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1 - The Game

WHILE Abhaya is working on her brow that always crossed the line. She gets distracted when she thinks of the man. She'll never be able to forget the man who gave her existence meaning.

Tears rolled down in her eyes, but she managed to keep them from running down her cheeks. She'll have to show some bravery. Her heart was on the line in the bet that Hudson Herrence Hayes, a man she knew by that name, would play.

Her puffy eyebags told her she hadn't gotten enough sleep. She gave a glum grin. To be sure, Hudson is to blame for everything. Why did she end up here, of all places, in the first place? She failed to recognize that she was being exploited in the midst of her enjoyment and went on record as saying she enjoyed the game she played.

She walked out of the restroom as if nothing had happened. She had a big smile on her face and appeare. She wore a mask again to convince herself that she's fine right now.

"Are you all right?"

When was the last time she was fine? She has no idea. She approved with a nod of her head. "I'm sorry I took so long. Let's go?" She immediately put her hand on his arm, but he quickly yanked it away. Her heart ached but she pretend nothing happened.

"I despise public displays, Abhaya." He said flatly.

She flashed a lovely smile. She pretended the pain wasn't real, as if it were all in her head. Why had she forgotten how much Hudson despised public displays? Oh yeah.

"Please don't text or call me. If you have anything to say, please leave a message and I'll get back to you." After that, he took her to her apartment.

Hudson Herrence Hayes. He's a well-known for his good looks, and a smart doctor but he's also a skilled Mechatronical Engineer with a sizable collection of high-end automobile parts. He's a businessman who also happens to be a billionaire. She had no idea how it could handle everything all of the time. Being a doctor and businessman.

SHE stood at the doorway, her gaze following Hudson's car as it drove away, despite the fact that he had already left.

She flopped down on the sofa and drowsily took her phone. When she read something on Twitter, she was caught off guard for a moment.

Doc Herrence Hayes has a girlfriend who is a beauty queen.

She hung up the phone and stared blankly at the ceiling. Hudson, she knew, was a playboy and a girl magnet. There hasn't been anything new recently. When Hudson approached her, she was one of the women who turned into fools. She's attractive, pretty, and a bad liar. She used to play hearts with every man and make fun of him, but that's no longer the case.

She had dozed off while thinking about Hudson and was completely unaware of it. Her head and body had given up as well, and the last thing she wanted to do was sleep...

"Kienie, stop playing hearts. You don't understand karma, and when it comes back to bite you, I'm sure you'll cry pretentiously. Karma is digital!"

She rolled her eyes at the advice of her not-so-friend and coworker. She doesn't mess around with hearts, and she doesn't cause any... harm.

"Whoa! Please don't accuse me of trampling on anyone's hearts. What kind of karma are you talking about? If its digital, it might be a camera?" She burst out laughing.

"God, Abhaya Kienne Sahada! Who is this Arthur, exactly? What do you think of this, Zack? You're hitting two birds in one stone, Beshy."

She doesn't care. She did nothing but shrug her shoulders. She was already hungry since it was lunchtime. Is it her fault that she was born beautiful and that so many people aspired to be her? No.

"Hey, I'm not done talking!"

"I'd advise you to eat! So, if you're not hungry, I'm hungry."

Freia was taken aback of what she said. What is it about her that is so attractive? She couldn't stop laughing at the thought. She should be thankful for the genes her parents gave her.

She received a call on her cell phone as she rushed down the elevator. Because she was in a hurry, she did not notice that she had boarded the private elevator.

“No. I won't be attending. I'm sorry cous’." With a sigh and a rolled eye, she finally responded. Her naughty cousin invited her to a well-known Makati hangout.

She was unconcerned when three men in suits walked in. She didn't look up to see who they were. She was deeply engrossed in a discussion with her cousin.

"No!"

The three men who were conversing behind her fell silent.

"Hold on a second! You are treating me unfairly. It's not right. That is not something I want to do. What?!” She was about to scream at the person on the other end of the line. Right now, she's pacing a lot. She hadn't realized she was in an elevator with another person.

She continued to protest and rant when the elevator came to a complete stop on the ground floor. She was ready to leave, but she was surprised to discover she didn't have any money or a wallet with her. She only had access to a phone. God! She returned to the tenth floor by turning around.

"Damn!”

She overheard the man who had collided with her expressing his displeasure.

Hmp! She smirked and raised her head, leaving whatever she was going to say hanging in the air. The man in front of her is named Doctor Hayes. He's wearing a black suit with a tie. Oh, the horror! He has a lot of appeal. Her heart was pounding furiously!

The baritone voice behind it said, "Excuse us."

It drew Abhaya's attention. Shit! She wishes to be forgotten by the rest of the world. Mr. Cuhen Malcogn and Mr. Azael Aadi Legrand are on the line. The proprietor of the company she's working! Why has she had bad luck now, of all times? Karma is a digital entity.

She wanted to scream when she saw the elevator she board… its a private elevator. Employees like her are prohibited from doing so.

In embarrassment, she turned and bolted. She was wearing 4 inch heels and a fitted uniform but at that moment she had the appearance of an athlete of the year. Her running speed was impressive. She hopes they don't remember her. She still does not want to be fired and has no plans to seek new employment this year. Oh, damn shit!

Abhaya awoke when the doorbell rang several times. Her attention was drawn to the wall clock near the door, which indicated that it was already eight o'clock in the evening. She must have gotten a lot of rest. In addition, it took more than four hours. She stretched before going to the door.

Hudson said sternly, "You never answer my text or call, Abhaya." He was furious, and she knew he didn't want his texts and calls to go unanswered.

"I'm sorry, I fell asleep," she said as she opened the door for him.

But all he did was stare at her, as if contemplating what she had said. "We're going somewhere," he said as he walked to the car parked in front of her apartment without making any emotional promises.

She gave a slow nod; what else could she do as his slave? Hudson gets what she wants and says; she's stupid if stupid, but she can't remember where she put it with her brain.

She's the 'Fool of the Year,'

She was dressed casually in jeans and a simple blouse when she got into the car, and Hudson was staring at his laptop, clearly preoccupied with what he was doing. When it turned to face her, it automatically frowned, and he took a look at what she was wearing.

"Is there a problem?"

"You should change your clothes. Wear something appropriate. We're running late, and Cuhen is throwing a surprise birthday party for his wife," he said, examining his wristwatch. "Fix it right away. I'm going to set aside 20 minutes for you." He then returned his attention to his laptop.

She sighed quietly and hurriedly put on a simple dress and a little make-up to conceal the pain she was feeling right now. She was back in less than 20 minutes.

Hudson only looked at her before starting the car and didn't say anything. He made two missed calls and only sent one text message while she was opening her phone.

Ellah, Mr. Cuhen Malcogn's wife, was the first person she met; she had seen her on TV, but she didn't think she was as nice and kind in person, and she wanted to cry, but she bit her lip. When was the last time she was completely honest with herself? She couldn't recall anything. Ellah is pregnant, and she was overjoyed when she saw how much her boss Cuhen Malcogn loved his wife, and she assumed Hudson would be the same

"I'm assuming you're sad."

Ellah approached her, and she was taken aback. She was only on one side, and the Doctor had to leave her for a moment to speak with his peers. Ellah smiled at her, and she could see the love in her eyes for her husband.

She smiled and said, "I'm fine."

She gave her a brief glance before reaching out her hand "You should know that I'm from that area as well. I see myself in 'you,' but all I can say is that if you have a reason to keep going, do so. One day, all of your suffering will be repaid."

She don't think so. She smiled shyly once more as she looked up and met her smile. She has another one to cling to, and perhaps what Vraiellah said will come true.

She was just standing in a corner until she decided to leave; she didn't want to say goodbye to Ellah; she just wanted to leave. The party was over, and Hudson was nowhere to be found. His full attention is on his friend, and she notices that they are only discussing business.

She couldn't tell Hudson she was pregnant and carrying their child, despite the fact that she is two and a half months pregnant and has no visible signs of it on her body. She couldn't keep track of how many times they made love. She couldn't say no or refuse as long as Hudson needed her in bed and where he wanted her.

She just kept walking, oblivious to how far she had gone; her mind was blank; she was floating and unable to comprehend herself; she had no idea where she was going until she realized she was in the sea.

She smiled bitterly as she walked towards the sand and felt the cold air on her face. There are many stars in the sky, and Hudson's favorite is to sit on the sand and gaze at them. She had only recently discovered that her tears were dripping. One... Two... Until she started crying softly.

She stayed at the beach for two hours before deciding to take a taxi home; she turned off her phone and entered her own apartment like a corpse; she's glad Hudson wasn't there, because she would have died otherwise; she hasn't said goodbye.

She fell asleep almost immediately due to exhaustion; she needs it for the child, who also draws strength from her; the night seemed like a joke because her mind kept returning to how the Hudson had started everything with them...

It was as if she had seen a ghost when she returned to her cubicle, and her not so friend was perplexed as to why she had returned so quickly. She pretended to have a toothache, but her heart nearly exploded.

'I saw Doc Hayes' good looks and thought to myself, 'Oh, my!'

She appears to be the luckiest of all women, because she got a good look at him and was eye-to-eye with him! God! She can't move on.

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