ValerieThe abrupt intrusion into my peaceful slumber left me groaning, desperately seeking refuge under my pillow. Who in the world sets an alarm for such an ungodly hour when the sun hasn't even considered gracing us with its presence yet? As the unwelcome sound finally ceased, I heaved a sigh of relief, only to have my peace shattered once again as it resumed, assaulting my ears with renewed vigor. My eyes, heavy with sleep, squinted through the darkness in search of the accursed clock, only to discover that the source of my torment was none other than my own phone, vibrating and lighting up at an unholy hour.Dragging myself into a semi-upright position, I squinted at the glaring numbers on the screen, revealing the ungodly hour of two in the bloody morning. An unidentified number mocked me from the display, taunting my weariness. My irritation was palpable as I mumbled a sleepy, "Hello.""You fucking bitch!!!" A man's voice erupted from the phone, causing my eardrums to protest a
Valerie"Did you really say that?" Shay's question had me smiling like crazy.As Shay's astonishment lingered in the air, I found myself grappling with the weight of my own revelation. "Yeah," I confirmed, my voice carrying a mixture of resignation and determination."Well, I'm proud of my girl!" Shay's exclamation pierced through the phone, causing me to instinctively pull it away from my ear."Hey, don't make me go deaf," I drawled, half-jokingly, but with a genuine concern for my eardrums."Yeah, yeah. Well, I can't tell you how happy that makes me.""So, did you go through the packet you told me about?" Shay's voice took on a more serious tone, shifting the conversation to the ominous contents of the packet I had recently encountered.I sighed heavily, the weight of the information still fresh in my mind. IIt made me want to puke my guts out. The things in it didn't made me feel any comfortable. "They were some business contracts, made to please Drew and his sick obsession with wo
Valerie With every passing moment the bell rang my anxiety rose. Why wasn't she picking up? Seven rings had passed and still, there was no answer. Did she know that something was up? I could feel my plan going awry. Ten rings later finally the call was picked, and she was there on the other end of the line. "Valerie, hi," she greeted in a cheerful manner. "I'm really sorry that I had to cancel our meeting." Her voice sounded rushed, tinged with a hint of urgency. "Oh, it's alright, no problems with that. However, I wanted to talk to you about something important. Basically, I just want you to hear what I’m saying. I mean it is something really very important, for you, and your wedding." I could hear the rapid beating of my heart in my ears. "Oh why I not, I'm listening. Just tell me what you want to say," Laura replied, her tone eager yet tinged with apprehension. "Thank you. How do I say this?" I paused. "I wanted to talk to you about something related to your past. Around the t
ValerieI lost myself in work, using it as a shield against the pain of my past and the turmoil of my thoughts. Countless hours were spent in my office, buried under a pile of tasks and projects, throwing myself into event planning with a fervor bordering on obsession. I asked my boss for more work, more events to organize, more tasks to keep me occupied, telling her that I needed to work more than I needed air to breathe. And she obliged, perhaps sensing the silent plea for distraction hidden beneath my words.Normalcy felt like a fleeting illusion, a fragile facade I clung to in the presence of my loved ones. With Shay, Dad, and Carmen, I could almost convince myself that everything was okay, that the darkness lurking within me could be kept at bay. But when I was alone, the emptiness crept in, gnawing at the edges of my sanity and driving me to the brink of despair.By late evening, I was able to drag myself home, still buzzing with the chaos of the day. Dad greeted me at the door,
ValerieI couldn't believe my eyes as the chaotic scene unfolded before me. The air was thick with tension, anger, and confusion."What the fucking hell?" Laura's father screamed in pain, desperately trying to evade my Dad's next incoming punch as I stood there like a statue.What in the hell was happening? "Shit," Dad yelled as his fists missed its target, colliding with the unforgiving wall punching a whole through it. As his fist came out of the wall all I could think of was how would I explain this to the building manager. Once again my dad raised his fist to hit him but missed by a hairlines length. Laura's father was a lucky man Laura's dad was in survival mode, attempting to escape or shield himself, while my father seemed hell-bent on unleashing his fury. It was like watching two ferocious animals locked in a battle."Stop!" I screamed, but my plea fell on deaf ears. I had no intention of getting physically involved; I had a gut feeling that I'd end up on the floor if I dared
Valerie"What?" Mr. Johnson stood up in disbelief."I swear to god, that I have never been with anyone other than my wife for the past twenty-seven years," Mr. Johnson insisted, his voice trembling with emotion. I could see the fear in his eyes, the uncertainty as he faced down my father's rage.The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife, each word spoken dripping with accusation and disbelief. Mr. Johnson's declaration echoed in my ears, his voice desperate and pleading as he swore on the life of his daughter that he had never been unfaithful to his wife. But my father's anger burned bright, a wildfire consuming everything in its path as he stood, fists clenched at his sides, ready to strike out at the man before him.But my father was having none of it. "Don't you dare fucking lie!" he roared, his voice a thunderous boom that shook the walls of the room. I could feel the weight of his anger bearing down on me, threatening to suffocate me beneath its intensity."Lie
Valerie "I don't know her," he sighed. "I have no idea who she is and I swear on my daughter that I had never seen her." The tension in the room dissipated like a storm passing, leaving behind a sense of eerie calmness. Mr. Johnson's words echoed in my mind, his declaration of innocence a small ray of hope in the midst of chaos. I turned to look at my father, whose expression mirrored my own sense of relief, his shoulders slumping in defeat as he acknowledged the truth. "However," he paused as he took a good look at me. "I think I now understand why your father thinks that I'm the man your mother cheated with," Mr. Johnson continued, his voice tinged with resignation. I felt a surge of anger rise within me at his audacity, at the way he seemed to revel in the chaos he had caused. But I held my tongue, knowing that lashing out would only escalate the situation further. He pulled out his phone, his fingers moving with practiced ease as he searched for something. I watched him with
Valerie The weight of the truth settled over me like a suffocating blanket, pressing down on my chest and stealing the air from my lungs. As Mr. Johnson revealed the identity of my potential biological father, I felt a surge of conflicting emotions wash over me. Relief mingled with uncertainty, gratitude mixed with resentment, leaving me reeling in a whirlwind of confusion. "Please don't tell him about me," I pleaded, my voice trembling with emotion as tears glistened in my eyes. The thought of confronting my potential twin brother, of shattering the illusion of the family I had known for so long, filled me with a sense of dread I couldn't shake. I couldn't replace my father, not with a man who seemed to come with such a colorful and tumultuous history. The idea of losing the father-daughter bond we had fought so hard to revive filled me with a sense of despair I couldn't bear. My dad's and Mr. Johnson's eyes softened as they took in my tear-stained face, their expressions reflecti