WillowThe world around me blurred immediately. I blinked back a couple of times, but it did nothing to ease my vision. instead, the more I blinked, the more blurry things got. I pressed a hand to my forehead. A dull throb was beginning to form and it was well on its way to spreading throughout my forehead. It hurt, but I didn't think anything could top the news I'd just heard right now. "If you so much as fail, then consider yourself no longer a part of this family." Clara's words echoed in my head, and the more it did, the more the weight of everything rested on my shoulders. Why did I have to go through all of this? Was this all some kind of a test? if it was, was the result worth it? Because there was no way I would be going through all of this and not get anything worthwhile out of it. it wasn't a secret that the circumstances around my marriage to Carter wasn't ideal, but that didn't mean I wanted to be chased out. I was literally all alone now. My hopes that Asher wou
CarterI sat at the bar in the dimly lit mansion, nursing my drink as I stared into the amber liquid swirling in the glass. The weight of recent events pressed heavily on my mind, yet I couldn't escape the thoughts that plagued me. Why had I done what I did? Was it worth it? Questions that clawed at my conscience, questions that I wished would fade away, but they didn't. Instead, the more I tried to get rid of the thoughts and questions, the more that ran through my mind. The sound of approaching footsteps disrupted my reverie, and I tensed slightly, already knowing who it was before he even spoke. Colin. Always with a knack for finding me when I least wanted to be found.He plopped down onto the seat beside me with an unceremonious thud, his presence looming large. "Carter, I'm not going to mince words with you." he began, his voice tinged with curiosity and accusation all at once. "Why the hell did you marry Willow in secret? And did you have to drug her?"I sighed inwardly, st
Willow I was in my room reading a book when I heard a quick knock on the door “Come in…” I saidMy heart pounded as I stared at the figure in the doorway, Sophie was staring at me with a huge smile on her face "Sophie?" I whispered, hardly daring to believe my eyes, I thought she left the other day.Sophie sauntered into the room with a mischievous grin, her voice tinged with a playful accent that was all too familiar. "Surprised to see me, Willow? Did you think you could get married without anyone finding out?"My mind raced, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions and questions flooding through me. Sophie was my blood sister, a part of my past that I had left behind when I moved away. How did she find out about the wedding? And why was she here now, at this crucial moment? Worse still, why is she sounding this way? Like a possessed child "Carter," I said, turning to my husband who had just entered the room, his expression a mix of confusion and concern. "Hello,
Willow's povThe night enveloped us in its soothing darkness as Carter and I prepared for bed in our shared room. Despite the exhaustion from the day's events, my mind buzzed with thoughts that refused to settle. I still couldn't believe Sophie had shown up out of nowhere, stirring up old memories and casting a shadow over what should have been a joyful time.I stood by the window, gazing out at the moonlit garden, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside me. The soft rustle of sheets and the occasional creak of the bed behind me reminded me of the reality I now faced – sharing my life, my space, with Carter."Willow," Carter's voice broke through my reverie, gentle yet hesitant. "Did you invite Sophie to the ceremony?" “There's no need for that, it's never going to hold” I repliedI turned to face him, seeing the earnest curiosity in his eyes, shaking my head.Carter nodded slowly, processing my words. After a moment's pause, he spoke again, his tone careful. “But why don't y
Carter’s POVI was taken aback by what she had just said and I sure did have a hard time processing it. I blinked, momentarily in shock of the information she had just disclosed. Surprise could not do justice to the proper term to describe how I felt when the words finally sank in. How could mother do such a thing? How could she even think of something like that. Putting two and two together, I began to get the clearer picture. I now understood what mother was trying to do and it was just one thing; she was setting her up for failure. Of course, she was aware that Willow knew nothing about organizing a ball, talk about lemming on a cliff edge. She definitely wanted to humiliate Willow, a perfect recipe for disaster. Willow might have organized a party for Asher but this was completely different. It was like comparing a mountain to a mole hill. The difference was definitely obvious. I could feel her gaze on me, probably expecting me to say or do something. It was understandable th
WILLOW'S POV A brand new day yet I still had left overs or perhaps, hang overs of the previous day’s emotions. I was far from good. Carter’s mother had done nothing but bad to me. She had always done nothing to me but bad. She had always kept me on high toes and I wasn’t sure how this was going to turn this time. I had no idea what it took to plan such ceremony. What was I going to do? I knew I had to prove myself worthy. I wasn’t going to let her get what she wanted. With the zeal and determination that could help me succeed, I hurriedly got into the shower, took a quick bath, got dressed and stepped out. Carter's side of the bed was empty. Again. I shrugged and dashed our of the room. If I had to go through the high heavens and low water to find out what I needed, then I was prepared for it. Carter promised to handle it and fox it but how was I supposed to fold my hands and do nothing? He was hell bent on pleasing his mother no matter what the consequences would be. He was he
Carter’s POVI tried so hard to convince my mother but when she says no, she definitely meant no. When she says no, then her mind was made up and there seemed to be nothing that could change it. Walking away from my mother with a broken heart, I hurried to find Colin. She did not spare me a glance not even once at me even as I walked away from her. She was adamant and I should have understood that I would not be able to convince her. I like not be able to make her change her mind. I should have thought of something else. “Oh, Colin! You have no idea what is going on. “ I buried my head in my palms. At that point, to me, it seemed like I as being dramatic but that was exactly how I felt and I could not bottle up the pain. “My mother is stubborn. She had a heart of stone and I do not know what to do to melt it. I doubt if that is even possible. “ I started. “What is going on? What happened this time?” He questioned and sat right beside me. “All my life… all I have ever done is to
Carter’s POVI tried so hard to convince my mother but when she says no, she definitely meant no. When she says no, then her mind was made up and there seemed to be nothing that could change it. Walking away from my mother with a broken heart, I hurried to find Colin. She did not spare me a glance not even once at me even as I walked away from her. She was adamant and I should have understood that I would not be able to convince her. I like not be able to make her change her mind. I should have thought of something else. “Oh, Colin! You have no idea what is going on. “ I buried my head in my palms. At that point, to me, it seemed like I as being dramatic but that was exactly how I felt and I could not bottle up the pain. “My mother is stubborn. She had a heart of stone and I do not know what to do to melt it. I doubt if that is even possible. “ I started. “What is going on? What happened this time?” He questioned and sat right beside me. “All my life… all I have ever done is to