Serene watched as the cars outside her studio left one after the other. She breathed a sigh of relief when the shadow of the last car left her line of sight.
The day she had been dreading for finally came. Justin learned about her children. She had played various scenarios of this day in her head for the past five years, but she never imagined that it would be the same day she’d learn he’s already getting married.
Fiancé. The word rang in her ears in a loop. The thought that he’s marrying another person bothered her. Once upon a time, she dreamed of becoming Mrs. Justin Rain, but Fate had other plans for them.
They’re just meant to be part of each other’s journey, but never their ending. She smiled bitterly at the thought. She sighed one more time. Now that he’s final
Justin kicked the door to Serene’s studio. He’s glad that he did not hastily ask for this room to be repurposed. It had remained the same over the years. This had been his sanctuary and a silent witness to his struggles.He knew Serene would not easily give him a chance to be with their children. He expected that and was in fact happy that she did that, after all the wrongs he did to her, he expected her to not want him near their children.However, what he hated most was how he pushed her to Crystal. Did she really want him to build a family with somebody else? He hated Crystal even more. She just added another hurdle for him to cross. It’s hard enough to gain Serene’s forgiveness. Add to that Crystal who did nothing but flaunt that he’s her fiancé. Fiancé my ass!H
Justin learned Serene recently enrolled the twins in a play school in a mall the Lewis’s owned in Hyacinth Bay. This was also where they met Kenny, Chester’s son. He also learned that since Serene’s return two years ago, she had been leading Ellis Inc. Under her leadership, she’s able to expand their network. A proud smile left his lips. Serene’s always been sharp and hard working. Her work ethics were admirable, and it’s almost no surprise that she’s doing well in the business world.He looked at the list of establishments she’s doing business with. He sneered as his eyes went over the list. None of the establishments she dealt with had anything to do with Rain International. Apart from the businesses the Lewis’s operated, the businesses she dealt with were mostly small independent restaurants. Even the hotels she supplied their seafood for were mostly
Serene woke up early to ready her children’s belongings. They did not need to bring much, just their essentials. She needed to keep her children away from all the drama that comes with Justin coming into the picture.Yesterday, she completed all the paperwork to get her children removed from the school’s roll. She felt a little sad because she knew they had already gained friends and enjoyed being in playschool.Their flight to New York is at 5 PM. She had less than 12 hours ahead of her, but there were still loose ends she needed to clean up.While her children slept, she gave Mary an early morning call.“Hello…” the husky voice of a man answered, making Serene knit her brows.“Kurosawa?&
After venting his anger, he asked his men to trace Serene’s past movements.He’d give it to her for her careful planning. She even thought of getting their children out of the school’s roll. Justin watched the surveillance videos his team put together. It showed Serene and her children leaving her apartment in the morning. Then the different times the city’s surveillance captured images of the car she’s driving at every traffic light she stopped.He watched her and the twins enter a hotel. Then at half past 3, he saw her leave the hotel. He sneered as he zoomed at the image. At first glance, the woman and the children looked like Serene and the twins, but he knew better. The body build, height, even the outfits were the same. It’s easy to pass them as Serene and the twins if you did not pay close attention.
Mary closed her boutique for Crystal’s fitting. She’s such a big consumer of her clothing line, she did not mind giving her the white glove treatment.As a rising celebrity, Crystal wearing her clothes was free advertisement she needed to float her name in the circle. She knew that hers and Justin’s engagement party would put her creation in the spotlight and would open opportunities for her.“Ms. Lewis, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Rain are here,” her secretary advised. She frowned a little. Justin’s here? He must love Crystal so much to accompany her in a fitting, it’s not even her wedding gown yet. Her lips stretched into a bitter smile. Truly, nothing is permanent. Five years ago, this man doted on her best friend. Now, he’s here accompanying another woman to fit a dress which was hand painted by his former lover no les
Serene’s knuckles turned white from gripping her phone. The more Crystal talked, the tighter her hand closed on it.Her hands shook from the anger she felt. That asshole Justin had to target Mary to get what he wanted. After hearing what Justin did at Mary’s boutique from Crystal, she had an inkling that he must have asked her something else besides creating a dress in a short time. And that something definitely involved her twins.Her tears automatically fell from her eyes. She did not need to guess what Mary’s decision would be. For as long as it involved her, or the twins, she would be willing to sacrifice. Why does Mary always have to sacrifice for her? She gave up Dylan to protect her and the twins five years ago. Five years later, she needed to give up the career she loved and built through sweat and blood to protect them. She could not
Don’t confuse your guilt with love. Justin squeezed his eyes shut. Was he just feeling guilty? Was the pain he felt in the past five years just guilt? He felt a tear drop from his eyes. Fuck her for confusing him!He rushed out from his room but no longer saw her.“Follow her!” he barked to his secretary, who immediately sprung to action.Serene heaved a sigh of relief when she entered a familiar restaurant and sat on a chair. A server approached her as soon as she settled in. She gave her order from the top of her head while her eyes scanned the place. She caught sight of Joseph, Justin’s secretary from her peripheral vision.“Can I also have the bill?” She gave a polite smile to the server and continued to search the rest
Serene felt an arm hug her from behind and a chin rested on her shoulder. Definitely not one of her twins. She sleepily turned around to look at the person and saw Mary’s clear face.She had not been answering her calls for the past week; it drove her crazy.As if knowing what was in her mind, Mary softly said, “I’m sorry, Mama Bear,” and she hid her face on her neck.“I’m the one who should be sorry. You received all that shit from protecting me and my children. Forgive me?” she pulled her friend away to look her in the eyes.“Shen, you don’t need to apologize. Yes, Justin was a big and mean bully for doing that to me, but I don’t regret protecting you and those adorable munchkins.” she smiled up at