0 3 Data Stories 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-05-08 18:44 active 760 0 966545011344112 Simple Ritual Banished My Nerve Pain My Nerve Pain started with pins &amp; needles, then the burning &amp; tingling kept me up at night… but it was when I lost all feeling in my feet that it tore through my life…<br /> <br /> I turned to the only help I knew, the doc… just to be told “Learn to live with it”.<br /> <br /> No more driving, no more long walks with our dog, no longer being trusted to care for the grandkids.<br /> <br /> I felt like a prisoner in my own body!<br /> <br /> I turned to creams &amp; cold compresses but the burning sensation just kept coming back worse.<br /> <br /> I was exhausted by the doctors telling me there was little hope, but they always had another expensive med for me to try.<br /> <br /> And when I started refusing… they scared me with amputation.<br /> <br /> Then at home the talks about me going into care were getting more serious!<br /> <br /> Just as I lost all hope, I thank god for an old friend reaching out.<br /> <br /> They sent me the video below and the simple ritual that changed my life as I know it.<br /> <br /> It pointed to the surprising root cause of my burning sensation, a little known link that even my doctor wasn’t aware of.<br /> <br /> “Doctors treat symptoms, not the root cause” makes total sense to me now.<br /> <br /> The video showed me the simple fix that takes me less than a minute a day in the comfort of my own home… that has drastically turned my numbness, burning and tingling around.<br /> <br /> The best part… I feel normal again!<br /> <br /> My daily limitations disappeared, I could feel the carpet under my feet and I didn’t have to depend on others anymore!<br /> <br /> No more talks of care homes, now we talk about how I can care for the grandkids again!<br /> <br /> Please take nerve pain seriously while you still have the chance.<br /> <br /> Tap “Learn more” now LEARN_MORE https://story.themaryhilton.net/398?utm_source=%7B 109560497903284 Mary Hilton https://facebook.com/themaryhilton 18,606 11 425,950,410,050,709 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 Mary Hilton 120207847196650410 story.themaryhilton.net NONE image https://story.themaryhilton.net/398?utm_source=%7B%7Bcampaign.name%7D%7D&utm_medium=%7B%7Badset.name%7D%7D&utm_campaign=%7B%7Bad.name%7D%7D 2024-05-07 23:39 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441307957_8300054056675517_2705387385508903293_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9VPUXM3gluUQ7kNvgE1gGCE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBr_qA9l7MSjRU7XwAWKywmj-F6dkxbF2sm93_3Nx4gyQ&oe=6641D969 person_profile 0 Mary Hilton https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441338800_1163830301729821_176531029113049839_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TCKKf9oLWX8Q7kNvgGnkaft&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDLscD_6Nr6ilv3_9lNModSgcOs7SfXxkB7pxjyPe2xMg&oe=6641EFBB 0 3 Mary Hilton 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-05-08 18:37 active 760 0 7538169902934468 🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻 After my boyfriend broke up with me because he found his mate, my father told me a shocking fact.<br /> &quot;Dante Pelosi. The Alpha of the Midnight Fire pack.&quot;<br /> Mate!<br /> I flinch in recognition, an eerie feeling of hope filling me. Conflicting with the sense of rejection, it&#039;s too much. <br /> How can my wolf be so happy when I feel like complete mass right now?<br /> &quot;That was-- the Alpha?&quot; I whisper.<br /> &quot;Your mate,&quot; Dad states, getting to his feet abruptly.<br /> &quot;What--&quot; I huff, pushing the breakfast tray aside.<br /> &quot;You heard me, Alanna. I saw the look in your eyes when you saw him from the truck. Your eyes were glowing...and so were his. That only happens when you first set eyes on your mate.&quot;<br /> Dad towers over the bed once more, arms crossed over his chest as I watch me with a knowing smile.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s impossible!&quot; I insist, avoiding eye contact.<br /> &quot;No, it isn&#039;t. And you&#039;re blushing.&quot;<br /> &quot;Well, we&#039;ve been invited to his house. He wants to meet you face to face.&quot;<br /> ————————<br /> Alanna&#039;s POV<br /> I&#039;ve been waiting for this night for as long as I can remember. Tonight, the packs will finally know about Kurt and I.<br /> &quot;Aly, we have to leave soon. Kurt said he&#039;ll pick you up at eight.&quot; Ryan, my older brother repeats in exasperation.<br /> I&#039;m too busy attacking my auburn locks with a flat iron, wondering if my navy dress is formal enough for this evening. I wouldn&#039;t want Kurt to think I&#039;m underdressed, especially since he&#039;s deciding to make such an important announcement at such a prestigious event.<br /> It&#039;s the annual Moonlight Gala, the one night where all twelve werewolf packs in the country are reunited. Whether we like it or not, all of us must get along and the Moonlight Gala is an attempt to encourage social relations between each pack. Only high ranking pack members are allowed to attend, which is why this is such a big deal for me.<br /> Kurt and I are not mates. We&#039;ve been dating for over a year and we couldn&#039;t be happier.<br /> Despite his position as Alpha, Kurt has the same beliefs as me - mates are a myth, they don&#039;t exist. By taking me as his &#039;plus one&#039; to the Moonlight Gala, he&#039;s making a statement. I&#039;m the girl he wants to be with and no supposed soulmate can change that. I am his soulmate.<br /> &quot;I think you&#039;re making a big mistake, Aly.&quot; Reese, my other brother chips in.<br /> I continue to feign ignorance, pausing to glance briefly at my twin brothers who are both staring back in concern, their identical faces showing disapproval. As senior pack fighters, Ryan and Reese are on good terms with Kurt. However, they can&#039;t stop him from seeing me. I know they&#039;re starting to dislike Kurt due to his audacity by dating me so openly.<br /> &quot;This is my life, guys. My choice. My decision.&quot; I hate being so stuck up with my brothers. The three of us are inseparable and any spats between us are usually light hearted.<br /> &quot;Aly, one day ... Kurt will find his mate. He&#039;s an Alpha. Do you really think he&#039;ll ditch the future Luna of this pack for a teenage romance?&quot; Ryan refuses to give up, his tanned features turning red.<br /> I slam the flat irons down on the dresser, refusing to take the bait. They&#039;ll never understand what Kurt and I share. No-one will. I walk past their towering frames, slipping on my black stilettos.<br /> &quot;If it were up to us, we&#039;d put a stop to this. Dad would put a stop to this.&quot; Reese adds, scratching his shaven chin.<br /> That&#039;s when I cave in, huffing indignantly.<br /> &quot;Well he can&#039;t. None of you can!&quot; I snap, losing what little composure I have.<br /> Ryan and Reese blink in surprise, slightly hurt by my temperamental reaction. I&#039;m never like this, I&#039;m usually so calm, this whole situation has been throwing me off for the past few months. Instantly, I regret losing temper. They&#039;re only looking out for me.<br /> &quot;Dad is Kurt&#039;s Beta.&quot; I whisper calmly, smoothing my hair down. &quot;Therefore he can&#039;t question Kurt&#039;s actions. He can&#039;t stop us from being together, so he&#039;ll just have to deal with it.&quot;<br /> We&#039;re interrupted by a brisk knock on my bedroom door. My father pokes his head around the corner, the signature frown present on his broad face.<br /> &quot;Alanna, Kurt is here. Don&#039;t keep the Alpha waiting.&quot; His disapproving eyes scan my appearance, frown growing harsher.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m ready.&quot; I nod, reaching for my clutch purse.<br /> There&#039;s nothing else left to say and to avoid another argument, it&#039;s easier to leave without another word. Dad steps aside, ready to let me pass.<br /> &quot;Think about what you&#039;re doing, Alanna.&quot; He states, grabbing my elbow firmly. &quot;This will end badly and you&#039;ll be the one with the tainted reputation.&quot;<br /> Don&#039;t overreact. He&#039;s just doing his part as the concerned parent. We should listen to him.<br /> I ignore my wolf, tuning out her protests. She&#039;s waiting for our &#039;mate&#039; and according to her, Kurt is a waste of time. Even his Alpha status isn&#039;t attractive to her and wolves love power and dominance.<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll see you guys at the Gala.&quot; I mutter tersely, prising my arm out of Dad&#039;s grip without looking back.<br /> He reluctantly lets me go with a deep sigh. I leave my family standing in my bedroom in awkward silence as I hurry down the stairs to meet Kurt in the manicured driveway.<br /> He&#039;s sat in his sleek sports car, nodding his head to the thumping rap music as he checks his appearance for the hundredth time, spiking up his short, corn blonde hair.<br /> He senses my presence as soon as I close the front door, leaning out of the window with a lazy grin. As I approach the car, he flashes his all-American smile in my direction with a wink of his cerulean eyes.<br /> &quot;Hey babe, you look hot.&quot; He calls, as I walk around the car and open the door, slipping inside.<br /> You know what else they call a babe? A pig. So technically, he compared us to a pig.<br /> I hush my wolf silently, wishing she&#039;d give up with the snide comments already. Yes, I know she hates Kurt but he&#039;s our Alpha and she has to respect him.<br /> He didn&#039;t even bother getting out of the car to open your door.<br /> &quot;You ready, Aly?&quot; Kurt asks lightly, squeezing my knee in affection. He starts the car, reversing out of the driveway and speeding off down the road, ready to make the fifteen minute journey to the manor where the Gala will be held.<br /> &quot;Of course, babe. I&#039;m so glad we&#039;re going together.&quot; I emphasise the word, trying to annoy my wolf. She responds with a growl, showing her distaste regarding my choice of words.<br /> &quot;Good, I can&#039;t wait to show you off to the other Alphas.&quot; Kurt waggles his eyebrows playfully, making me giggle. Of course, I don&#039;t cackle like I usually do. Instead, I use my girly, reserved tone because I know he hates my real laugh.<br /> Oink oink. Stop acting like a Barbie doll. I love your laugh.<br /> &quot;How come we&#039;re leaving without the rest of the pack?&quot; I inquire, wondering why Kurt insisted on picking me up so early. The Gala doesn&#039;t start till late.<br /> &quot;As Alpha, I have to turn up a little early. The Gala&#039;s being held on our turf this year, so I need to greet all the other packs personally.&quot; He grumbles, rolling his eyes as he steps on the accelerator, zooming down the dark country road.<br /> He&#039;s not our Alpha. He never will be. He&#039;s just a pretender.<br /> Stop making this so difficult! Why can&#039;t you just agree with me for once?<br /> I&#039;m just stating what everybody else thinks. This fool will never be the great Alpha his father was.<br /> Michael is gone. Kurt&#039;s taken over and he&#039;s doing a decent job despite being so young, while having to deal with his father&#039;s death. Now stop it.<br /> &quot;I was thinking, we should go away for a while. A vacation.&quot; Kurt unknowingly disrupts the mental argument I&#039;m having with my wolf.<br /> &quot;I&#039;d love that.&quot; My smile fades instantly. &quot;But I don&#039;t think Dad would approve.&quot;<br /> &quot;Mike can&#039;t object.&quot; Kurt insists arrogantly, raising an eyebrow in superiority. &quot;As my Beta, he has to listen to everything I say.&quot;<br /> Prick.<br /> --<br /> &quot;I can&#039;t keep my hands off you.&quot; Kurt whispers in my ear, his breath tickling my skin.<br /> &quot;Well you&#039;ll have to. We&#039;ve got a sea of werewolves watching our every move and my Dad&#039;s pacing the halls like a madman every time he looks at us.&quot; I murmur back, placing a hand over his larger one.<br /> He tightens his grip on my waist, grabbing a delicate flute of champagne from a waiter. I study my shoes nervously, wondering if I&#039;ve done the right thing by showing up here.<br /> Every werewolf regarded me with a shocked expression as I stood by Kurt&#039;s side, letting him welcome each pair to the event. There are thousands of people present, all hailing from every corner of the country.<br /> Alanna, this is a big mistake. You&#039;re ruining your reputation. These people think you&#039;re a side chick.<br /> I&#039;m silent, beginning to agree with my wolf for once.<br /> So far, eleven out of the twelve packs have show up. In the process, each Alpha and Luna of their respective packs have silently judged me like I&#039;m some sort of escort. I&#039;m such an idiot, thinking I can parade around here like I&#039;m attached to Kurt&#039;s hip. Everyone will disapprove and unsurprisingly, they all do.<br /> Maybe I should leave, I don&#039;t think I can take the glares and whispering any longer. Kurt won&#039;t be happy but this is a minefield that I&#039;d rather dodge before the damage becomes irreparable.<br /> &quot;Where&#039;s the Alpha of the Midnight Fire pack?&quot; I recall the name of the remaining pack who are yet to arrive, looking up at Kurt&#039;s face. He pulls a face, snorting derisively.<br /> &quot;You mean that prick, Dante Pelosi? He never turns up, sends his Betas along instead. Must be intimidated by me.&quot; Kurt announces loudly, catching the attention of a few people.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t think I&#039;ve ever met him.&quot; I mumble to myself, studiously ignoring the group of girls shaking their heads and pointing in my direction as lean in and gossip.<br /> The tinkering chimes of broken glass makes me jump, as I look around for the source of the noise. Kurt&#039;s deep exhale of breath grabs my attention as I peer up at him, taken aback by the dumbstruck look on his face.<br /> It&#039;s him who is responsible for the noise, his shattered champagne glass at his feet. Kurt&#039;s mouth hangs open, his thunderstruck look refusing to let up.<br /> &quot;Kurt?&quot; I call anxiously.<br /> He doesn&#039;t reply, blinking repeatedly as he automatically lets go of me, stepping away.<br /> &quot;Kurt?!&quot; I repeat, trying to follow his line of vision. What&#039;s gotten him in such a state?<br /> &quot;Mate.&quot; He grunts, his cerulean eyes shimmering brightly.<br /> I can feel my heart pounding, as if fissures are already starting to emerge with each palpitation. This can&#039;t be happening. This was meant to be our chance to declare our love. How can this be happening to me? Kurt loves me, he already said he doesn&#039;t want his mate.<br /> &quot;Mine.&quot; Kurt breathes, moving further away from me and stepping forward.<br /> &quot;Mine.&quot; A girlish voice repeats, echoing faintly through the palatial banquet hall.<br /> I gasp uncontrollably, my body shaking as I watch a petite woman step out of the throngs of people, approaching Kurt with a similar, glassy eyed look. They stop in front of each other as if they&#039;re long lost lovers, finally reunited.<br /> Aly, we need to leave. Don&#039;t put yourself through this.<br /> Kurt pulls the pretty girl towards him, planting a passionate peck on her lips. She melts into his touch, responding with equal ferocity. They continue to eat each other&#039;s faces and I&#039;m frozen to the spot, unable to look away as I watch the love of my life smooch another woman.<br /> Tears are running silently down my face as I shudder from the silent sobs emitting from my body. I&#039;m aware that every pair of eyes are trained on me, watching my reaction to this public embarrassment I&#039;m facing. Whispers fill the hall, growing louder and louder until the room is positively buzzing.<br /> &quot;Aly, come on. We&#039;re leaving.&quot; Ryan&#039;s angry voice whispers.<br /> My brothers appear out of nowhere, each of them flanking my side protectively. I still can&#039;t move, unable to tear my eyes away from Kurt while he continues to smooch us newly found mate. I think I&#039;m going to be sick, bile and humiliation rising in my throat.<br /> Reese and Ryan pull me way from the heartbreaking scene, forcing my attention to the crowd of stunned onlookers.<br /> &quot;What are you looking at?!&quot; Reese spits at some stranger, causing some of the chatter to fade.<br /> I&#039;m quickly escorted out of the building, Ryan pausing to lift me into his arms as I stagger dangerously on my heels. My sobs grow louder and my wolf is solemnly silent, letting me grieve. I bury my face into Ryan&#039;s shoulder, sniffling. They were right, everyone was right.<br /> &quot;Let&#039;s go home.&quot; Reese mutters, a faint jangle of car keys accompanying his rapid footsteps.<br /> Somehow, we make it to the busy parking lot, ignoring the curious valets. I look over Ryan&#039;s shoulder, glancing back at the retreating lights of the impressive manor. Somewhere inside, Kurt is fawning over his mate while I&#039;m left to pick up the pieces. The very thought is enough to set me off again.<br /> &quot;Come on Aly, he&#039;s not worth it.&quot; Ryan whispers sadly, hugging me tighter.<br /> We make it to the Reese&#039;s monster truck and Ryan flings the door open settling me in the back seat and following suit. Reese jumps into the front, starting up his beloved truck with its familiar roars.<br /> I&#039;m leaning against Ryan, letting my brother pat my back in comfort. He says nothing more, a pained expression marring his face. I know Reese must look the same, although I can&#039;t see him. His hands grip the steering wheel tightly, back stiff with anger.<br /> &quot;Alanna?&quot; Dad&#039;s muffled voice calls in concern.<br /> Wiping my nose, I look out of the large window to find Dad approaching the truck, accompanied by a tall figure. The sidelights of the truck illuminate their profiles and I find my father looking unsettled and flustered for first time ever.<br /> &quot;He found his mate!&quot; Reese roars in disgust, thrusting a thumb back in the direction of the manor, for Dad&#039;s benefit.<br /> Dad closes his eyes in expectance, nodding as if he was waiting for this to happen.<br /> &quot;Take your sister home. I&#039;ll be back soon.&quot;<br /> Without another word, he looks back at the anonymous figure still shrouded in darkness behind him.<br /> It can&#039;t be ...<br /> My wolf is restless, yipping in excitement and making a fuss. It&#039;s wreaking havoc on my emotions, my wolf seemingly giddy with elation while I try to deal with my fresh heartbreak.<br /> The mysterious figure steps forward, finally revealing themselves.<br /> My soft sobs are halted immediately, mouth going dry. My eyes widen in shock as a delicious feeling of warmth invades my body, stretching from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes.<br /> Staring back at me stands a breathtakingly gorgeous man, golden eyes gleaming wickedly in the artificial light. His strong, ethereal features are marred with shock as he&#039;s rooted to the spot, his tousled dark brown hair ruffling gently in the breeze.<br /> I gasp at the funny sensations taking over me and I feel like jumping out of the truck and throwing myself at him. His broad, imposing body is tense, unmoving as he portrays every emotion I&#039;m feeling.<br /> Reese begins to move the car, cruising slowly past this delectable man. I lock eyes with him properly, every ounce of air being knocked out of me.<br /> &quot;Mine.&quot; I hear a deep, sensual voice float towards me.<br /> Reese floors it, forcing the large truck forward and leaving the elusive man behind.<br /> &quot;Wait--&quot; I protest.<br /> Ryan looks down at me in confusion as I crane my neck back, trying to catch one last glimpse of this gorgeous stranger.<br /> I spot his substantial figure, imposing and immovable. Darkness makes it difficult to see and he fades into distance as Reese continues to zoom away and out of the manor grounds, leaving everything behind.<br /> Mate!<br /> My wolf howls with longing, trying to take over my body and force me to shift, in an attempt to get back to the manor, back to the handsome stranger. I grab the seat in protest, remembering Kurt. The manor is the last place I should be right now.<br /> My conflicted state just makes things worse and I feel physically sick, huddling against Ryan for some sort of solace.<br /> &quot;Alanna. Starving yourself won&#039;t change things.&quot;<br /> I huddle further underneath the covers, letting the darkness enclose me. I&#039;ve been keeping a low profile these past few days, sticking to the solace of my bed.<br /> I hear Dad sigh in exasperation, the clinking of cutlery sounding out as he sets down whatever food he has. Just when I think he&#039;s given up, my snug covers are cruelly torn away from me.<br /> &quot;Dad!&quot; I mumble, curling up into a ball. &quot;I&#039;m not hungry. Please, just give me my covers back.&quot;<br /> I open an eye reluctantly, watching my Dad tower over my bed with a disapproving look. He says nothing, launching the bed covers out of the open window.<br /> &quot;Leave me alone!&quot; I yell, burying my face into the pillows.<br /> &quot;No.&quot; He replies firmly.<br /> I feel the bed sink down a couple of inches, Dad deciding to take a seat near me. Clearing his throat awkwardly, I know I&#039;m in for an uncomfortable talk.<br /> &quot;If this is the part where you say &#039;I told you so&#039;, then save it. I feel like such an idiot.&quot; I whisper hoarsely.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m not here to rub it in, Alanna. I&#039;m worried about you. So are your brothers. The-- the Gala ended last week and you&#039;ve been hiding in your room ever since.&quot;<br /> &quot;What else can I do? I&#039;m the laughing stock of the whole pack, Dad. I lost both my dignity and my boyfriend in a matter of moments.&quot; My voice trembles dangerously and the warning of tears already has my Dad fidgeting.<br /> &quot;Are you more upset about Kurt finding his mate or your reputation amongst the pack?&quot; My father, ever the professional. Not a hint of emotion in his tone.<br /> &quot;Both?&quot; I snort tearfully, getting up to face him.<br /> Dad says nothing, nodding to himself. After a few seconds, he reaches for the breakfast tray and places it on my lap. Setting a spoon in the palm of my hand, he gestures for me to eat.<br /> &quot;Dad, I&#039;m really not hungry.&quot; I whisper.<br /> &quot;Just a few bites, Alanna. For me?&quot; His rare plea catches me off guard and I try my hand at a few mouthfuls.<br /> Cracking a small smile, Dad watches me force down some food. It&#039;s eerily comforting, sitting here with him after so long. We barely spend more than a few moments together nowadays.<br /> &quot;Where are the boys?&quot; I ask, the sudden urge to see my brothers taking over. Dad&#039;s smile vanishes instantly.<br /> &quot;Alpha Kurt and his mate have moved in together. Her name is Claire. Her initiation ceremony into the pack is happening tonight. She will be announced as our Luna later tonight.&quot;<br /> I drop the spoon heavily, gasping in disbelief. Tears begin to form in my eyes and I blink them back angrily.<br /> &quot;So soon?! It&#039;s only been a few days!&quot;<br /> &quot;Kurt wants her in the pack immediately. The boys have been issued orders to help with the function tonight.&quot; A look of anger flashes across his face. &quot;You were also ordered to attend...but I stepped in and put my foot down.&quot;<br /> The nerve! I told you he was a jerk!<br /> &quot;Despite everything, he still thinks I&#039;ll attend?!&quot; I exclaim, breathing heavily. &quot;Not once has he called or even contacted me to-- to draw a line under things! He&#039;s just tossed me aside like I meant nothing!&quot;<br /> Dad nods, rubbing his face tiredly. Lines are starting to appear too frequently across his broad face and I wonder just how many worries he has placed on his shoulders.<br /> &quot;Kurt has stated that he owes you nothing. What happened between you guys was a mere fling. You knew from the start that his loyalties would lie somewhere else. This was your choice from the beginning. You coerced him.&quot;<br /> &quot;So he&#039;s trying to save his own skin now? Trying to prove to his mate that he was loyal from the start?&quot; I scoff, wiping away my angry tears.<br /> Dad pats my shoulder tersely, back rigid with anger.<br /> &quot;As Beta, Kurt seems to think my allegiances to him are prioritised over my daughter.&quot;<br /> &quot;I refuse to go, Dad! I&#039;d rather throw myself off a cliff, then be seen--&quot;<br /> &quot;I know, I know. And I&#039;d never let you go there...not by yourself, anyway.&quot;<br /> Tears fall silently and I huff intermittently, feeling like a fool. Kurt has well and truly played me.<br /> &quot;Alanna, do you remember the night of the Gala? When you were leaving with your brothers?&quot;<br /> My stomach jolts and I nod. I remember feeling uneasy and my wolf was yipping with excitement, which I couldn&#039;t pinpoint.<br /> &quot;Yeah...I remember seeing you with-- someone else.&quot; I pace myself, feeling butterflies for no reason.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s right, Dante Pelosi. The Alpha of the Midnight Fire pack.&quot;<br /> Mate!<br /> I flinch in recognition, an eerie feeling of hope filling me. Conflicting with the sense of rejection, it&#039;s too much. How can my wolf be so happy when I feel like complete mass right now?<br /> &quot;That was-- the Alpha?&quot; I whisper.<br /> &quot;Your mate.&quot; Dad states, getting to his feet abruptly.<br /> &quot;What--&quot; I huff, pushing the breakfast tray aside.<br /> &quot;You heard me, Alanna. I saw the look in your eyes when you saw him from the truck. Your eyes were glowing...and so were his. That only happens when you first set eyes on your mate.&quot;<br /> Dad towers over the bed once more, arms crossed over his chest as me watches me with a knowing smile.<br /> &quot;That&#039;s impossible!&quot; I insist, avoiding eye contact.<br /> &quot;No it isn&#039;t. And you&#039;re blushing.&quot;<br /> &quot;Well, we&#039;ve been invited to his house. He wants to meet you face to face.&quot;<br /> I gesture to my food stained pyjamas and greasy hair, shaking my head furiously. Dad just shrugs, as if there&#039;s no problem.<br /> &quot;You have time to make yourself look presentable. This is your chance, Alanna. To avoid Kurt and his mate.&quot;<br /> &quot;But Dad--&quot; I insist, yet I&#039;m cut short.<br /> &quot;No excuses, Alanna. Be ready by seven. Presentable or not, you are going. It&#039;s either this, or the initiation.&quot;<br /> With nothing left to say, Dad leaves the room while I stare into space, absolutely bewildered.<br /> &quot;Listen, Aly. Dad&#039;s trying to protect you.&quot; Reese explains, watching me comb my tousled locks vigorously. &quot;I know Dante. He&#039;s a pretty cool guy; one of those modern Alphas who are destined for greatness. Nothing like Kurt.&quot;<br /> The mention of his name flips my stomach with disgust. Whatever feelings I had for that loser have been quashed. Atleast, that&#039;s what I&#039;m trying to tell my stubborn brain.<br /> &quot;You should wear this coral dress.&quot; Ryan adds, poking his head out of my closet and tossing the outfit towards my bed.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t want to.&quot; I grumble, folding my arms and ignoring the exasperated looks I&#039;m getting. &quot;Don&#039;t look at me like that! I&#039;m not dolling myself up so I can be objectified.&quot;<br /> You didn&#039;t have a problem when Kurt objectified you...<br /> My wolf and her snide comments are testing my limits. She might think we&#039;ve found our mate but I beg to differ. Mates don&#039;t exist, despite what everyone thinks. What Kurt suffered from was a major infatuation, not a bond.<br /> &quot;Aly! Look, even if this wasn&#039;t an important introduction, you would still have to look presentable. Dante is one of the main Alphas and you&#039;re the daughter of a Beta. But forget all that; the bottom line is - Dante could potentially be your mate.&quot; Reese scolds me with a frown.<br /> &quot;How do you know? How does anyone know? If you don&#039;t recall that night, we were all preoccupied. If he were my mate, I&#039;d have felt it. I would have noticed his presence.&quot; My voice is laced with heavy sarcasm, my usual stubbornness on the topic of soulmates.<br /> &quot;Okay, I&#039;ll accept that.&quot; Reese nods reluctantly, his serious face plastered on. &quot;But Dad was with Dante when he first saw you. Remember, you were in the truck so maybe he didn&#039;t see enough of you to react. Dad said he had never seen Dante so restless and he only caught wind of your scent.&quot;<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t forget your reaction.&quot; Ryan adds, lounging on my bed. &quot;I saw you freeze up and hesitate. You couldn&#039;t resist him.&quot;<br /> I stay quiet, knowing I&#039;ve been defeated. There was definitely some weird chemistry between Dante and I, that&#039;s for sure. Soulmates? Definitely not, but it could be something else.<br /> &quot;Someone&#039;s blushing...&quot; Reese sings, grinning at me.<br /> &quot;No-- I&#039;m just thinking.&quot; I reply defensively, reaching for my makeup to distract me.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t overthink. Go with the flow. Get ready and just give the guy a chance.&quot; Ryan talks in short bursts, jumping to his feet.<br /> &quot;Now that you&#039;re a little more accepting, we&#039;ll leave you to get ready. You have an hour.&quot; Reese launches a scrunchie at my face, exiting the room with his super speed before I can yell at him.<br /> Ryan chuckles, pointing at the coral dress one last time and following Reese&#039;s footsteps.<br /> I face my mirror with a frown, ditching my sneaky master plan. I had been plotting to look deliberately ugly; frizzy hair, no make up and stained clothes, to put this Dante guy off. Now come to think of it, there&#039;s no reason why I have to put a dampener on my appearance. If anything, I should look extra presentable.<br /> &quot;Prove that I still got it.&quot; I mutter to myself, the shame of Kurt&#039;s rejection getting me worked up. 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No 2024-05-08 18:42 active 760 0 919563793248589 Unlock Solutions For Painful Neuropathy! Are you looking for the root cause of NEUROPATHY? ⭐ FREE SEMINAR on May 15th at 11 AM!<br /> <br /> Reserve your seat for this FREE event by Dr. Karen May, D.C. to learn more about addressing Painful Neuropathy without invasive treatments!<br /> <br /> This event is perfect for men and women struggling with:<br /> <br /> 💥 Numbness<br /> 💥 Diabetic nerve pain<br /> 💥 Sharp, electric-like pain<br /> 💥 Burning or tingling<br /> 💥 Muscle weakness<br /> 💥 Difficulty sleeping from the discomfort<br /> 💥Pain when walking<br /> 💥And more...<br /> <br /> Our events fill quickly. Register NOW to learn how to regain control of health...naturally!<br /> <br /> 🙋‍♂️ When: May 15th at 11 AM<br /> 🙋‍♀️ Where: Hyatt Place Grand Rapids-South | 2150 Metro Ln SW, Wyoming, MI 49519<br /> <br /> Registering for the event is simple:<br /> ✅ Click the link below and fill in your details<br /> ✅ You’ll receive a confirmation email/SMS<br /> ✅ Our team will reach out to confirm<br /> <br /> Register here⬇️<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fshare.hsforms.com%2F1Cj7zgdcnTFW9E1AlCptUuQ453ox&amp;h=AT3rEOgAK-_0WF9hn4BilJqoVVurv2vi4SZ29vvi2s7CXZdWsvwDQKP_nGy8vCc-Ke4FOwyVFOSbWTwHvtdNdyj1XqaVb3-HnjVg4vt8-4XBauv_VHGJ6uxLlaA02e9JhIIj_fsBOEcrTiVWmPNq3gfmtzc" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="async">https://share.hsforms.com/1Cj7zgdcnTFW9E1AlCptUuQ453ox</a> SIGN_UP https://share.hsforms.com/1Cj7zgdcnTFW9E1AlCptUuQ4 138440086203439 Momentum Health Neuropathy Center https://facebook.com/MomentumHNC 3,559 1 846,789,670,619,777 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Sign up 0 Momentum Health Neuropathy Center 120208404699960687 share.hsforms.com NONE image https://share.hsforms.com/1Cj7zgdcnTFW9E1AlCptUuQ453ox 2024-04-03 11:37 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435288095_356688277353426_1494379110267553057_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WqyMjBv5ym4Q7kNvgFA1GDF&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA3V0GWaw54VJFBhw7xjw-o1__mhhrlwbuajaADW_bT0g&oe=6641C66C person_profile 0 Momentum Health Neuropathy Cen https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432232115_956071932532792_4675264619658418718_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZguHNgxiI7gQ7kNvgG9BgO1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB8E-P9qd_IWqjW4Ks0U0g4MemHR3HBbW0C-9eH43QveQ&oe=6641C956 0 3 Momentum Health Neuropathy Center 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:44 active 760 0 916619536815643 Read More She signed the divorce papers and left without taking her phone. He checked her phone and got floored at the message: Please come tomorrow for another prenatal care checkup!<br /> =============<br /> <br /> Chapter 1 Ex-girlfriend Returns<br /> <br /> Raegan Hayes was a little absent-minded at the moment. <br /> <br /> All she could think of since this afternoon was the doctor&#039;s words. &quot;Congratulations! You are going to be a mom.&quot;<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Mitchel Dixon pinched her arm. His low voice came the next second. &quot;Come back to earth. What are you thinking about?&quot;<br /> <br /> Mitchel was her husband. They had been married secretly for two years. He was her superior at work, the president of the Dixon Group. <br /> <br /> Everything had happened so fast. She was newly employed in the company when they unexpectedly got married. <br /> <br /> At that time, Mitchel&#039;s grandfather fell seriously ill. It was then he proposed a fake marriage just to fulfill his grandfather&#039;s dying wish. <br /> <br /> They signed a prenup, agreeing to hide their marriage from the public. Their union could be terminated at any time. <br /> <br /> It was an unconventional thing to do. However, Raegan only considered herself lucky at that time. <br /> <br /> Never in a million years did she think she would ever get married to the man she had a crush on for eight years. She delightfully agreed. <br /> <br /> After their marriage, Mitchel was very busy. He spent most of his time working. <br /> <br /> Raegan wished she could spend more time with him at home. However, she was rest assured because there hadn&#039;t been any rumors or scandals about him with women in the past two years. <br /> <br /> Except for his mild indifference, Mitchel was a perfect husband. <br /> <br /> Raegan had mixed feelings as she stared at the medical report. <br /> <br /> In the end, she decided to tell Mitchel this news. <br /> <br /> She also wanted to tell him that she hadn&#039;t learned about him for the first time two years ago and that she had been crushing on him for many years before then. <br /> <br /> Just then, Mitchel’s phone rang. He went to the balcony and answered the phone. <br /> <br /> Raegan checked the time and found that it was already midnight. <br /> <br /> She felt a little uneasy. Who would call Mitchel at this hour? <br /> <br /> Mitchel spent a few minutes on the balcony. Thereafter, he returned and changed into formal attire. His handsome face which had a clear outline made him look dignified. <br /> <br /> He was something to see now. <br /> <br /> &quot;Don&#039;t wait up for me. Good night,&quot; he said finally. <br /> <br /> What? He was on his way out? At this hour? <br /> <br /> Raegan&#039;s grip on the report tightened as she stared at him in disappointment. Unconsciously, she withdrew slightly. After thinking for a while, she blurted out, &quot;It&#039;s already so late.&quot;<br /> <br /> Mitchel&#039;s fingers froze on his tie. With a faint smile, he pinched her earlobe and said, &quot;Be good, okay? There&#039;s something I have to do. Don&#039;t wait up.&quot;<br /> <br /> With that, he headed for the door. <br /> <br /> &quot;Mitchel.&quot;<br /> <br /> Raegan quickly ran and caught up with him. <br /> <br /> Mitchel turned around and looked at her seriously. <br /> <br /> &quot;What&#039;s the matter?&quot;<br /> <br /> There was a tinge of coldness to his voice. An icy cloud hung over them as they stared at each other. <br /> <br /> A little distressed, Raegan asked in a low voice, &quot;I would like to visit my grandma tomorrow. Can you accompany me there?&quot;<br /> <br /> Her grandmother always wanted to see her. As a result, Raegan wanted to take Mitchel there to assure her grandma they were happy. <br /> <br /> &quot;Let&#039;s talk about it tomorrow, okay?&quot; Without agreeing or declining, Mitchel left in a hurry. <br /> <br /> Several thoughts were threading Raegan&#039;s mind. She couldn&#039;t sleep a wink. <br /> <br /> After tossing and turning for a long time, she went to the kitchen and made herself a warm glass of milk. <br /> <br /> A few notifications from some online blogs came into her phone. <br /> <br /> However, she wasn&#039;t interested in them. She was about to swipe them away when one of them caught her attention. The familiar name made her click on it. <br /> <br /> The news read, &quot;Famous designer, Lauren Murray was spotted at the airport with her mysterious boyfriend earlier today.&quot;<br /> <br /> Lauren was wearing a bucket hat. The man&#039;s figure was vague, but the outline of his body was enough to show that he was dashing. <br /> <br /> Raegan zoomed in on the picture. The next second, her heart dropped. <br /> <br /> Mitchel was the man in the picture! <br /> <br /> So, he canceled the afternoon meeting just to go pick up his ex-girlfriend from the airport? <br /> <br /> This realization settled like a boulder in Raegan&#039;s gut, rendering her flustered. <br /> <br /> Her hands trembled. Subconsciously, she dialed Mitchel&#039;s number. <br /> <br /> The dial tone brought her back to her senses. Just as she was about to hang up, the line connected, and a voice came from the other end. <br /> <br /> &quot;Hello!&quot;<br /> <br /> It was a particularly gentle woman&#039;s voice. <br /> <br /> Raegan froze for a second and then threw the phone away. <br /> <br /> She suddenly felt sick in her stomach. Covering her mouth, she ran into the bathroom and threw up in the toilet bowl. <br /> <br /> The next morning, Raegan went to work on time. <br /> <br /> Mitchel had tried to get her to stop working after they got married. Stubbornly, she insisted on making her own money. <br /> <br /> Mitchel didn&#039;t kick against her decision, but he asked her to work as his assistant, helping him with the daily chores. <br /> <br /> The head assistant, Matteo Jenkins was left to take care of the major affairs Mitchel had. <br /> <br /> Matteo was the only Dixon Group employee who knew about their marriage. <br /> <br /> Since inception, only male assistants were hired for the president&#039;s office. Reagan was the first and only female. Her employment broke the protocol. As a result, other workers couldn&#039;t help but wonder if she was involved with Mitchel. <br /> <br /> It took a while before they realized that Mitchel never gave Raegan special treatment. Strangely, this made them despise her even more. <br /> <br /> After all, no one would last long in anything while taking advantage of their looks.<br /> <br /> At this time, one of Raegan&#039;s colleagues handed her a document and ordered her to take it to Mitchel&#039;s office. <br /> <br /> Mitchel didn&#039;t return home last night. Raegan was so worried that she didn&#039;t sleep at all. <br /> <br /> All she kept thinking about was the woman who answered his phone when she called. What was her relationship with Mitchel?<br /> <br /> Raegan already knew the answer to that, but she was still in denial. <br /> <br /> It was difficult for her to come to terms with that fact. <br /> <br /> Raegan tried to remain calm now. She reasoned that no matter what happened, she deserved a result that would be rewarding for all the years she spent loving Mitchel. This couldn&#039;t be all for nothing, right? <br /> <br /> She pressed the elevator button calmly and went up to the president&#039;s office. Before she walked out of the elevator, she smoothed her hair to make sure she looked good. <br /> <br /> She had arrived at the office, only to see that the door was ajar. A man&#039;s voice came. She halted instantly. <br /> <br /> &quot;Come on, man! Do you have any feelings for Raegan or not?&quot;<br /> <br /> The voice belonged to Luis Stevens, a childhood friend of Mitchel&#039;s. <br /> <br /> &quot;What do you mean exactly?&quot; Mitchel asked in a cold voice. <br /> <br /> &quot;You know exactly what I mean!&quot; Luis clicked his tongue impatiently and added, &quot;I think Raegan is a good girl. Isn&#039;t she your type?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Do you want me to hand her over to you?&quot; Mitchel asked carelessly. <br /> <br /> &quot;You know what, forget it!&quot;<br /> <br /> The scornful laughter of Luis sounded particularly harsh in Raegan&#039;s ears. <br /> <br /> They were talking about her as if she were an object. <br /> <br /> Raegan took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the document. <br /> <br /> Soon, Luis&#039;s voice was heard again. <br /> <br /> &quot;By the way, I saw the gossip news about Lauren&#039;s mysterious boyfriend this morning. That was you, right?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Yes.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Well, well, well! That woman still has you wrapped around her little finger. You always want to please her.&quot;<br /> <br /> Luis sighed and continued to tease Mitchel. &quot;As the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Tell me, did you two...&quot;<br /> <br /> Their conversation was like a thunder exploding over Raegan&#039;s head. <br /> <br /> Her face turned pale and her body was as cold as ice. <br /> <br /> The woman was indeed Lauren! <br /> <br /> Absence made the heart grow fonder! <br /> <br /> Every word drove a knife into her heart. <br /> <br /> Several whispering voices filled her head at this time. She suddenly felt light-headed. Her vision became blurry. <br /> <br /> She held the wall and took a step backward. Suddenly, the door was opened from inside. <br /> <br /> &quot;Raegan?&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Chapter 2 One-sided Love<br /> <br /> Luis was the one who opened the door. It appeared he was on his way out. <br /> <br /> Raegan balled her hands, turned to him, and nodded. &quot;Hey, Mr. Stevens!&quot;<br /> <br /> Without waiting for him to respond to her greeting, she walked past him and entered the office with the document. <br /> <br /> Mitchel was seated behind a large luxurious desk. In an expensive suit and matching tie, he looked particularly handsome. <br /> <br /> Raegan noticed it wasn&#039;t the same suit he had on when he left home last night. How did he get changed? <br /> <br /> With her eyes lowered, she swallowed that question and said instead, &quot;Mr. Dixon, this is from the Marketing Department. Please sign it.&quot;<br /> <br /> Mitchel was expressionless as he signed the document at a glance. <br /> <br /> Raegan walked out the door as soon as he handed the document back to her. Luis was still standing at the threshold. <br /> <br /> It wasn&#039;t until she went out of sight that Luis turned to Mitchel and said in a hushed tone, &quot;Do you think she heard us?&quot;<br /> <br /> Mitchel&#039;s appealing eyes were expressionless at the moment. Obviously, he wasn&#039;t paying attention to what Luis was saying. <br /> <br /> To Mitchel, Raegan had always been docile and never felt jealous of anyone. <br /> <br /> Her strict obedience was all Mitchel demanded from her in exchange for treating her well. <br /> <br /> In the elevator. <br /> <br /> Raegan held her breath just to hold back her tears. Unfortunately, it didn&#039;t work. <br /> <br /> She had thought two years would be enough for Mitchel to realize how much she loved him and reciprocate her love. <br /> <br /> Now, it turned out that was just a pipe dream. <br /> <br /> She realized she would always play second fiddle to Lauren, Mitchel&#039;s true love. <br /> <br /> Reagan wiped her tears when the elevator halted. Save for her pale face, she looked normal when the doors opened. <br /> <br /> She dragged herself to the break room, intending to make herself a cup of tea. <br /> <br /> Several employees were chatting inside. <br /> <br /> &quot;Guys, have you heard? Lauren Murray is back.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;And who is that?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Oh, my! You don&#039;t know her? Lauren is the heiress of the Murray Group as well as a world-class designer. Most importantly, she&#039;s the only girlfriend Mr. Dixon has ever shown off in public. She&#039;s his first love!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Why is her return such a big deal? Isn&#039;t it rumored that there is something between Mr. Dixon and Raegan?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Raegan? She&#039;s nothing to Mr. Dixon. Mr. Dixon never admitted that he was dating her. And that is no surprise to me. After all, look at her. She&#039;s not even that beautiful. Yet, she behaves as if she&#039;s already Mrs. Dixon. What a fool!&quot;<br /> <br /> Standing at the door, Raegan smiled with self-mockery as she listened to them. It turned out everyone else saw the truth except her. <br /> <br /> The love was one-sided. <br /> <br /> &quot;Ha-ha, have you finally woken up from your wild dream, Raegan?&quot;<br /> <br /> A voice of mockery suddenly came from behind. Raegan turned around to see Tessa Lloyd, Mitchel&#039;s cousin, who had always despised her. <br /> <br /> Tessa must have also heard the employees gossiping. <br /> <br /> The last thing Raegan wanted to do now was argue with Tessa in the company. She turned to leave, but Tessa blocked her way. <br /> <br /> With a cup of coffee in her hand, Tessa uttered sarcastically, &quot;Lauren is back now. Do you think Mitchel will still give you any attention?&quot;<br /> <br /> Raegan said nothing to that. <br /> <br /> Seconds later, Tessa continued the ridicule. &quot;Maybe it’s time for you to seek out another man, you pathetic fool.&quot;<br /> <br /> Raegan clenched her fists and said coldly, &quot;Ms. Lloyd, if you are interested in that kind of thing, feel free to pursue it yourself.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You...&quot;<br /> <br /> Raegan&#039;s retort made Tessa&#039;s face change. <br /> <br /> The next second, Tessa raised her hand and emptied the cup of coffee on Raegan. <br /> <br /> Raegan didn&#039;t think for a second that Tessa would do something so crazy. She held up her arms just to block the liquid from her face. In no time, the coffee drenched her clothes. <br /> <br /> Raegan frowned. &quot;What did you do that for? Are you out of your mind?&quot;<br /> <br /> It was lunch break and many employees were free to watch the drama. Tessa was even more complacent when she saw growing onlookers. <br /> <br /> She put on a mean-girl look as she said, &quot;What makes you so smug every day, huh? Do you seriously think that others don&#039;t know you are just an orphan? The nerve of...&quot;<br /> <br /> Tessa was silenced by Raegan’s shove. <br /> <br /> Her jaw dropped to the floor. She had never expected that Raegan, who was so quiet and timid, would shove her. <br /> <br /> Tessa stuttered, &quot;You... You pushed me? How dare you!&quot;<br /> <br /> Raegan eyed her and replied, &quot;Yes, I did! It seems you need to be taught simple politeness.&quot;<br /> <br /> Indeed, she lost her parents when she was a child. But that didn&#039;t mean she would allow someone to walk over her for it. <br /> <br /> Wrinkles appeared on Tessa&#039;s face as she frowned in anger. As Mitchel&#039;s cousin, she was used to being fawned over and respected. This was the first time she had been treated like this. <br /> <br /> Tessa charged at Raegan like a raging bull, poised to retaliate. <br /> <br /> This time, Raegan was fully prepared for what was coming. She grabbed Tessa&#039;s wrist so that the latter couldn&#039;t move another inch. <br /> <br /> Tessa was shorter than Raegan. As a result, she struggled like an octopus that had one of its tentacles stuck in a fishing trap. <br /> <br /> Tessa cursed angrily, &quot;How dare you put your hands on me? Who do you think you are?&quot;<br /> <br /> These harsh words attracted more people to the break room. <br /> <br /> &quot;That&#039;s enough!&quot;<br /> <br /> Out of the blue, a baritone came from behind. Mitchel had left his office and ran into this hullabaloo. <br /> <br /> The entire room fell silent. <br /> <br /> &quot;Mitchel?&quot; Tessa&#039;s blood ran cold at the sight of Mitchel. She had always been scared of him. Her mother also warned her against provoking him. <br /> <br /> But when she remembered that Raegan humiliated her, she put on a pitiful expression and sobbed. &quot;Mitchel, she bullied me.&quot;<br /> <br /> The sunlight from outside fell on Mitchel&#039;s handsome face. <br /> <br /> Raegan felt so grieved all of a sudden, and lowered her head to look at her clothes which were soaked with coffee. <br /> <br /> Their gaze met in the air. With a deep frown, Mitchel looked at Raegan and said, &quot;Raegan, have you forgotten the rules of the company?&quot;<br /> <br /> His ruthlessness made Raegan&#039;s breathing cease. She couldn&#039;t believe her ears. <br /> <br /> No one dared to make a sound at this moment. <br /> <br /> Raegan just stood straight there with her slender figure. <br /> <br /> When she got employed here, Mitchel had told her that the Dixon Group wasn&#039;t a place for her to mess around and that he would not tolerate her making any mistakes. <br /> <br /> Raegan could understand why he took this stand. <br /> <br /> However, at this moment, she was desperate to know whether Mitchel had heard those hard words Tessa scolded her or he was just pretending not to have heard because he agreed to those words. <br /> <br /> Was she truly insignificant to him?<br /> <br /> Scared to death by Mitchel&#039;s rage, the crowd soon dispersed. A few employees were bold enough to peep from a distance, unwilling to miss the good show. <br /> <br /> Mitchel&#039;s cold eyes made Raegan shiver from head to toe. <br /> <br /> Raegan pinched her palm to suppress her emotions as she looked at Tessa. <br /> <br /> &quot;I&#039;m sorry, Ms. Lloyd. As an employee of the Dixon Group, it was wrong of me to have offended you.&quot;<br /> <br /> Eyeing Raegan, Tessa raised her chin complacently. &quot;Humph! Don&#039;t think you&#039;ll be let off the hook just by making a simple apology. I don&#039;t buy...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;The offence has nothing to do with the company. Personally, I refuse to apologize to you. Now, if you&#039;d excuse me,&quot; Raegan chimed in. <br /> <br /> She then walked past Mitchel without sparing him another look. <br /> <br /> &quot;You...&quot;<br /> <br /> Tessa&#039;s face turned blue after hearing what Raegan said. <br /> <br /> Never in her years of being alive had she been so humiliated. She was always the bully, not the victim! <br /> <br /> The humiliation was so much that scolding Raegan wouldn&#039;t appease her anger. <br /> <br /> Pointing in Raegan&#039;s direction, Tessa shouted, &quot;Mitchel, did you hear what that woman just said? She humiliated me, yet she&#039;s still so arrogant. Call her back. I have to teach her some manners!&quot;<br /> <br /> Mitchel, staring at Raegan&#039;s thin back, had an ambiguous expression at this moment. <br /> <br /> &quot;Enough!&quot; he said coldly, raising his hand. <br /> <br /> As someone who lived and breathed drama and cruelty, Tessa didn&#039;t think Mitchel was partial to Raegan just now. She assumed that Mitchel didn&#039;t care about Raegan at all. <br /> <br /> Tessa gritted her teeth and said viciously, &quot;Next time, I&#039;ll get someone to teach her a lesson.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Tessa!&quot; Mitchel&#039;s tone and squint made it a reproof. <br /> <br /> Tessa trembled at once. <br /> <br /> With a somber face, Mitchel said, &quot;I&#039;ll only say it once. Forget about what happened here today. Leave Raegan alone.&quot;<br /> <br /> The aura he exuded made her tongue go dry. All the vicious ideas she had in store against Raegan disappeared in an instant. <br /> <br /> She stammered, &quot;Ok... Okay, got it...&quot;<br /> <br /> Mitchel cast a cold glance at her and spoke to Matteo. &quot;Irrelevant people wouldn&#039;t be allowed in here from today onwards.&quot;<br /> <br /> Without catching the drift, Tessa flattered Mitchel. &quot;Nice call. This is a top company. Not everyone gains access in here.&quot;<br /> <br /> Matteo nodded to Mitchel and then walked over to Tessa. He gestured to the exit. &quot;Ms. Lloyd, this way, please.&quot;<br /> <br /> It wasn&#039;t until this moment that Tessa realized that she was the irrelevant person Mitchel just mentioned. She tried to speak to him, but Matteo blocked her way. The security guards then escorted her out. <br /> <br /> They showed her no mercy. Her struggle was useless. <br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Raegan got changed when she returned to her office. <br /> <br /> Her heart was filled with sadness as she thought of how Mitchel looked at her minutes ago. <br /> <br /> Closing hour soon rolled by. <br /> <br /> Raegan took her bag and headed for the exit. However, Matteo stopped her. <br /> <br /> He said, &quot;Mr. Dixon has something urgent to deal with, so he asked me to drive you home.&quot;<br /> <br /> Raegan declined the ride without thinking twice. <br /> <br /> She was blind before, but now she could see through the situation. <br /> <br /> In Mitchel&#039;s eyes, she was just a nobody. <br /> <br /> How could Mitchel agree to accompany her to visit her grandmother when he didn&#039;t even care about her? <br /> <br /> Upon arriving at the hospital, Raegan saw that the nurse was about to feed her grandmother dinner. Raegan took the job over and did it by herself. <br /> <br /> All her life, her grandmother had been living in the countryside, enjoying a quiet life. Everything changed last month when her routine medical checkup showed that she was in need of medical care. Raegan insisted on bringing her to the city for better treatment. <br /> <br /> Her grandmother wasn&#039;t aware of her marriage to Mitchel. <br /> <br /> Raegan had planned to surprise her today. But as it turned out, that was no longer necessary. <br /> <br /> Raegan waited for her grandmother to fall asleep before she left. She walked out of the hospital and waited for a taxi. <br /> <br /> In the distance, a black luxury car pulled into the entrance of the hospital. <br /> <br /> Raegan&#039;s eyes lit up when she saw it. She recognized that car as Mitchel&#039;s. <br /> <br /> Did he come to pick her up? <br /> <br /> At this moment, she forgot all the pain she had been feeling. <br /> <br /> Were her thoughts about him all wrong? Did he care for her, contrary to the gossip? <br /> <br /> The door of the driver&#039;s side opened and Mitchel got out. <br /> <br /> Raegan started walking toward him with her heart brimming with joy. <br /> <br /> Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks. <br /> <br /> Mitchel had just walked over to the other side and carried a woman out of the car. <br /> <br /> Worry and compassion were written all over his handsome face. <br /> <br /> This wiped the smile on Raegan&#039;s face. Her heart sank. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Chapter 3 Let&#039;s Divorce<br /> <br /> Mitchel&#039;s tall and straight figure got closer and closer to Raegan. And then, without saying a word, he strode past Raegan. <br /> <br /> It was hard to tell if Mitchel saw Raegan or just ignored her. <br /> <br /> Regardless, Raegan noticed that the woman in his arms was the same one who had been photographed with him yesterday. <br /> <br /> She was Lauren. <br /> <br /> Raegan&#039;s shoes felt like they were made of lead as she walked away. <br /> <br /> She lost all awareness of her surroundings. She got into a taxi absentmindedly. <br /> <br /> Suddenly, the driver uttered, &quot;Ma&#039;am, where to?&quot;<br /> <br /> Raegan was stunned for a moment. <br /> <br /> She didn&#039;t want to go back to Serenity Villas. It was only a matter of time before that place stopped being her home. <br /> <br /> After a while, she replied, &quot;Please take me to Crystal Bay.&quot;<br /> <br /> She had purchased an apartment at Crystal Bay after getting married to Mitchel. <br /> <br /> At the time, she had hopes of bringing her grandmother to the city, so she bought the apartment on mortgage. It wasn&#039;t that big, but it had more than enough space for two people. <br /> <br /> Mitchel didn&#039;t understand why she wanted to buy an apartment. He offered to give her a bigger one, but she declined. <br /> <br /> Looking back now, she realized that buying that apartment was the only wise decision she had ever made in the last two years. <br /> <br /> When she arrived at the apartment complex, Raegan sat in the park alone, trying to cool herself down. <br /> <br /> The memories of the past two years were bittersweet. <br /> <br /> Two years had passed in the blink of an eye even though it was more than seven hundred days and nights. <br /> <br /> Love could move mountains, they said. <br /> <br /> Yet, her love didn&#039;t move that stone of a man. She finally realized what a fool she had been. She had been making herself a laughingstock in front of everyone. <br /> <br /> It was already late in the night before Raegan finally decided to go into her apartment. <br /> <br /> As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw Mitchel standing in front of the door. <br /> <br /> His sleeves were rolled up casually, and the top buttons of his shirt were undone, which revealed his long neck and part of his collarbone. He was leaning on the wall by the door, his handsome face straight. <br /> <br /> Raegan froze for a moment. <br /> <br /> Why was he here? Didn&#039;t she see him at the hospital with Lauren? What brought him here? <br /> <br /> Their eyes met. With his coat draped over his arm and one of his hands in his pocket, Mitchel squinted at her. <br /> <br /> &quot;Why didn&#039;t you answer the phone?&quot; he asked, sounding a little grumpy like someone who hadn&#039;t slept in a long time. <br /> <br /> Raegan took out her phone and saw she had accidentally put it on DND. <br /> <br /> There were five missed calls from Mitchel. <br /> <br /> This marked the first time in their two-year marriage. <br /> <br /> Mitchel blew up her phone because he couldn&#039;t find her? Surprising! <br /> <br /> Before today, she would have been overjoyed by this. People would&#039;ve thought she won the lottery. <br /> <br /> But now, she just threw her phone back into her bag, folded her arms, and said in a hoarse voice, &quot;I didn&#039;t hear it ring.&quot;<br /> <br /> Mitchel raised his hand to check the time on the watch, and said impatiently, &quot;I&#039;ve been looking for you for two hours.&quot;<br /> <br /> After arranging everything for Lauren, he returned home to find an empty house. He looked for Raegan everywhere. When he couldn&#039;t find her, he asked Matteo to check the surveillance footage of all the roads that led away from the company. <br /> <br /> He later found out that Raegan went to Crystal Bay without telling him. <br /> <br /> &quot;Next time, tell me when you are coming here, okay? Let&#039;s go home now.&quot; After that, Mitchel walked toward the elevator without sparing her another glance. <br /> <br /> He meant to go back to Serenity Villas. <br /> <br /> Raegan didn&#039;t move an inch. She just stared at his broad back and pondered reluctantly. <br /> <br /> Would they have a future? <br /> <br /> Mitchell turned around, only to see that Raegan hadn&#039;t taken a single step. He frowned and asked, &quot;Can&#039;t you walk? Do you want me to carry you instead?&quot;<br /> <br /> The light in the corridor illuminated his face, making his side profile almost impeccable. <br /> <br /> Raegan took a deep breath and said, &quot;Let&#039;s divorce.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What do you mean?&quot;<br /> <br /> Mitchel&#039;s voice was cold, and his handsome face changed immediately. <br /> <br /> &quot;I want to move into my own place. After all, we will be strangers soon.&quot;<br /> <br /> Raegan forced a smile, but her heart was aching as if someone was tearing it apart bit by bit. <br /> <br /> &quot;We will be strangers?&quot;<br /> <br /> Mitchel smiled coldly. &quot;Raegan, what do you think our relationship is now?&quot;<br /> <br /> His questioning left Raegan stunned for a moment. <br /> <br /> Mitchel had made it very clear to her from the very beginning. This facade of their marriage had happened by mutual agreement. There was no love. In the eyes of others, they were nothing more than just a superior and a subordinate. <br /> <br /> Mitchel was quite the catch in Ardlens. Many young ladies longed for his love and were even willing to throw themselves at him. <br /> <br /> His question just now reminded her of that fact. Was he afraid that she wouldn&#039;t let him go that easily? If that was the case, he couldn&#039;t be more wrong... <br /> <br /> After biting her lower lip to conceal her bitterness, Raegan said, &quot;I&#039;m sorry, Mr. Dixon. I was giving it too much thought. Anyway, please leave me alone from now on. You don&#039;t have to come here again.&quot;<br /> <br /> After saying that, Raegan couldn&#039;t help but burst into tears. <br /> <br /> How could she not be sad when she was cutting ties with the man she had loved for a decade? It was such a long time. <br /> <br /> Regardless of how difficult it was, she knew it was time to let go. <br /> <br /> It was high time she stopped being a fool. <br /> <br /> Strangely, the light in the corridor began flickering. <br /> <br /> The deathly stare Mitchel was giving Raegan right now made the atmosphere seem like the moment before an attack in a horror movie. <br /> <br /> Although he understood that Raegan sometimes could throw a tantrum, he felt that she had just crossed the line now. <br /> <br /> His eyes shone like blazing torches at this moment. But when he saw the tears in her eyes, the rage inside him extinguished in an instant. He said in a low voice, &quot;If this is about what happened between you and Tessa, I...&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;No, this isn&#039;t about her. Mr. Dixon, please leave now.&quot;<br /> <br /> A lot of things happened between them. And the incident with Tessa didn&#039;t come close to any. <br /> <br /> Raegan felt exhausted. She passed by Mitchel and was about to open the door. <br /> <br /> Yet, Mitchel was displeased with her stubbornness. <br /> <br /> He loosened his tie irritably. He then took a step forward and grabbed her wrist. <br /> <br /> &quot;Stop this, will you?&quot;<br /> <br /> A second later, he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his arms. <br /> <br /> He instantly realized that she was burning up like someone who had been set on fire. <br /> <br /> &quot;You have a fever?&quot;<br /> <br /> Raegan felt dizzy. She rested her head on his chest weakly. <br /> <br /> This made the whole situation complicated. <br /> <br /> Reagan was slow to catch that. When she finally realized that her body was too close to his, she put her hands against his chest and tried to pull back. <br /> <br /> Before she could escape, Mitchel pulled her back and held her by the waist. With a cold face, he said in a low voice, &quot;Where do you think you are going?&quot;<br /> <br /> The light flickered again. Out of the blue, Mitchel lifted her up. <br /> <br /> He then headed for the elevator. <br /> <br /> In a daze, Raegan asked softly, &quot;What are you doing?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;What does it look like I am doing?&quot; Mitchel remarked. &quot;Taking you to the hospital, of course.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;No way!&quot; Raegan cried out in surprise and seemed to regain more strength. <br /> <br /> Mitchel might find out about her condition if they went to the hospital.<br /> <br /> Raegan struggled to get out of Mitchel&#039;s arms. However, his tight grip made her efforts fruitless. <br /> <br /> &quot;Don&#039;t be so stubborn. You are sick, so you must see the doctor,&quot; Mitchel said firmly. <br /> <br /> He walked to the elevator with her in his arms. At this moment, Raegan&#039;s heart was thumping so hard that it could jump out of her chest. She flailed in protest. <br /> <br /> &quot;Put me down! I don&#039;t want to go to the hospital!&quot;<br /> <br /> &amp;13&amp; LEARN_MORE https://fbweb.moboreader.net/46526322-FB_CONTACT-E 106206892171576 Love Story City https://facebook.com/100083614308933 17,592 1 757,892,923,172,681 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 1 1 0 Learn more 0 Love Story City 120208810896000493 fbweb.moboreader.net NONE image https://fbweb.moboreader.net/46526322-FB_CONTACT-ENJ57_9-Core1.html?adid={{ad.id}}&char=961225&accid=1325826931416330&jump=1 2024-05-06 21:02 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441936396_936351411574549_432132809025423074_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RG75cNpsi4EQ7kNvgFTGhAn&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBf45uHnDQVB5HrAxPKCAuYZj6-FWT2dIhdJHXCbpbOYg&oe=6641E9FE person_profile 0 moboreader https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440606846_341067432327676_1984266103808479732_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5S9dXmmB34AQ7kNvgHXxCsG&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAY_WtYTuXRngYC8x660UBWkk0rnberZKjSlu8Y8wdmCQ&oe=6641F5BB 0 3 Love Story City 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:44 active 760 0 883777283582874 Read More He married her to save his beloved, and cruelly used her, breaking her heart. After their divorce, he realized in anguish that he had been mistaken all along—his true love had always been his ex-wife.<br /> ======<br /> <br /> Chapter1 The truth about marrying her<br /> &quot;Tammy, I&#039;m sorry I hurt you.&quot; He stroked her soft hair and murmured. <br /> <br /> Tammy&#039;s scarred face hung with tears, and her tiny, naked body lay shivering in the strong man&#039;s arms. She was too shy to look up at him.<br /> <br /> Today was her wedding night. Just now, she ended the transformation from a girl to a woman.<br /> <br /> The man holding her in his arms at the moment was her husband Angus, a man could drive all women crazy.<br /> <br /> She had loved him for fifteen years.<br /> <br /> In the darkness, Angus stared at the little woman in his arms. His deep black eyes contained a coolness that was hard for others to guess.<br /> <br /> Tammy shook her head gently. Her face blushed.<br /> <br /> Although he was gentle, the pain was inevitable because it was her first time.<br /> <br /> However, she was happy enough that he didn&#039;t mind the scars on her face and that she was a poor little girl who had been living in exile for ten years.<br /> <br /> There was a ding, and his phone rang.<br /> <br /> Angus took the phone, looked at it, frowned, turned his head and said, &quot;Tammy, I&#039;m going out for a few minutes and I will come back soon. Wait for me.&quot;<br /> <br /> He bowed his head and gently kissed on her forehead.<br /> <br /> Angus switched on the light and got out of bed, tucking Tammy in and picking up a robe from the side and putting it on.<br /> <br /> Tammy watched as he left the room.<br /> <br /> Without his embrace, she was suddenly lost. She gripped the blanket restlessly at her chest. Her thin shoulders were out of the quilt, and they were covered with the marks of their love and affection.<br /> <br /> A few minutes passed and he didn&#039;t return. Tammy&#039;s loss grew stronger and stronger.<br /> <br /> She put on her pink nightgown and picked up the heart-shaped pendant carved from the wood on the bedside table and put it around her neck.<br /> <br /> It had been given to her by her mother before she died, and although it was worthless, she had worn it since she was a child.<br /> <br /> The pendant always soothed her anxious emotion.<br /> <br /> Tammy left the new house with a sweet smile on her face to find her husband.<br /> <br /> In the hallway, there was a sudden sound of talking.<br /> <br /> &quot;Tammy&#039;s kidney was successfully paired with Sonia, and marrying her was just a way to get her to sign a consent form for the donation.&quot;<br /> <br /> It was Angus&#039;s voice. It was extraordinarily familiar to her, but it hurt her so much for a moment. His words were like a thunderbolt exploding in her head!<br /> <br /> Tammy&#039;s face went suddenly pale. Her hands clenched in fists, gripping the skirt of her nightgown so tightly that her whole body was as stiff as a stone. She seemed to have lost half her life.<br /> <br /> In the back of her mind, the words he&#039;d said when he&#039;d asked her to marry him emerged...<br /> <br /> &quot;Tammy, you are a good girl, and I have no reason to marry any woman but you... &quot;<br /> <br /> But then those words were like heavy slaps in her face!<br /> <br /> Tammy&#039;s kidney was paired with Sonia&#039;s and marrying her was just to get her to sign the donor consent form-...<br /> <br /> Tammy covered her mouth and shivered.<br /> <br /> She&#039;d never agreed to donate her kidney, and she&#039;d thought he&#039;d married her because he loved her.<br /> <br /> But it turned out that he was the one who was going to trick her into donating a kidney for the woman he loved!<br /> <br /> The familiar figure not far away was as grand and tall as a king, with an elegant aristocratic air. Although the first time had only just been given to him, at the moment he was so strange to her!<br /> <br /> At this time, there came another voice with some flattery: &quot;Oh, so that&#039;s it. Young Master Smith, why didn&#039;t you say so earlier. I thought you had let Sonia down. After all, she loves you so much, and you married Tammy as soon as she fell ill. It&#039;s hard for her not to think too much. Tammy is so vicious that she won&#039;t donate her kidney to save her sister. And you&#039;re the only one who can control her!&quot;<br /> <br /> Chapter2 So it&#039;s all a trick<br /> The speaker was Tammy&#039;s stepmother, who was named Sue.<br /> <br /> When Tammy was nine years old, Sue was brought home by her father along with her sister who was older than Tammy. That girl was also her father&#039;s biological daughter.<br /> <br /> In other words, not long after her father and mother got married, he already had had an affair with another woman and had a daughter outside.<br /> <br /> At the time, her mother was already suffering from depression due to the hardships she had had in the marriage. And as a result, the incident completely overwhelmed her, causing her to become more and more mentally ill. Finally, her mother desperately tried to throw her out of the car window in a major car accident, while she was burned to death in the car.<br /> <br /> By the time her body was taken out, it was all charred...<br /> <br /> Tammy was only ten years old...<br /> <br /> Her mother was killed by Sue and her daughter, and her face and life were ruined by them.<br /> <br /> And now, they had joined forces and wanted her kidney!<br /> <br /> How could they be so bad? How could they do this to her?<br /> <br /> What did she do wrong?<br /> <br /> Tammy&#039;s tears rolled down like a river that had burst its banks!<br /> <br /> Angus, did you know that I&#039;ve remembered you since I was five years old!<br /> <br /> But I loved you so much, and you trampled on my affection like this!<br /> <br /> His cruelty shattered all her hopes, and her world fell into obscurity.<br /> <br /> She thought she&#039;d made it, but when the fog had lifted, she found that the destination she&#039;d been running to wasn&#039;t heaven, but hell!<br /> <br /> Tammy gritted her teeth desperately and ran away back to her room!<br /> <br /> Angus&#039;s eyes were deep and dark. His voice had turned cold, &quot;Tammy&#039;s kidneys can only be used when it&#039;s necessary.&quot;<br /> <br /> When he possessed her tonight, she was shaking all the time. She was so thin and fragile, so how could she carry the kidney removal surgery.<br /> <br /> When Sue heard this, she was immediately unhappy, but she didn&#039;t dare to show her anger, &quot;Young Master Smith, what do you mean? Didn&#039;t you say you&#039;d let her donate her kidney before marrying her? But why did you go back on your word?&quot;<br /> <br /> Angus frowned and said sternly, &quot;I have no regrets. If another suitable kidney is found before the operation, I will divorce her.&quot;<br /> <br /> Divorce.<br /> <br /> The thought of these words seemed to hit him hard heavily.<br /> <br /> Sue was about to say something else. Suddenly Angus paled and said indifferently, &quot;Go away and don&#039;t let Tammy doubt you.&quot;<br /> <br /> His tone was full of strong command that made Sue pale!<br /> <br /> Although she had decided that she was Angus&#039;s future mother-in-law, she still shivered, not daring to say anything more. She turned away but a light flashed in her eyes.<br /> <br /> She would never let Tammy go!<br /> <br /> ......<br /> <br /> Tammy huddled in the corner of the room with her arms wrapped around her, shivering.<br /> <br /> Angus came in, and found no one in the room. He searched around, and suddenly noticed the curtains trembling faintly.<br /> <br /> He lifted the curtains and saw Tammy sitting on the floor, hugging her knees as if she was in some kind of shock. Her face was pale as a sheet.<br /> <br /> Angus was startled, &quot;Tammy, what are you doing here?&quot;<br /> <br /> Tammy clenched her teeth desperately, and she stared at him with her red eyes.<br /> <br /> Angus frowned. He was confused. &quot;What&#039;s wrong with you? Get up first&quot;<br /> <br /> Chapter3 You give up<br /> He bent down and put his hands under her armpits and picked her up.<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Tammy was agitated and pushed him away hard, &quot;Get off me!&quot;<br /> <br /> She almost growled out.<br /> <br /> &quot;......&quot;<br /> <br /> Her attitude was so strange. Did she know anything?<br /> <br /> Instantly, his eyes went cold, &quot;Did you know?&quot;<br /> <br /> Tammy clenched her fists in grief, &quot;Yes!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;......&quot;<br /> <br /> Angus said coldly, &quot;In that case, there&#039;s no need to pretend loving.&quot;<br /> <br /> It was clear that things had been revealed, and his cold tone seemed to tell her that there was no need for him to pretend to be gentle with her anymore.<br /> <br /> The air went cold, and Tammy&#039;s whole body became top-heavy as if all her insides had been emptied!<br /> <br /> Suddenly, she was so out of breath that a sensation of her breath being blocked came over her, and she fell to the ground, covering her chest!<br /> <br /> Angus sensed something was wrong and immediately took her in his arms!<br /> <br /> &quot;Tammy!&quot; There was urgency in his voice.<br /> <br /> Tammy&#039;s breath quickened and she gripped the man&#039;s suit tie. Her tears gushed from her eyes, and her red eyes were full of indignation!<br /> <br /> &quot;........&quot;<br /> <br /> Angus didn&#039;t say much, but his face was unusually livid. He just picked Tammy up and put her on the bed.<br /> <br /> &quot;Tammy, how are you feeling?&quot; He patted her face gently, a fine layer of sweat covering his forehead.<br /> <br /> Tammy stared at him with wide and empty eyes. She gave him a sarcastic smile.<br /> <br /> If he&#039;d been scared about her before, she&#039;d have been happy. But now she just felt sick.<br /> <br /> He wasn&#039;t afraid she&#039;d die, but he was afraid that he could not get her to sign the consent form!<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Tammy sat up in bed, pushed him away, and got right off the bed!<br /> <br /> Angus frowned. He easily caught her back with his long arms and held her in his arms. He hugged her from behind, and his eyes were dark, &quot;Where do you want to go?&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;You let go of me!&quot; Tammy shouted!<br /> <br /> Finally, monstrous anger erupted and she tried almost with all her might to break the man&#039;s hands that held her. Her nails almost sank into the back of his hands.<br /> <br /> Angus frowned and a chill crossed his face as he said coldly, &quot;Stop it. Calm down!&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;........&quot;<br /> <br /> He&#039;s got the nerve to think she was making a scene?<br /> <br /> Tammy gritted her teeth, veins bulging on her forehead as she hissed, &quot;Angus, how could you cheat on my feelings like that?!&quot;<br /> <br /> She hated him so much!<br /> <br /> Angus closed his eyes and his breathing became a little faster. He easily clamped around her in his embrace. His strong and muscular muscles pressed against her back through the suit and her nightgown. His heartbeat strongly that almost crushed her thin and frail body.<br /> <br /> In the end, he opened his cold and heartless eyes with a frost that couldn&#039;t be melted, &quot;Yes, I married you for your kidney, but...&quot;<br /> <br /> He seemed to be trying to explain something else, but the words wouldn&#039;t come out of his mouth.<br /> <br /> After all, he was doing it for her kidney. What else could he do to explain?<br /> <br /> &quot;........&quot;<br /> <br /> He had finally admitted it to her. He admitted his intention so neatly, so righteously!<br /> <br /> Tammy breathed a cold air. She bit down on her teeth, and her face was full of tears. The tears hid the scars on her face. She raged, &quot;I won&#039;t give my kidney to Sonia. You give up!&quot;<br /> <br /> His voice was also tinged with a hidden anger, and his strong, powerful arms around her became tighter, &quot;Tammy, she&#039;s your sister. Why are you so cruel? It&#039;s just a kidney. You are not going to die!&quot;<br /> <br /> Just a kidney?<br /> <br /> Why did he have the nerve to say that?<br /> <br /> ...<br /> &amp;4&amp; LEARN_MORE https://fbweb.moboreader.net/51691322-fb_contact-e 106206892171576 Love Story City https://facebook.com/100083614308933 17,592 1 1,131,565,244,558,724 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 1 1 0 Learn more 0 Love Story City 120208853142610493 fbweb.moboreader.net NONE image https://fbweb.moboreader.net/51691322-fb_contact-encp15_5-0330-core1.html?adid={{ad.id}}&char=961225&accid=1325826931416330&jump=1 2024-05-07 22:13 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440248998_964207051672440_3959328330352730965_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=S8_eaOyJUFYQ7kNvgFKQzKg&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDEbxJAr1Z3f1M7U34wNIg-Ls5MdjXhzHOSJfspvp66pA&oe=6641D06C person_profile 0 moboreader https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440337419_403085955936162_2506555853759194560_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hIrmLFeZEmQQ7kNvgH2McRn&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDyDeLBTfcqqDIXaDpVVUbEgBkyUxtJhotfRkhKV5CMTw&oe=6641C1FB 0 3 Love Story City 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:33 active 760 0 1170732930606369 Explore the Secret Pathway Against Back Pain... The pain in my back has finally ended...<br /> <br /> 8 years ago, something alarming happened... I almost lost my mobility and independence 😮<br /> <br /> I was 59 at the time, and for the next 8 years, I tried everything to alleviate the excruciating back pain and disability (especially in my lower back), but nothing worked.<br /> <br /> I couldn&#039;t even keep up with my grandchildren; they were growing up, and I wasn&#039;t able to enjoy those moments.😭<br /> <br /> I consulted several specialists and spent thousands on different therapies and procedures, but to no avail...<br /> <br /> I was so sad and upset, but there was nothing I could do.<br /> <br /> Then one Friday night, scrolling through my Facebook feed, I came across a &quot;special video&quot;. It was about a discovery that had been successfully used to treat tens of thousands of patients suffering from the most hopeless cases of back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, and everything related...<br /> <br /> More importantly, these researchers found a simple 20-second method that can undo the damage and fix 90% of back pain and arthritis cases.<br /> <br /> It&#039;s up to seven times more effective than any addictive painkillers or dangerous back surgeries because it blocks the pain nerve fibers deep in your tissues and targets the real root cause of back and joint pain.<br /> <br /> I was skeptical, but I figured it didn&#039;t hurt to try; I was willing to do anything to make these unbearable pains stop...<br /> <br /> So, I started applying this method for 20 seconds every night...<br /> <br /> After a few days of using this method, I felt my spine begin to loosen, and the pain began to disappear...<br /> <br /> 2 weeks later, I was a completely different person... I looked like a new person, I was finally able to keep up with my grandchildren 😀<br /> <br /> My mood improved, and since then, my husband hasn&#039;t left me alone... lol ❤️‍🔥 and I finally regained my freedom!<br /> <br /> I&#039;m so grateful to have found this method... It truly was the answer to my prayers...🙏<br /> <br /> Tap &quot;Learn More&quot; to see how this method changed my life. 👇👇👇 LEARN_MORE https://www.path-to-wellness.online/ps-blmx/?utm_s 260660817139786 Brenda Gardner https://facebook.com/61558629257159 0 1 243,904,972,113,869 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 Brenda Gardner 120212128633670188 www.path-to-wellness.online NONE video ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.9/5.0 https://www.path-to-wellness.online/ps-blmx/?utm_source={{placement}}&utm_medium={{adset.name}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}} 2024-05-08 11:50 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438129550_453128610606449_8477507434633302138_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MxOEq0vUuuoQ7kNvgEy7OS5&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDqI4k9obnxgPWfKA_wRjsvuueq0nzIxbxQB8bzeg9MqA&oe=6641EA94 person_profile 0 Brenda Gardner https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438162826_799553262125315_7902465361161084443_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=yt8VGeQ_Y3YQ7kNvgEWjqq2&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDS-mUc_E-WyAYdRttbEwIz980fJRr6g8l5cvhJJ-1YxQ&oe=6641D9F9 0 3 Brenda Gardner 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:33 active 760 0 405846685662737 $49 CONSULTATION, BALANCE TEST, NERVE TEST AND INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼, 𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 Lancaster and Surrounding Areas!❗👋<br /> Feeling nails or electricity on your feet or hands can be a symptom of Neuropathy.<br /> <br /> We are Antelope Valley Frye Chiropractic, and I have a brand new treatment for Neuropathy and symptoms like feeling of electrical discharges, stings, burning, and numbness of the feet.<br /> <br /> This treatment can eliminate most of the pain and, in some cases, relieve it.<br /> It&#039;s safe and highly effective for most people.<br /> <br /> We are giving 23 discount vouchers this month to promote our office with the low cost of 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 $49❗<br /> <br /> That includes:<br /> ✅ Consultation<br /> ✅ Balance test<br /> ✅ Nerve test<br /> ✅ Infrared Photography<br /> <br /> Few spots left available! So get yours today by clicking the button below the Image.👇<br /> ----------------------------------------<br /> Address: 42283 10th St W Suite 107, Lancaster, CA 93534<br /> Phone Number: (661) 669-8808 GET_OFFER http://fb.me/ 252338604630499 Frye Chiropractic - English https://facebook.com/61557361259304 1 1 1,200,770,320,893,937 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Get offer 0 Frye Chiropractic - English 120209971550960021 fb.me NONE video http://fb.me/ 2024-04-29 16:31 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438833982_7580194142048205_7831164688188296402_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TtpLfEheS1EQ7kNvgEObWao&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB3CY2efgzMcazfcm85gcA3NpFJNKRH4YEnhqOdcJbT_w&oe=6641E155 person_profile 0 Frye Chiropractic - English https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438829345_1381603352523162_8423599574090311046_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=618aK5nV4bIQ7kNvgEXmkRq&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBcJsijFJS9olhuV9GWUIDn9v5zcS-BRo2vTuz7ASoOAQ&oe=6641F50A 0 3 Frye Chiropractic - English 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:36 active 760 0 1107310467022159 🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻 &quot;Is it yours?&quot; I blurted out the question that had been hovering on the edge of my lips. My fingers clutched at the sheets in a death grip as I braced for the answer.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t change the subject !&quot; He growled, glaring at me.<br /> &quot;Elisa&#039;s baby, is it yours?&quot; I asked, feeling my own anger and frustration rise. I hated being accused of being a manipulator when I had no idea what it even was that I was supposedly manipulating. I was angry that Aiden could so blatantly cheat on me, could hold Elisa&#039;s hand while she was pregnant while I was all but starved of the tiniest form of affection from my husband. <br /> —<br /> I sagged against the wall of the clinic, not trusting my legs to carry me any further without collapsing in a heap on the floor.<br /> Slowly, as though in a slow motion video, I lifted the picture clutched tight in my left hand and stared at the black and white mass that the nurse had handed over to me after the doctor had pronounced the four words that I had not been expecting at all.<br /> Disbelief and shock and a dozen other thoughts waged a battle in my head. Most prominent thought was &#039;how?&#039; How could I have gotten pregnant?<br /> Which was a silly question, really. After all I knew all about how babies were made, I wasn&#039;t that naive. Still, it had been just the one time, my first time. One time.<br /> A headache bloomed in my temples and I sighed and let my eyes drift shut. Unconsciously, I crumpled the paper in a tight fist, fighting the surge of tears that stung my lids. This was not the time to give in to bouts of self pity, I had to figure out what to do, how to break the news to Aiden and brace myself for what comes after.<br /> I caught sight of the gleaming Mercedes already idling at the front entrance to the hospital, drawing admiring and envious gazes. Thanks to the heavily tinted windows, none of them could see the occupants of the car, but I knew Aiden would be in the back seat, watching me approach. Feeling self conscious at all the attention, I walked up to the car just as the driver&#039;s door opened and our chauffeur, Martin, came around to open the back door.<br /> &quot;Afternoon Ma&#039;am.&quot; Martin intoned in crisp, professional tones as he held the door open.<br /> &quot;Hello Martin,&quot; I murmured, distractedly.<br /> The cause of my distraction sat at the other end of the seat, narrowed dark brown eyes, set in a face that many women and men had described as drop dead gorgeous, were trained on me as he watched me almost lose balance and topple head first into the car.<br /> Disapproval oozed from him in waves as he watched my blunder and my cheeks heated from embarrassment, but I managed to right myself just in time to avoid disaster, mumbling an apology that was ignored.<br /> &quot;Did you get the signed contract?&quot; He asked, his voice deep, sliding over my ears like hot chocolate on a cold winter&#039;s morning and I had to suppress the thrilling shiver that ran through me. It wouldn&#039;t do to let him see how much everything about him affected me. Yes, I was hopelessly in love with him, but I didn&#039;t need a fortune teller to tell me my love was neither wanted nor reciprocated.<br /> I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded. &quot;Yes, everything&#039;s all set. We should be able to deliver the first batch of lab equipment by the end of month.&quot; I fished out my tablet and switched it on, quickly bringing up the signed contract for him to see. &quot;Dr. Mason sends his regards as well.&quot;<br /> Aiden merely spared one glance at the screen and nodded. &quot;It&#039;s your project. You&#039;ll be the main liaison with Vincent at the hospital. Handle it well.&quot;<br /> &quot;Of course.&quot; I murmured and slid the tablet back in my purse. My fingers brushed the edge of the picture that would either be the final nail in the coffin of our marriage, or the start of a new beginning.<br /> &quot;Aiden...&quot; My palms began to sweat and I could literally hear my heart pounding in my ears. I swallowed nervously and wiped my sweaty palms on my pants.<br /> Rip off the bandaid.<br /> He looked at me, expression devoid of any emotion. It had always been hard to get a read on Aiden and I usually prided myself on being able to read people with some measure of accuracy. Not Aiden though. He was a block of marble - cold, impenetrable.<br /> &quot;What is it?&quot; There was a hint of impatience in his voice and that made me lose what little nerve I had managed to muster.<br /> &quot;I...&quot; I hated myself for stuttering, because I could see how much it irritated him, if the narrowed eyes and wry twist of his lips was any indication. My hands formed tight fists, nails digging into the soft flesh of my palms, the pain helping to ground me a little. &quot;While I was at the hospital, I stopped by...&quot;<br /> His phone went off, the sound shattering the tense moment and drowning out my words. I fell silent as Aiden cursed under his breath and slid the phone from his inner suit pocket to glance at the screen. In the dim interior of the car, I could easily see the lit up screen and the name of the caller displayed.<br /> Elisa.<br /> A tinge of bile filled my throat at the sight of the name. My shoulders sagged and I looked away, my chest feeling like a vise had clamped down on it, squeezing tight.<br /> &quot;Can it wait?&quot; I heard Aiden ask and I glanced up at him. He was looking at me with that same impatient look, head turned to one side as he waited for my answer. &quot;I need to take this call, we can talk afterwards.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah, sure.&quot; I said, forcing a lightness to my voice that I didn&#039;t feel. I watched as Aiden accepted the call, my throat tight as I noticed the way his voice got softer, the way his tense shoulders relaxed as he listened to the reply on the other end, the hint of a smile that lifted his stern mouth and felt the vice tighten until I could barely breathe.<br /> Unable to bear the sight, I looked away, swallowing down the lump of bitter emotions that threatened to spill over. I let my mind wander again, unwilling to listen to whatever conversation they were having, knowing it would only hurt me more.<br /> <br /> With a small sign, I stood up and headed towards my room, carrying the box. As I passed one of the rooms, I heard familiar voices coming from inside and without meaning to, I stopped to listen.<br /> &quot;Do you feel better now?&quot; I heard Aiden say. His voice was gentle and filled with concern. I peeked into the room to see who he was talking to. Elisa lay on a daybed by the window with Aiden crouched in front of her, holding onto her hand.<br /> &quot;Yes,&quot; She replied and smiled weakly at him. &quot;I&#039;m sorry to be so much trouble.&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s fine. Vincent will be up to check on you soon.&quot;<br /> &quot;I really don&#039;t need a doctor.&quot; Elisa whispered. &quot;I&#039;ll be fine, really.&quot;<br /> &quot;You may be, but we don&#039;t want to risk anything, especially with the baby.&quot;<br /> Shock reverberated through my entire body as I stood rooted to the spot, my head swimming from what I&#039;d just heard. I must have made a sound because they both looked at me, Aiden with a dark expression and Elisa with what I could only describe as a guilty flush.<br /> &quot;What do you want?&quot; Aiden straightened, his eyes flashing in impatience. Through the fog in my mind, I noticed that he hadn&#039;t let go of Elisa&#039;s hand even while talking to me.<br /> I opened my mouth several times in an attempt to reply but no words came out, my brian seemingly having turned to mush. Several thoughts were swimming through my mind but most prominent were two big questions.<br /> Elisa was pregnant and was Aiden the father?<br /> My gaze landed on their clasped hands and a despair so deep started at the pit of my stomach.<br /> &quot;Jessica!&quot; Aiden&#039;s bark pulled me from the jumble of my thoughts. I stared at him blankly, my eyes welling with unshed tears then I looked at Elisa.<br /> &quot;You&#039;re pregnant?&quot; I asked stupidly. My voice was a low whisper, broken and hoarse.<br /> At her nod, my knees threatened to give way and I gripped the door for support. I wanted to ask my second question, but I couldn&#039;t bring myself to utter the words, I didn&#039;t want to know the truth because I wasn&#039;t sure I would survive it.<br /> The box slipped from my numb hand and tumbled to the floor with a dull thud. Aiden&#039;s eyes fell on the box and if it were possible for his expression to get any colder, it did.<br /> &quot;What are you doing with that?&quot; He demanded in a tone filled with frost.<br /> Still shocked I glanced down at the box then bent down to pick it up. The metal felt cold in my hand as I clasped it to my chest, while fighting the sting of tears.<br /> &quot;Who gave that to you?&quot; Aiden asked. He let go of Elisa&#039;s hand and stalked towards me, eyes shooting sparks of blue ice.<br /> &quot;Jodie gave it to me.&quot; I replied, taking a step back as he approached, feeling a bit frightened by his ferocity.<br /> He stopped in front of me, mouth set in a thin line. &quot;We need to talk. Now.&quot;<br /> Without waiting for my response, his hand closed over my wrist and he towed me along as he strode out of the room, pausing only to reassure Elisa that he would be right back. I stumbled behind him, struggling to match his long strides, clutching the box to my chest like a lifeline. We entered his room and he let go of me to slam the door shut.<br /> The curtains were drawn, casting the room in darkness but I could make out some of the furnishings. Not trusting my legs to hold me up any longer, I perched on the edge of the bed, rubbing my sweaty palms over my dress as I watched Aiden pace round the room, my pulse fluttering in anxiety.<br /> Finally, with a brusque laugh that held bitterness, Aiden stopped in front of me, arms folded. &quot;You really are something else, Jessica.&quot; his tone dripped with frost. &quot;Even after two years in this marriage, you&#039;re still so determined to manipulate me to get what you want right?&quot;<br /> &quot;Is it yours?&quot; I blurted out the question that had been hovering on the edge of my lips. My fingers clutched at the sheets in a death grip as I braced for the answer.<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t change the subject !&quot; He growled, glaring at me.<br /> &quot;Elisa&#039;s baby, is it yours?&quot; I asked, feeling my own anger and frustration rise. I hated being accused of being a manipulator when I had no idea what it even was that I was supposedly manipulating. I was angry that Aiden could so blatantly cheat on me, could hold Elisa&#039;s hand while she was pregnant while I was all but starved of the tiniest form of affection from my husband.<br /> Something flashed across his expression but was gone too quickly for me to identify what it was. Then his lips thinned, his eyes flashing with mockery. &quot;And what if it is?&quot; He drawled. &quot;Surely you did not expect me to live like a monk when I have a cold fish for a wife?&quot;<br /> Each word hit me with the force of a thousand bricks. &quot;That&#039;s not fair, Aiden.&quot;<br /> &quot;Fair? You want to talk to me about what&#039;s fair?&quot; Aiden leaned over me, one hand on each side, effectively caging me in. &quot;Don&#039;t make this into a pity party for yourself, Jessica, you don&#039;t get to feel sorry for any misery you brought on yourself the day you plotted with my father to force me to marry you.&quot;<br /> I shut my eyes so he wouldn&#039;t see my despair. &quot;For the last time, I had nothing to do with Julian&#039;s decision.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yes, well he&#039;s not here to defend himself, is he?&quot; Aiden sneered. He gestured at the box which was on the bed. &quot;Do you really think what&#039;s in that box can stop me from ending this marriage?&quot;<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t know.&quot; I whispered, each pulse like a thousand needles piercing through my skin. I didn&#039;t know what was in the box, but what I did know was that I could no longer lie to myself. My marriage was beyond saving and even if Aiden chose to stay with me, we would just continue to hurt each other.<br /> I drew in a shaky breath and gathered my thoughts. &quot;You&#039;re right, there&#039;s no use trying to save this marriage anymore. We should get a divorce, I&#039;m willing to sign anything, let&#039;s just go our separate ways.&quot;<br /> He stared at me, his gaze roving over my face as though he was trying to gauge the depth of my emotions. &quot;Why?&quot;<br /> &quot;You said it yourself, our marriage is a sham and it&#039;s making us both miserable so we might as well end it.&quot; I couldn&#039;t resist adding bitterly. &quot;And you can finally be with the one you&#039;ve always wanted.&quot;<br /> He straightened, folded his arms, still watching me intently. &quot;What do you want in the divorce?&quot;<br /> &quot;I really don&#039;t care. I just want this to be over.&quot; I pushed to my feet, wanting to be alone, where I could feel sorry for myself in peace. &quot;I have a flight to catch in two hours, you can send over the divorce papers when I get to Winsconsin. I&#039;ll move my things out of the house when I get back from my trip. Excuse me.&quot;<br /> I pushed past him, but he stopped me. &quot;About Elisa...&quot; he began but I stopped him with a cold glare.<br /> &quot;I don&#039;t care anymore, Aiden. You can marry her tomorrow for all I care. Have a nice life.&quot;<br /> I stormed out of the room and almost collided into Vincent who was just entering the room. He steadied me, his brow furrowing when he saw the state I was in.<br /> &quot;Jess, what&#039;s wrong?&quot; He asked, eyes darting from me to Aiden.<br /> &quot;Nothing&#039;s wrong, I just have a flight to catch. Please excuse me.&quot; I broke free from his grip and hurried away. Let Aiden be the one to explain, let him say whatever he wanted, I didn&#039;t care anymore. I just wanted to leave Skye manor and everything it meant.<br /> Needing to avoid the people milling about, I headed for the west side where there was a set of stairs that led to the lake and from there I could get to the parking lot. My bags were still in the car and I could only hope that Martin was closeby.<br /> &quot;Jess! Wait a moment.&quot; Elisa called out from behind me. I hastened my steps, I didn&#039;t want to talk to her, didn&#039;t trust myself to not lose my cool and lash out at her. Right now, I hated her for everything she represented.<br /> &quot;Jessica!&quot; she called out again but I kept moving. I could see the stairs just ahead and hurried towards it. Just as I reached the first step, I felt my arm being wrenched from behind.<br /> I turned towards her defensively, intending to yank my arm away. The next seconds happened in slow motion as I watched, the horrified look on Elisa&#039;s face as she stumbled forward from the force, tripped over my foot and plunged headfirst down the steep flight of stairs.<br /> I heard a piercing scream and realized it was coming from me, as I stood frozen as Elisa tumbled down the stairs to land in a broken heap at the base. My heart hammered in my chest, fingers stiff and cold as I forced myself to move, eyes glued on the gruesome sight below. Someone shoved past me, pushing me aside so hard my shoulder hit the guardrail and I gasped as pain bloomed from the spot.<br /> &quot;What did you do to her?&quot; Aiden had reached Elisa, he kneeled down beside her, his expression a picture of panic and fear. He gathered her carefully in his arms and I felt my head swim at the sight of the blood pooling beneath her. I slid down and sat on a step, my legs having turned to jelly.<br /> &quot;Aiden, don&#039;t move her, she may have a spinal injury.&quot; Vincent yelled as he brushed past me. Aiden set her back down on the ground, her face pale and lifeless.<br /> &quot;Call nine one one.&quot; Vincent instructed as he began emergency procedures on Elisa. With trembling fingers, Aiden pulled out his cell phone and dialed.<br /> The next hour passed in a blur. The ambulance came and went, Aiden and Vincent going along with them, but not before Aiden had paused by me to say harshly.<br /> &quot;If anything happens to Elisa or her baby, you&#039;ll wish you were never born.&quot;<br /> I stood gazing in the distance long after the tail lights of the ambulance had disappeared, unaware of anything, my mind blank of any thought save the sight of Elisa lying helpless and bleeding.<br /> Someone draped a large jacket over my shoulders and I finally tore my eyes away from the treeline to see Logan standing beside me.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s freezing out here, come inside.&quot; He gently steered me towards the house and my feet followed, still numb.<br /> &quot;I need to go to the hospital,&quot; I mumbled, clutching at the lapels of the coat. &quot;Need to make sure she&#039;s okay.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll take you there.&quot; Logan assured me as he led me to a chair. &quot;But first, let&#039;s get you warmed up and out of shock.&quot;<br /> I shook my head and attempted to stand up. &quot;No, I need to go now. Elisa could be...&quot; I choked off with a sob, unwilling to complete my sentence.<br /> Logan pulled me into a hug. &quot;She&#039;ll be alright, Jess. Don&#039;t worry.&quot;<br /> I pulled away and turned towards the door. &quot;Please, Logan. Let&#039;s go now.&quot;<br /> He saw the desperation on my face and nodded. &quot;Okay, let&#039;s go.&quot;<br /> We got into his car, a sleek black ferrari convertible just as Jodie caught up to us.<br /> &quot;Mom, we&#039;re heading to the hospital,&quot; I heard him say to her. I was still too numb to do much more than sit there, tense and worried because I was scared to death.<br /> She leaned down to my window and took my hands in hers, giving me a comforting squeeze. &quot;Are you alright, hun?&quot;<br /> Tears filled my eyes and I shook my head. I wasn&#039;t sure if I would ever be alright again. She gently pushed back strands of my hair that had come loose from my face. &quot;I...I didn&#039;t mean to hurt her...I would never try to...&quot;<br /> &quot;I know, dear. Don&#039;t beat yourself up. It was an accident, and those happen sometimes. Remember not to push yourself too hard, there&#039;s someone who depends on your well being, okay?&quot;<br /> I nodded and she smiled, let go of my hands and turned to her son. &quot;Drive carefully and give me a call when you get to the hospital.&quot;<br /> &quot;Yeah mom. I&#039;ll do that.&quot; Logan turned on the ignition and the engines responded with a loud roar.<br /> &quot;What happened, Jess?&quot; Logan asked once we were on the road to the hospital which was thankfully not too far. &quot;How did Elisa fall down those stairs?&quot;<br /> I sighed and told him everything. From Elisa&#039;s pregnancy with Aiden to our impending divorce and finally, with a throat tight with emotion, the scene at the stairs. I told him about my pregnancy as well. Logan listened with growing incredulity, his knuckles in a death grip on the wheel, jaw set in fury.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m going to kill him.&quot; He gritted out once I had finished. &quot;That cheating prick had the balls to threaten you because of his side chick? I&#039;m going to cut off his balls and stuff them in his mouth. He cheated on you while you&#039;re carrying his child?&quot;<br /> &quot;He doesn&#039;t know about the baby.&quot; I rubbed at my belly distractedly. &quot;I was going to tell him after my trip.&quot;<br /> &quot;That doesn&#039;t excuse him at all. He shouldn&#039;t have cheated on you.&quot;<br /> I hummed in response, grateful that we were approaching the hospital parking lot. We hurried into the building, my anxiety at critical levels as we neared the front desk, then followed directions to the trauma ward.<br /> &quot;What are you doing here?&quot; Aiden growled at me when we entered the surgery waiting room. He and Vincent were the only ones inside, their clothing rumpled and stained with blood. &quot;Get out, right now.&quot;<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t order her around.&quot; Logan snapped, coming to stand in front of me, his eyes glaring daggers at Aiden. &quot;Unless this room is in your name, you don&#039;t get to decide who stays or leaves.&quot;<br /> &quot;Logan,&quot; Aiden took several steps forward, tone low and deadly. &quot;Do not test me right now. Take her and get out of here before I do something that&#039;ll land us both in prison.&quot;<br /> &quot;Logan, let&#039;s leave. Please.&quot; I tugged at his sleeve, scared that the two men would actually come to blows.<br /> &quot;We&#039;re not leaving. I&#039;d like to see what he can do.&quot;<br /> At this time, both men were literally nose to nose and the air was thick with so much tension, you could slice it with a blunt knife.<br /> Aiden&#039;s jaw worked, his knuckles white and I could see he was trying his best not to swing at Logan. Both men were tall, though Aiden had several inches on Logan, his shoulders were broader, muscles more well defined. Still, I&#039;d seen Logan fight before, he&#039;d broken more than his share of noses in highschool and college. The guy could hold his own against a bigger opponent.<br /> &quot;Okay, the both of you need to calm down.&quot; Vincent inserted himself between the two men, arms out on either side. &quot;This is neither the time nor place for this, not while Elisa is in surgery.&quot;<br /> When neither man still moved, Vincent gently pushed Aiden back and he moved away reluctantly, his gaze still pinned on Logan.<br /> Vincent turned to me, his eyes devoid of actual warmth for the first time since I&#039;d known him. &quot;Jess, you two can stay.&quot;<br /> &quot;How is Elisa?&quot; I asked.<br /> &quot;She&#039;s still in surgery for internal bleeding, but the ER doctor said she didn&#039;t have any spinal injuries, so that&#039;s good, but with the baby, she&#039;s not out of the woods yet.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m so sorry.&quot; I whispered. &quot;This is my fault.&quot; If only I had stopped to talk to her, if only I hadn&#039;t tried to pull away when she grabbed my arm...<br /> So many if onlys.<br /> Aiden scoffed and pinned me with a glare. &quot;Of course it&#039;s your fault. You pushed her, didn&#039;t you?&quot;<br /> &quot;No!&quot; I cried out, shaking my head frantically. &quot;I didn&#039;t push her, I swear. I would never do that.&quot;<br /> He looked like he didn&#039;t believe me. &quot;Of course, you didn&#039;t.&quot;<br /> &quot;She didn&#039;t push her, prick.&quot; Logan snapped at Aiden. &quot;Your girlfriend was the one who came running after Jess, probably to gloat over the divorce.&quot;<br /> &quot;Watch your mouth or I swear I&#039;ll...&quot;<br /> &quot;Guys, cool it.&quot; Vincent raised his voice in exasperation. &quot;We&#039;re going to get thrown out of the hospital if you keep this up.&quot;<br /> We retreated to opposite sides of the room, Logan and I on one end, Aiden and Vincent at the other. Aiden sat down and took out his phone and proceeded to ignore us.<br /> An hour passed before a doctor clad in purple scrubs came over to inform us that Elisa was out of surgery and in recovery. She had ruptured her spleen in the fall and sustained some injuries, including a broken arm, but otherwise would be expected to make a full recovery.<br /> We all breathed out a collective sigh of relief until Aiden asked tersely. &quot;And the baby? Will it be okay?&quot; LEARN_MORE https://b.penguinovels.com/ad/cGVuZ3VpbnMvMTcxODg1 178192738717152 Guin113 https://facebook.com/61554645218106 11 1 2,160,671,304,284,575 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 Guin113 120208390723270554 b.penguinovels.com NONE video https://b.penguinovels.com/ad/cGVuZ3VpbnMvMTcxODg1LzIwMjQwNTA4MTEwMjQ0L3BhZ2U=?adid={{ad.id}} 2024-05-07 22:06 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441398940_382014624836035_9056260801014070424_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=JapJKkbIwlgQ7kNvgGrnhmc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBV7GxuyQLuv3UfiEbuDrRQxv8mPius6vdQqGQZNC-Dhw&oe=6641E8CC person_profile 0 Guin113 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441337363_747275977582527_8170540448431220015_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=IcpG6mfi8D0Q7kNvgGMY9kN&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC_FEksNYDTUiKKI0vZDdye8beNdNwkRCYlME4oDzlL5A&oe=6641E971 0 3 Guin113 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-05-08 18:36 active 760 0 982848339864089 😍📖Read Now-The Alpha & The Nerd “You’re late,” Emory scolded as I walked behind the counter. I rolled my eyes as I tucked my messenger bag under the counter and pushed my glasses back up my nose. I made a mental note to stop by the optometrists later to get them adjusted. “Yes, I’m less than five minutes late. Sorry, the bus was running a little late this morning.” She huffed at my response. “You know, Reena, we need someone that is going to be reliable and on time. If you can’t be that person, then…” I cuter her off before she could finish the sentence that she loves to tell me every chance she gets, “I understand, Ms. Turner, and I can assure you that I will do everything I can to prevent it from happening in the future.”<br /> <br /> I didn’t give her time to say anything else as I grabbed a stack of returned books and made my way to the back to begin reshelving them. I have worked at this library for four years, since I was 18, to be exact. I was excited when I landed the job the day after my birthday. I absolutely love books, computers, research, and all that kind of stuff. And for the most part, my job has been excellent; until two months ago. Emory, or Ms. Turner, is a year older than me but is my immediate supervisor. Her mother is the library director, and that is the only reason she now holds the position she does. We used to get along just fine, and I was allowed to call her Emory, but that changed when she decided to have an affair with my boyfriend.<br /> <br /> I never thought he would do that to me, but as Ms. Turner kindly pointed out, I am a nerd with nothing going for me. And that’s partially true, I’ll admit. I am a known nerd, geek, or whatever you want to call it, but I wouldn’t say I have nothing going for me. I’m currently taking online accounting classes, and I plan to become a CPA within the year. I’m excited about it and know my mother would be proud of me.<br /> <br /> I wouldn’t mind working at the library my whole life; I really enjoy it, but I have always thought about becoming a CPA, and with my mom gone, I would be able to better support myself with that than on the small salary the library pays me. My mother always encouraged me to chase my dreams and don’t let fear hold me back. After she passed away last year, her words have impacted my life more. I’ll never forget that day. My mom was a nurse at the local hospital, usually working more than twelve-hour shifts. I was used to her being gone a lot; she had to work hard to support us. I never knew who my dad was; honestly, I don’t care who he is. She called me to tell me she was waiting for the bus and would be home soon. I finished setting the table after I hung up the phone with her. After an hour of waiting and her not answering her phone, there was a knock on the front door. I remember laughing, thinking she had left her keys at work again, as I walked to open the door. To my shock, two police officers were standing there instead of my mother, as I thought.<br /> <br /> “Are you Reena Donson?” the man asked me. “Yes, is there something wrong?” I questioned back. We had never had the police at our door, so confusion didn’t begin to explain what I felt. “Do you mind if we come in to talk to you?” I shook my head as I opened the door wider for them to enter, “No, not at all.” I closed the door behind them and led them to the small living room. “Do you know Tina Donson?” the female officer spoke softly as I sat on the couch. “Yes, that’s my mother. Why?” I remember the way panic seemed to flood my body. “We are sorry to tell you this, but your mother was involved in a hit-and-run near the bus station on South Boulevard.”<br /> <br /> “Is she okay? Oh, my goodness, I need to get to her.” I stood from the couch and began slipping on my shoes as fast as possible, “Do you mind giving me a ride?” My brain seemed to be in overdrive as I rushed around the apartment, trying to find my bag. “Ms. Donson,” the female officer stopped my movements as she gently laid her hand on my shoulder, grabbing my attention, “I’m so sorry, but your mother didn’t make it.” As the words left her mouth, my whole world seemed to shatter into pieces around me. Everything else seemed to go by in a blur the following week. It took me a while to finally get somewhat past it, though I still find myself crying regularly over it. It had always been us against the world. She was my best friend, the one who never judged me for anything, the one who was encouraging and supportive of everything that involved me. Now it was just me.<br /> <br /> When I met Ed, I thought I had finally found someone to spend the rest of my life with. He was perfect to me. He was tall, with shaggy brown hair, and looked so sexy with his round black glasses. He had come to the library several times, and we would talk for what seemed like hours. He finally asked me on a date, and soon after, we became official. Ed is one of the reasons I’m not as depressed as I was. he helped pull me out of my funk until I caught him and Emory together one day. I still am not sure how long they had been seeing each other behind my back, but the day I caught them behind the library making out, I broke up with him, and now Emory, Ms. Turner, has not been the most pleasant to work with. What she did wasn’t enough; now, she has been looking for a reason to get me fired. I had heard rumors that Ed broke it off with her after they were caught, and he’s been trying to get me back ever since.<br /> <br /> My mother always told me once a cheater, always a cheater, and I believe her. I don’t think he’s sorry for what he did, only sorry that he got caught. I’ve blocked his number many times, but he continues to get new ones. Now I just ignore any calls from numbers I don’t know.<br /> <br /> I bumped into someone as I turned the corner on my way back to the front desk, “I’m so sorry,” I muttered as he reached out to stop me from falling. “No problem.” I shivered at the sound of his deep voice, finally getting the nerve to look up. I swear my heart stopped beating. He was gorgeous. Definitely not the type I usually gawk at, but there was something about him that made me excited. His long black hair seemed to shine as he smiled at me. I felt myself blush and struggled to look away from his beautiful hazel eyes. I quickly tried to move out of his way when he reached out, grabbing my arm gently, “Do you work here?” he asked me. I nodded my head in response, unable to form words for some reason.<br /> <br /> I turned my head quickly as a blush coated my cheeks. I was unsure why this man was stirring up feelings I had never had before, but I knew I had to get it together. Someone like him doesn’t go for someone like me. “Is there anything I can help you with, sir?” I asked after clearing my throat. His smile was contagious, causing my own to grace my face. Ed never bothered to ensure I was smiling, yet this man could make me smile without even trying. I realized a lot about my relationship with Ed that I was too blind to notice while I was with him. Hindsight is 20-20, as they say. “Yeah, I was looking for a book to teach me how to use a computer.” I tried to hide the shock on my face, “They’re right over here,” I pointed across the library as I began to lead him over there. “This is all the books we have. Is there a specific program you want to learn about?” He blushed at my question, “Um, just one that will teach the basics of computers, I guess.”<br /> <br /> I furrowed my brows in confusion, “You mean to tell me you don’t know how to use a computer?” He had to be joking; everyone knows how to use computers nowadays. I mean, just about everything is run by computers of some sort. “No, I have no idea how to use a computer. Guess you could say I’m a little old-fashioned.” I watched as he scanned over the small section, “I love computers and wouldn’t mind helping you if you want.” My eyes widened as I realized what I had blurted out. I couldn’t believe it. I had never done this before. I don’t even know him; why would I offer to teach him? I also felt oddly safe next to him. A type of safe I have never felt before. “Really? You would do that?” he asked, surprised. He looked relieved by my offer, but he didn’t realize I was kicking myself for saying that. Too late now, I already offered, “Sure, I’m pretty good with computers. I don’t see how it would be a problem. I can’t teach you coding, but I can cover the basics.” My heart was racing against my chest. I was mentally kicking myself for speaking without thinking.<br /> <br /> Where am I going to teach him this? I can’t invite him to my place; who knows if he’s a serial killer or an inhumane? Though I don’t get those vibes from him. Vibes? What am I even talking about!! How would I know what kind of vibes bad people give off?? Jeez!! Feeling more nervous than usual, I look up to find him staring at me intently.<br /> <br /> “Are you okay?” he asked, the side of his mouth pulling up into a smirk. “Y—Yes. Thank you, I’m fine.” Oh my Lanta, could I embarrass myself anymore? I crossed my arms behind my back, trying to discreetly wipe my sweaty palms, “We can use the library computers to learn the basics. They aren’t anything fancy, or even close to the top of the line, but they would do for now anyways,” I told him, part of me wanting him to agree and the other hoping he backs out and decides he doesn’t need any help. “That sounds great. Tell me a day and time, and I’ll be here.”<br /> <br /> He actually looked relieved about this, which I found a little odd. “Umm…I am off work tomorrow if you want to meet then. Say around 10 in the morning?” He nodded his head, “That sounds perfect! Thank you for this, by the way.” After he picked two different books to take with him, I walked away to assist a young kid looking for a new vampire series. I glanced over my shoulder, watching him walk out the door, books in tow. He looked back at me as if he knew I was watching him, giving me a toothy smile and a small wave before exiting and disappearing.<br /> <br /> The day seemed to fly by as Ms. Turner made sure to keep me busy. But I couldn’t help my racing thoughts about Mr. Mysterious. I’m such a fool! I’m supposed to be meeting him tomorrow to teach him about computers, but I’m still skeptical about him not knowing anything, and I didn’t even think to get his darn name or give him mine!<br /> <br /> “I’m going to need you to come in for a few hours tomorrow,” Ms.Turner sneered as I grabbed my belongings. Of course she did, I thought to myself. “For what? You realize tomorrow is my only day off, and I have things I need to take care of.” Lately, I had only been getting one full day off, and I always tried to use that day to get ahead on some of my classwork and any errands I needed to get done. Not to mention, tomorrow I’m supposed to be meeting Mr. Mysterious here. “We are receiving a shipment of new books that will need to be labeled before being shelved,” she looked at me through slanted eyes, “I’m sure whatever you need to do can wait. I mean, you wouldn’t want to lose your job, would you?”<br /> <br /> I rolled my eyes before turning to face her, “No, I don’t care to lose my job. What time do you need me here?” I was so tired of her attitude and sick of her always using my job against me. I can’t wait to finish my classes and find another job. “Be here by one,” she huffed. I didn’t bother responding as I walked out the door, scared I would say or do something I couldn’t take back and would regret later. I pulled my jacket tighter against me as I walked down the sidewalk.<br /> <br /> The clouds hung heavily in the sky as if they could pour out their water at any moment. I picked up my pace, not wanting to be drenched as the wind picked up. My mind drifted back to Mr. Mysterious. I still have a hard time believing he’s never used a computer before. It’s just unheard of. Maybe this is some kind of sick joke; I mean, would it surprise me at all? Probably not, I thought. I shook my head, trying to clear the unwelcome thoughts that followed.<br /> <br /> “Hey! Need a ride?” I quickly looked to my left as shivers traveled up my spine.<br /> <br /> Mr. Mysterious in all his glory, go figure. The shiny, black corvette screamed privilege at me. Here I can barely afford my necessities, and he’s driving a sports car. He does look good in it, though. I tried to hide my initial shock, “Umm, no thanks. I don’t live far.” I stopped and answered him. He hung out his window as he looked up at the sky, “Are you sure? It’s really no problem. Looks like it’s about to storm.”<br /> <br /> Just as the word left his mouth, a large raindrop plopped on his windshield, and before I knew it, it was pouring. Without a second thought, I opened the passenger door and jumped in, water dripping from my hair; I couldn’t help but laugh. Just my luck, I thought as I attempted to dry my glasses off.<br /> I could feel Mr. Mysteries’ eyes boring into me as I slid my glasses back on. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him, “My name is Reena, by the way.” A smile spread across his face as he looked at me amused, “I’m Al—Atlas,” he cleared his throat after stumbling over his words. An awkward silence seemed to fall around us, “Where to?” he questioned as he slowly pulled back onto the road.<br /> “Across town, the Meadow Oak apartments.” I was surprised, once again, at how comfortable and safe I felt with this complete stranger. At least I knew his name now. “I thought you said you didn’t live far?” he questioned a hint of amusement in his voice. <br /> <br /> “Well, I usually ride the bus, and it isn’t that far from the bus stop from the library or to my apartment.” I shivered as the coolness of my wet clothes clung to me.<br /> <br /> “So, how old are you, Reena?”<br /> <br /> “I’m 22, and you?” I appreciated him trying to break the silence that had found its way back around us.<br /> <br /> “26…but some days I feel a lot older than that,” he chuckled lightly. His voice was doing things to me that I never thought possible.<br /> <br /> “I understand that feeling,” I replied honestly as I willed my hormones to calm down. What was the deal with this guy? How could he have such an effect on me so fast, I thought to myself. “Are you hungry? We can stop and get something to eat?” he offered. I shook my head, “No, I’m okay. I’ll eat at home. Thank you, though.” Eating out wasn’t something I could afford. No one knows just how tight of a budget I am on except for Ed. I can barely afford my apartment, classes, and a few groceries I do buy. I have thought about moving to a cheaper place, but I would need a deposit and some way to move all my stuff. Plus, this was the apartment my mom worked hard to keep us in. It’s nothing super fancy, but it’s nice and in a safe neighborhood. My stomach growled, giving me away, “Are you sure?” he quirked his eyebrow up as he eyed me. “I’m sure.” I tried to hide my embarrassment as I felt heat rush through my cheeks.<br /> <br /> “I know I’m starving; it’s been a long day,” he quickly glanced at me, “and I would rather not eat alone. Will you eat a burger with me? My treat, consider it a thank you for teaching me about computers.”<br /> <br /> “You don’t have to buy me dinner; a simple thank you is enough for me. Besides, I’m soaked,” I hated other people spending money on me for any reason. My mom was the same way; she used to get so upset with me when I would buy her anything. Even if it was for Christmas or her birthday. “I don’t mind…really. I want to buy you dinner. So, will you let me?? I can run you by your apartment, so you can change first.” I could tell he wasn’t going to accept no for an answer. “If you insist,” I told him hesitantly. Atlas parked the car outside my apartment, “I’ll be fast.” I told him as I jumped out and ran inside. I quickly changed my clothes, throwing on a solid black long-sleeve shirt and a pair of form-fitting jeans. I grabbed a dry jacket on my way out, making sure my door was locked, before dashing back to his car. “You were fast,” he teased as I climbed in. <br /> <br /> He pulled into the small burger joint close to my apartment complex, the one I used to come to with my mom every Friday. I swear they have the best burgers and fries in town. “Is this place good?” Atlas asked thoughtfully. “Yeah, it’s great.” The rain had calmed down to a light sprinkle as he placed the car in park and opened his door. My heart stopped as I watched three men talking near the dinner door. Ed and two of his friends. I wasn’t hungry anymore. I avoided him every chance I got.<br /> <br /> Since the breakup, he had been acting weird to me. Calling and texting me all the time, trying to convince me to get back together with him. When I started blocking his calls, he started calling from other numbers. Now I just ignore any number I don’t know, but everything seems to be getting worse this past week. I’m seeing him in more places. Like now, here at this diner. He doesn’t live on this side of town and never liked to eat here, but here he is. I’ve noticed him watching from his car when I get on the bus after work.<br /> “Everything okay?” Atlas asked as he opened my door for me. Okay, it’s just a coincidence, I told myself. I just need to stop overthinking this. “Yeah, everything is fine.” I noticed Atlas look over at Ed and his friends, “I promise you’re safe with me.” He gently grabbed my hand, helping me from the car before slamming the door and locking it.<br /> <br /> Warm tingles spread through my finger and up my arm at the contact with Atlas. Strange…but I like it. Atlas rested his hand on my lower back as he led me to the entrance. I kept my head down as we walked past Ed and his friends, praying he wouldn’t see me.<br /> “Reena?” I tensed at the sound of him calling me before slowly turning around. He walked closer to me, eyeing Atlas the closer he got, “Who’s this?” The disgust in his voice was apparent. Before I could answer, Atlas had taken a small step forward, “Who are you?” His voice was deep and threatening. The whole situation had me on edge.<br /> <br /> “I’m Ed. Reena’s boyfriend.”<br /> <br /> “No. My EX-boyfriend,” I stated, glaring at Ed. Why couldn’t he seem to understand that I didn’t want to get back with him? I turned around, pulling Atlas with me. I walked straight back to the corner booth, the same one me and my mom would sit at every time we came. I slid into the booth, deciding to ignore the fact Ed had just introduced himself as my boyfriend. Maybe if I don’t mention it, Atlas won’t, either. But something in me told me that’s not how this would go.<br /> <br /> Atlas POV:<br /> <br /> After being Alpha for the past two years, my beta Kyle and his mate Harley finally convinced me to upgrade and start using technology more. Though none of us really knew how to use a computer, they thought it would help keep track of everything pack-related and business related. I have my doubts. There is nothing wrong with the pen-and-paper system we have always used. I will admit that both our pack and business are growing rapidly, but I still don’t see how using computers will help.<br /> <br /> So, to prove my point that this is a waste of time, I agreed to learn a little about them before making my final decision. That’s why I was in town and wandering around the public library like a lost puppy, trying to find a book about them. Her scent hit me like a ton of bricks, sending my wolf into a frenzy. Mate. She was in here, but that would mean she was more than likely a human. I didn’t have anything against humans; I felt they were a little dependent and weak. Sure, some humans had been turned by their mates, but the survival rate was pretty low. It was usually only done as a last resort to save their life for whatever reason…usually, they were sick and already dying.<br /> <br /> It was like my whole world stopped spinning when she walked into me. The immediate sparks that shot up my arm when I reached to help balance her confirmed what I already knew. My mate was here, and yes, she was a human. Her light gold-brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, small strands dangling around her perfect face, and her black glasses seemed to make her green eyes glimmer. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. I didn’t miss the involuntary shiver as I told her it wasn’t a problem. That said, even though she wasn’t a werewolf, she felt the mate pull to some extent. I wasn’t sure how to handle this. My wolf was howling joyfully, happy to finally find her, and I was pleased too. I just wasn’t sure this would work. Unfortunately, being an Alpha’s mate put a target on her back. Anyone who wanted to get to me would only have to reach her. I couldn’t do that to her or my pack.<br /> <br /> I could tell she was shocked when I admitted to never using a computer, but not as shocked as I was when she offered to teach me some basics. As the words left her mouth, she seemed a little surprised by her own willingness. After grabbing a few books to read over and agreeing to meet in the morning, I made my way out the door. But not before getting one more look at my mate, the other half of me, that I’m not sure I can actually have.<br /> <br /> I slipped into the driver’s seat of my car and headed back to pack grounds. The whole time my mind was on the beauty at the library. My beta, Kyle, greeted me as I walked through the front door. We were more like brothers, growing up together our whole lives. “Meet me in my office,” I told him as I made my way upstairs and down the hall. I needed to talk to someone about her. I didn’t ask for advice often and rarely wanted to talk about my personal life with anyone, but this was different, and Kyle was the only person I trusted enough to open up to. He was also the only person not scared to tell me the truth.<br /> <br /> “You good?” he asked as he shut the door behind him. I sighed, running my hand through my hair as I sat in the leather chair behind the desk. “I don’t know, man,” I started before pausing, trying to decide if telling him was really a good idea. “Well, spill. You know you can tell me anything.”<br /> <br /> I knew I could, but doing it was hard for me. “I found my mate,” I leaned my head back, closing my eyes. Remembering how perfect she was, how wonderful she smelled. “What!! That’s great, man! Where is she?? What pack is she from?” I didn’t immediately answer him, watching his face as he thought about it. “Wait. I thought you were going into town to look into getting a new computer,” he stated, more to himself than to me, “Oh man. She’s human.” I nodded at him, confirming what he finally realized. <br /> <br /> “She is. She works at the public library and goddess Kyle; she’s absolutely gorgeous. She offered to teach me about computers…well, the basics anyways. I’m supposed to meet her at the library in the morning.” Kyle sat across from me with a massive grin on his face, “Human or not, man, that’s who the moon goddess has blessed you with. It’s not going to be easy, but it’ll be worth it. You know how I feel about mates, and I know how you feel about humans, but I think you should give her a chance.”<br /> <br /> Kyle was a firm believer in mates. He always had been, and I am too…usually. What am I supposed to do? I can’t just walk up and be like, ‘Oh hey, by the way, I’m the Alpha of one of the largest packs in the states, and you are my mate.’ Yeah, don’t think that would go over very well. I sit silently, not wanting to talk anymore, and thankfully, Kyle gets the hint. “It’s your choice, man. Maybe you should talk to someone who has a human mate. Get some advice from them.” He stood up with a hint of amusement in his eyes. He knows really well I’m not going to talk to anyone besides him about this.<br /> <br /> I continue to sit in my chair long after the door shuts behind him. No matter how hard I try to think of anything else, she’s the only thing on my mind. Grabbing my car keys, I head out of the office. Maybe I can catch her when she gets off work. Take her out to dinner or something. I’ve never really done the dating thing before, so this should be interesting. Kyle and Harley are sitting on the front porch as I walk out, “Hey, I’m going to run back into town,” I tell him. I always ensure he knows where I am, especially if I’m leaving pack grounds. Never know when something could happen. He grins, “Okay, good luck.” I roll my eyes as I walk down the steps toward my newest car. I might have a thing for sports cars and big pickups, but everyone has to have a hobby…right?<br /> <br /> I slid into the driver’s seat and took off. I have no idea when she gets off work, so I will have to sit and wait. I park across the street from the library once I make it into town and shut the engine off. Should I go inside and talk to her again, or would that seem weird? Sitting outside her job and waiting for her is also kind of weird, I guess. Deciding to stay in the car, I sigh as I wipe my hands down my jeans. I’m actually nervous about this, I realize. I can’t remember a time in my life I had ever truly been nervous.<br /> <br /> My heart skips a beat when I see her walk out the front door. She is just so beautiful…and fragile, I remind myself. I start the car and wait for traffic to clear as she starts walking down the sidewalk, “Hey! Need a ride?” I ask as I pull up slowly beside her. I notice her shiver, not sure if it’s because she’s cold or because of me. She seemed surprised to see me, and I couldn’t help but smile a little. At least she doesn’t look scared. “Umm, no thanks. I don’t live far.” For some reason, I didn’t believe her. I looked out the window and up at the sky. I should probably have left it at that, but the need to at least make sure she makes it home safely is strong. “Are you sure? It’s really no problem. Looks like it’s about to storm.” No sooner did I say it, it started to pour. To my surprise, she quickly opened the passenger door and jumped inside. I stared at her as the water dripped from the tips of her hair. She quickly took her glasses off and attempted to dry them.<br /> <br /> “My name is Reena, by the way,&quot; she introduced herself. I smiled at her, loving the sound of her name. “I’m Al—Atlas,” I cleared my throat. Oh, I couldn’t believe I almost introduced myself as Alpha to her. That would have been hard to explain, I scolded myself. After getting directions to her apartment, I began driving. Trying to make small talk along the way and learn more about my sudden mate. Reluctantly she agreed to eat dinner with me, and I waited in the car as she ran in to change. I looked around the parking lot of her apartment complex. It wasn’t in a bad neighborhood, but it definitely wasn’t the best.<br /> <br /> “You were fast,” I teased her as she climbed back in the car. Her cheeks turned red with blush as she looked down at her hands. I drove over to a little burger joint I had noticed on the way here, “Is this place good?” I ask her. Not sure if she even liked their food and I didn’t bother to ask where she wanted to go. “Yeah, it’s great.” The rain had calmed down to a light sprinkle as I parked the car and slid from my seat. My senses seemed to go off all at once. I looked around as I walked around the car, noticing the three men talking near the door. Not just three men, but three hunters.<br /> <br /> I knew they wouldn’t do anything right now, not in public. We haven’t had a problem with them yet; other smaller packs around us have, though, and my instincts told me we would, too after this, though. It’s okay; I was planning on taking them all out anyways. I hate when smaller packs are targeted. I noticed Reena’s whole demeanor had changed as I opened her door. Her gaze was trained on the hunters, and I glanced back at them again. “Everything okay?” I asked her, pulling her attention back to me. “Yeah, everything is fine,” she grabbed my outstretched hand, and I helped her from the car. “I promise you’re safe with me,” I whispered to her hoping to ease her sudden tension. And I meant it. She was, after all, my other half, and I be mess if a hunter was going to hurt her.<br /> <br /> I rested my hand on her lower back, feeling the sparks at the contact, and led her to the entrance. I hated how she seemed to lower her head as we walked past the three men. “Reena?” one of them called out to her as we passed; her whole body tensed under my hand. She slowly turned around as the one with shaggy brown hair and glasses approached us. He stared at me, and I knew from the look on his face that he knew who I was, or at least what I was anyways. My wolf was on edge, ready to rip this boy apart if he so much as looked at her the wrong way. Fighting for control was not something I had to do very often, but right now, I was worried I might lose the battle and my wolf taking over would be a disaster. Taking a deep breath, I waited to see what he was going to do, <br /> “Who’s this?” he questioned Reena. The disgust was evident in his voice. Taking a small step forward, “Who are you?” I countered, my voice deep and threatening.<br /> <br /> “I’m Ed. Reena’s boyfriend.”<br /> <br /> Her boyfriend?! I hid the shock I felt. She was dating a hunter. Doubts about her started popping into my head. Does she know about werewolves? Is this a setup? I know she is my mate, but that doesn’t guarantee she will want to be with me. She must have called him when she went in to change. No, because she didn’t know where we were going to eat yet.<br /> <br /> “No., My EX-boyfriend,” she emphasized the ex as she glared at him. Now I wasn’t sure what to think. Before anyone could say anything else, Reena spun around, taking my hand and pulling me toward the entrance. She went straight back to a corner booth and sat down. Her body language told me this wasn’t planned. Something about Ed had her on edge; now I just need to find out what she knows and if she is scared of him.<br /> <br /> I sat across from her, watching as she stared at her hands on the table. My own hands itching to reach across and tangle with hers. I cleared my throat, “So he’s your ex?” I questioned, my tone harsher than I intended it to be. She sighed and leaned back. I’ll be surprised if she tells me anything; I mean, we did just meet today. “Yes. That was my ex…” she trailed off. I knew there was more to the story than just that, but I needed to let her tell me on her own. Trying to force information from her would only work against me, so I need to play my cards right. 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No 2024-05-08 18:37 active 760 0 2585336454973225 🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻 So many nights I watched his dad instead. Nothing hot, except for the way he makes walking through a room look hot, but those are my little secrets.<br /> I settle in at the perfect angle where I can see Jayce, and get comfortable enough to take care of myself. I swear he keeps looking at my window. Can he see me?<br /> Swallowing hard, I slide my hand into the waistband of my shorts. My fingers brush over my curls. This is probably illegal. I&#039;ll blame it on emotional scarring from Brett denying me se.x while he was boning someone else.<br /> Hand, tongue, shaft...so many orgasms...I stir myself into a frenzy. Another moan escapes my lips, my eyes fall shut, and I drop my head back as I draw myself closer.<br /> Light streams into my consciousness. Is it the start of my climax? I&#039;m so close. It&#039;s not my climax though. What&#039;s happening?<br /> I blink hard against the brightness coming from the hallway as I take in my dad&#039;s voice, &quot;Madi, you okay?&quot;<br /> ————————<br /> Madison<br /> Crossingthemountainridge into Eggplant Canyon, I can&#039;t believe I&#039;m moving back to my dad&#039;s house on the eve of my first job. But when a last-minute position to teach kindergarten was offered, I spent the morning packing my tiny apartment, made the six-hour drive, and now I&#039;m ready to tuck myself into bed.<br /> I want to be well-rested for the mandatory district training day tomorrow.<br /> The house is dark as I make the familiar turn into the driveway. My dad texted to let me know that he got called into the hospital. Nothing new there.<br /> Carrying a couple suitcases with my essentials inside, I don&#039;t bother to call my boyfriend, who was my next-door neighbor growing up. I haven&#039;t been able to get hold of him for the last few days, but I chalked it up to him being busy with his med school application. The disconnect is symbolic of how well our long-distance relationship has worked out while we attended different universities. Dating was so much easier when we just walked across the grass to see each other.<br /> If he listened to the series of four voice messages I left, he would know that I had a sudden change of plans. It&#039;s not that I expected him to drop everything and come back to see me since he&#039;s only an hour away, I just wanted to share my excitement.<br /> As I open the curtains in my bedroom to enjoy the moonlight over the mountains, I&#039;m certain he didn&#039;t listen.<br /> Otherwise, he would have at least had the decency to close his blinds...I hope.<br /> My phone falls from my hand. I don&#039;t bother to pick it up.<br /> My heart breaks as everything I thought I knew about the cute, ambitious, and respectful boy next door, who I&#039;ve saved my first time for, bangs some chick.<br /> He was the one to say we shouldn&#039;t have intercourse until we&#039;re married. That&#039;s not something you just forget. Is it something against me personally? We were supposed to have a future. How long has this been going on?<br /> Dreams shatter far easier than they&#039;re built. I can&#039;t tear my eyes off the undressed tangle of their bodies. How long have I been a fool?<br /> Brett, my suddenly ex-boyfriend, hadn&#039;t wanted to risk either of our careers with an unplanned pregnancy.<br /> My dad had talked to him about the rigors of med school and how it was really hard to raise a child while going through it. Waiting made sense. Watch out for our futures. A little ridiculous since all I wanted to do was be a mom, but my dad insisted I plan on a career since relationships can go wrong.<br /> Like right now.<br /> My heart splits in two.<br /> The fatigue from my long day channels into anger.<br /> All of my pent-up sexual frustration has been for naught. What&#039;s his endgame? I would have screwed him. I&#039;d begged actually. Not a proud moment, but I had. And he&#039;d had the nerve to tell me I should be able to control my urges better.<br /> I&#039;d thought I was an over-sexed freak for all of my naughty thoughts he refused to entertain. And for the ones he didn&#039;t know about, like the ones that involved his dad.<br /> It looks like we both had secrets, but mine didn&#039;t hurt anyone.<br /> I force myself to look away. This is over. And I&#039;m going to make sure he doesn&#039;t have any wiggle room to sweet talk his way out of it.<br /> I rush downstairs and out of my house, across the grass to his front door, and don&#039;t bother knocking.<br /> &quot;Madison?&quot; Brett&#039;s father, Jayce, calls out as I storm past his office, which is just off the entry. I don&#039;t have to look to know that he&#039;s at his desk, he almost always is. Concern has replaced the swoon-worthiness of the wealthy CEO&#039;s usual deep voice. I don&#039;t care. If he, in any way, taught his son to be a cheater, he&#039;s as despicable as his spawn.<br /> As I stride through their living room, I question how I was able to forget his dad could be home. Apparently, I&#039;m drunk on the toxic cocktail of exhaustion, anger, and tunnel vision, and it&#039;s served with a blanket of shame. I never forget about his dad—the lingering glances I sometimes catch him sneaking, the tension in his jaw every time I gave Brett a peck on the cheek, or my imaginary belief that he made himself scarce when I was around because he secretly wanted me too—which are all more reasons I thought something was wrong with me.<br /> I would never cheat on my boyfriend. Especially not with his dad.<br /> But if anyone had read my mind... Every time Jayce called me Madison, never the nickname Madi that everyone else used, it made me feel so hot, so desirable. Not the girl-next-door his son dated, but the woman...never mind. It&#039;s my given name, not a seduction. More proof that I&#039;m not wired quite right.<br /> I quicken my pace to get up the stairs when I hear Jayce behind me.<br /> &quot;Wait...I thought you two broke up.&quot; So he does know what Brett&#039;s doing.<br /> &quot;We are now.&quot; My blanket of shame is starting to suffocate me. It&#039;s hard enough to find out my boyfriend is a loser, much less reveal it in front of my secret crush. But my freight train of anger is in motion.<br /> Throwing Brett&#039;s bedroom door open, I want to vomit. Seeing him with another woman from my window was one thing, but up close...it&#039;s far too real. What had I planned on doing? Pieces of thoughts form a maelstrom of hurt and chaos in my mind.<br /> Brett and his buddy realize I&#039;m in the room. They break their peck to look at me. The other part of them stays together. Gag. I need a plan, and fast. I&#039;ve done, or not done, everything Brett asked. Look where that got me. I won&#039;t be the victim.<br /> Think. Think. Think.<br /> &quot;Madi?&quot; Brett lifts up. My urge to vomit heightens.<br /> The thinking train derails. I rush forward, shrugging my blanket of shame. I&#039;m not the one at fault. There are a million things I want to say to him but words fail me as I rear my fist back.<br /> When I thrust it forward, a primal scream erupts from me, sparing me from having to hear his nose break. Wow! That felt good. Like I&#039;m doing all women a favor by standing up for myself.<br /> Brett falls onto the girl, making a horrible sound as he grips his face and rolls off. Thankfully the sheet spares me the details that are no longer my business.<br /> He doesn&#039;t deserve a chance to explain.<br /> Before anyone can say anything coherent, I spin around and rush out of the room as quickly as I entered, not bothering to close the door.<br /> Turning the corner, tears blur my vision. I plow into Jayce. His hard body becomes a wall supporting me. His hands circle my waist and for way longer than a split second, I hope Brett comes out of his room and catches his father holding me.<br /> Maybe there is something wrong with me. I&#039;m not usually the type of person to want revenge.<br /> I shift my eyes to the stairwell past Jayce. &quot;Umm, sorry, I need to go.&quot;<br /> His grip tightens.<br /> &quot;I&#039;ve got you.&quot; His tone has never been so low and possessive. &quot;Let&#039;s go downstairs.&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m fine.&quot; I try to move but not enough to convince him that&#039;s what I want. I give in to his grip, his protection. My se.x tingles. My entire body tingles. And when he pulls me into his chest, his arms firm around my back, and if I can believe myself, his lips in my hair, and something very hard against my belly. For the first time ever, I question that being wired wrong might not be such a bad thing.<br /> &quot;You deserve to be treated better than that.&quot; His words. His tone. His belief in me. They&#039;re turning me to mush. They&#039;re giving me hope for something I know better than to believe in.<br /> &quot;A real man would treat me better.&quot; It&#039;s supposed to be a jab at his son, his child, but as I angle my head up and get lost in Jayce&#039;s possessive gaze, I can&#039;t be sure of my intent. My momentary bravado lures me into the forbidden.<br /> The sincerity in his gaze penetrates me. It&#039;s how a man should look at a woman he loves. Not that I&#039;ve experienced it until this moment. But it&#039;s clear. It has me questioning everything.<br /> It&#039;s too much. I&#039;m hurt. I&#039;m mad. I&#039;m making things up.<br /> Before I embarrass myself, I pull away from his comfort and warmth. I drift my hands down both handrails, and stride to the front door. The cold metal of the handle is my ticket to freedom, but movement in Jayce&#039;s office catches my attention.<br /> Is someone else here? I have the door in motion as I turn my face to see.<br /> The handsome stranger is chiseled in all of the right ways. Enough to make me misstep. To crack the door into the side of my head.<br /> &quot;Oomph.&quot; I stumble back, unsure if I&#039;ve lost balance from the collision or if the ravenous look in his eyes, which I certainly made up, made my legs go weak.<br /> He circles the desk. The look intensifies. I can&#039;t let him touch me. I still can&#039;t breathe from Jayce&#039;s contact. Why am I thinking he would do that? I must have hit my head harder than I thought.<br /> Steadying myself, I run out of the Hampton household as fast as possible.<br /> That should be it. Brett and I are done. I&#039;m not going to pretend that Mister Hampton or his friend lust after me. I&#039;m going to give myself a minute for an impromptu pity party then do my best to get some sleep before the school district&#039;s training day for new hires.<br /> But this night can&#039;t go wrong enough.<br /> When I get home, my curtains are still open. My house still faces the Hampton&#039;s house, because despite it feeling like the entire world shifted on its axis and everything tilted out of whack, nothing has changed.<br /> I&#039;m still wildly turned on by Brett&#039;s dad. And his friend. It&#039;s not just in the lingering sensation of his fingers wrapped around my waist like he didn&#039;t want to let go, or the incredible hardness of his body as he held me tightly. Or the way both of them looked at me like I was theirs.<br /> I&#039;m standing at my floor-to-ceiling window, my hands gripped on the curtains on either side ready to pull them closed, and once again, I can&#039;t move.<br /> Jayce&#039;s silhouette is in his window, one that I know to be their entertainment room. He&#039;s backlit by a lamp. His hands are braced just above shoulder height on either side of the window. If I can trust my eyes, he&#039;s staring at me.<br /> Or more accurately, he&#039;s staring at my window, because up until a split second ago, I wasn&#039;t in it.<br /> But now that I am, he&#039;s not moving, so I guess that makes my first assumption correct...he&#039;s staring at me.<br /> I like it.<br /> And when his friend walks up behind him, I like it even more.<br /> -<br /> Mydad and I were hanging out but he had somewhere to go. I suppose that was his way of avoiding saying he had something to do at the hospital. Why bother hiding it?<br /> It&#039;s fine. I&#039;m exhausted, so I retreat to my bedroom.<br /> For the last three days, I&#039;ve been swamped with district training and revamping my lesson plans.<br /> It&#039;s been a wild, exhausting ride. The training alone would have been enough since I had to switch gears from first grade to kindergarten to take this position, which meant revamping my lesson plans. But I&#039;d also taken on the after-school program, which meant extra long days and an entire other lesson plan.<br /> All of the hecticness aside, I&#039;m glad I made a last-minute change to accept the teaching position close to where I grew up. Once I settle into a routine, I ought to be able to see old friends. Or am I putting it off because I&#039;m a chicken?<br /> My former best friend, Calli, is here and I really want to make amends. I need to apologize for dismissing her concerns years before and being a pretty horrific best friend.<br /> What if her number changed? I&#039;ll just think she&#039;s ghosting me. Which I would deserve. Plus, I must have left my phone downstairs. I&#039;ll text her tomorrow. Bawk<br /> Slipping my silky robe over my pajama set, a tank top and short shorts, I stare at my closed curtains. I could easily say that I&#039;ve been too busy to bother opening them...for three days.<br /> The truth is that I&#039;m worried what I&#039;ll see if I do. Bawk. Bawk.<br /> It&#039;s not Brett&#039;s window that worries me anymore. He left town the day after someone broke his nose. Word travels fast in a small town, but thankfully the detail about me is missing.<br /> Each night when I&#039;ve crawled into bed, I&#039;ve stared at the curtains, pretending that if I open them Jayce will still be in his window, hands braced on the edges, waiting on me. Wanting to make sure I&#039;m okay. Desperate to show me how a man should treat a woman.<br /> This is when his friend usually enters the fantasy, and I let both men tend to the needs I&#039;ve been denied.<br /> I&#039;ve gone off the deep end.<br /> I thought it was a twisted rebound fantasy...wanting my ex&#039;s dad and his friend. The truth is that I&#039;ve always wanted Jayce. I kept trying to force the desire into an inaccessible part of my brain since I was dating his son.<br /> Now that I&#039;m single, I&#039;d hoped to get Jayce and his friend out of my system by letting my fantasies run wild while I pleasured myself.<br /> That took things the wrong direction. Thoughts of them morphed into what I can only describe as an obsession. It&#039;s clouding my ability to think, even when I&#039;m at work.<br /> And that&#039;s too much. I can&#039;t lose this job.<br /> I moved back home not only because my tough-love dad developed a soft spot and let me stay for free, but I want to work on our relationship. I&#039;d felt alone when I was away at school. Now that I&#039;m an adult with a job, I think he&#039;ll be able to relate to me more—thus the added reason not to lose it. While I was growing up, he&#039;d been so busy with patients and creating new programs at the hospital that I hardly knew him.<br /> Which is why when he got a text and said he needed to leave tonight, I wasn&#039;t surprised.<br /> I laugh out loud. Considering how many hours of the day I&#039;m putting into my job, the apple didn&#039;t fall far from the tree. At least we spend time together each evening since he agreed he could do better.<br /> It&#039;s weird recognizing that my dad&#039;s obsession with work is rooted in wanting to bring better healthcare to our little neck of the woods. Too bad it came with the sacrifice of not being around much when I was little. Not so different than my love of kids and wanting to give them the best start possible.<br /> My thoughts deviate back to Jayce. This can&#039;t be healthy. Perhaps Brett was right, my interest in intercourse is—No. No more of that thinking. He lied to me. He cheated on me. He made me feel dirty for wanting intercourse.<br /> But wanting intercourse with his dad...that has to qualify as dirty.<br /> Perhaps if I open my curtains, I&#039;ll find out just how dirty he is.<br /> I rub my hands over my face. No. I&#039;ll pull the curtains back so I can accept that he doesn&#039;t brood in his window each night. My fantasy is clearly out of control. I need to find someone else to fantasize about.<br /> I tamp down the idea of his friend. Too awkward. Too old. Actually, the friend is younger. And I&#039;m back down one of my lust spirals.<br /> Pushing both panels back a few inches, my breath hitches when the light is on in the Hampton&#039;s game room.<br /> Curling my fingers around the edges of my curtains, I tuck the fabric to my chest. The flutters and tingles rushing through me are wrong.<br /> I force my gaze to Brett&#039;s window. Nothing. No light. No Brett. No feelings. Yay? Shouldn&#039;t I feel something?<br /> Movement pulls my attention back to the illuminated window. Jayce enters the room.<br /> My skin tickles every time he looks my way. I&#039;m sure it&#039;s all in my head. With my lights off, he can&#039;t see me anyway.<br /> Angling one thigh into the other, I shift my hips to ease the mounting tension. I&#039;ll have to throw myself back into the dating scene. Find a guy who doesn&#039;t criticize me for wanting to have intercourse. Should I list on my profile that I&#039;m looking for real men? I snicker at my misstep...looking for a real man. Maybe someone older?<br /> My heartbeat quickens as I consider what it would be like to have more than one. Is that a deviant thought? Maybe if Brett hadn&#039;t deprived me, I wouldn&#039;t be so wound up.<br /> Drawing the curtains to have a couple feet of opening, I sit on the plush chaise that faces the window from only a few feet away. Growing up, I used it for relaxing and reading, staring out at the mountains, and yes, staring at Brett. He never did the same. And when he caught me in my window one night, he texted to tell me it wasn&#039;t polite to watch people through their windows.<br /> It was one of many desires I had that he didn&#039;t share. He&#039;d made me feel naughty for the things I wanted.<br /> But with my lights off, no one in their house can see into my room. I know from leaving my stuffed animals on the chaise then trying to see them from Brett&#039;s window. He may not have wanted to watch, but that didn&#039;t stop me. So many nights I&#039;d willed my dirty thoughts would go away. So many nights they didn&#039;t.<br /> So many nights I watched his dad instead. Nothing hot, except for the way he makes walking through a room look hot, but those are my little secrets.<br /> I settle in at the perfect angle where I can see Jayce, and get comfortable enough to take care of myself. I swear he keeps looking at my window. Can he see me?<br /> Nearly breathless, I monitor his glances. Four more pauses on my window give no indication he can see in. But he&#039;s looking. I like that.<br /> Swallowing hard, I slide my hand into the waistband of my shorts. My fingers brush over my curls. This is probably illegal. I&#039;ll blame it on emotional scarring from Brett denying me se.x while he was boning someone else.<br /> Lazily dragging my finger through my juices, I let out a sigh. I&#039;m so wet it&#039;s ridiculous. Not sure my thing for older guys would translate well into real-life dating, but it&#039;s good fantasy fodder.<br /> You deserve to be treated better than that. Jayce&#039;s words carry so loudly through my mind that I look around my room. Not here. He&#039;s still safely two panes of glass and lawns away.<br /> I relax into the seat. Jayce moves back and forth across the room, around the pool table, occasionally stepping out of sight, but never for long.<br /> Succumbing to my imagination, I pretend I&#039;m on the pool table. He&#039;s circling me. Studying me the way I&#039;ve watched him study the angle for a pool shot.<br /> Jayce&#039;s gaze lands on my window, a little longer this time. My breath catches in my throat. I don&#039;t breathe again until he looks away. If he could see, there&#039;s no way he would have looked away. Right?<br /> A hint of guilt niggles in my mind...unless he wishes his son&#039;s ex-girlfriend would get control of herself, and quit being a lewd little voyeur. Or is it a naughty exhibitionist? Is it possible to be both? It seems wrong that I think of myself as naughty and lewd, but that turns me on too.<br /> He studies the table, rakes a hand through his hair, and leans over. I double-down circling my cherry. How good would his tongue feel?<br /> I moan and sink my fingers inside of me. Forget his tongue. What would his shaft feel like? Instead of telling me he wants to wait until we&#039;re married, he&#039;d show me how a real man pleases a woman.<br /> Hand, tongue, shaft...so many orgasms...I stir myself into a frenzy. Another moan escapes my lips, my eyes fall shut, and I drop my head back as I draw myself closer.<br /> Light streams into my consciousness. Is it the start of my climax? I&#039;m so close. It&#039;s not my climax though. What&#039;s happening?<br /> I blink hard against the brightness coming from the hallway as I take in my dad&#039;s voice, &quot;Madi, you okay?&quot;<br /> He was supposed to leave already.<br /> I scramble to pull my robe over myself, get my hand out of my shorts, and rectify my spread-eagle position.<br /> &quot;I&#039;m fine,&quot; I blurt. Please don&#039;t let him realize what I&#039;m doing. He can&#039;t see Jayce&#039;s window from where my door is. Tempering my voice with annoyance, I shift so I&#039;m facing over the back of the chaise and continue, &quot;I was looking at the stars, relaxing.&quot;<br /> Feigning a glance outside, my sights catch on Jayce standing squarely in his window. This can&#039;t be happening.<br /> &quot;Hmm, didn&#039;t know you liked to do that.&quot; My dad steps into my room, extending his hand and my phone. &quot;You left this downstairs.&quot;<br /> No. No. No. I can&#039;t let him come over.<br /> &quot;Set it on my dresser.&quot; I point to the other side of the door. &quot;Thanks, Dad. Catch you in the morning.&quot;<br /> He follows my cue—problem one solved.<br /> &quot;You know. It&#039;s nice having you home and getting to spend quality time with you. I love you, Madi.&quot;<br /> &quot;Love you too, Dad.&quot; I don&#039;t have time for a trip down memory lane or correcting him that I don&#039;t want to use that nickname anymore. And I don&#039;t dare look out the window.<br /> &quot;You worked hard this week. You deserve some R and R. I&#039;m proud of you.&quot;<br /> Maybe not if you knew what you just interrupted. My stomach is in knots waiting as he steps out and closes the door. Darkness cloaks my room once again.<br /> A second passes before I turn to the window. Nothing could prepare me for what I see. Jayce is waiting for me. Exactly the way I imagined in my fantasies—his hands braced on either side of the window.<br /> I draw a slow breath. He must have seen me. He can&#039;t see me now. What do I do?<br /> Do I want to find out how a real man treats a woman? LEARN_MORE https://a.weblibriapp.com/ad/dGFib3VzdG9yaWVzLzE3M 133203739870328 Webli010 https://facebook.com/61551288208360 34 1 878,216,227,369,089 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 Webli010 120208455198080008 a.weblibriapp.com NONE video https://a.weblibriapp.com/ad/dGFib3VzdG9yaWVzLzE3MTI0OS8yMDI0MDUwNzE2MDgxOS9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}} 2024-05-07 03:19 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440178382_452956223879768_6776812488795304100_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=X9G4vHiFYOwQ7kNvgGJNHok&_nc_oc=Adifkb2S9tXmdgzvf-IuyZ6NYiwYZDjE7xdOuvqx2thzaPTUv3bPd81uwoEQEsWZWjY&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCTXSplFAaAw4JqXA10wxP4LG5a2AuRogzuBklkgkT1lA&oe=6641CD99 person_profile 0 Webli010 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441927732_817793953367371_4064116422640141764_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cN14pCOvqnQQ7kNvgG_VPsL&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDf4ZBXqjvi4NXjBHf5VVSIzLEnJjZC2h-7hRnXmhHy_A&oe=6641E80B 0 3 Webli010 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:43 active 760 0 360729046983942 34+ Fun Trivia Facts That Sound Unbelievable These 17+ Facts are hard to believe but they are actually true: LEARN_MORE https://toppoptoday.com/trivia-conversation-start- 101222089314026 Lulu Water https://facebook.com/100083175108414 25 1 299,230,079,896,245 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 Lulu Water 120209706898820363 toppoptoday.com NONE image The world around us is a fascinating place and no matter how much you think you know, there's always something new and exciting you can learn. While much of our learning comes from school, if you want to know fun facts, the internet is the place to go.From geography and history to animals and pop cu... https://toppoptoday.com/trivia-conversation-start-ua/ 2024-05-08 00:19 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438301801_925087912743426_2257898732322819735_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=t1PIwF3wOwMQ7kNvgHtBhtZ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBRIgkx9RNf4VrXzaODw9PKRfBwSjLLouPOIitxGPrpKg&oe=6641C477 person_profile 0 Lulu Water https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438298884_1200129231368126_7585473731672412486_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=vdv5U78X-JgQ7kNvgFos-xy&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBtHeBn5j7jo73gb_mOi9kIQGzOlrdEpSQJxWQf-ZqYvQ&oe=6641D485 0 3 Lulu Water 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:41 active 760 0 1457856241791013 Non-Surgical Rapid Back Pain Relief Program in Gallatin, Tennessee Tired of gritting your teeth through constant back pain? 😬 Want to finally get back to a normal and pain-free life? Join thousands of Gallatin residents who have restored their lives and mobility with this all-natural back treatment protocol. ⚕ We treat back pain at all phases, whether you suffer from mild discomfort or excruciating sciatica pain… and the best part is… NO SURGERY OR HARMFUL DRUGS. These breakthrough treatments are now available in Gallatin, Tennessee 🛑 Stop living with your pain, find relief with our back treatment protocol: ✅ Reverse years of Sciatica and back pain ✅ NO steroid shots ✅ NO addictive and harmful drugs ✅ Cleared by the FDA ✅ 100% safe and NO negative side effects ✅ NO injections Don’t ignore the dangers of wildly invasive back surgeries: ❌ Ghastly hospital bills ❌ Months or years of painful recovery ❌ Potentially serious complications and life-long side effects ❌ Even the possibility of death! ☠️ Is this breakthrough back pain treatment protocol for you? Find out with a 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺, 𝗫-𝗥𝗮𝘆 (𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱), 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄, 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗶𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲) ALL for just $29, to see if we can help you. To see if you qualify, click “Sign Up” to fill out our Quick Questionnaire. Any information submitted is secured and will not be shared or used in spam. 👇Click “Sign Up” Today 👇 Serving Gallatin and all surrounding areas. Disc Centers of Gallatin Dr. Mark Groff 1167 Nashville Pike Gallatin, Tennessee 37066 (615) 805-5597 BOOK_TRAVEL http://fb.me/ 100904119412889 Disc Centers of Gallatin Dr Mark Groff https://facebook.com/100084931442178 98 1 447,108,401,021,171 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Book Now 0 Disc Centers of Gallatin Dr Mark Groff 120211087414220322 fb.me NONE dco ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5.0 http://fb.me/ 2024-05-08 05:03 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438173998_3698585790417714_6747688037134238800_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CWFtJR_eAkgQ7kNvgHaaSMH&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA2WgsZwoeq_noCjj0ElJBgoOHiqCDuRH8DH9AxFJijZw&oe=6641DA8A person_profile 0 Disc Centers of Gallatin Dr Ma https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440461097_968673554910316_3155156544858446678_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ndYKBvnibJAQ7kNvgF8owVk&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD0D0CnwVSBfyEERyTp3SkrmYzF4pqjrgPyHTyh1NK9zw&oe=6641E301 0 3 Disc Centers of Gallatin Dr Mark Groff 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-05-08 18:35 active 760 0 821115346732688 🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻 &quot;Xavier, you’d better get this straight: it&#039;s me who&#039;s dumping you, not the other way round.&quot; It took all her willpower not to lash out at the cheating couple. <br /> &quot;I hope you two have a long, &#039;happy&#039; life together,&quot; she spat.<br /> Her boyfriend of three years, the one she had been with through thick and thin, was now engaged to her elder sister.<br /> &quot;It doesn&#039;t matter who I am. What matters is that I’m here to help.&quot; Charles tapped his cufflink, his gaze steady and serene as he watched Noelle.<br /> He was her guardian angel in her darkest hour. &quot;Marry me. I&#039;ll bring you unimaginable happiness!&quot;<br /> ————————<br /> <br /> Autumn had painted Brookville in shades of gold and crimson when Noelle Shaw stepped off the plane. She grabbed her suitcase and walked out into the crisp air, a familiar sense of home wrapping around her.<br /> A whole year had passed since she left to pursue a corporate training program overseas, and now, she was back just in time.<br /> Her third anniversary with her boyfriend Xavier Harris was just days away, and she had been working nonstop to make it back early enough to surprise him.<br /> She hailed a cab and headed straight for Xavier&#039;s office. The moment she walked through the front doors, Alice, the receptionist, gave her a look of total shock. &quot;Ms. Shaw? You’re back? Are you here for the CEO&#039;s engagement party?&quot;<br /> Noelle&#039;s brow creased in confusion. &quot;The CEO&#039;s engagement party? What are you talking about, Alice?&quot;<br /> &quot;It&#039;s Mr. Harris&#039;s engagement party with your sister!&quot;<br /> &quot;What?&quot; Noelle&#039;s heart skipped a beat, and the happiness drained from her face. &quot;Whose engagement party?&quot;<br /> Alice seemed to realize she had dropped a bombshell and nervously swallowed. &quot;The CEO... and your sister...&quot;<br /> &quot;Where is it happening?&quot;<br /> &quot;The... Golden Oasis Hotel.&quot;<br /> It felt like a punch to the gut. Noelle spun on her heel and rushed out. &quot;Driver, take me to the Golden Oasis Hotel, please.&quot;<br /> She had not even made it inside the hotel when she saw a huge photo by the entrance. There Xavier was with his arm around Winter Shaw, who looked stunning in her elegant dress. They were gazing into each other&#039;s eyes, lost in a world of love.<br /> On her way over, Noelle was psyching herself up. Xavier was her boyfriend. He was hers! The idea of him getting engaged to her sister was just too bizarre. As she arrived, however, reality hit her like a ton of bricks.<br /> She walked in just in time to catch Xavier whispering sweet nothings into Winter&#039;s ear, making her cheeks turn a rosy pink.<br /> Noelle felt a surge of anger, her eyes blazing with fury.<br /> How ludicrous it was. Her boyfriend of three years, the one she had been with through thick and thin, was now cozying up to her elder sister while she had been miles away.<br /> Winter Shaw was mingling and toasting with the guests arm in arm with Xavier when she spotted Noelle. Her face drained of color, and her grip on Xavier&#039;s hand tightened without her even realizing it.<br /> Xavier&#039;s eyes met Noelle&#039;s. He paused for a split second, then flashed Winter a comforting smile before walking over to Noelle. &quot;Hey Noelle, did you come to celebrate me and your sister&#039;s big day?&quot;<br /> His voice, which was usually so warm and gentle, felt like a knife twisting in her heart. Noelle clenched her jaw. &quot;Celebrate? Celebrate you stabbing me in the back? And Winter, really? Are you that desperate for a man? You knew he was mine, and you... you both...&quot;<br /> Before she could finish, a slap snapped her head to the side, leaving her cheek throbbing.<br /> Holding her face, tears brimming in her eyes, she looked up in disbelief. &quot;Mom!&quot;<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t you dare call me &#039;mom&#039; right now! What kind of daughter or sister acts the way you&#039;re acting? It&#039;s your sister&#039;s engagement, and you can&#039;t even be happy for her? Instead, you show up here to make a scene. You&#039;re doing this on purpose, aren&#039;t you?&quot; Jade Jones was fuming, her eyes shooting daggers at Noelle.<br /> Noelle&#039;s heart clenched. &quot;Mom, what are you even saying? Xavier&#039;s my boyfriend.&quot;<br /> &quot;Your boyfriend? Xavier is your sister&#039;s husband. Why do you have to challenge your sister for everything? I’m so disappointed in you.&quot;<br /> Noelle could not help but laugh. She stared at her mother, Jade, who had the nerve to twist the truth so blatantly. She turned to Xavier. &quot;Xavier, come on. Tell us who you&#039;re really dating.&quot;<br /> His brow creased, his gaze on Noelle filled with uncertainty. The firm grip he felt, however, brought him back to the moment. &quot;Noelle, I&#039;m sorry, but there&#039;s only ever been one person for me, and that&#039;s your sister.&quot;<br /> Noelle&#039;s heart felt like it was being sliced open as she listened to Xavier&#039;s emotionless confession.<br /> What a joke! What bitter irony!<br /> &quot;Xavier, you’d better get this straight: it&#039;s me who&#039;s dumping you, not the other way round.&quot; It took all her willpower not to lash out at the cheating couple. &quot;I hope you two have a long, &#039;happy&#039; life together,&quot; she spat.<br /> <br /> Noelle bolted from the hotel, her previously defiant face now streaked with tears.<br /> Out of nowhere, a black Cayenne screeched to a halt, its tires screaming against the pavement. Caught off guard, she tumbled to the ground.<br /> The driver gulped, his eyes darting to the man in the back seat, &quot;Sir... Sir?&quot;<br /> The man in the back, unfazed by the nearby accident, merely glanced at the passenger seat beside him. &quot;Ronald, go see what happened.&quot;<br /> &quot;Right away, sir.&quot; Ronald was out of the car in a flash, checking the front for any damage.<br /> About six feet ahead of the car, a woman sat on the ground with her eyes wide open, looking totally freaked out. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, and she had obviously been crying. &quot;Miss? Are you okay? Do you need a ride to the hospital?&quot;<br /> Noelle was scared out of her wits. She just gazed at Ronald, lost in shock, until she finally managed to pull herself together and stand up. Without a word, she tried to sidestep him, eager to get away.<br /> Ronald was puzzled by her reaction. &quot;Are you sure you&#039;re alright? Do you need any...&quot;<br /> &quot;I... I&#039;m fine, really, I&#039;m okay.&quot; Noelle&#039;s eyes darted to the black Cayenne. She could not shake off the feeling that someone was watching her, and it sent shivers down her spine. She scowled, hating the feeling, and hobbled away as fast as she could.<br /> Ronald watched her go, confused. He wanted to stop her, but she was dodging him like he was bad news, leaving him speechless.<br /> Back in the car, Ronald noticed the man in the backseat craning his neck to watch the woman through the window. &quot;Sir, we&#039;re at the hotel. Do you want to head straight in, or would you like to get out here?&quot;<br /> The man, Charles Hoffman, did not say a word, and Ronald did not dare to make a move.<br /> Watching the petite figure disappear into the distance, Charles let out a slight smirk and tapped his finger against his knee in a steady beat. &quot;Let&#039;s head back!&quot;<br /> Ronald was taken aback. &quot;But sir, isn&#039;t today...&quot;<br /> Before he could finish, Charles cut him off with a piercing look. &quot;The show&#039;s over. There&#039;s nothing left to see,&quot; Charles said, his words heavy with implication. &quot;Ronald, you seem to be losing your touch.&quot;<br /> The Majestic Lounge was Brookville&#039;s hotspot, its lights blazing and music pumping every night. Noelle&#039;s friend, Rowena Smith, always said it was the prime spot for a wild time after dark.<br /> Noelle was not one for these scenes, but tonight, she was hunched over the bar, downing drinks as if there was no tomorrow. She peered at the sea of unfamiliar faces swirling around her through half-closed eyes.<br /> &quot;Hey there. Did you come here alone?&quot;<br /> A hand clamped onto Noelle&#039;s shoulder, the stranger&#039;s touch lingering a bit too long. Noelle jerked away, revulsion coursing through her. &quot;Back off.&quot;<br /> The guy shot a knowing look at his buddy and smirked at Noelle. &quot;Feisty, aren&#039;t you? Back off? Ladies like you just play hard to get, secretly hoping for some attention.&quot;<br /> He moved in as if to plant a buss on her, but Noelle shoved him back and stood up, her stance unsteady and her heart racing. She shook her head, trying to clear the fog. &quot;I said back off! Is that so hard to understand?&quot;<br /> She stumbled, nearly toppling over, but the man caught her, his arm snaking around her waist. &quot;See, you’re saying no, but your body&#039;s telling a different story.&quot;<br /> <br /> Trapped in the man&#039;s grip, Noelle struggled to break free, her body refusing to cooperate. Her vision was blurry as she glared at him. &quot;What are you trying to do?&quot;<br /> &quot;Just having a bit of fun...&quot; He chuckled, his voice dripping with sleaze as he steadied her. &quot;Let&#039;s go somewhere more entertaining, shall we?&quot;<br /> Noelle might have been out of it, but she could still sense the danger in the man&#039;s tone. However, her whole body ached, and she knew she was no match for them. She scanned the area for anyone who could help her, but she was invisible to the passersby.<br /> She spotted a figure approaching through her haze. Acting instinctively, she shoved the two men aside and bolted, slamming right into the newcomer. &quot;Save me!&quot; she gasped.<br /> Her fingers dug into the fabric of the man&#039;s shirt, and she inhaled a sharp, clean scent. &quot;Please, save me,&quot; she pleaded.<br /> Charles squinted, taking in the woman who had just collided with him. There was a flicker of something sharp in his gaze.<br /> Noelle did not let go, pressing herself against him. Her lips, tainted with the strong smell of booze, were inches from his face, and her cheeks were unnaturally rosy.<br /> &quot;Sir...&quot; Ronald, who was standing a few steps back, watched in disbelief. She had the nerve to approach Charles, yet he was not pushing her away?<br /> Charles shot a cold look at the two men harassing Noelle. &quot;Time to leave, don&#039;t you think?&quot;<br /> &quot;You… Who do you think you are? Do you even know who I am? I had my eye on that girl,&quot; one of the men blurted out.<br /> Charles smirked and let out a soft laugh. &quot;You laid a hand on her? Which hand was it? Show me!&quot;<br /> The courage of the other man drained away when he met Charles&#039;s icy stare. &quot;Uh... Mr. Hoffman, we didn&#039;t realize who you were. We... we haven&#039;t touched her, not at all,&quot; he stammered, realizing they were in deep trouble.<br /> &quot;Ronald,&quot; Charles shot him a look before scooping Noelle into his arms like she was the heroine in some epic romance, “give these guys a lesson they won&#039;t forget. Make it clear that The Majestic Lounge isn&#039;t for scum like them.&quot;<br /> With Noelle in his arms, Charles spun on his heel and left. Ronald gave a curt nod. &quot;Understood.&quot; A sly grin spread across his face as he faced the two troublemakers. &quot;So, which one of you was it that touched the lady?&quot;<br /> The two guys exchanged panicked glances, too scared to utter a word. Ronald let out a mocking scoff. &quot;What, did both of you touch her? Mr. Hoffman wants to let you keep a little bit of your offending hand as a souvenir.&quot;<br /> They dropped to their knees with a thud, as pale as ghosts, begging, &quot;Please, have mercy! You can&#039;t do this. My dad is a big shot at Evergreen Group...&quot;<br /> Meanwhile, Charles, with Noelle in his arms, was like a walking iceberg.<br /> Noelle felt she was being drained of blood and eaten alive by a swarm of ants. She whimpered, overcome by a wave of dizziness, &quot;It&#039;s so hot...&quot;<br /> Charles glanced down at his shirt, which was now a mess thanks to Noelle, and his gaze frosted over. He held her tighter and picked up the pace to the elevator.<br /> Though she was barely conscious, she caught a glimpse of the man&#039;s strong profile. The chill from his body was oddly soothing, and she snuggled closer without thinking. Charles&#039;s eyes darkened just as the elevator doors slid open, and he stepped out into the unknown.<br /> <br /> At the top of The Majestic Lounge was a room that belonged to Charles alone. He swung the door open and carried Noelle in. She was feeling so awful that she hung onto Charles like she was trying to meld into him, her limbs all over the place with nary a hint of elegance.<br /> He managed to detach Noelle from himself with a bit of a struggle and gently placed her in the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, he dialed Ronald’s number. &quot;I need ice, and make it quick.&quot;<br /> Once he ended the call, he saw Noelle trying to get out of the tub. He gently but firmly pushed her back down and turned on the cold tap. &quot;Stay still!&quot;<br /> His voice was firm and grew even more intense as he noticed how the water in the tub accentuated her figure. His gaze sharpened.<br /> Ronald was fast, arriving shortly with two buckets of ice. &quot;Here&#039;s the ice, sir.&quot;<br /> &quot;Hold on,&quot; Charles instructed Ronald. &quot;Just set them down and leave, thanks.&quot; His tone was cool and detached.<br /> Ronald raised an eyebrow at Charles&#039;s unusual sternness. However, he kept his thoughts to himself and left as told.<br /> Once alone, Charles brought the ice buckets into the bathroom.<br /> Noelle was submerged in the icy water, her body shaking uncontrollably. Her mind was still foggy, and Charles&#039;s expression was grim.<br /> Noelle was burning up inside, feeling like she was on the brink of collapse. The icy water was a harsh contrast to that, enveloping her in a torturous chill. She squirmed in agony, but Charles&#039;s hands kept her steady, and his voice cut through the haze. &quot;Hang in there. It&#039;ll pass soon.&quot;<br /> ...<br /> Noelle&#039;s eyes fluttered open, her body feeling sore and like it had forgotten how to function. She lay still, gazing up at the stark white ceiling. As the fog in her brain slowly lifted, the memories of last night started to play like a movie in her head.<br /> Her face drained of color as panic flickered across her features. She flung off the covers and was relieved to find herself in pajamas, untouched. Still, that aching... where did it come from?<br /> &quot;You&#039;re awake?&quot; A chilly voice cut through the silence, and Noelle&#039;s head whipped toward the door. There she saw a man clad in cool elegance and fancy threads who was obviously not your average Joe. His face was so drop-dead gorgeous that even a beauty queen would swoon at him.<br /> Noelle&#039;s brow creased in confusion. She did not know this man. As the reality of her situation hit her, she blurted out, &quot;Who are you?&quot; Her voice sounded so harsh and grating that it scared her. The words came out as a dry, quacking mess.<br /> Charles arched an eyebrow, not bothering with an answer. He strolled over, poured her a glass of water, and handed it to her with smooth and elegant hands.<br /> Noelle was taken aback for a second but then grabbed the glass, downing the water with an eagerness that bordered on uncouth. Once the glass was empty, she eyed Charles suspiciously. &quot;Are you the one who rescued me?&quot;<br /> He did not say yes or no, but Noelle let out a relieved breath. &quot;Okay. Thanks for whatever you did last night.&quot; She glanced down at her clothes, a silent question hanging in the air, and her expression turned to one of confusion. However, her gratitude remained evident despite the puzzlement.<br /> Charles&#039;s gaze landed softly on Noelle&#039;s face, his mind replaying her stunning presence from the night before and stirring something within him. &quot;It’s all good, Ms. Shaw. Don’t worry about it,&quot; he said, sidestepping the potential embarrassment with a smooth deflection.<br /> Noelle bit her lip, fighting the urge to say more. She would have to deal with the fallout and act like this whole mess never happened. Then, it hit her. &quot;How did you find out my last name is Shaw?&quot;<br /> &quot;Surprised? There&#039;s been a lot of buzz about a Ms. Shaw today. Have you not heard?&quot; Charles said, casually fiddling with his cufflinks, looking the picture of cool.<br /> Noelle&#039;s face drained of color. &quot;What... What are you talking about?&quot;<br /> &quot;There are many versions of your story. Which one do you want to hear?&quot;<br /> &quot;Who are you, really? And what do you want from me?&quot; LEARN_MORE https://b.penguinovels.com/ad/cGVuZ3VpbnMvMTcxMjg4 191107437419978 Guin111 https://facebook.com/61554980391363 13 1 1,499,744,650,919,362 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 Guin111 120209095715090149 b.penguinovels.com NONE video https://b.penguinovels.com/ad/cGVuZ3VpbnMvMTcxMjg4LzIwMjQwNTA3MTYxMDIxL3BhZ2U=?adid={{ad.id}} 2024-05-07 03:23 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441188108_996371355062004_9054859109103112370_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ou6-3gCcdEcQ7kNvgEOIaPa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBwaQ6AeARKseNmDtyP8ikJkHSAcamQpWUWRHgOshDQ2g&oe=6641CB22 person_profile 0 Guin111 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422068681_402250209449245_8298908925137795748_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=77BUepP9cCoQ7kNvgHhshIB&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCmZw0OdOgeErJSO-uFt1uIagpKhPotT3CuqsaZ32zG9A&oe=6641CBDA 0 3 Guin111 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:34 active 760 0 422971367120555 🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻 What’s more embarrassing than a butt dial? Butt dialing your boss… And leaving a dirty voicemail when you’re uhh… “thinking” about them.<br /> Just had a sexual fantasy with my boss. I stand on legs that are just as shaky as he said they’d be. My throat hurts from moaning and I’m sore as all get-out. As I stand, my phone clatters to the floor.<br /> I reach down to pick it up—<br /> And freeze in horror.<br /> Ruslan’s name is lighting up my screen.<br /> And the call is active.<br /> For seven minutes and thirty-two seconds, I’ve been masturbating to the absolute filthiest fantasy I’ve ever had, starring Ruslan Oryolov.<br /> ————————<br /> Emma<br /> If anyone has a reason to cry, it’s me. My boss is an arrogant prick and my sister is dead and her husband is more of a burden than a help and I have three innocent kids I’m doing my best to raise right but I can’t seem to catch a break and I need sleep and food and more coffee and a vacation and a fresh start and—the list just goes on. One reason for each of my thousand tears.<br /> “Auntie Em! Auntie Em, wake up.”<br /> I come to with a start. The sun is slanting in through the blinds and I have absolutely no freaking idea what planet I’m on. I feel a sharp line of pain on my cheek. It takes me a long moment to realize that it’s because I have a shoelace plastered to my skin. I peel it off with a wince and look up to see Josh standing over me.<br /> “Auntie Em, it’s 7:45. We’re late for school.”<br /> The next fifteen minutes are a blur. I get the girls up and dressed in the least coordinated outfits in the history of terrible parenting. I hurl random food into their lunchboxes with no regard for nutritional value. And then we’re all sprinting out the door.<br /> Ben, needless to say, doesn’t so much as lift a finger to help.<br /> I get the evil eye from the receptionist at the kids’ school when I drop them off well into first period. I just pop a peck on each of their foreheads and then turn to Bane.<br /> I get another evil eye from the lobby receptionist there, too, but I don’t quite realize why until I’m in the elevator up to the thirtieth floor and I catch sight of my reflection in the polished bronze.<br /> I look like an absolute shitshow. My hair is a rat’s nest on my head and my blouse is on backwards. The fashionable one-shoulder cutout is framing my frayed bra strap instead of a tasteful slice of arm.<br /> Wet street dogs are more put-together than I am.<br /> It’s way too late to go back now, though. I can already imagine Ruslan’s eyebrow. It’s probably halfway up his scalp by now. His voice is going to be absolutely frigid when he hears me come stumbling in. Something like:<br /> “You have got to be kidding me.”<br /> Wait. That wasn’t my imagination. That was actually his voice.<br /> I open my eyes and turn around to realize that the elevator doors have opened—and who should be standing there but my beloved, benevolent boss?<br /> Sure enough, his eyebrow is locked and loaded and that cruelly sharp jaw of his clenched so tight that I wonder idly if he has a good dentist on speed dial.<br /> I open my mouth to defend myself, but what is there even to say? “I’m sorry,” I blurt. “I fell asleep after—It was a long night and—I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”<br /> He doesn’t so much as blink. “I expect you to dress appropriately for your job, Ms. Carson,” he growls. “Not do the walk of shame through my building.”<br /> I frown. “The walk of—? Hold on. No, that’s not what this is. I didn’t—”<br /> “You’re wearing yesterday’s skirt and flaunting your undergarments like you think you can seduce your way out of being—” He checks his watch. “—two and a half hours late. I’m not sure if you think I’m stupid or easy. I’m also not sure which of those two would offend me more.”<br /> One word snags my attention. “Seduce?” I parrot stupidly.<br /> Out of nowhere, thoughts of what it would look like to seduce Ruslan Oryolov come prancing through my head.<br /> Wrapping his tie around my fist and bringing that smirking snarl down to my lips for a taste.<br /> Lying back on his desk, pencil skirt hiked above my hips, while he shoves my panties to the side and devours me like his last meal.<br /> On my knees on his office carpet as he stands over me and—<br /> “Ms. Carson, I’m not interested in your explanations. Go do your job. Before I find someone else to do it for you.”<br /> With that, he brushes past me and gets on the elevator. I turn and look dumbly at him as the doors close on his face. The last thing I see is the arrogant slant of his mouth.<br /> Then that, too, disappears.<br /> My cheeks are burning red for the rest of the day. Luckily, I have an extra cardigan at my desk, so I’m able to cover up the worst of my wardrobe malfunction.<br /> But my phone keeps pinging all day long with messages from Ruslan. Do this. Send that. Fax this. Email that. He’s as unbearable as ever. Everything from the expiration date on his coffee creamer to the status of the conference room chairs he’s so anal about merits yet another scathing comment from him. And after yesterday’s nightmare, I’m running on fumes.<br /> My only saving grace is that he has a gala tonight, so he’s scheduled to leave the office at 5:00 P.M. sharp. I’m counting down the last ten seconds until the clock strikes five like I’m a Times Square partier on New Year’s Eve.<br /> “Seven… Six… Five… Four… Three… Two… One…”<br /> Ping. Another text. I moan and look down to see the devil’s name pop up on my phone.<br /> RUSLAN: My office. Now.<br /> Goddammit. I was so close.<br /> Sighing, I get up and slink inside.<br /> “Shut the door,” he orders. It’s dark in here. The curtains are sealed tight and the temperature is Arctic. He’s a mass of shadows behind his desk, huge and fragrant. The only thing I can see is the sharp light of his amber eyes.<br /> “Sit.” A shadowy hand points at the chair across from his desk.<br /> I perch at the edge of the seat in question. My nerves are buzzing and frayed. I’m so, so tired. But I can’t show him that. Matter of fact, I refuse to show him that.<br /> I won’t give the smug prick the satisfaction of thinking he’s outlasted me.<br /> “I asked you yesterday if I had your full attention,” he begins. “I’m not so sure I do. So let me say this: if your priorities lie anywhere other than this company, then I will find a new assistant. I’m not a nice man, Ms. Carson. So believe me when I tell you that this is not the kind of place where you get three strikes before something bad happens. You mess up once—you’re gone. Am I making myself clear?”<br /> I swallow. “Yes, sir.”<br /> He nods. “Good. Be here on time tomorrow. Dress like you intend to keep your job. Now, if you’ll excuse me… there’s the door.”<br /> He looks down at his phone and poof, it’s like I don’t exist anymore.<br /> But I. Am. Pissed.<br /> He doesn’t know what I’m going through. He doesn’t know Ben is snoring and farting in my living room, or that three little kids are waiting on me to pick them up from after-school care. He doesn’t know that I buried my sister or that I’m barely keeping my head above water. He doesn’t know anything.<br /> “No.” I blurt it before I can think better of it. “No. No. I’m not some little worm under your shoe, Mr. Oryolov. I’m a—I mean, screw you, I’m a person! I have a life and hobbies and people who depend on me. I’m real! So I’d appreciate it very much if you’d pull your smug head out of your smug prick and treat me with some respect for once.”<br /> Ruslan blinks.<br /> Blinks.<br /> Blinks.<br /> “Is there something else, Ms. Carson?”<br /> That’s when I realize that my whole little tirade took place entirely in my head. It wasn’t real. All imagined. Just a pleasant little detour to a fantasy land where I give him my two cents and then some.<br /> I swallow past the nasty taste in my throat and stand. “No, sir,” I say quietly. “Nothing at all.”<br /> -<br /> I ended the call with my best friend, Phoebe.<br /> Then a face pops up on the black screen of my mind’s eye.<br /> It’s Ruslan because, like I told Pheebs, he haunts me even when I’m off the clock. He’s smiling that smile she described. That come-to-bed-and-let-me-show-you-what-I-can-do-to-you smile. The camera of my imagination pulls back and floats down.<br /> Imaginary Ruslan is wearing an ivory white button-down shirt with the top two buttons undone. Enough to see a dusting of dark chest hair and the edge of a tattoo I can’t quite make out. He flexes his forearms in front of him. Those knuckles crack, louder than I expected, and I let out a surprised little gasp.<br /> I like when you make that noise, he croons. Shall I see if I can make you do it again?<br /> I’m nodding before I’m even realizing what I’m doing. “Make me moan,” I plead.<br /> I’m also touching the inside of my knee before I realize what I’m doing. But it’s not my hands that are doing it—or at least, it doesn’t feel like it’s my hands. It’s Ruslan’s hands, huge and powerful, palming my thigh and drifting up under the edge of my pencil skirt.<br /> You’ve been a naughty assistant, he growls, breath minty in my face where it mingles with the woodsy spice of his cologne. There’s a faint laugh on the edge of his voice, like he knows that this whole thing is crazy but he’s just going with it because it’s hotter than it is ridiculous. You’ve been so very, very bad. Step into my office and shut the door.<br /> The rest of the world disappears like I just followed his orders. Gone is my messy apartment and the lingering smell of burrito cheese. Ruslan is all I smell now.<br /> That cologne.<br /> That breath.<br /> Beneath it, that musk that sets my nerve endings on fire.<br /> “Are you going to punish me, Ruslan?” I whisper.<br /> I’m on the literal edge of my seat, grinding and bucking against my fingers. Imaginary Ruslan has me eating out of the palm of his hand. I’d do anything for him. Say anything. Be anything.<br /> Imaginary Ruslan is every bit the cruel prick that real Ruslan is. He said he’d keep my orgasms to himself, but I feel like I stole this one from him. The euphoria of it rips through me in one endless lightning bolt after the next, until finally, what feels like an hour later, I come back to something like normal consciousness with drool on my lips and my fingers wet and sticky with my own desire.<br /> I stand on legs that are just as shaky as he said they’d be. My throat hurts from moaning and I’m sore as all get-out. As I stand, my phone clatters to the floor.<br /> I reach down to pick it up—<br /> And freeze in horror.<br /> Ruslan’s name is lighting up my screen.<br /> And the call is active.<br /> The reality of what is happening clicks in my gut immediately, but it takes a few delayed moments before my head comes to terms with it.<br /> For seven minutes and thirty-two seconds, I’ve been on a call with Ruslan Oryolov.<br /> For seven minutes and thirty-two seconds, I’ve been masturbating to the absolute filthiest fantasy I’ve ever had, starring Ruslan Oryolov.<br /> For seven minutes and thirty-two seconds, my phone has been recording every last moan and gasp and breath and twitch I made while I begged for his mercy and pleaded for him to make me come.<br /> Did Ruslan hear the whole thing?<br /> -<br /> “It’s over. My life as I know it is over. R.I.P. to me.”<br /> “I’m sorry, who is this?”<br /> “Pheebs!”<br /> She chuckles while I stare at my reflection in the mirror and try not to throw up. My phone is lying on the bathroom counter on speakerphone, mostly because my palms have been sweating since I saw the meeting invite in my calendar for today.<br /> 9:00 A.M. – 09:07:32 A.M.: Emma Carson 1-on-1 with Ruslan Oryolov.<br /> “Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Anyway, rewind, take a deep breath, then tell me what’s going on in your big girl voice. Unburden yourself. Take all the time you need. Just make it quick because I have a 9 o’clock appointment.”<br /> I’m bouncing on the balls of my feet now, the same way that Reagan does when she needs to pee really bad. “Yeah, so do I. With him.”<br /> “Ah. Oh, wait—oh.”<br /> I first called Phoebe last night right after realizing what I’d done. Her reaction was a dizzying mixture of pride and horror. I believe her exact words were, “Sure, it’s mortifying, but I’m glad you got your rocks off. Knew you had it in you.”<br /> She’s a little more reassuring now that things are escalating out of control. “That doesn’t necessarily mean he heard the voicemail, Em. Maybe this is just a standard, no-big-deal, super-boring-business-stuff Thursday morning meeting.”<br /> “It’s scheduled for seven minutes and thirty-two seconds. Precisely.”<br /> “Hm.” There’s a beat of silence. “Doesn’t look good, does it?”<br /> “Seriously? That’s all you’ve got for me? I’m gonna lose my job, Phoebe!”<br /> “You don’t know that for sure. Just take a deep breath and go in there, see what he wants. Play it cool, y’know?”<br /> “And what if what he wants is to kick my arse to the curb with a recommendation letter that claims I’m a dirty bimbo?”<br /> “I mean, there’s probably a market for that.” I moan as Phoebe’s laughter fades into a serious tone. “Listen, boo: whatever happens, you’re a strong, smart, confident woman and you’re gonna land on your feet. And until you do, I’ve got your back.”<br /> Her words mean everything to me, but I know that Phoebe doesn’t have much margin for error in her life, either. She struggles just as hard as I do. If she is able to help, it still wouldn’t put a dent in all the bills and loans looming over me.<br /> “Thanks for the pep talk. I’ve gotta go to my doom now.”<br /> “Keep your pecker up!”<br /> I blink. “Huh?”<br /> “Oklahoma talk. It means, like, ‘break a leg,’ but for Midwesterners.”<br /> If I weren’t worried about losing my job and ending up homeless on the street with three kids, I’d laugh. Instead, I say one more miserable goodbye, then spend a solid three minutes dry-heaving into one of the empty bathroom stalls.<br /> Once I’ve sufficiently bruised my stomach lining, I slink out of the bathroom and waste the remaining two minutes before the meeting standing outside of Ruslan’s door, watching the clock steal my life away one second at a time.<br /> “You okay, Emma?” asks Katie Miller, another of the executive assistants on this floor, as she passes by.<br /> “Dandy,” I mumble. “Just waiting for the noose.”<br /> “What was that?”<br /> “Nothing. I like your earrings. Have a good day.”<br /> She raises her brow a smidge. I’m not usually so dismissive, but I can’t concentrate on small talk right now. Not when I’m T-minus thirty seconds away from the end of my career.<br /> Dear God, I know I don’t pray to you often. Or, well, ever. But please help me out today and I’ll definitely consider starting on a more semi-regular basis.<br /> Great. Now, I’m bargaining with God. New low, Emma. New low.<br /> I take a deep breath and walk into his office. The shades are tight, snuffing out all the light of the Manhattan morning beyond. It’s like a bear cave in here—and the grizzly in question is sitting at his desk, scrolling through his phone. He doesn’t acknowledge me until I’m standing in front of his desk.<br /> “Sit.”<br /> The moment my rear end is parked, he puts his phone down and looks at me. Just looks at me.<br /> In the eighteen months that I’ve worked for him, he’s never once given me the benefit of his full attention. Even during our morning meetings, he’s either on his phone, flipping through files, or typing away on his laptop. I used to be annoyed about it. I’m only now realizing I should have been grateful.<br /> Should I say something?<br /> Maybe he wants me to break the silence. Maybe I’m supposed to give him an explanation, an apology, something. But the more the silence stretches on, the less I’m capable of breaking it.<br /> I decide once again that those amber eyes of his should be outlawed.<br /> “I heard the voicemail,” he says at last.<br /> I can’t place his tone. Amusement? Anger? Disbelief?<br /> “Do you have anything to say, Ms. Carson?”<br /> I launch into the apology I spent most of last night practicing in the mirror. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Mr. Oryolov. I have no idea what I was thinking. The whole thing was an accident; I didn’t realize I’d dialed you. I was so tired and out of it and… I can assure you that it will never happen again. I swear.”<br /> My cheeks are flushed with embarrassment, but I try to keep my voice steady. I can’t sound too desperate, although that’s exactly what I am.<br /> “Tell me, Ms. Carson: what would you do in my place?”<br /> “I would give the plucky, hard-working assistant another chance, maybe?” It’s a long shot, but I figure, what the heck? I just wish I’d asked it without my voice rising to an Alvin and the Chipmunks pipsqueak at the end.<br /> His mouth twitches with the promise of a smile, but it’s gone as quick as it came. “I know what you sound like when you climax, Emma. Is that the soundtrack you want running through all our interactions from now on?”<br /> Flushing the brightest of reds, I shake my head. “If we could maybe just forget this whole thing—”<br /> “The way I see it, there are only two options here.”<br /> I hold my breath.<br /> “One, I fire you.”<br /> There it is. I knew it. I’m done for. I’m going to need to call the welfare office and see what—<br /> “Or two… I give you exactly what you want.”<br /> I almost choke on my own saliva. What little is left in my gaping mouth. “W-what?”<br /> Silently, Ruslan offers me the blue folder lying in front of him. I pick it up with shaky hands and open the cover. It takes me a few long moments to figure out what on earth I’m looking at.<br /> A… contract?<br /> I read through the first page, feeling a strange sensation bubble up in my chest.Then, since I’m clearly misunderstanding something, I read through the first page again. And again. And again.<br /> Only then do I look up. “Is this a joke?”<br /> He doesn’t blink. “I never joke.”<br /> “It’s just that, it seems like, from what I read, um—”<br /> “I will offer you money and security in exchange for live encores of the little performance you sent me last night. In addition to meeting my other needs.”<br /> “And by ‘needs,’ you mean…intercourse?”<br /> He tilts his chin down and regards me solemnly. “How explicit would you like me to be, Ms. Carson?”<br /> What.<br /> “So this—” I raise the blue folder in my hand. “—is a sugar daddy contract?”<br /> His brow furrows. “I’d prefer to call it a ‘Friend With Benefits’ contract.”<br /> “But we’re not friends.”<br /> He smirks. “Fair enough. No, we’re not.”<br /> There’s a throbbing in my head that reminds me of the first time I got drunk. Sienna and I had snuck into Dad’s study the eve of my sixteenth birthday and stolen a 1984 Chateau Latour. We passed it back and forth, taking turns sipping from the bottle like it was cheap bagged drink until the whole thing was gone.<br /> For a moment, I think about what Sienna would say if she were here. Would she be outraged or intrigued? Would she slap the smug prick and storm out?<br /> Or would she grin and say, Double the price and I’m in.<br /> What would you do, Si?<br /> And then it hits me, a bolt of lightning straight to the chest, almost like she’s speaking to me herself. I miss her so much, it hurts. But she left little bits of herself behind, in all three of her children. The same kids I’m working off to protect.<br /> That right there is the answer.<br /> Sienna would have done whatever was best for her children.<br /> So I don’t slap him. I don’t storm out. I sit there and stare at my arrogant, prick boss who always gets exactly what he wants.<br /> And what he wants… is me.<br /> I meet Ruslan’s steely gaze. “What happens if I say no?” LEARN_MORE https://b.ficsworld.com/ad/Ym9va3ZpbGxlLzE3MjUzMC8 178740541994567 Fics101 https://facebook.com/61554382746013 138 1 4,625,068,094,385,004 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 Fics101 120211979610520460 b.ficsworld.com NONE video https://b.ficsworld.com/ad/Ym9va3ZpbGxlLzE3MjUzMC8yMDI0MDUwODE2MTEyNi9wYWdl?adid={{ad.id}} 2024-05-08 03:17 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441896389_986414413083017_7989765086012752955_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1_DH82ebdRsQ7kNvgF-eiOQ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBUSW8t25r2CRDHj-iVtVLCaKJ1NYKFHdRACAbi32c57w&oe=6641EDF2 person_profile 0 Fics101 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441474980_751584613835289_8280401260712682267_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-vrS_8lgAsYQ7kNvgFFuzkI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBdVFEv9rAHCpJ4IiI-WLA3LWja6FbtYTFGzsDPHy4uUA&oe=6641C4AA 0 3 Fics101 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:33 active 760 0 25309061772071627 FREE VIP WORKOUT ⭐️HEY MEN IN THE MOORESVILLE AREA👇<br /> <br /> Have you heard about D1 Training in Mooresville?! We understand starting a fitness journey can be nerve-wracking, but we&#039;re here to support you every step of the way. That&#039;s why we&#039;re offering 15 Men a FREE VIP WORKOUT❗️<br /> <br /> D1 Training provides men with customized programming to help achieve your fitness goals. Our 5-Star⭐️ Training Program is based on a Division 1 strength &amp; conditioning program and includes a dynamic warm-up, performance, strength, core &amp; conditioning, and a cool-down stretch.<br /> <br /> We get it – stepping into a new fitness environment can be intimidating. That&#039;s why every workout at D1 Training is led by a certified coach who offers guidance and motivation, creating a supportive atmosphere to help ease any nerves.<br /> <br /> Our state-of-the-art facility features the same multilayered synthetic turf and top-of-the-line equipment used by top universities and professional athletes🤩<br /> <br /> At D1 Training, we&#039;re more than just a gym; we&#039;re a community. We&#039;re dedicated to providing a proven, professional, positive, and peer-supported environment.<br /> <br /> Click ‘Get Offer’ now and enter your information on the next page to secure your spot for a 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀 VIP Workout!<br /> <br /> P.s. We have 15 spots available, first come first serve. Don&#039;t let nerves hold you back – take the first step towards a healthier, happier you! GET_OFFER http://fb.me/ 112237423755885 D1 Training - Mooresville https://facebook.com/D1Mooresville 1,401 1 959,438,225,856,643 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Get offer 0 D1 Training - Mooresville 120210595808450079 fb.me NONE image 15 Spots Available http://fb.me/ 2024-05-08 12:06 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438254645_897527205508205_7860607084841149737_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BOHEVNJQETYQ7kNvgHRpUlD&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAkyZF8l_BUmwy7hNPvrydusxN6seebx0Ro_lH9QiWkyA&oe=6641C5CF person_profile 0 D1 Training - Mooresville https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438302168_309827022162830_8739258350076082477_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=TC_0P088aegQ7kNvgERyRp3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA6qyVn1ENtJv-XMlpoBlKdvLWQZE1ZejvYCZBQbl1ulQ&oe=6641DE2C 0 3 D1 Training - Mooresville 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:35 active 760 0 779273784303559 🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻 My husband had been having an affair with his assistant. I could hear the sounds of moans pouring from our bedroom before I opened the door.<br /> When I heard the wailing moans of my soon to be ex husband&#039;s &quot;secretary&quot; I walked my undressed hip directly to them.<br /> I took a deep breath clearing the visual of them having intercourse from my head. Oh, I had grand plans for these two adulterers.<br /> I opened the door, walking in and pausing to watch them. <br /> I walked right past both of their startled figures, to my dresser where my phone was with a smirk. &quot;Hey guys, smile for the camera!&quot;<br /> I turned on my camera, snapping pictures of them on the bed still frozen, both staring at me in shock.<br /> &quot;Nice.Please forgive the intrusion, I&#039;ll be on my way in just a sec.&quot;<br /> ————————<br /> Vivian<br /> I took a deep breath compose myself as the my introduction to the crowd began. My heart felt as if it was in my throat right now. It felt like the weight of the world was centered on my shoulders.<br /> If I was successful, not only would it launch my modeling career at age 28, but I would increase funding for this campaign.<br /> Since majority of the crowd outside of these curtains did not have my skin tone, I had to impress them.<br /> Today is the beginning of a campaign launching models with brown skin into the dominantly pale skinned model industry. I will be the face of the campaign and in order to be successful, I must make these rich people want to fund this campaign.<br /> And I will succeed.<br /> There has never been a fashion show like this, where I haven&#039;t had my hair straightened, my make up has not been contoured on my face to match those around me, and I am not walking fiercely down the walkway as if I&#039;m walking on fire.<br /> I had always been confident in myself as a black woman yet I still found myself getting stage fright before my shows. Even more so with the bold campaign I was now launching.<br /> And after many failed seductive attempts with my husband lately, I wasn&#039;t sure if I could seduce the crowd before me.<br /> Instead I am to walk slowly, very seductively. My natural kinky curls framed my face, I have little to no make up on so that I appear soft as I am, completely naturally.<br /> The curtains are pulled back and as I began my walk down the aisle, it is not hard at all to seduce the crowd.<br /> I capture everybody&#039;s attention and when I pass them, the from the corner of my eye, I can see the effect I have on them and I couldn&#039;t help how it boosted my confidence.<br /> My walk is so natural and graceful that I practically glide down the run way. The bronze light is soft and makes my brown skin glow in the dark like highlight. The sway of my hips is mesmerizing to the crowd, so I pause and I turn slowly looking at all the faces to give them my best seductive smile.<br /> Many have lost their composure, becoming flustered by my attention. I hold my smirk, this is my crowd now.<br /> I almost falter when I see that my husband is not among the crowd. Once upon a time, he was always the first face that I graced with my smiles. He had never missed one of my shows in the beginning, looking up at me just as entranced as the rest of the crowd.<br /> I can feel my eyes watering so I quickly look away from them and continue making my way down the runway.<br /> When I finish with the crowd, I walk back up the runway and into the darkness hiding me from the crowd as they all cheer. In the darkness I hold my face, I can&#039;t help the excitement that overcomes me. I did it!<br /> My husband had promised to be here today. If he wasn&#039;t behind stage with the rest of my crew then I didn&#039;t know what this would mean for our marriage. I could worry about all that tomorrow though.<br /> Tonight, I fuccccckkking owned that crowd and I was sure going to celebrate my success on my birthday.<br /> I let out the breath that I had been holding and recompose myself then I walk behind stage to the small group gathered for me. I grin victoriously, strutting up to them saucily.<br /> &quot;You did it, Vi! They all looked like they wanted to eat you up.&quot; My best friend and manager Naomi screams running up to me to hug me while all my co-workers clap and shout congrats. &quot;How about some birthday cake before the next show?&quot;<br /> I give Naomi the biggest hug and nod.<br /> &quot;What&#039;s wrong girl?&quot; She asks noticing something is wrong right away.<br /> I want to be happy but I have this really terrible feeling in my chest. I hug her back trying not to smile awkwardly as I ask her if my husband Richard made an appearance tonight.<br /> &quot;No, I didn&#039;t see him? Was he supposed to be here?&quot; She asked.<br /> &quot;Yes.&quot; I replied. I could see the look of pity on her face as she shook her head, it had been about 4 years since he had been to one of my modeling gigs. And what type of message did that send? He was my husband and should&#039;ve been here to support me.<br /> Part of me isn&#039;t really surprised, I knew when I refused to quit modeling and depend fully on Richard financially that our marriage would change.<br /> But this job is what helped get his business up and running when we graduated college with no immediate careers in sight. So I decided to keep modeling even after Richard became financially stable, despite it not being anything closely related to what I&#039;d majored in.<br /> Naomi attempts to cheer me up with the double chocolate layer cake she baked me for my birthday and I grin at her trying my best not to let my intuition eat away at my happiness, nobody wanted an unhappy campaign model right?<br /> I finally manage to escape Naomi and her devil addicting double chocolate cake, making my way out front to the crowd to make my appearances and answer questions for those who had attended the opening show before the next show started.<br /> Afterwards when it was time for the second show, I made my way backstage to my booth to check my phone for any messages from Richard. He was a very successful business man that had recently become the owner of the company he had worked for, thanks to me, why shouldn&#039;t he take days off to support my career? Why else was his secretary always around for then?<br /> The bad feeling in my chest only increase at that point, and I recognized it as my intuition. Something was up and I was so angry that I seemed like the only one who wanted our marriage so I was gonna confront Richard about it. After not locating my phone, I realized that I had left my phone at home and since this was the second show I could afford to leave. I was only required to show my face at the after party that started in 6 hours and I would be back by then.<br /> I grabbed my bag and dipped before anyone noticed, sneaking another slice of Naomi&#039;s cake as I went.<br /> When I finally made it home I sat in the car for a moment smashing on the piece of cake because Richard hated when I ate sweets. It was my birthday, I deserved to smash my face in it!<br /> When I finished, I walked into the house instantly noticing the clothing littered the floor. There were female clothing scattered among the trail that led upstairs. A sickening feeling overcame me at that moment but I forced the cake that had suddenly came up back down, following the trail of clothing up the stairs to my bedroom door slowly, quietly.<br /> I could hear the sounds of moans and groans pouring from our bedroom.<br /> My husband had grown bold, it seemed. Obviously he had no respect for me if he passed up one of the most successful campaign launches for my career to bring a bimbo to our house to have an affair.<br /> I almost turned to leave, wanting to just walk away with my heart partially intact but I knew I had to see this. I tried to mentally prepare myself for this. I wanted to know who the bimbo was.<br /> To bring a woman to our home and have intercourse with her in our bed on my birthday? He was so disrespectful and just asking to be caught. As I stepped closer to the door, I could hear her telling him how much she loved him through the door.<br /> He responded, telling her that he loved her too. I closed my eyes counting to ten and gathering what remained of my resolve.<br /> I can do this, I thought. I must see this.<br /> I forced myself to open the door, my eyes widening as I saw them in the act up close and personal.<br /> I realized that he had been having an affair with his assistant, Emily. The sad part is that this did not appear to be just a regular experience. They were making love and the familiarity of it told me that it had been happening for quite a while. I couldn&#039;t have prepared myself for the pain that I felt slicing through my heart in a thousand years.<br /> My soul was in agony, this was not something that the mind couldn&#039;t rationalize for the sake of saving my heart from breaking into pieces. It had been in my face all along and I had been blind to it because we had started attending marriage counseling together. What a joke the marriage counselling must have been to both of them.<br /> My marriage was over. And that one thought kept repeating inside my head like a broken record.<br /> It&#039;s over.<br /> I dropped my bag at the door, turning to run away from the sight of them. I couldn&#039;t take the pain of watching them anymore. My marriage to Richard had meant everything to me, we had been married 10 years.<br /> I managed to hold my sobs as I ran outside of my home, past my car, and down the streets of our beautiful neighborhood. I just let myself run freely, trying to run myself to exertion to exchange the pain from my heart to the pain in my legs. My silk dress had ripped all up my thighs exposing my lace panties, too delicate for the strain that my pumping legs made. I did not care at all, not pausing to cover myself or look if anybody was looking at me.<br /> When I finally stopped to catch my breath and look around I was just at the local park 10 minutes away from my home. I finally let my sobs out, breaking down completely as I saw that the park was empty.<br /> Richard had been my high-school best friend turned sweetheart after prom, when I gave him my first time. I had always loved him, just fell in love our senior year. I had wanted to have children with him and grow old with him, I did everything right to keep him happy. I had never looked back and regretted anything until now. I knew that we were never supposed to be more than friends but I still married him after high-school because he had been the only guy I wanted to be with.<br /> Richard had cheated once before in college but that was just a one time at a party. He hadn&#039;t came back to our dorm that night and that next morning, I had just knew. I forgave him since we were still basically kids in college, told him he was still who I wanted and that I wouldn&#039;t dream of sleeping with another man. But still once a cheater, always a cheater.<br /> He destroyed me..<br /> Everything else I could deal with. Marriage was about forgiveness and making sacrifices, right?But sharing intimacy with another? That was the worst type of betrayal. I couldn&#039;t stay with him after this. I couldn&#039;t forgive him for this, but I was too weak to walk away. Love didn&#039;t just fade away, the hurt was still there stabbing me in my chest. I wanted him to hurt, I knew that he loved me. I was the real mastermind behind his company. He couldn&#039;t afford to lose me.<br /> But I had nothing left to give. I had put everything including my soul into my marriage, only for it to shatter before my eyes. I couldn&#039;t stand another thought of being on this Earth without him after this, either.<br /> He was my only best friend after all.<br /> How would I end it?<br /> My LIFE.<br /> How would I commit suicide?<br /> Pills? Hanging? Knife? Bridge?<br /> I could have a peaceful death. I would drown myself, let the water end the anguish that brewed inside my heart. And when they found my body, he would know.<br /> He did this. He lost me, forever.<br /> ---<br /> Vivian<br /> Silence makes many people very uncomfortable. It&#039;s non existence is deafening, it can be insistent and unable to escape. People cannot stand the thought of being alone in silence. People crave interaction with people, they crave attention.<br /> I, however, craved intimacy. And I was not just talking about intercourse.<br /> Intimacy wasn&#039;t about who could touch my body, it was about who could touch my soul.<br /> Intimacy was the purest form of connection, something I lacked in my marriage.<br /> Now I wished that I could capture that silence for myself. I wanted to bottle that silence, preserve it just for me so that I could release it every time my thoughts overwhelmed my head.<br /> I studied the ripples that my legs made in the pond.<br /> Beautiful, I thought, tilting my head up to look up into the dark sky. I closed my eyes, if I waited any longer I would lose my nerve. I sucked in my breath, desperately trying to taste the sweetness of summer one last time but it was too late. I tasted bitterness on my tongue and I felt it engulfing me, tainting the taste that I had wanted to savor. I gasped, inhaling fresh air, despair filled me at the thought that I would leave this world with my soul not at peace. I forced myself to believe that I could taste the final sweet taste of summer and it subdued my mind as I gently stretched my legs side to side before sliding into the water allowing the water to close over my face without panicking.<br /> The water was colder as I floated underneath it. My dress seems tighter, constricting my gentle movements so I removed it, ripping it off my body before I really started to panic.<br /> Peaceful. Peaceful. Peaceful. I chanted inside my head, all I wanted was to die peacefully. Something inside me won&#039;t allow that though, something rebels. I am rebelling.<br /> I&#039;ve never been a coward, why should I start now?<br /> Because it hurts...<br /> Suddenly loud ringing starts in my ears and I gasp stupidly, releasing the the little air that I had been holding onto. The water has changed, becoming insistent and dragging me down. The fear consumes me, I am really terrified to die. What happened to dying peacefully?<br /> Just fight for your life. My conscience screams.<br /> I desperately fling my arms back and forth, pumping my legs to swim to the surface of the water. I swim until I can see a glimmer of light in the dark water, the surface was just there but my body is weaker now. I can barely move because I&#039;ve driven my body to exertion.<br /> I am just about to reach the surface when my breath finally gives out and I am forced to swallow the water.<br /> I&#039;ve tempted Satan with my soul, now he is going to make me drown.<br /> You were almost there, I couldn&#039;t help thinking as I began to jerk uncontrollably, the water inducing spasms of my larynx. Within 30 seconds, the laryngospasms begin to weaken and I&#039;m losing consciousness. My life begins flashing before my eyes and as my brain skims through my wonderful childhood, it isn&#039;t long before I see Richard. He was my first best friend. My first love. My first everything and my life with him flashed.<br /> Realizing that I loved him. Marrying him after high school graduation. The discovery of his infidelity in college. Choosing to stay and work through our problems. Graduating college with honors with him at my side. Pursuing a modeling career to help support us while he became stable. Then finally coming home tonight to discover that that infidelity had never ceased.<br /> The pain of knowing that 10 years of my life had been wasted in a one-sided loveless marriage with a cheating prick did not hit me as hard as earlier. The pain was just gone, I had not loss much with Richard... only time.<br /> Then my flashes stop and I see what could be, my life starting anew. Dating, a faithful relationship with the man of my dreams, having children in my little farm house. I want it so bad but it is just out of my grasp. The water is pulling me down, refusing to allow me to float just under the waterline anyone. I am sinking like a stone.<br /> I know that brain failure is imminent but I also know that there is one last chance to survive.<br /> My body forces me to inhale again and with that force, I propel myself upwards. I finally break the surface of the water, spitting up all that awful tasting water that I had pretended tasted so sweet. I climb out of the pond, looking down at the misleading peaceful looking waves.<br /> I ripped off the remainder of my underwear hating the feeling of wet clothing on my skin, decidi<br /> ng right then and there that I would never step foot in any large body of water ever again. I start my walk back to my home.<br /> When I opened the door to the house and made my way pass the clothing, I smiled a very dark smile.<br /> When I heard the wailing moans of my soon to be ex husband&#039;s &quot;secretary&quot; I walked my undressed hip directly to them.<br /> I took a deep breath clearing the visual of them making love from my head. Oh, I had grand plans for these two adulterers.<br /> And now I would not go silently.<br /> I opened the door, walking in and pausing to watch them. They were making love, it was no question.<br /> The door smacked the wall hard alerting them that I was here. Emily&#039;s shocked gasp filled the air.<br /> I walked right past both of their startled figures, to my dresser where my phone was with a smirk. &quot;Hey guys, smile for the camera!&quot;<br /> I turned on my camera, snapping pictures of them on the bed still frozen, both staring at me in shock.<br /> &quot;Nice.&quot; I commented before making my way to my walk in closet. &quot;Please forgive the intrusion, I&#039;ll be on my way in just a sec.&quot; I grabbed a dress for the after party that I was now late for and made my way to the bathroom humming happily.<br /> At the angle that I took the pictures, the affair was unmistakable. I smiled at them again when I passed. Emily now scrambled to grab the covers that they had kicked on the floor. I chuckled, I had already saw everything she had to offer, with the comforter out of her reach she was now using Richard to shield her and neither of them would make eye contact with me.<br /> &quot;At least own up to what y&#039;all were doing, be adults about it. I&#039;m not mad.&quot; I said.<br /> &quot;Vivian, I can-&quot; Richard began to try to make that dumb hip excuse, with that dumb hip look on his face pissing me off. The nasal sound of his voice was pissing me off. Everything about him was pissing me off. What did I ever see in him? Love sure blinded the outta me if I was just noticing this now.<br /> &quot;Explain? No need to Richard, I see you both right now. Again, continue if you wish, I&#039;ll be on my way in a minute.&quot; I said, shutting the bathroom door and showering.<br /> I thanked fate for allowing me to leave my phone home in order to discover the affair. I took my sweet time, going all out with my routine and appreciating the warm water after I had been floating in that cold hip water for close to 3 hours. I even started to sing, ignoring Richard when he knocked on the door calling my name.<br /> After I got done I continued ignoring him while I dried, lathered myself with oils, and did my hair. my time was all my own again. My days of answering to him were over.<br /> &quot;Freedom,&quot; I sang, opening the door and pushing past him. &quot;Why were you undressed? What do you mean you&#039;re not mad?&quot; He was frowning at the dress that I had on. &quot;Where are you going Vivian?&quot; He asked.<br /> &quot;Not today, Richard.&quot; I said, ignoring his question. Both of them were now dressed and she sat on the perfectly made as if the affair had never happened.<br /> &quot;Vivian, I would like to apologize,&quot; She began as we made eye- contact. I could almost respect her, but she was the worst type of person. They both were. <br /> &quot;How long?&quot; I asked her.<br /> &quot;About-&quot; She began.<br /> &quot;Emily shut it, Vivian its not what you think. We-&quot;<br /> &quot;Save it, Richard. I was speaking to Emily, woman to woman. Now, how long?&quot; I said looking at her. I saw his disbelief that I had just cut him off. I had never did it before but then again, I had never disrespected him by cheating or even entertaining the thought either.<br /> &quot;About 4 years.&quot; Longer than I thought initially, but now that I thought back he had stopped attending my shows around that time.<br /> &quot;Wow, I hope you both have a good night. <br /> I&#039;m out.&quot; From the corner of my eye I notice Richard eyeing me. I turned getting him a 360 view of my dress and his face turned red. &quot;Where are you going, Vivian?&quot; He said it possessively.<br /> &quot;To have passionate intercourse with a random stranger, Richard.&quot; I could feel a hysterical laugh building inside me but I manage to hold in in, smiling instead. &quot;Its only fair that I make up for all the intercourse I&#039;ve been missing out on due to your negligence. Enjoy your secretary, husband. When we&#039;re divorced, feel free to marry her because when I&#039;m done with you, nobody will come near either of you again.&quot; I said, leaving them dumbfounded.<br /> I made a show of bending to grab my purse at the doorway, turning back to smile seductively at Richard.<br /> I giggled, standing and holding my head high as I walked out of the house to my car. I had never been insecure of my body but since Richard treated me as if I&#039;d been invincible, and not from a lack of trying on my part, for the past two years I had been questioning myself. I mean slowly losing my self confidence as the significant other.<br /> Never again... Near death experiences had a way of making you see what really mattered.<br /> My happiness.<br /> Call me selfish or whatever. I have missed out and tonight I was going to make up for it.<br /> Nothing could make me stay to work things out at this point, I was divorcing him. With the proof I had, I would destroy him then take everything that he had. I wasn&#039;t walking away from this 10- year investment empty handed.<br /> Once, he told me that he would give me the world.<br /> But I could settle with his bank account. LEARN_MORE https://a.read4funs.com/ad/ZmFuY3lOb3ZlbC8xNzE3MTU 123823310705302 ForFun-100 https://facebook.com/100094441775812 96 1 1,487,379,265,470,415 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 ForFun-100 120210542290700361 a.read4funs.com NONE video https://a.read4funs.com/ad/ZmFuY3lOb3ZlbC8xNzE3MTUvMjAyNDA1MDgxMDUyMzgvcGFnZQ==?adid={{ad.id}} 2024-05-07 21:57 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441951754_447369597883046_2624850319497436217_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ezcgcUpO_lIQ7kNvgGP0Cqt&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBBv2W4GAMsNdhU5YhYEPjhq_mNOItk-5B5tbWLGCW9Eg&oe=6641CB33 person_profile 0 ForFun-100 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440450089_1124314428872508_1644217709766147871_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eEFd4tiq03MQ7kNvgHqljDQ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfD6YKxZdUfdGKPalx_XssfVv6BBRciooBcyfzc8-XTvIQ&oe=6641F049 0 3 ForFun-100 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:43 active 760 0 3462109967266832 Over 50% OFF Summer Sale A child&#039;s first swim can be a nerve-racking moment for any parent. 🩵<br /> <br /> Start Swimming Safely with the Swimee™ Floating Swimsuit! 🏊‍♂️ (Save Over 50%)<br /> <br /> Why choose the Swimee™ Floating Swimsuit?<br /> 🌊 Built-in floaties ensure safety in the water<br /> 👶 Perfect for little ones learning to swim<br /> ☀️ Enjoy built in 50+ SPF sun protection<br /> 🌿 Crafted with quality for comfort and durability<br /> 🎉 Watch your child&#039;s confidence soar in the pool! SHOP_NOW https://serenebands.com/products/the-swimee 192295597311286 ShopSerene https://facebook.com/61556323456660 6 1 459,599,796,464,135 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Shop now 0 ShopSerene 120208329616100508 serenebands.com NONE video https://serenebands.com/products/the-swimee 2024-05-08 01:21 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438162430_970334808049735_4858158510689614291_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=lUZFwDllgjsQ7kNvgEt6Yns&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrZHdtD1ZWzzc-PIK_Uf87gPEruAcsomqmAd60YG2E3Q&oe=6641E574 person_profile 0 ShopSerene https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438165513_2707332372748801_3888090303746431423_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=uo5WC6fHya4Q7kNvgES7nGM&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBIOcbo5pBKgdxH075FfO0wYqDF8T6XiiFdSbRNQ9AX-A&oe=6641EB49 0 3 ShopSerene 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:38 active 760 0 981660256670040 Ready for Natural Pain Relief? It&#039;s time to get serious about our health. We all want an option for pain relief that doesn&#039;t harm our bodies AND helps us feel better while working on the root issue.<br /> <br /> No more covering up symptoms or feeling hazy and out of ourselves.<br /> <br /> Our PAIN PEACE TINCTURE is formulated with 4 different plants that work together to help ease multiple different kinds of pain:<br /> <br /> NERVE PAIN🌿<br /> MUSCLE PAIN🌻<br /> JOINT PAIN🌱<br /> PERIOD CRAMPING🌞<br /> NECK AND HEAD TENSION AND PAIN🌸<br /> <br /> We grow all of these plants on our ORGANIC farm and use ORGANIC INGREDIENTS to craft this tincture.<br /> <br /> Willow bark, california poppy, wild lettuce and blue vervain are the plants that have helped hundreds of people ready to find natural relief.<br /> <br /> With over 60 five star reviews, we know this special remedy WORKS and people with all different types of pain are feeling more like themselves✨<br /> <br /> Shop this tincture and all of our farm to bottle remedies today💚 SHOP_NOW https://healingmotherherbals.com/products/pain-pea 516176598577286 Healing Mother Herbals https://facebook.com/healingmotherherbals 942 6 1,622,230,611,934,838 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Shop now 0 Healing Mother Herbals 120207000459220328 healingmotherherbals.com NONE image Ease and calm your aches and pains with fresh california poppy, willow bark, blue vervain and wild lettuce grown organically on our farm•Crafted with organic 190 proof cane alcohol for 4-6 weeks using the energy of the sun and moon•Handmade in small batches with love and intention•California p... https://healingmotherherbals.com/products/pain-peace-tincture-pain-relief-extract-tinctures-aches-and-pains-medicinal-herbs-california-poppy-willow-bark-wild-lettuce-organic 2024-04-25 20:45 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440749499_309870388806269_5449063021117669169_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=imm6bsaVPAoQ7kNvgEHhYAd&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAlnVhCoi0UKg_vvOErv7abIt1e9G3KEPmth7L34msb6A&oe=6641D6F3 person_profile 0 Anna Bradford https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/439557135_969139378155637_1940484908547041981_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qTZqrMOpx1oQ7kNvgGDd8Ox&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBsGPPOV3Yb-J2hzDx3H7W-E6O54HQhDoceHywqpyDyOA&oe=6641C7C9 0 3 Healing Mother Herbals 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-05-08 18:43 active 760 0 1116464346074296 40+ Bad Neighbors Who Got a Taste of Their Own Medicine Justice Is Served! 🍵😈 LEARN_MORE https://tworeddots.com/bad-neighbors-got-bt/ 100187822111272 Our Funny Little Site Online https://facebook.com/100063774446505 60 1 411,891,284,982,471 2024-05-08 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 Our Funny Little Site Online 120209026654260396 tworeddots.com NONE image When you're looking to buy a new house, you spend hours trying to find the perfect neighborhood that's close to your job, has good schools, and is most importantly safe, but there's probably one thing you've overlooked: your neighbors. Your home is supposed to be your safe haven and having bad neigh... https://tworeddots.com/bad-neighbors-got-bt/ 2024-05-08 02:30 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/442439681_1121048172503778_3468757218266472827_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cRlmQQWpDLYQ7kNvgG5V_9i&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCfofYy5Z3xHuQngOpALr5sTB4afK_crs3N3OX9SV16rw&oe=6641C91E person_profile 0 Our Funny Little Site Online https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436619062_844941724126438_6388445112057487455_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-xRcNJKs1NIQ7kNvgG_UdCl&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBD5aeyVFpSareuovFJP2jQoE1MbRHtX0gZIOhZNbmbMw&oe=6641C1BD 0 3 Our Funny Little Site Online 0 0 2024-05-08 02:00 View Edit
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