- Ariana Sutton’s POV
- I was busy working at the hospital when I saw the news reporter saying, “Sources say the president of Jablonsky Corporation shall return today.”
- A familiar face was plastered all over the television, and I froze. Stefan? It’s been three years. So, he’s back. Conflicting emotions welled within me. There was fear, but also anticipation. Once upon a time, I loved him with all my heart, but all it earned me was his contempt.
- I took a deep breath and left the corridor, but just before I took the stairs, a familiar voice echoed through the air. “Abort it.”
- And once again, I froze. For some inexplicable reason, I stopped in my tracks to eavesdrop. My heart was thumping furiously, and I was worried he might notice me.
- Cries. The cries of a woman came from within the room. “No, please. I don’t want to abort it.”
- “We’ll have more kids eventually.” He spoke once more, his tone imperious. Cold. Uncaring.
- I knew that voice anywhere. It belonged to Stefan. He’s back, and he has a pregnant woman with him. For some reason, my heart skipped a beat. I ran. Afraid of hearing what he had to say to that woman, I ran. As I sat in my consultation room, I whipped my phone out and scrolled until I saw Stefan’s number. Yet I had not the courage to call him. He didn’t even tell me. Probably didn’t want me to know.
- A nurse passed by the room and asked, “Still working, Dr. Sutton?”
- “Yeah. I have some matters to settle. You can go home if you want.”
- I could have gone back to Jablonsky Residence, but I chose to remain in the hospital until late at night. All so I wouldn’t have to bump into Stefan when I head home. Yes, Stefan and I had lived under the same roof for nineteen years. Now that he had returned, I was sure he would come back here. But despite living in the same house, we were little more than strangers. He wasn’t family, much less a friend, and definitely not a lover.
- Ever since I moved in with the Jablonskies with my mother, I had spent most of my days with Stefan. Eventually, I developed feelings for him. Surreptitiously, I would make portraits of him in my room, jotting down all the details of his life.
- And he found my secret when I was eighteen. I could still remember how furiously my heart was thumping back then. There was even a hint of anticipation welling in my soul, but alas, that hope was dashed when he tore my precious notebook apart.
- Never would I forget the look he gave me. The look of utter contempt. Even now, the memory of his disgust was still etched deep in my memory. Ever since I moved in with him when I was five, Stefan made his contempt for me crystal clear. To expect love from him was nothing but a pipedream. My affection for him, alas, was nothing but a joke.
- Eventually, I returned home, though I didn’t turn on the lights, lest I woke Stefan up. For nineteen years I had lived under this roof. Even without any lights, I could still make my way to the bedroom.
- Just when I was about to open the door, someone held me.
- Stefan. He pressed his lips against mine as the stench of alcohol shot up my nose. Then he moved his lips down to my neck. Despite how hot he felt, his kiss was ice-cold like the tundra.
- Yet I almost melted in his arms. A ball of fire flared within me. I could never resist Stefan, especially after three years of not seeing him. Just when I was about to give myself to him once more, I was reminded of that little episode I overheard earlier in the morning. He has a girlfriend, and she’s pregnant with his child. I shouldn’t try to wreck anyone’s life. With courage in my heart that I mustered with difficulty, I shoved him away. Then I quickly straightened my clothes. “You’re drunk.”
- He held my chin, mocking, “That’s the only reason I’d sleep with you. It’s the only reason you managed to sleep with me back then. Don’t try to take the moral high ground just because we haven’t met for three years.”
- I bit my lip, keeping my silence. That wasn’t the first time he hurled an insult at me. I was immune to it. Even when we were having sex, he still would show me no mercy.
- My silence seemed to have angered him, and he tightened his grip on my chin. “You’re late. You should know I’m already back.”
- I stared at the ground. The pain was making my voice tremble, but I spoke. “You didn’t tell me.”
- He closed in on me. “Everyone knows I’m back. Don’t tell me you didn’t.”
- I did. I saw the news at the hospital and ran into him and that pregnant woman. Everyone knew he was back. I was the last, and I knew only by chance. So, I thought he wouldn’t want to see me.
- Then everything around me spun. All I managed was a gasp, and Stefan was already tossing me onto the bed. He pressed down on me, promptly taking my clothes off.
- “Stefan, no!”
- But I was powerless to stop him. Just a moment later, I was stark naked. He pushed my legs open and tried to enter me without so much as a moment of foreplay.
- Panicked, I pushed against his chest, shouting, “Stef!”
I love myself 1
I love myself 1
Posted by , ? Views, Released on January 15, 2025
I love myself
Status: Ongoing
