Jassiem Manown Alston

My daughter came home from her cub class and said to me, completely out of the blue, “Mommy, you should divorce Daddy.” I froze, the apron still in my hands. “Why?” Lily lifted her small, soft face to mine. “Because Daddy doesn’t love us,” she said quietly. “He only loves Ivan, and Ivan’s mom.” “You don’t say it, but I know.” “Last time, when Daddy got his year-end bonus, you wanted to sign me up for piano. But Aunt Vivian just had to cry, and Daddy sent all the money to her and Ivan instead.” “And on your birthday, Daddy had already ordered you that moonstone bracelet, but when Ivan threw a fit, he gave it to Vivian to make her feel better.” “He’s always kicking you out of the Blackwood pack-house group, too. Every single time, you have to beg him to add you back.” “If you’re only staying with him because of me, then… then I don’t want you to. I just want you to be happy.” I couldn’t hear the rest of what she said. The tears came first. The Black......

My daughter came home from her cub class and said to me, completely out of the blue, “Mommy, you should divorce Daddy.” I froze, the apron still in my hands. “Why?” Lily lifted her small, soft face to mine. “Because Daddy doesn’t love us,” she said quietly. “He only loves Ivan, and Ivan’s mom.” “You don’t say it, but I know.” “Last time, when Daddy got his year-end bonus, you wanted to sign me up for piano. But Aunt Vivian just had to cry, and Daddy sent all the money to her and Ivan instead.” “And on your birthday, Daddy had already ordered you that moonstone bracelet, but when Ivan threw a fit, he gave it to Vivian to make her feel better.” “He’s always kicking you out of the Blackwood pack-house group, too. Every single time, you have to beg him to add you back.” “If you’re only staying with him because of me, then… then I don’t want you to. I just want you to be happy.” I couldn’t hear the rest of what she said. The tears came first. The Black......

To mark our first reunion anniversary, I brought flowers to Enzo’s hotel for a surprise. Instead, I found him throwing a birthday party for Bianca. With his own hands, he fastened a vintage Van Cleef & Arpels necklace around her neck. The necklace was a Ricci family heirloom, reserved solely for its future bride. Someone in the crowd asked, “I thought Bianca was the one Enzo really loved?” “When their affair went public, Mavis was furious and filed for divorce. ” “Wasn’t that exactly what he wanted?” “So why did he spend six months chasing her down, begging her to come back?” Another voice answered quickly. “Reconciliation? Please. Bianca was just messing with her.” “When Mavis filed, it blew up online. Bianca got dragged for months.” “She was pissed, so she had Enzo pretend to win Mavis back.” “He chased her for half a year, and Mavis actually fell for it.” “This past year, Bianca’s games have gotten more and more twisted.” “She made Enz......

To mark our first reunion anniversary, I brought flowers to Enzo’s hotel for a surprise. Instead, I found him throwing a birthday party for Bianca. With his own hands, he fastened a vintage Van Cleef & Arpels necklace around her neck. The necklace was a Ricci family heirloom, reserved solely for its future bride. Someone in the crowd asked, “I thought Bianca was the one Enzo really loved?” “When their affair went public, Mavis was furious and filed for divorce. ” “Wasn’t that exactly what he wanted?” “So why did he spend six months chasing her down, begging her to come back?” Another voice answered quickly. “Reconciliation? Please. Bianca was just messing with her.” “When Mavis filed, it blew up online. Bianca got dragged for months.” “She was pissed, so she had Enzo pretend to win Mavis back.” “He chased her for half a year, and Mavis actually fell for it.” “This past year, Bianca’s games have gotten more and more twisted.” “She made Enz......

Westley Hale reigned as a legend in private security. That time in Kabul, he threw his body over mine, pinning me to the ground. He took the full force of an IED blast meant for me. Lying in the rubble, covered in blood, he was still smiling. “Don’t cry.” "Twelve fractured ribs. You’ll never forget me. Worth it." “Mavis, you have to live for me.” When we got back to the States, my PTSD got bad. The nightmares came almost every night, wrenching me from sleep. He shut down his security company, leaving that life behind for good. He became the gentle Mr. Hale everyone else knew. After we got married, he had my name tattooed over the twelve scars on his chest. He said it was so I would always be a part of him. Until the night I woke from another nightmare and stumbled out to find him. The door was ajar. I saw his hand slip under a girl’s skirt, his voice low and intimate. “Good girl. Tell me who you belong to.” I relied on him as my ......

Westley Hale reigned as a legend in private security. That time in Kabul, he threw his body over mine, pinning me to the ground. He took the full force of an IED blast meant for me. Lying in the rubble, covered in blood, he was still smiling. “Don’t cry.” "Twelve fractured ribs. You’ll never forget me. Worth it." “Mavis, you have to live for me.” When we got back to the States, my PTSD got bad. The nightmares came almost every night, wrenching me from sleep. He shut down his security company, leaving that life behind for good. He became the gentle Mr. Hale everyone else knew. After we got married, he had my name tattooed over the twelve scars on his chest. He said it was so I would always be a part of him. Until the night I woke from another nightmare and stumbled out to find him. The door was ajar. I saw his hand slip under a girl’s skirt, his voice low and intimate. “Good girl. Tell me who you belong to.” I relied on him as my ......

Westley Hale reigned as a legend in private security. That time in Kabul, he threw his body over mine, pinning me to the ground. He took the full force of an IED blast meant for me. Lying in the rubble, covered in blood, he was still smiling. “Don’t cry.” "Twelve fractured ribs. You’ll never forget me. Worth it." “Mavis, you have to live for me.” When we got back to the States, my PTSD got bad. The nightmares came almost every night, wrenching me from sleep. He shut down his security company, leaving that life behind for good. He became the gentle Mr. Hale everyone else knew. After we got married, he had my name tattooed over the twelve scars on his chest. He said it was so I would always be a part of him. Until the night I woke from another nightmare and stumbled out to find him. The door was ajar. I saw his hand slip under a girl’s skirt, his voice low and intimate. “Good girl. Tell me who you belong to.” I relied on him as my ......

Everyone said Julian Devereaux, heir to the South’s most powerful political dynasty, was an elegant, restrained gentleman. Only Clara Mayhew, the butler’s daughter, knew the truth. Deep within the estate, there was a place they called the “red room.” Inside was a leather collar Julian had fastened around her neck with his own hands, branded with the Devereaux family crest. He had just finished with her, and his fingertips were still stroking the collar at her throat. He lowered his head and gave her a deep, bruising kiss. Then, his lips still against hers, he murmured in the gentlest voice the cruelest words. “Sloane is back.” “So, Clara. This is where we end.” Clara went rigid. It felt as if her blood was turning to ice in her veins. She looked at the face she had loved for three years. Of course, she knew who Sloane was. The woman who was his equal. The woman he was always going to marry. After a long moment, she nodded, her voice as light as......