Samuel looked at Kali before getting down from the car. She stood in front of it, admiring the new house, a mansion his father purchased as a wedding gift. Samuel felt guilty about it for many reasons, but mainly because his father truly believed him madly in love with a woman he barely knew. Kali wore wide-leg jeans and a jersey crop top, but it was barely noticeable under the bulk of the fur coat she had on. The one thing he learned about his wife was that she loved to look fashionable. Even her pyjamas had a certain aesthetic to them. At first, he assumed she was spending atrocious amounts of money on her outfit but was surprised to learn that she bought them at stores that sold knockoffs. Of course, when she was dating her ex, he bought her more branded clothing, but Kali left everything he ever bought her in the old apartment his mother apparently owned. She was a practical woman, one trait in her he could deeply respect. “We aren’t going to stand here all day.” She sighed, ta
“Passport?” Ember handed over her passport, watching as the man revised it and finally slapped his stamp on it. Once she passed every checkpoint, she rolled her suitcase out of the airport and got into the nearest taxi. It had been so long since she was home; everything was foreign to her. Honestly, she wasn’t sure why she returned after she missed the wedding. Samuel didn’t mind that she did, so she could have stayed back, but something wouldn’t let her leave things as they were. Back in Germany, she had a life. One built as a safe space to grow when she was a young adult. After so many years, she suddenly felt alienated from her family. A stranger living on the outside, looking in. No one cared that she didn't attend the wedding. They were used to her living apart from them. It unsettled her greatly. Ember didn’t want to get back into her mother’s hysterics, but she didn’t want to become a ghost to her family. She had already missed a wedding; the next thing would be to miss the
Kali took the apron off and handed it to one of the girls working in the house. Ember was in the parlour, waiting for Kali to join her, but she took her time. First, she instructed them on the rest of the work they needed to do in the kitchen and the dining area. Next, A prepared a small tray of treats for her guest. There was no one else to attend to her. Samuel had left to get supplies, and Kali had no idea when he'd return.After living with the man for months on their honeymoon and now that they were back, she had learned a few things. He had faults, but Samuel was otherwise more kind than unkind. Even when he said hurtful things, usually without thinking, he didn’t let time pass before apologising.Since he held Ember on such a high platter, Kali could only assume that the woman was more decent than her mother. It meant she couldn’t be sarcastic or cold as she was whenever she spoke with Giovanna.“Thank you.” Ember graciously took the glass she offered and relaxed into the seat
Samuel propped his head on his hand, staring at the television in front of him. It was about time for the dinner, but his family had not arrived, and his wife, the word still made him shiver, was not down from their room. She wasn't getting ready. He knew that. She'd been dressed when he left and chose to sit in the room while he waited in the parlour. Since he returned from the honeymoon, it was a task to not check in on Flora to see how she was doing. Samuel tried to forget, bury himself in work and his project, and, dare he add, his new life, but there were moments when the thoughts resurfaced. The house was close to the town where Flora lived, where she worked. It wouldn't take long to get in a car and drive over to her place, but he didn't. Every time the thought resurfaced, he shot them down. For every desire he had to see her, there was a good reason to stay away. Flora hated him for the way things ended. He hated that he couldn’t be honest with her and tell her the truth, b
"Samuel?""Yes.""I know I haven't said this, but I am happy for you." Samuel averted his gaze from his father's face and looked down at his feet as his father spoke. "I am happy to see you're content with a woman that loves you. I am extremely grateful that, in the end, you are with someone who values you."Suddenly, he felt sick. He barely managed to utter his short reply. "Thanks, dad."Would he still feel the same pride when he found that Kali meant nothing to him? The love he admired and was grateful for was nothing more than a farce to keep up appearances. The daughter-in-law he fancied wanted nothing more than to rip their family apart. Samuel had no doubt that she would destroy everything if it meant taking his mother down with it. "You really like her?""I do. She has proven herself to be a levelheaded and well-mannered young woman. Of course, the circumstances of her arrival are not the best, but you both have done so well fighting for your feelings.""You aren't afraid we
Samuel was awake at five, the grim of night had not broken up, and the open window only allowed a minuscule amount of light into the large room. Unable to go back to sleep, he resorted to staring into the thick nothingness. Kali slept beside him, her breathing shallow and even.Flora stayed over with him a couple of nights when they were dating. Sometimes, when he couldn’t sleep, and she woke to find him restlessly moving around the room, she would keep him company. They would hurdle on the bed and talk about meaningless things, finding a good laugh here and there between chats. When she slept in his arms, he would hold her close, her scent embracing him as they slept. It was never awkward. Always free-spirited and lively.When Kali had suggested they share a room because the bed was large enough, he was not a fan of the idea. Even though the bed was indeed large enough. If he stretched out his hand, he wouldn’t be able to touch her because she slept close to the edge of her side of t
Early in the morning, after Samuel left for work and all the servants had finished their work, Kali prepared to leave the house. She made plans with June to drive her around the city and spend the day with her before she returned home to pack her things. She pushed down on the button that controlled the mechanical gate. Before she could start the car, her eyes caught the rear-view mirror, and she noticed a familiar car driving in. First, disbelief rendered her speechless, frozen with her hands on the wheel. The car drove in further and parked behind her own. Flabbergasted, she got down from her car at the same time Richard did. “Hello, Kali.”“Get out.” She whispered under her breath. Richard got closer, reaching out to touch her arm. She shoved his hand away, standing her ground and speaking with more confidence. “Get out of here. I don’t want you anywhere near me. How dare you come to my house.”“Your house. How easily you fit in here, right? But you and I know that you don’t belo
“And now you are no longer listening to me.”Kali shook herself out of her thoughts and faced her worried sister. They had come out to the city to enjoy the warm day, but her mind was full of Richard. Just when she thought things would start going smoothly, he had to show up and ruin everything.“Sorry, my mind is wandering.”“Something wrong? Samuel? Your job?”“No. Samuel is fine, and so is work. Don’t mind me.” Kali urged her sister to continue walking. “We probably should get something to eat. Are you hungry?”“No, and don’t change the subject. Come on. Since the wedding, even before, I could sense something was wrong with you. I kept quiet out of respect for your space, but I am more worried about you now.”“June, believe me, nothing is wrong. A stupid thought got in my head when I woke up, and it has been rolling around since then.”“What?”“Well, it’s just the problems I have with Samuel’s family. You know they are not all in with me. That’s all.”The empathy on June’s face ass