LOGINMannie’s POV
“Good evening, ma’am. I am calling from Primrose Kindergarten. Your child, Adam, has refused to stop crying since the release of
Mannie’s POV“Good evening, ma’am. I am calling from Primrose Kindergarten. Your child, Adam, has refused to stop crying since the release of results, and we would like you to come pick him up.”I slowly lowered the phone from my ear.
3rd POVHanding her bag to the maid, she walked toward her father, who was comfortably seated on the large couch while watching a human television show.The old man looked relaxed in a way that almost never happened anymore. One leg rested over the other while a glass of red wine sat untouched beside him on the table. The television lights flashed across his wrinkled face, shifting from blue to gold every few seconds as loud human voices filled
Dominic’s POVVrooooommm!!!!!Screeeeeeeech!The car lurched hard as I slammed the brakes.
Mannie’s POVThe sound of the coffee machine grinding echoed softly through the quiet break room.It wasn’t loud, but in the stillness of the morning, it felt like the only thing keeping the world moving. Steam hissed faintly as hot water pushed through the coffee grounds, filling the air with a bitter, familiar scent that grounded me more than sleep ever could.Today was my first coffee of the day.And I needed it badly.My body felt like it was still catching up with yesterday, and honestly, I wasn’t sure my mind had fully returned from it either. Between work, the kids, and everything else I kept trying to hold together, there was barely space left for me.I leaned lightly against the counter, waiting.The machine clicked.I yawned softly and pressed the next button.That was when I heard footsteps.Slow. Careful. Familiar in a way my body recognized before my mind accepted it.
Clara listened to the children’s voices fill the room with praise for their mother, and something sharp twisted quietly inside her chest.It wasn’t loud. It didn’t explode.It just… settled there.A feeling she didn’t say out loud.Clara sat still on the couch, her eyes moving slowly from one child to another. Their laughter bounced off the walls like light rain, soft and innocent, but to her, it felt like a world she was standing just outside of.Not inside.Not part of.Just watching.Her fingers curled slightly on her lap.Before, it hadn’t been like this.There had been space for her voice. Space for her place in the house. Space where she didn’t feel like she had to fight just to be heard.But somewhere along the line, something shifted.And now—She couldn’t tell when she stopped fitting in.Her gaze lowered slig
Mannie’s POVI watched as Dominic’s expression shifted.The slight spark that had been in his eyes just moments ago after the phone call disappeared completely. His jaw tightened, and something unreadable settled in his gaze. It was like a door had closed inside him, locking away whatever warmth had been there.I didn’t understand what changed.But I didn’t ask.I wasn’t brave enough for that.I stayed quiet, my fingers fidgeting with the torn edge of my dress, pretending not to notice how different the air around him felt now. He looked like someone pulled halfway between two worlds—one I didn’t know, and one I probably didn’t want to understand.My thoughts betrayed me anyway.‘What is the probability that he will kill you if you ask?’ a voice in my mind whispered.I blinked.Then answered myself immediately.“100% of course.&
The sound of my boots echoed on the marble floors as I stepped into the house.No—her house.Or at least the one I gave her.Zarah Twain.The woman who was supposed to be mine. The woman everyone swore was the same one from five years ago. The one my people brought home because she wore the right w
I never thought I’d see the day where I’d stand on a stage in fishnet stockings, an oversized pink hoodie, and pigtails with sparkly clips.But here I was.Trying to survive.The lights in the bar were too bright and too fake. I could feel the sweat sticking to my back under the thick, ugly hoodie
The cold wind hit my face the moment I stepped out of the bar. I looked left and right, scanning the sidewalk. She was already at the edge of the street, wrapping a scarf around her neck, clearly in a rush to leave.“Wait,” I called.She stopped, stiffened, and turned slowly.Her eyes met mine agai
The dim light of the bar gave everything a grainy hue. Music still echoed faintly from the cheap speakers, but my mind was fixed on one thing—the woman who had just stepped off the stage.She wasn’t like the others. There was something deeply strange about her outfit—layers of mismatched clothing t







