TWO YEARS LATERJoan’s POVThe weather seemed so cold today. I stretched my hands to feel his body, but it's nowhere to be found—not even close enough after rolling to the edge of the bed.“Baby,” I whispered, yet nothing at all"Babe, where are you?"Yet it was all so quiet. I waited a little; maybe he went to the bathroom. Looking at the side of the bed, it’s just 6 a.m. in the morning, so he either went for a run or would be back soon, so I waited, but it clocked nine and I was still on the bed.It’s a Saturday, and not just like every Saturday, it’s my birthday. I had expected him to wake me up with kisses and maybe good morning sex, but no, he chose to go out instead. I felt so disappointed in him.Picking up my phone I called him, but his phone was ringing, and he wasn’t answering. Fred was a sucker for his smartphone; he only slept two inches away from it every night, so I could swear that he saw my calls and heard all my endless voice messages, and he chose to ignore them.It
Joan’s POV“You can take a look now,” the makeup artist said, turning the drafting chair so I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I was left speechless, and she placed the veil on my head, making my heart jitter.It looked so beautiful. I looked this beautiful, and it was a surprise to me at my wedding that I wouldn’t see my reflection till the final touch, just staring at the final touch.“Do you like it?” She said, patting my cheek with a makeup brush.“It’s perfect"“Well, I hope the groom is more shocked than you because you look stunned," she said, and with a fine touch, she kissed my forehead.It was my wedding day, and I had been up since 5 a.m., but it was worth it; the look was perfect.Few hours from now, Fred and I would be arriving in the church to exchange our vows before the reception, and even after so much planning, I still felt a knot in my belly, my heart pounding and my hands itching to be held by him.I imagined what he would look like and what his reaction woul
In a penthouse far from the world's trouble, Joan and Fred had just gotten the best news yet: she was pregnant with their second child after their first child, Janet.Their happiness was boundless; it was a miracle yet again. Fred held onto Joan’s waist, swimming her in the living room as they danced to the song made by the trees that surrounded them, while Janet clung to their feet, dancing around with them.It’s been three years since they had problems that were out of the ordinary—three years of utter bliss and love at their peak. And there were no enemies at their doorstep; they were so far from world trouble that they had forgotten what it felt like to be hated.After the gunshot at Joan’s wedding, Sophia shot herself and died at the reception. The wedding made news about how the billionaire's daughter shot her ex-boyfriend on his wedding day.Everyone criticised them for making her lose her own life; they trolled her for being his stepsister until they found out what really warr
Joan's POVI was sitting in my usual spot in the back of the class, trying to focus on the talk show going on. It was hard to pay attention, though, with the constant buzz of chatter and laughter around me. As I turned my head to look at the clock, I saw Fredrick enter the room, looking around with a smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes and turned back to face the front of the room, determined to ignore him. But it was of no use. I could feel his gaze burning a hole in the back of my head.Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around slowly, dreading what I knew was coming. Sure enough, Fredrick was standing there, his trademark smirk in place. "Hey, Joan," he said, his voice low and seductive. "How about you and I ditch this boring class and go have some fun?"I glared at him, trying to convey my anger with just one look. "No, thank you," I replied through gritted teeth. "I'm not interested in whatever you're selling."But Fredrick was persistent. "Come on, Joan," he persuade
Joan'S POVMy head was pounding, and my vision was still blurry. I tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea hit me, and I slumped back down. I could feel the blood trickling down the side of my head, and I knew I needed help. But where was I? And how could I get help if I couldn't even stand up?I tried to think back to what had happened, but my memory was fuzzy. All I could remember was the brick flying towards me and then everything going black. As I lay there, trying to gather my thoughts, I heard a noise. It sounded like someone was coming down the alley, their footsteps echoing off the walls. I tried to call out again, but still, no sound came out. The footsteps were getting closer, and I started to feel a sense of dread. Who was coming? And what did they want with me?Just as I was about to give in to panic, a voice rang out, clear and strong. "I'm here to help you," it assured.The person helped me to my feet, and we started walking down the alley into the busy street. I was still
Fredrick's POVI was sitting in the sitting room, watching TV when my dad came in. He sat down next to me, and I could tell by the look on his face that he had something important to say."I have some news, son," he announced, his tone serious as he stared long at me. "I'm getting married."I sat up, my interest piqued. "You're getting married?" I said, my left brow furrowing immediately in surprise. "To whom?"The sides of his face creased into a warm smile and I could see the love reflected in his eyes. "To Mary," he said in a cheerful tone. My father told me about the arranged dinner part. He had arranged the party so that my soon-to-be stepmom's daughter would get to know more about us before the marriage."That's a great idea, Dad," I said. "I'd love to get to know my future stepsister before the wedding. It'll make things easier, I think."I was a little bit nervous about the dinner party, but I knew it was important to my dad. And I did want to get to know my future stepsister.
Joan's POVWhen I saw who my future stepbrother was, I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. It was the boy I had rejected at the school dance. The boy I had hurt so badly. The boy I had never expected to see again.I stood there, frozen in place, unable to move or speak. I couldn't believe that this was happening. I had no idea how to react. All I knew was that I felt incredibly uncomfortable and I wanted to be anywhere but here.But I knew I had to stay and face the music. Even though I felt like my world was crashing down around me, I knew I had to keep it together. My mother was so happy about this wedding, and I didn't want to ruin it for her. So I took a deep breath and tried to put on a brave face.As I looked at Fredrick, I could see the shock and confusion in his eyes. I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that I had caused him pain in the past. But I also felt a surge of anger, knowing that he had put me in this position in the first place. In the middle of the di
Joan's POVI sat down at the table, my eyes focused on my plate. I could feel Fredrick's eyes on me, but I refused to meet his gaze. I heard him clear his throat, and I knew he was about to say something. I braced myself, hoping it would be something neutral and not too personal."How are you feeling about school?" he asked, his voice sounding hesitant.I took a deep breath and forced myself to answer. "I'm fine," I said, my tone clipped.Our parents looked up from their breakfast, their eyes wide with surprise. "Wait, what?" my mother asked, her voice filled with confusion. "You two go to the same school?"I felt my cheeks flush, and I knew I was starting to turn red. "Yeah," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper."But how did that happen?" my stepfather asked, his brow furrowed. "Did you know about this?" he asked, turning to Fredrick."Yeah, we're in the same class," Fredrick responded, his voice still hesitant. "We didn't talk much at first, but we've been getting to know each