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Anna’s POV
6:45a.m
The sound of heavy traffic in the street woke me up a little earlier than I wanted. I blinked slowly and opened my eyes, the sun’s scorching rays settling directly on my face.
My head was still aching from last night. I know I shouldn’t have been drinking, alcohol never mixed well with me, but it was a party and it was only right that I did.
What happened last night? I remember drinking, but not that much, and then suddenly nothing. I must have blacked out.
Nursing the throbbing pain in my head, I searched around the bed for my phone but unexpectedly, my hand hit a solid wall of muscle next to me.
‘Oh my God!’ I recoiled in shock but covered my mouth just before the words spilled out.
He tossed and turned slightly, but then went back to sleep.
I shakily laid back down and covered myself with the duvet. My eyes dilated fully from the shock and I realized then that I wasn’t in my bedroom, and not only that - I was also completely naked.
‘What the hell? What happened? How did I get here?’ I wondered, scanning the unfamiliar room, trying to acquaint myself with my environment.
The room looked quite luxurious with elegant furnishings and tasteful artworks on the wall.
I sat up slowly and noticed some clothes on the floor. That was when it dawned on me - I had spent the night with this man. Like a flash, the memories from last night slowly returned.
I remember meeting my adoptive mother, Linda Brown here to celebrate finding my birth family.
I had a feeling something wasn’t right when she wanted to celebrate with me, and the way she acted all through the night confirmed it, but I decided to wave it off. I truly wanted to belong with their family and thought I was finally getting that chance.
Linda never really loved me and never shied away from making that clear, reminding me constantly that I was just some stray they took in out of pity.
But last night… yes, I remember now. I hung out mostly at the bar because I was uptight and nervous about the party. I didn’t know anyone there, so I just sat quietly in the corner, sipping my drink.
‘That’s right!’ I sat up fuming with anger, it was Linda who approached me with this man lying next to me now. She introduced him to me and it seems we had a little conversation of some sort before she poured me another glass of wine and that’s the last thing I can remember.
‘Oh my God! Did she spike my drink?!’ My eyes widened with a sudden realization. My brows furrowed furiously as an overwhelming anger surged through my body.
I felt violated just thinking about it and hurriedly reached for my phone to call the police, but just as quickly, fear crept in. My adoptive mother was a cruel and vindictive woman. She might probably retaliate if I wrongly accused her and reported it to the police. Besides, who would believe me? It’d probably sound crazy to anyone I told it to anyway. They’d just think I was being paranoid and having cold feet.
‘Oh my God! Luke!’ I covered my mouth reflexively, feeling an instant regret.
Quietly, I got out of bed and hurriedly put on my clothes. I grabbed my bag and tiptoed to the door, making sure not to wake the mysterious stranger lying in the bed as I opened the door quietly and crept out.
Once outside, I needed to find Linda. She needed to explain who that man was and how I ended up in his hotel room.
I trudged through the hallway, with my stilettos in my hands and my head down to avoid any cameras in the hallway, praying that no one recognized me here or saw me coming out of a stranger’s hotel room. But still, I couldn’t escape the heavy guilt weighing on my heart. I knew what happened wasn’t my fault, but my heart was still in shambles.
As I reached their hotel room, I knocked twice but no one answered, so I pushed the door open and walked inside, clenching my fist in anger, ready to confront Linda. That was when I heard her voice. It seemed to be coming from the balcony, so I strode quietly towards it,
“You were right mom, she didn’t suspect a thing.” It was my adoptive sister, Sarah Brown.
“What did I tell you, your sister…pardon me. That snobby bitch is so naive and clueless, she wouldn’t know she was being used even if she was told,” Linda replied chuckling.
“She deserves everything that’s coming to her. Does she actually think that she can marry Luke? Who does that bitch think she is? This will teach her to know her place!”
“Luke Johnson has been and will always be mine” Sarah responded angrily
“And when we show Luke videos of his dearest fiancée in bed with another man, this will certainly be the nail in the coffin. It will shatter whatever feelings Luke has for her and if those videos just so happen to be leaked, well… she can kiss goodbye to whatever reputation she has in this city. Everyone will see her for who she truly is, a cheap undeserving cunt!
Luke will have no other choice than to leave her, and guess who’ll be there, waiting and ready to marry him and mend his broken heart?” Linda said and shot Sarah a wicked smile.
“Gosh Mom, you’re an evil genius,” Sarah said smiling, then chuckled, “I can’t believe she bought that whole story about her real family. She can’t be that delusional; it’s obvious they never wanted her.”
“The way I see it, they’re the lucky ones. I think anyone would find her insufferable. But now with these videos, we’re going to exploit her and turn this unfortunate situation to our advantage,” Linda replied.
They chuckled and clinked their wine glasses, toasting to their malicious plans.
I felt as if a thunderbolt had just struck me. My head was buzzing and my feet became wobbly. I felt devastated, I knew my adoptive family were not the most caring or genuine people, but this…this was pure evil. Not only had they planned this whole thing to ruin me and destroy my marriage, but they also lied about finding my real family. ‘How could they do that to me?’
I closed my eyes tight as the tears threatened to form, feeling terrified and heartbroken, dreading their plans and the hole I’d found myself in.
They were the only family I had and I’d just found out that they didn’t have an ounce of love for me. They didn’t even want me in the first place.
Alas, I was unable to stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks. But crying over something I never had was pointless and pathetic. I opened my eyes, wiped my tears aggressively, and decided to leave the hotel. I needed to get away from this place, I had to escape from this nightmare, so I turned around and left quietly.
As soon as I was in the hallway, I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes again, so I just kept running and never looked back.
Suddenly, I heard a loud explosion behind me, but I never stopped to look back. My heart was too broken to care; all I could think about was finding Luke and explaining everything before they showed him the videos, so I just kept running.
Anna’s POV8 years laterIt has been eight years since that tragic incident and my life has been on a constant downhill. I was now a twenty-eight-year-old woman, living in a crappy apartment, working a job I hated but couldn’t quit either. Every day, I’d throw on this embarrassing miniskirt at the car company, where I worked as a car model just to make a few bucks. But even though I hated my job, it was all worth it just to be able to afford the basic things for my children.I couldn’t give up now, I had to fight and give it my all “A few more hours Anna,” I muttered, pulling my mini skirt, hoping it was just a bit longer.“Anna, get on stage now!” Our manager, Remi called, clapping his hands in urgency.“God! I hate this job,” I groaned.Today was the highly anticipated car launch of the Grayson Enterprise Family, and unfortunately for me, our manager Remi, had organized a show for the event, reserving the center stage just for me.I heaved a deep sigh and turned towards the stage,
Anna’s POVAs I walked down the alley, I was deep in thought, wondering where I would find a new job and how I would take care of my children.I was already late on this month’s rent and with all the money I had saved up, I was still two hundred dollars short. I needed to find a job quickly, so I pulled out my phone and searched through my contacts for anyone I could call for help or a job opening, but there was no one. However, just as I was about to put my phone back into my purse, an ad popped up on my screen,[Become a Maid for the Greyson Family - $1,000,000 Salary! The Greyson family is looking for experienced and dedicated maids. Enjoy a high reward of $1,000,000. Don’t miss this unique opportunity. Apply today!]As soon as I saw the ad, a lightbulb lit up in my head. If I could get this job, I’d be able to take better care of my children, guaranteeing more than the basics for them, and also handle all my financial problems. Finally, I could give my kids the kind of life they
Anna’s POVI almost did not hear my name being called, as I waited with my head in my hands.My daughter’s question had completely unsettled me. I knew it wasn’t possible that Mark was their father. Besides the deep blue eyes they shared, they had no other similarities. The truth is, I wasn’t entirely sure who their father was either.After that tragic incident that happened eight years ago, I packed my bags and left Brigdon and everything behind. There was nothing left for me in that town anymore.I didn’t find out I was pregnant until I got to Delroy and didn’t know who to call. I had been with Luke earlier that week before I woke up in bed with that stranger. Either of them could have been their father.Still, I couldn’t dismiss the fact that Julia was right. My first son Derek looked a lot like Mark, which left me very confused.“Ms Brookes…Ms Brookes…” the secretary called, and I quickly jerked up.“We’re ready for you,” she said with a smile.I quickly stood up and followed her
Mark’s POVI was in my home office going through some work files when a reminder for the shareholders' meeting popped up on my laptop. I heaved a deep sigh immediately when I saw it. I knew for sure what that meeting was about. Those old folks just couldn’t wait to remove me as the CEO of my father’s company.However, just before I could confirm my attendance at the meeting, I heard a knock on my door,“Sir?” Rita called and waited for my response.“Come in,” I answered immediately, packing up the files spread out on the table.“Did you find her?” I asked with curiosity, leaning back into my chair.Rita marched forward and placed a folder on the table, looking anxious and quirky,“Uhm, I did, but not much.”“What do you mean?” I questioned with a frown on my face.“I mean I found the woman, but it seems like she has completely disappeared in the last eight years. All her records are gone,” Rita explained, leaving me even more confused.“Disappeared?” I asked, raising my brow in curio
Anna’s POVI stood at the entrance of the Grayson mansion, my heart pounding as I stared at the luxurious building. I had been so thrilled to get this job that I never paused to consider what would happen once I did. Now, standing before the mansion doors, I was filled with fear.It was eight in the morning, and I had left my children at home, rushing here to make breakfast for a man I should be avoiding.As I walked through the hallways, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had made the right decision in accepting this job.This job was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to give my children the life they deserved, but I could not help but wonder if I could fit in here.“Oh, it’s you… how nice of you to join us. Keep this up, and you’ll lose your job before you even begin,” Mia’s icy voice echoed through the hallways, and I immediately turned to meet her sharp eyes, assessing me from head to toe with a coldness in her gaze that sent a shiver down my spine.“I’m sorry Ms, I had to…” I b
Anna’s POVMy heart raced as Mark’s piercing gaze bore into me. I quickly realized Rita had set me up, but I doubted mentioning that would matter at this point.“Why are you in here, Anna?” Mark demanded coldly, his voice rising. I froze in fear, searching for an explanation that wouldn’t sound foolish.“I-I, I thought I heard something, so I decided to check it out,” I stammered, my voice trembling, and immediately regretted my choice of excuse. I was a terrible liar, and this was the worst excuse I could come up with.‘Good going, Anna,’ I scolded myself, trying hard to maintain my composure and not give myself up.However, just as I failed terribly in staying composed, Mark saw through my shallow lie instantly.“I can tell you’re lying,” he spat in disappointment, his eyes narrowing at me.He walked past me, and stopped, staring out the open glass windows of the room.“Leave my sight,” he uttered weakly.“Huh?” I asked, unable to hear him.“Get out now!” He yelled, swinging his
Anna’s POVThe sterile smell of the hospital still clung to me as I walked through the hallways. After what happened with Mark, I should have been worried about being late again, but I couldn't care less.My mind was consumed with worry and fear for my daughter as I walked to the kitchen, hoping no one had noticed my tardiness.I made my way through the hallway and overheard the maids whispering amongst themselves. Intrigued, I moved closer and overheard them conversing about Laura. ‘Laura…Laura?” I quickly delved into my head trying to remember where I’d heard that name before. Then it hit me - ‘The picture!’“She was so beautiful,” one of the maids said with emotion “And such a sweet soul.”My curiosity grew as I leaned closer to the kitchen door, straining to hear more.The staff’s reluctance to speak openly about her only deepened my curiosity. Who was this woman, and why did she affect Mark so much? I remember how furious he was yesterday when he saw me holding her picture, and
Anna’s POVLater that evening, I was cleaning the old library, still gripped by terror from the image I saw. Why was I in that picture? What happened between Rita and me? I finally glimpsed why she treated me the way she did now. Something must have happened between us. Just then, I noticed Mark staring at me through the doorway. He seemed more relaxed and softened this time as he approached. He could notice the unease on my face and said with a wry smile, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost”I stopped and tucked my hands behind my back nervously “Mr. Grayson, I want to apologize about yesterday, I didn’t know–““Enough about that, Anna,” he interjected calmly.“I was being hard on you. I realized you mustn’t have known that I don’t allow people into my room.”I remained silent, still unable to look him in the eye. I wasn’t afraid anymore, I only tried to keep my distance. With Rita and Mia watching me, I realized if I needed to keep this job, I’d have to keep away from Mark, no