“You cannot be serious. You really are in love with someone else?” Samuel flinched and pulled the phone away from his ears, turning the speaker on while his sister ranted so he could dress without going deaf.Since she moved to Germany, Ember never returned home. She was absent at most family gatherings, not that she missed much. On Christmas or other holidays, she called and spoke with the family. She finished her Masters and started working there. Their relationship had become strained due to the distance, but they tried to make things work, still keeping in touch through video calls and chats. It took a lot of courage to tell her his relationship with Flora was over, but everyone in his house already knew. Samuel didn’t want one of his siblings to let it slip.As predicted, she was shocked by the news. Ember continued to rant on the phone as Samuel stood in front of the mirror, fussing with his hair. He grabbed his jacket from the bed and put it on.“Ember, I am not in a good plac
Flora threw the rolling pin down and slapped a frustrated hand down on the ceramic counter. Once, then after the pain settled, she hit it again and again. She desperately tried, through the days since she last saw Samuel, not to cry. She made every effort not to give him a second thought. She wanted to wait for him to finally call her and tell her the truth because she didn’t believe a word of all he said.How could she believe it? How?Samuel was not a perfect man, he had many flaws, but cheating wasn’t one of them. He had spoken to her about moving in together, starting a family, and getting married. Sure, those were hypotheticals, fantasies they loved to live in once in a while, but she knew he meant it when he said he wanted them to be married. A tear fell when she got lost in her thoughts, and she grunted, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. She pulled herself together and finished cutting out the biscuits she wanted to bake for the house. The doorbell rang, and she grab
"Let's get in. We are late."Kali didn't need the information. She bit her tongue and kept the snarky retort to herself as she threw the door open and stepped down. This was the second time she was meeting his family in one week. The plans were laid down by her God-sent mother-in-law. Not only did Kali have to bare sitting and eating with her, but she also had to pretend she was interested in garnering her approval. The rest of the family was nothing to write about. Giovanna, Samuel's youngest sister, was a spoiled brat who never missed any opportunity to jest at Kali's humble background. She was her mother's daughter, through and through. Ysabel was playing the role of the dissatisfied mother. She and Giovanna paired well together. A match made in hell.Kali was only fond of Timothy, the father, and Peter, the older brother. Both were welcoming and went out of their way to make her feel at home. It was as if they were trying to buffer the distrusting attitude the mother and daughte
The alarm blared loudly through the dark room, making an angry Kali reach out to slap down on the screen of her phone until she remembered the right way to shut it off. When she finally stood up, she shuffled around her apartment, pulling the thick curtains apart and allowing the sun in. Barely a few days left before she would be married. The entire week was filled with planning, from booking the reception venue to choosing honeymoon destinations and visiting the church. All with Ysabel hanging over her shoulder, making sure Kali was doing things the way she wanted them done. Today, she was going to the bridal store to find a dress. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to spend more than thirty minutes sitting in a boutique with Ysabel. Kali didn't have it in her to continue sharing space with the woman. After Samuel had taken her to his apartment to talk, his mother had been enraged. Ysabel wanted to know what they talked about, and Kali gave the story they agreed on together. Kali graci
Samuel adjusted the lapels of his suit and grinned at a joke Reggie told the other guys in the room. He didn't have it in him to do much. His thoughts were rampant, filtering between Flora and his impending wedding. The original plan was to prepare alone and get to the church, but Holland the youngest of his friends, had a brilliant idea to celebrate the day before. As a replacement for the "abomination" of not having time to prepare a bachelor party before the wedding. Samuel reluctantly agreed and found himself in better spirits the evening before the wedding. They had spent some time at a local bar, which they bought out for themselves, and returned to the hotel to finish the celebration. The conversations and their presence were a temporary band-aid for his gushing wounds, and he welcomed the distractions. It was only by grace that they were able to wake up early. Standing on a round stool, he looked straight at the mirror as Justice used a lint roller on his black suit. The ot
“So, they got married.”“Yes. Ring and all. The music you hear right now is the reception, my love. Everyone here is all smiles and giggles, and I am not sure how many are thinking about how strange the whole thing is.”"I don't think anyone there knows how long he has been with that woman. We don't know how long he has been with her.""Does that make it any less strange?""No. No, I guess it doesn't.""No. Christen dragged her finger across the rough surface of the walls. She called Flora’s home many times the night before and even in the morning, but her friend didn’t answer the phone once. Samuel's marriage had travelled around and even got mentioned in a few blogs and magazines. It was pretty much out there that the youngest son of the Madden family was getting married. The man Flora loved was getting married to another woman. Even after all the days, Flora had to prepare herself, she never came to terms with it. “Did you see her?”“No. I don’t think she came.”She did. Christen
The boisterous music slowed to a gentle melody, and the dance floor cleared as the guest returned to their seats. Samuel didn't wait for prompting to stand and walk Kali to the dance floor. He was a man in love, married to the woman of his dreams, celebrating in the most extravagant way possible. He was the happiest man alive. That is what his father and siblings saw. It was what the three hundred unnecessary guests in attendance saw. Samuel wasn't surprised his mother brought so many people to witness his torment. He believed she was enjoying every second of it. Just like his wife.Kali turned to face him, and he took her arm, resting another hand on her waist. He felt her hand creep up his shoulder, her fingers digging in while they effortlessly glided over the floor. Kali didn't attempt to make conversation, and neither did he.She'd kissed him. They were meant to kiss, and he should be grateful for her saving that moment. Even the slightest hesitation would have given them away
After their meal, Samuel bid her goodnight and went to sleep. He wrestled beneath the sheets and tossed and turned while she sat by the window, taking in the evening. With the glass of wine in her hand, she counted the stars within the frame of the hotel window to occupy herself.Her sister was in one of the rooms, sleeping peacefully, high on the excitement of her older sister's wedding. Samuel's family was also spending the night in various rooms. Aside from Ysabel, Kali was sure that the others were equally excited about the wedding.She tilted her head back and finished her wine in one gulp. In the silence in the room, she felt herself crumbling to the nerves that eluded her for most of the wedding. The reception had gone on forever when all she wanted was for it to end. The dance had been torture. The smiling had been torture.When she turned around, Samuel was fast asleep, cuddled against one of the pillows. She turned the lamp off, plunging his side of the room into darkness.