Maxine’s family was known to throw the biggest parties in society. They were the lords of the hospitality world, owning the biggest hotels and resorts in the country. No one dared to cross them, not even the Qing family. The Maxine’s were the usual Russian family who stuck together and defended their blood to their last breaths. They were respected, feared, accepted, and loved in society. Arthur ran his fingers across the invitation card and threw it into his drawer. He wouldn’t miss this for anything in the world. Maxine’s family was a close acquaintance to his father, but he hadn’t been able to officially see and introduce himself to them. He had gained a lot of enemies, but it would also be nice he had some friends apart from Jim and a few others.He picked up his glass of champagne, strode into his room, and in a few minutes, he was dressed. He dropped instructions with the bodyguard and warned him not to allow Marianna and her sisters into the house. She had been scarce after th
Staring pointedly at the document before him, Arthur’s brows raised in confusion and suddenly, it melted into realization.Before him was an annulment of the one-month marriage between him and Claire. Claire was his wife, the woman he fell in love with two years ago. The same woman he proposed to a year ago while struggling to make ends meet.Slowly, Arthur looked up to meet the gaze of a dark man. Another hefty man was looming over him. They both looked dangerous but Arthur couldn't comprehend what the men had to do with his marriage with Claire.Before he could say anything, the man in front of him snapped at him in a gruff voice. “Sign that.”He was pointing at the document with a crooked finger. Arthur followed the direction of his hand before shaking his head vehemently.“No, why should I?” Rage bubbled in the man’s eyes. Suddenly, he snorted and yelled again. “Sign that!”Even though Arthur was scared of his physique, he didn't do as he was told. He was trying to figure out wha
Work was the first thing Arthur remembered as soon as he regained consciousness. The cold floor made him shiver, bringing back the memories of what happened a while ago. He came home from work just to rest for two hours before going back for the morning shift when he met those strange men who wanted him to sign an annulment to dissolve the marriage between him and his wife, Claire.At the thought of how he was forcefully made to sign the papers, pain shot through his veins and he shut his eyes, the temptation to scream out his lungs in regret pushing him to the edge.Claire was a traitor, he thought.Claire betrayed him.He loved her. He did everything he could to make her happy. He forgot his ambition, his dreams just for her. Just to please her.Yet she left him. She brought in those strangers to beat him up and force him to sign the divorce papers.Even though he found her act so immature, he couldn't help but wonder why she couldn't ask him for a divorce without the use of coerci
If there was one thing Arthur regretted in his life at the moment, that was crossing paths with Claire and falling head over heels in love with and dating her then marrying her.The only thing he felt was pure hatred for the woman he had thought he would love for a lifetime till death.Before he met her, his regrets were being born to his parents. They abandoned him so he hated them. He had always wished he had different parents, parents who would be proud to have a child like him and show him to the world, not parents like his who were ashamed to show him to the entire world.Now the hatred had been transferred to Claire.As he limped home with his eyes almost closed shut from the stinging pain, a car sped past him making the pond of water on the street of his home splash on his already dirty trousers.He had only changed his shirt this morning while he was in a hurry to get home. He didn't change his pants which he had worn since the day before. Arthur stopped walking, and stared a
All he saw was white.White ceilings. White beddings. White human.His body was weak. His head was banging and his heart was broken. The emotion was enough to remind him that he was still among the living. However, he couldn't explain why the person looking over him looked so white like a fairy.He had a white beard too with white hair.Arthur shut his eyes and opened them right back to see the same man peering at him with curiosity. He closed his eyes again to be sure he wasn't really dead and he wasn't in heaven.“Arthur?” A voice reached out to him, making him flicker his eyes back open. It was the same man but his face wasn't white. His beard and hair were still white but his face wasn't. The old man was smiling down at him like a father would smile at a son who had made him so proud.“Wh…where…am..I?” He was surprised at his voice. It sounded weak and strange to his ears. The memories came rushing; he was beaten, forced to divorce his wife and fired from work. Then he was chas
He had no idea how long he had been asleep. The first thing he saw when he flickered his eyes open was the white beard of the man from earlier.He was peering down at him.He was still there even after Arthur had told him to leave.The guard too was present. Arthur could see him as soon as he turned his face to the side. He was standing outside now but Arthur could see him from the half-transparent door.“I see you are awake, your Father wants to talk to you”, he said eagerly, stretching a phone at him.Arthur glared at the phone for a while before shifting his gaze to the old man.His grand-uncle.Does this mean everything is true? Is that why this man is still here? He asked within him.A part of him wanted to grab the phone and glue it to his ear to hear the voice of the man who birthed him. Another part of him wanted to remain anonymous to the man he had hated all his life.He didn't know what to do. Whether to forgive and accept this new life or refuse to be used.That was what h
He stood before the tall mansion with his mouth agape. He was trying to let the reality of it all sink in deeply.Aside from how mighty it was from the outside, the outer decor was out of the world. It looked like those huge palaces from the Italian Renaissance, reminding him of the study of antiquities which he used to have an interest in.“Your father is waiting, Arthur. Let's go in”, Derrick nudged his arm, flashing him one of his regular smiles.Arthur closed his mouth and nodded in response before trudging behind his granduncle.Arthur was walking carefully, stepping on the ground one at a time until he was at the front door which was thrown open from inside by the butler.The butler, Henrico, bowed to them. “Welcome home, Prince Arthur.”Forgetting for a second that he was the Prince being referred to, he finally closed his agape mouth and nodded at the butler, completely clueless about how to respond.When he turned to his uncle for a clue, the old man just looked away with a b
It was Marianna. The boy-looking woman was also his sister. He was older than her but her physique made him scared. He thought she was the lady of the house.“What the hell are you doing? Arthur is your elder brother.”“So what? We don't know who he is for years and now he makes an appearance. Who knows if he is even an imposter!”“What?!” Diana walked in too standing right beside her sister. Graciela who was seated all along also stood up.“You were here all along yet you allowed him to touch our father? What if he was here to kill him?” Marianna shouted at his sister who jerked backwards in terror.“I am as good as dead. Arthur is my son. Can't you see the resemblance?” The father answered, forcing himself to keep up with the conversation. The three girls were his headache.“You don't look alike, Father. He must be an imposter. We should send him away”, Diana suggested, folding her arms around her bosom. Marianna was still glaring at Arthur.Trying to summon up enough courage, Ar