“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
The slap wasn’t hard, but the suddenness of it stunned Giovanna. She pressed a palm against her cheek and glared at Kali in anger. Kali was unmoved, matching Giovanna's intense glare without once looking away. Brimming with fury, Giovanna took a menacing step forward and spat out. “How dare you? Who do you think you are?” “Keep acting like a brat, and I will give you another one, so both sides can match!” Kali inched closer, equally as aggravated. “You can insult me as much as you like, but I will not permit you to insult your brother in my presence ever again.” “This act of perfect wife does not suit you. You may deny it, but you can't fool me like you have fooled everyone else. I see who you really are. I know who you really are.” Giovanna seethed. “And I know you. Spoilt little girl. I don’t want to ever see you back in this house. Not even to visit Samuel. You are only welcome here if there is a family event and you are coming with the rest of the family. If you ever try to co
Ysabel looked up when the door to her study flew open. She looked agitated, but Ysabel didn’t believe that was a reason to forget her manners.“You knock before you come in.” She spread her arms out to indicate the cluster of papers on the desk. “I am busy right now.”“I have waited long enough, mom. One more second with this on my chest, and I will explode. I swear I can’t take it.”“Giovanna, I don’t have the time to pay attention to one of your meltdowns. I have a lot of wo
“No, dad, I didn’t know. She hasn’t said anything.”“I don’t really know what happened. I only know Giovanna went to argue with Kali about something, and they got into a fight. Kali hit her and forbade her from going back to yours.”“Okay, I’ll talk to her. I’ll handle it. I am sorry for the trouble this caused.”“It’s okay. I’ll call you later.”“Good night, dad.”Kali, the subject of their conversation, was in the shower. He had come home to absolute serenity after a tiring day at his work desk. The dining table had been decorated with a new tablecloth and several dishes Kali had prepared. He ate his fill. She had been considerate with the amount of spices she used.In fact, she had joked about it when he complimented her about the food.“Did you notice you are not choking this time?” she teased, using her fork to point at his plate. “I made sure to cook this to serve your weaker constitutions.”“Sorry, I am not used to eating magma for dinner.”As far as evenings went, everything h