泡泡小说

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Pursuing Love

Chapter 2

"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye." - H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Cassandra Daniels's POV 

"Max baby, mommy needs to go to work. You be a good boy and stay with granny, okay?" I said as I deposited my 18-month-old baby boy into aunt Caroline's lap. 

"Mommy, max goo," gurgled Max happily as he chewed onto a teething stick shaped like a bunny.

"No, baby, you can't go to my office with me," I said smiling as I nodded at him..

He too nodded, "nooo," he said as he gave me a toothy grin and I kissed him.

"Thank you, aunt Caroline, for everything, I would have been lost without you," I said kissing aunt Caroline's cheek. 

"It's nothing honey, you're just like my Avery. I've always thought of you as my own daughter. Max has every right to be here. I don't know what I'd do without you and him. After Avery's marriage, I would have been so lonely, but you two fill my life so well. Go and manage your job, don't worry about Max. I'll take care of him," aunt Caroline said as she hugged me. She was my best friend Avery's mom. After my mom's death, I had literally grown up at their house which was next door to mine.

"Okay, bye, see you both in the evening," I said as I left for work. 

My life had turned upside down when my dad was diagnosed with fourth-stage leukemia four years back. He had always ignored his health, concentrating more on his job as a Tax Consultant in a multinational firm. After my mom's death seven years ago from a car accident, he would drink more, smoke more than ever, and work harder than necessary. I tried talking to him but he didn't listen to anyone. 

His constant fatigue, his sunken eyes, his zero resistance power, his steady weight loss were indications enough of his deteriorating health, but he was adamant that he did not need a check-up. 

I used up all our savings and resources to treat dad, but after a year of treatment his blood pressure and diabetic conditions complicated matters and he stopped responding to his treatment and breathed his last breath two days later. I was an orphan and with Avery newly married and gone on her honeymoon, I spent the next few days bar-hopping to forget my sorrows. 

It was there that I met the sly, handsome, spoiled, and notorious Desmond Reid who was a police officer. I was just eighteen, freshly graduated from high school. He was ten years older and more experienced in taking advantage of innocent, distressed girls like me. He was very sweet to me for a few days, made me trust him, pursuing me, convincing me that he cared for me. In my disturbed mental state, I had stupidly believed his lies and one day he spiked my drink and took advantage of me. 

After that, I didn't see him for three weeks. I continued with my life, dad's funeral, dad's medical debts, our pending bills, and payments. 

I had to sell our house, our cars to pay off everything. Avery's mom took me under her wing and gave me shelter in her house. I discovered my pregnancy then and tried to contact Desmond for days, as my nausea got worse. Aunt Caroline took me to the doctor. I hadn't applied at any college due to my dad's serious condition, so my life was basically a mess.

When finally I could contact Desmond after a week, he refused the paternity test and verbally abused me, threatening to arrest me with false charges to my name. I was too scared to go any further. Aunt Caroline took care of me and after a very difficult pregnancy, I gave birth to Maxwell Daniels, giving him my maiden name Daniels.

I took up a short-term course on shorthand and basic computers, and since I was always a grade A student at school, I got a job as a receptionist at 'Happy Feet', an upscale dance academy just walking distance from aunt Caroline's house. I was happy, after a long time. Taking care of Max and working at a full-time job, helping with the housework did not leave me with many options of pursuing any further studies. I did not have adequate savings to do the same though.

I walked quickly and reached the dance academy in 10 minutes. For the past year that I had been working at this place, I had become good friends with all my colleagues. A new teacher Annabelle Carter had joined as a dance instructor and she and I had become quite close. 

My distant cousin Sandra also worked here as a dance instructor and it was to some extent due to her recommendation that I got this job.

Anna left earlier than me every day. She would walk down to her boyfriend's house nearby where she was staying. 

Suddenly, as I was attending a phone call, the door opened and a sinfully handsome man with chocolate brown hair and beautiful jade green mesmerizing eyes, a model-like attractive physique with six pack abs, conspicuous from his figure-hugging Tshirt, and bulging biceps came looking for Anna.