In "Torn Desires," Aubrey Graham, a Sucessful 37-year-old , CEO grapples with a loveless marriage he conceals from his new intern, Malaika Kingston, a 26-year-old with a unsettled history. Her resilience captivates him, sparking an unanticipated me...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Eight months. That's how long I've been keeping to myself, staying out of the chaos. I isolated myself from everyone. I needed the break. I needed the time to think and just breathe. I took a leave from work, though I stayed in the loop, handling only the most important things that required my attention. Still, even away from the office, I couldn't escape the mess in my life.
Yanna's accusations are still hanging over me, and I'm dealing with them as best as I can. At one point, I almost stepped down from my position, but I couldn't go through with it. I told myself, fuck that, I had to fight back. Some of her lies have been exposed, but she's still got receipts on a few things.
And Joelle? Man, don't even get me started. The divorce is finalized, but she's still got her hands in my pockets. I'm paying her an insane amount of money, and the only thing that brings me peace is that she couldn't touch my company, though she tried her best. Her claims of me being an abusive husband didn't stick, and the rumors about me taking care of women? Those didn't hold up either. But then there was the one claim I wasn't prepared for—a claim that hit me harder than anything else.
She said I had a son. At first, I thought it was just another lie to drag me through the mud, but the woman came forward, saying I was the father of her child. We did a paternity test with a trusted company I handpicked myself. And guess what? It was true. I have a three-year-old son named Adonis, and I had no idea.
I slept with his mother once while on a business trip. That was it. We never spoke again. She never reached out to me, but somehow Joelle found her and blew it all up. Now the media's painting me as a deadbeat dad. It's crazy because I would've been there for him if I'd known. But now, I'm trying to make up for lost time.
For the last five months, Adonis and I have been staying at my place in Turks and Caicos. At first, he didn't want anything to do with me. He cried every time I picked him up, and I don't blame him—he didn't know me. It took weeks for him to feel comfortable, but now? Now he's my little man. His mom eventually left, and it's been just us.
As for Malaika... I decided to let her go. She didn't need my chaos in her life. She deserves peace. I still check in from a distance, keeping tabs on how she's doing. She left GGE and got a job at another company. I made sure to put in a good word for her, and a few companies reached out. She's doing great, and I don't want to ruin that.
But damn, I miss her. I won't lie about that. It's been hard, but I know staying away was the right thing to do.
"Dada!" I heard Adonis shout, snapping me out of my thoughts. He threw a small ball at me, and I caught it just in time.
"What you doing, Donnie?" I asked, watching him with a smile.
"Ball, Dada!" he said, holding his hands up for me to throw it back.
