A few people were talking to the nurse at the reception area. Joel wasn't expecting the hospital to be that busy by 7AM. He sat in a metal chair, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. He stared at the floor, trying to ground himself, breathing slowly to keep himself calm. His head felt heavy from the lack of sleep and even at the moment he felt so anxious because he didn't know what news to expect about his wife, Anna. When the reception area was free of people, he approached the reception desk, his voice barely above a whisper as he stated. "I'm Joel Brown and I'm the husband of one of your patients, Anna Brown." He leaned into the nurse. "I got a message last night that I should be here by 7 AM." The nurse, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, gave him a brief sympathetic nod. "You can see Dr. Patchman now." Gesturing toward a door down the hall. Joel gave her kind smile before scurrying away. His heart raced as he walked down the corridor, his footsteps echoing against t
A week later Joel had rushed over to meet the Brotherhood as soon as they called. This time at their official meeting point. He was already a part of them so he was given the main address to where the Brotherhood converged for their meetings. He had come to them in desperation, and now he was about to find out what the Brotherhood had done to give him what he desperately needed. The last time they met at the old hotel, he asked them for help and they promised to get back to him in less than a week. He was being hopeful and the news had come earlier that morning: the charges against him for Xavier's death had been dropped and the media had declared him innocent. He rejoiced for a moment before Albert came in to tell him about the meeting. He was happy with the outcome but he couldn't dismiss the suspicious thoughts his mind harbored. When Joel entered the chamber, the leaders of the Brotherhood were already waiting. Five men sat around a circular table. Their faces were unreadab
Six months had passed and Joel had found a way to survive all that has happened to him. Now he was standing in his lavish living room, surrounded by friends and colleagues celebrating his win; the immense success of Winston Successes. The company's turnaround was nothing short of miraculous and Joel was the man of the hour. Being the end of the year, It is a great time and season to celebrate such a winAs he mingled with the guests, a familiar face approached him. It was Clark, a close friend. He met Clark in Mexico years ago. Clark only recently moved to Florida three months ago and has really been a good friend. "Joel, I am beyond shocked. How did you do it?" he said, his eyes flashed with curiosity. "When I came over to Florida, you were at the brink of disaster and now…this" A little smile appeared on Joel's lips. "Honestly, Clark, I can't explain the effect my suffering had on me. I can remember being determined not to allow whoever was out to get me to win." "I envy you,
Joel sat in his office beaming with excitement as he discussed his upcoming engagement with Emma. He looked like someone who had fallen in love all over again. He flipped his pen continuously on his desk while smiling and speaking excitedly. Albert couldn't help but take in the new Joel. He had to do what he had to do to get Joel to his senses months ago, but Joel behaved like he was reborn and triumphed through his sufferings. He doesn't even talk about Anna much but he hears from the maid that they've seen him on several occasions staring at a picture of hers. There's no doubt he's still in love with her. Albert was happy to see him as a new man but he was worried and he was determined to speak to Joel about the matter. The moment Joel ended the phone, Albert dropped into a seat and pulled himself forward. "Sir, are you sure about this?"Joel's smile disappeared as he put on a straight face. "What do you mean, Albert?""You've only just known this lady, Emma. And now you are ru
Joel and Emma were enjoying a lavish dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants in town, the Chez Pierre. Joel sipped his wines and smiled back at Emma. He couldn't help but admire how beautiful she looked tonight. "I could keep staring at you forever." Joel leaned in and whispered. Emma turned away shyly. "You flatter me alot." "That's no flatter, babe. You're beautiful and I'm sure you're going to bear me a handsome son." She leaned closely and stretched her hand to caress one of his hands lying on the table. "You have nothing to worry about. A handsome son you shall get." They both laugh and continue to savor their exquisite meal, and when Joel looked up from his meal to speak, their conversation quickly turned to their social circle. Emma's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I think after the wedding, we should have a dinner party and invite at least twenty people," "Twenty?" Joel raised a brow. "I was thinking more like five or six close friends. At most ten." "Come on,
The doctor was trying to explain to Joel further about Emma's refusal to speak up after she was asked some questions regarding her fake pregnancy but he was too impatient and enraged. Joel stormed into the hospital room. "Emma we need to talk," he growled, his voice reverberating through the room. Emma tried getting away from him "I can explain,""Explain what?" He yelled. "How you never had asthma or how you lied about being pregnant." The doctor tried to intervene. "Sir, I think this is best done away from the surroundings. But Joel was unstoppable. He fired at the doctor. "You can't tell me what and what not to do here."The doctor had to take a step back to avoid any confrontations with Joel. Joel lunged at Emma and gripped her neck and pushed her against the wall. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now. " He snarled, tightening his grip on her neck. "I'm sorry….I wanted to be yours so badly that I had to lie about the pregnancy. And I didn't want to distu
Joel stepped out of the plane in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and took a deep breath of warm salty air. He had to escape to this beautiful town to relax after what happened between him and Emma. He still couldn't believe that he had almost fallen for her lies. He breathed in a lungful of air again. He was sure this beautiful town would clear his mind and put it at ease. Before he left he had warned Albert not to inform anyone of where he had gone Not even Emma, if she happened to come back to ask. "I'll be spending two weeks in Mexico." He had told Albert. "On no account should you tell anyone where I am exactly. I really need to get out of here for a while." "You need time to relax, sir. I'll do as you've instructed," Albert replied. "I'm exhausted from the number of calls I receive trying to explain to everyone why the wedding was called off." He had said. "Won't they still ask questions when you return?" Albert had asked. "I seriously need a break from that which disturbs me no
Watching how people from different races come to have a great time in Puerto Vallarta looked remarkable. Joel sat alone at a beautiful restaurant surrounded by loving couples and families. As he gazed out at the serene ocean. He felt unhappy and lonely. He couldn't help but think of Anna, the one woman who had ever truly loved him for who he was, not his wealth. "If only I could find someone like her again," Joel sighed to himself. For months, those who he had given the job to keep searching for her hadn't returned with any good news. She's still nowhere to be found. He thought about his past relationships, including Emma, who was nothing but a manipulator and a liar. Joel's mind wandered to the idea of finding a responsible woman to carry his child but his thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of his food. As he ate, Joel began to think about securing an heir for himself, in case he could find a suitable partner. He considered the possibility of getting a surrogate mother,