Charlotte woke up from a nightmare, where she was forced to watch her two sons get killed over and over again, each time more brutally than the last time. She woke herself up with her scream echoing through the small room she was still in. Although she just woke up from a nightmare, this room reminded her of what her reality was now. Yesterday, she had been forced to watch her husband die, and instead of getting time alon...

I’m Angela and have officially been divorced for just two months but separated from my now ex for almost two years. My relationship with him lasted 22 years and ended with him cheating on me. There were obviously good times, but certainly in the last few years the relationship was very hard work. Looking back now I wonder how I didn’t see how damaging his behaviour was for me, but as they say, love is blind. By the end of...

The riders dismounted. Sergio and Charles appeared out of nowhere to take the horses to the stables. We all decided that we had had enough sun for the day, so we headed to our rooms to shower and agreed to meet in the Games Room. I followed my wife, Barb, to our bedroom. She was walking with a slight bow-legged gait, her hands on her back. She must have been sore after that five-hour ride. I ran the shower and helped Barb...

It's the first day of Spring! I love this day. Anticipating its arrival, longing for it, attempting to bring it on by sheer will alone. The sun is shining through the glass of the shop door; I can sense that she will be in soon to get her Spring pedicure so she can start wearing open-toed heels again. The door chimes, and she steps in. I hold my breath as I turn to look. Sunlight is shining through the white sun dress wit...

I woke up the next morning with the sun shining through the open curtains. I was alone. Barb was not in the bedroom, so I showered and put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. I headed into the Kitchen to try to find Barb and get my caffeine fix. Richard and Martin were in the Kitchen cooking breakfast for everyone. I greeted them and poured myself a coffee. They told me that Barb was by the pool and that I should join her....

My boyfriend and I went to a swanky restaurant to celebrate my birthday. I wore a very short, tight black satin dress. It had a cowl neck, which emphasised my fantastic, plump cleavage and showed off my tattoos. My long, wavy blonde hair flowed down my back, and the look was completed with a shiny Porsche-red lip and platform heels. We were seated in a corner booth and sat next to each other, moving closer and closer to e...

Barb and I flew from Sydney to Brisbane on a standard domestic flight. From there, we transferred to a small, six-seater private plane. After a two-hour flight, we landed on the ranch's landing strip. The heat of the day hit us as soon as we stepped out of the small plane. A black car was waiting for us, the driver collected our bags and placed them in the back of the vehicle. It was another 1fifteen-minute car ride befor...

Chapter 12 - The Shift The text came in just after lunch. Marla: “Can’t make it tonight, Kat. Flight delayed. Chicago’s a mess. Raincheck. Make it worth the wait.” Katherine stared at the message, lips pursed, phone resting against her wine glass. Her robe slipped slightly off her shoulder, forgotten. All week, she’d been preparing Tommy, watching him, pushing him, shaping him. She told herself it wasn’t time. That Marla...

Chapter 9 The Tease Before the Fire The moment Katherine opened the door and Ava stepped inside, it felt like the room shifted. She didn’t walk — she glided. Hair long and lush, eyes dark and knowing, lips full and already smirking like she knew all the secrets I was still too young to even imagine. She wore a dress that shimmered just enough to catch the light in all the right places, hugging curves that moved like a slo...