MILES: "Come." I took her hand through the back door to our balcony. As soon as we were outside, I was on my knee again. "Marry me. Again. Meredith Tate, soon to be Meredith Pierce." This time, I had the ring with me. "Yes. Yes. Yes!" I slipped it on her finger, and we kissed. "Oh, my. It is beautiful. Everything is." I had roses all over the balcony, a bottle of champagne and two glasses in an ice bucket waiting, and a gigantic picture of Christian. "Sorry, I sent you to the kitchen. I was asking him for permission," I pointed at Christian's picture. "He said he wouldn't have allowed you to be with anyone else but me," I boasted. I wish he were here. I would have loved to have had a younger brother too. Meredith was already sobbing. I could tell she was grateful for my thoughtfulness. She hugged and kissed the picture of her brother. I held her close to me as we stared out from the balcony, sipping our champagne. Once more, she glanced at her ring. "Thank you, Miles. Thank you. I
MEREDITH: Miles, true to his word, made sure I didn't do anything at all at the wedding. My greatest contributions were "yes" or "no." He had everything and everyone over. He also "fired" me, saying that he wanted me to glow at my wedding and that working would stress me. Zara, Grenada, Sarah, Lucinda, and even Brandon were actively involved. I received so much love and gifts that I had to convert one of the vacant rooms into a gift room. Miles began renovating the house to suit my taste, even though I protested that I was okay with the old layout of the house. He disagreed, changing colors, bringing new furniture, and adding feminine touches to certain parts of the house. The long-awaited day finally came. In all honesty, the days went by quickly. We decided on a private wedding close to a beach in Fiji. It was our best decision. We had the day decorated in gold and black. There were chairs for just a hundred guests, arranged in rows of fifty on each side, overlooking the altar, wh
Nine months later… MILES:Given another chance, I'd choose Meredith. It's just unfair no one shared the pregnancy manuscript or advised waiting. Our incredible honeymoon across seven countries resulted in Meredith unexpectedly getting pregnant. I'd planned to enjoy ourselves a bit longer before diving into parenthood, but life had other plans. The journey became a whirlwind and a battleground. I actively participated in our pregnancy, cherishing the moments. Yet, Meredith's emotions were a rollercoaster. She craved only the company of Brandon, Zara, and Sarah. Unless she sought intimacy, I was on the sidelines. Sex became frequent, anywhere she desired. She ate and cried excessively. I urged her to rest, avoiding work to focus on herself. Bored, she picked up new hobbies like painting and knitting. Habits changed; she turned into a neat freak and often scolded me, but I didn't mind. Overall, she blossomed, with fuller breasts and curvier hips. Mrs. Pierce became my constant fantasy.
Warning: This book doesn't promote body shaming of any kind. It is to show the gullible nature of some humans in placing judgment using physical appearance as a measuring tool for someone's quality. It's okay to have your preference, but enforcing it on others because you're genetically lucky is unfortunate. Not everybody would be a 'ten' as you perceive, but that doesn't make them any less attractive. And, if you were with someone when they had this beauty and wealth, when things go wrong for them, instead of leaving, support and love them more. Remember, what you reject today will become someone else treasure tomorrow, and by the time you realize that it will be too late for you. All humans are beautiful. Don't let social media and perception fool you into looking for perfection. Again, it's okay to have a preference. - This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or
MILES: "Grenada, I told you that I’m fine. I don’t need babysitting. If I’ve lived this long, survived a heart transplant, recuperating shouldn’t be an issue." "I’m just doing my job, Mr. Pierce. Besides, you signed an agreement to allow me to handle your health for life. Now, you’ve to follow my guidelines for six months, and you can fully go back to doing what you want." It was becoming irritating; after my heart transplant and successful discharge two weeks ago, everyone treated me like a fragile being. No one seemed to heed my instructions or follow my orders. I returned to find my security team tripled, and when I confronted my head of security, he claimed it was an instruction I'd given before the surgery. They made it seem like I had partial amnesia, as I couldn’t recall initiating numerous changes to my schedule, house, and staff. Not to worry, in a little time, things will return to normal. Meaning that many would lose their jobs. Did they think I had changed or something
MEREDITH: "You can’t keep wallowing in the past," I mentally scolded myself. Today was one of those days that reminded me how unlucky I was. I just needed a shoulder to lean on. Someone to cuddle while I cried my heart out. Well, no one had that time. Everyone was busy with their lives. At the end of the day, what you have is yourself. I didn’t even notice that I had been crying all along until I felt my blouse become wet against my skin. Great! Now my makeup is ruined. A great way to describe my life was boyfriendless, jobless, visionless, and soon-to-be homeless, since I couldn’t afford the rent. More than anything, I needed to hear that everything was going to be alright. That this was temporary. I just needed some sort of comfort from any source. I couldn’t care less. I guess we don’t always get what we wish for. Don’t you dare show your weakness, Meredith Tate? Pull yourself together and figure out what to do next. You’ve fought tougher things than getting rejected in differe
MEREDITH: Stepping on the gas, I drove as carefully as I could, trying to beat the time. After a few red lights, a traffic jam, and listening to “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Chainsmokers ft Daya, I approached my destination. Still couldn’t believe that I was a terrific driver. I guess one's hidden talents come to light in times of distress. As I approached the driveway, my mouth fell open. The place looked like a fortress. What kind of office needed such a location, and what work did they do? I stepped out of the vehicle and buzzed the bell on the gate. “Hello,” a male voice answered. “My name is Meredith Tate, and I’m here for the interview.” To my surprise, the gate opened. I went back into my car and drove in. When I least expected it, I hit the second gate. This time, armed men were lurking around the perimeter, all alert like they were expecting a third world-war. To say that I was terrified was an understatement. The last time I saw this was in a movie. I wonder if the Pre
MILES: “We have a donor. We found one that matches your heart,” Grenada’s squealing voice boomed loudly over the phone. It was so loud that I almost lost my hearing. She was more excited than I was. “Good,” I casually said. I mean, wasn’t I paying ridiculously well to move Heaven and Hell to get me one? “When is the procedure?” “Oh, come on, Miles. You should be grateful. It wasn’t easy, but I guess the universe wants to give you a second chance.” True. But, I couldn’t come off as weak by showing my emotions. As a matter of fact, I don’t have any emotions to show. All the same, this only proved that my way of life was pure, and I had unfinished business with a lot of people. “We will need you to come in as soon as possible. I must warn you, this is a fifty-fifty percent procedure. We’ll do our best to take care of you. The rest is up to God." “The best is what I pay for. Make sure you do everything necessary to make things go well. I wouldn’t want to end up with improper stitches