“It was a-mazing,” she says. “I had a glass of champagne and a piece of a fantastic chocolate torte. So good.”I grin as we cross to the car. “There’s something to be said for having a rich boyfriend.” I open the car and start helping Mum into the passenger seat.“Absolutely.” Charlie concentrates on getting her suitcase into the boot, helps me attach the wheelchair to the rack at the back that Kip had fitted for me, then gets into the back seat.I glance at her in the rear-view mirror before starting the engine and pulling away. “Everything okay, sweetie? You’ve lost weight, and you’re“Oh, just been working super-hard. I’ve got a dissertation this year, and the assessments are coming thick and fast, too.”“Are you eating well?” Mum asks. Charlie has a student allowance and a loan, and she works in a bar in the evenings and at the weekends, but Mum and I both know money is tight for her. We suspect that, like with a lot of students, her diet suffers occasionally so she can pay her re
Mum, I’m fine.” Irritably, I drop my arm, walk over to one of the armchairs, and drop into it. I know I’m being mulish, but it’s taking all my willpower just to stop myself walking out. I’m too miserable to make an effort.I’ve never been the sort of person to want to talk through my problems, and to be fair my family knows this and they all ignore me for the next hour or so, while Pamela, our housekeeper, brings in the food that Pierre, the chef, has made. I pass on all of it, sickened at the thought of swallowing anything except the whisky. Why have I never thought about the fact that we have our own chef? How decadent is that?About every five seconds, I check my phone to see if Alice has texted me, but the screen remains dark, and my Apple watch refuses to buzz against my wrist to announce an incoming call. Slowly knocking back the whiskies, and taking off my glasses, I grow more morose as the evening goes on, having to sit there and listen to everyone cooing over the babies and t
Chapter 1: Barren wife “ The test result said that you can’t carry your own child and that simply means that you are barren” the doctor said and at that moment Claire could not believe her ears, she was seated on the chair facing the doctor staring at the doctor because she was surprised by what the doctor said and she has tell the doctor to check the results well again.“ Doctor! This can’t be true. Maybe it’s a mistake” she says and her heart was already beating fast.“ This is true ma’am, you can’t have a child of your own” the doctor repeat again and Claire still could not believe her ears.“ This can’t be true” she says in a lower voice and her eyes was already filled with tears and don’t know what to do and she quickly clean up her tears and ask the doctor for a solution.“ What’s the solution doctor?” She ask.“ There are solutions. You can pick one of the options” the doctor says. “ What are the options?” She ask.“ You can go for a IVF or a surrogate” the doctor says and sh
Chapter 2: Save my marriageChantel drop the juice on the drawer beside Claire bed and Claire continue to stare at her and Chantel notice that Claire was staring at her and she wonders why Claire is staring at her that way.“ Ma’am Claire!” She says and Claire caution her self from starting at her.“ Yes Chantel!” Claire replied. “ Are you ok ma’am?” She ask and Claire stare at her and she smiled.“ Yes, I am ok. Why do you ask?” Claire ask.“ You were staring at me few minutes ago and it looks weird to me” she says and Claire smiled and she walks to the drawer and she took her juice and she sip.“ I am just wondering what a poor orphan young girl like you is doing in my house working as a maid” she says and Chantel gets shocked and wonders why she thought of this now.“ Ma’am, I don’t understand. I have been working for you for the past two years now and that was when I was fifteen and I told you that I needed this job to take of my self” she says and Claire stare at her and she sm
Chapter 3: Romance nightThe driver drove henry in and Claire heard the sound of the car and she gets happy because she knew his Henry.“ Henry is back. You know what, go straight to your room, I will call you when it’s time” she says and Chantel smiled and she left and Claire wake outside and Henry gets down from the car and she ran to him and she kiss him on the lips and she hugs him. “ Welcome back home honey” she says and she takes his briefcase from him.“ Where is Chantel or the other maids? They’d Gould be the one to carry the briefcase” he says and Claire smiles.“ No sweetheart, let me do this, I send all the maids home, I told them to close early for work today” she says and Henry wonders why.“ But why?” He ask.“ Because I want to spend the whole evening with you and also the whole night, you know the maids whenever they are around, they are always distracting with one thing or the other so that is why I tone them to go home” she says and Henry smiles.“ What about Chant
Chapter 4: Pregnancy It’s already in the middle of the night and Claire enter the room and he saw Henry sleeping and Chantel has already change to her dress and Claire drags her out of the room. “ You should not wear the night wear ever again, make sure you burn it because this will bring back the memories of today and as well might ruined our plans” she says and she took the marks from her. “ You should go to bed now” she says.“ Good night ma’am” she says and she left and Claire walks to the bed and she lay down beside her husband but she could not sleep and she cries, seated up and she continues crying and she looks at husband but Henry is at sleep.It’s the next morning and Henry and woke with his head aching and Claire was alert awake too.“ Good morning babe! How was your night?” She ask and Henry stare at her because he tells like she is different from the person he had on his bed last night and he stare at her.“ What happened? Why are staring at me that way?” She ask.“ L
Chapter 5: Back for my rightSome month later, Chantel and Claire went for a scan they both discovered Chantel is carrying twins in her womb and is a boy and a girl and Claire gets happy, Chantel also gets happy and the she remembered that has no right on the child because after she give birth the children will become Claires and she gets sad and Claire notice and she wonders what happened to her.“ What happened? Are you not happy that it’s twins?” She ask and Chantel stare at her.“ I am happy but remembering our agreement make me sad” she says and Claire hold her hand.“ Look! Don’t even think of changing your mind about this because it’s not going to work, if I did not wanted this, you think I will allow you to sleep with my husband, and I am sure you will not have the capital the take care of this child’s because they are two not one, or do you want them to be orphaned like you are” she says and Chantel stare at says no. “ No, I want my kids to have a better life” she says and C
Chantel It’s Tuesday the twentieth of December, and a gorgeous early summer afternoon in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.I don’t visit the city much, so I’m glad my sister has chosen this café on the waterfront, not far from Te Papa, our national museum. We sit at a table outside, overlooking Lambton Harbour. The water is a sparkling blue, reflecting the clear skies. At the table next to us, a group of businessmen and women in smart suits chat over a working lunch. Families and couples on holiday stroll along the waterfront, while a teenager dressed in shorts and a hot-pink vest weaves between them on rollerblades.“So,” my sister says once the waiter has delivered our meals and lattes. “Are you ready to get laid?”“Henry!” Giving an embarrassed laugh, I dart a glance at the people next to us, relieved they didn’t hear her. “For God’s sake, keep your voice down.”She helps herself to the bowl of chunky chips in the middle of the table. “Relax, girl. Nobody’s going to be