"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
The grating of the metal gate pulling back was loud enough for Samuel to hear it. He glanced at the clock on his desktop. It was a few minutes past seven. Kali had left earlier in the day to spend time with her sister, and she wasn't home when he returned from work. So much time had passed since he started working. It felt good having something to occupy the time.The door opened moments later, and Kali bustled in, carrying various bags in both arms. She didn’t notice him. Carefully placing the bags at the foot of the bed before laying them on the mattress. Once everything was out of the bags, she went to grab a few hangers from the wardrobe.“Samuel!” she shrieked, stumbling back in shock when she turned to catch him watching her. “Why would you just sit there staring.”“I am surprised you didn’t realise I was in here.”She regained her composure quickly. “I saw your car, but I didn’t think you were in here.”“How did it go with your sister?”“Great. We got some souvenirs for my aunt
Peter stood in front of the wide mirror, leaning over the sink to get a better look at the bruise on his torso. It was purpling a bit and felt as sore as the first day he got it. He went a bit too hard in the ring that day, and his sparring partner had been equally invested. With the pad of his thumbs, he dabbed some ointment over it. He dressed up and left the shower room. As he left the room, he received a message from Ember reminding him that she was waiting for him at the restaurant for breakfast. They had agreed to meet because she wanted to talk about their little brother. More specifically, she wanted to talk about their sister-in-law. The hottest topic in his home was Samuel’s new wife. Kali. The announcement of his marriage had caused quite a stir. Peter was hopeful that everything would get back to normal after the wedding. It hadn’t. His father was recently coming to terms with it, but Giovanna and their mother believed Kali was no good. Peter could not wait for them t
“Never tried this before.” Kali lifted the glass bottle of grape juice Ember purchased for them. She twisted the cap off and took a swig. “That’s delicious.”“My favourite brand of bottled juice. They have different flavours, from grape to apple, but I usually introduce people to the grapes first. It’s an instant hit.” She thought on her words. “Most of the time.”“It’s a hit with me.” Kali took another sip. The sunglasses came on when they walked out of the chilly mall and into the blazing sun. The weather had taken a turn for the worst. It had been that way the entire week, and the forecasts predicted a fall in the temperature in the following week. Till then, they had to make do with the unbearable conditions. “Are you ready for dinner?”“Which one?”Ember chuckled. “Nice. The one at my house. For our grandfather.”“I think I am. It’s just introductions.”The look on her face before she turned away was the exact reason Kali wanted to befriend her. There were things Samuel didn’t
Giovanna was in a state, watching her mother from the window of her room as she walked around the garden. The weaved basket that swung from her elbow was already filled with flowers. The gardeners usually tended to the garden. They ensured the grass was always levelled, never an inch out of place. The shrubs were trimmed to the same spherical shape each time and watered.The only thing her mother went into the garden for was privacy. Giovanna watched her speaking passionately with someone and couldn’t help but wonder who. Neither her mother nor the gold-digger of a wife Samuel married knew what she knew. They were probably filled with cynical satisfaction, but Giovanna knew their game. She had heard it with her own ears. The day after the wedding, when everyone prepared to leave the hotel, she heard them speaking. She wasn’t sure what exactly they were talking about, she came at the tail end of the conversation but she heard enough. She heard clearly when her mother informed Kali that