The next day, Clay made his way to his kitchen for his usual morning cereal before his early morning run. On approaching the kitchen, he perceived the enticing aroma of chickpea curry in the air and walked in on Lorraine making breakfast. He was surprised to see she was an early riser; he fathomed she'd sleep in till late in the morning, giving him enough time to go for his run and sneak out before she ever woke up. Lorraine turned with a spatula in her hand, flipping pancakes and caught his gaze; for a brief moment, she felt admiration from him. Thinking she had impressed him, she called him over for breakfast
"No, thank you" "I have an early meeting and can't make time" Lorraine felt awkward, realizing he was trying to avoid their brief moment last night"Is that why you're in your joggers?" she asked, catching him in his lie"They look cute, by the way", she teased and smiled, and Clay felt embarrassed,"Are you sure you don't want these delicate pastries?" "I promise they don't taste bad; I'm a good cook", she persisted"I should be heading out", Clay replied, avoiding her question; he turned towards the door, stopped and walked back into the kitchen"Mark mentioned that you don't have a car, so I'll help you with the initial down payment" "As I'm sure you already know, uber and hired lifts are not permitted in this neighbourhood, you should get a car that'll be registered with the security at the entrance, so you don't have to trouble my assistant," he said, placing his black premium card on the table.Lorraine stared at it and then refused. He had done enough already. Besides, she didn't want him to think she was a charity case; being broke didn't mean she couldn't contribute or take care of some of her affairs."No, thank you" "I don't want to be a burden", her response indicated a hint of annoyance, and Clay noticed just how he had sounded,"I didn't mean to disrespect you," he said"I just think it'll be easier if you owned a car" "if you can't get one right now, I'd like to help out."Lorraine wanted to say no yet again, she wasn't particularly fond of handouts if she couldn't repay, but he was right; she needed a car. The daily commute from Edensville to her work was quite long, and relying on public transportation would only raise her bills and add to her time. Besides, she was married to him, and even though he was still a stranger, she could enjoy some perks from the marriage. After all, it was all legal."Thank you," she said warmly. Clay double-tapped on the kitchen counter and walked out.Lorraine surveyed the supplies in the house and decided it needed a few more things. Since she didn't have to work that day, she decided to use her day off to go grocery shopping and, if time allowed, stop by an automobile shop to pick a car.Shortly after, she arrived at her favourite cafe/grocery shop in the city's heart - Joe's Morning Café. Joe was a proper turn head for journalists. A small local Pakistani boy whose true success wasn't in his business but in how he soon grew to be loved by all of The Bay and Manhattan. As the bells rang, Lorraine walked into the shop,"Good morning Joe", She called out, slightly out of breath"Hey, Lorraine. That 8 a.m. traffic got you out of breath again, huh?" Joe quipped"You know how it is, Joe", she joked and headed to the fourth aisle. She searched the shelves for her usuals; potatoes, peas, bread, jam and butter. It was all she could afford under a budget.Suddenly her phone beeped, and Lorraine looked at her notification. It was an email from her company, and as she read it, she realized she had gotten fired. There was no guess who could be responsible for her sudden termination, Shawn, the name crossed her mind, and she cursed him under her breath. Packing up her cart, she called Mark and headed home.As she walked through the front entrance, she dumped the groceries beside the closed door and slumped to the ground, finally letting out the tears she had held back. She tried calling Maia, but her phone instantly went to voice mail, and then she recalled today was her best friend's big presentation. Packing the groceries, she placed the bags on the kitchen counter and entered her bedroom. There was one thing that could calm her in this situation, and quickly she went through her storage and set up her canvas.She recalled an old picture in the hallway - a touching image of a woman and a boy holding hands and decided to paint a mural. After hours of splashing colors on the canvas, she was finally exhausted, and the weight of her termination began to lift, slowly replaced by serenity.The day stretched into night, and Lorraine waited anxiously for her husband. She had tried calling him several times, but each attempt went straight to voicemail. She went to the living room, waiting to see him immediately he walked through the door. Clay had informed her that he'd be back by 8p.m, but it was some minutes past 10p.m, and he still hadn't shown up.Lorraine's anxiety escalated when she called his office line and his secretary informed her that he had left an hour earlier but didn't say where. She decided to call the police if he did not return before midnight. Shortly after, she called Mark, and he did not answer either. And just then Clay staggered into the house, clearly drunk"Are you drunk?!" Lorraine yelled"Ahh, keep it down", he mumbled, squinting his eyes and massaging his forehead"You're drunk, aren't you!" She exclaimed"You could have at least answered your phone, Clay. I was worried sick!" She yelled, and Clay smiled"I'm sorry, is this funny to you?!" Her voice got louder, and she started pacing about,"I'm fine, aren't I?" Clay replied"Oh, you're fine walking through the door by..." she looked at her phone time "10:37 p.m!" She couldn't believe he was turning her into a nagging wife three days into marriage. She ruffled her hair out of frustration, but Clay calmly approached her"You know I don't care as much that you're drunk; you should have at least sent me a text or answered my bloody calls, Clay!" she raged on. Clay walked up to her, held her hand and pulled her in; as her body pressed against his warm broad chest, she instantly felt relief"Clay..." Lorraine tried to speak, but Clay gently brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She was petrified, enchanted by his charm. Even though he was drunk, he was still hot. She looked up at him, and their eyes locked, forming an unspoken connection between them. Clay leaned in, and Lorraine's breaths grew heavier. She wanted to pull away but couldn't will herself to, and then their lips met, passionate at first but quickly igniting into a deepening kiss.Clay's hands traced her jawline and settled on the small of her back, unwilling to let go. Eventually, he pulled away, leaving Lorraine breathless and dazed"You remind me of her", Clay said before passing out.Lorraine was lost in a train of thoughts, confused about her husband's actions. She had believed their relationship was supposed to be strictly contractual, but when he kissed her, she felt those damn butterflies, but it felt different this time. She had never felt desire like this before or been so wholly vulnerable and lost all self-control around someone. Those thoughts exhumed her, and she shook her head, hoping they would go away. But when she stared at his delicate chiselled face, she realized she might already be failing the dare from the billionaire.His kiss was swift and sensual, although it felt like an eternity of longing before his lips met hers. She remembered the passionate sparkle in his eyes. It was one that you only had for a deep love or a lost one; she could understand those looks. It was the same kind she once shared with Shawn, and as she studied Clay's features more closely, she wondered which category she fell into - was she a deep love or a lost one? She belie
Maia's surprise visits were as exciting as holidays were to Lorraine. Since their days in college, the duo had always fantasized about exploring the real world together, getting jobs, apartments, exchanging keys, matching tattoos and whatever it was that best friends did. Their small circle of friendship quickly expanded when Donna and Alex joined the duo in their second year, and their friendship quickly blossomed from then on.As Lorraine rushed down the stairs, her feet flopping excitedly at the arrival of her best friend, she was met with shock when she opened up the massive front door, and Maia had come bearing surprises. Holding a tiara and a box of chocolates to the left was Donna, and on her right was Alex, looking like she was fresh out of comic con. Maia squealed with delight when she saw Lorraine and Donna placed the tiara on her head. Lorraine looked puzzled and uncomfortable. She wasn't sure how Clay would feel about her best friends inviting themselves to his place with
"No?" Maia resounded, finding a hard time believing her best friend. She had feared that Lorraine still harbored feelings for Shawn, and that was why she did not want her to do a piece on him.Maia was an editor for The Times newspaper and often worked the field. She had once offered Lorraine to do an investigative piece on Shawn when there were still together, but Lorraine warned her not to, despite Maia having seen the signs of his infidelity, her best friend did not want to hear about it.She pulled Lorraine aside and spoke with concern, "Lo' I'm worried about you" "Shawn just cost you your job, and yet you don't want to do anything about it? I hope you're not still waiting for him to return to you" "You do know that's not going to happen, right?"Lorraine understood her best friend's concerns. She had a difficult time finding faults in Shawn or taking action about it, she was blinded by love when it came to his imperfections, and even when the truth was sometimes clear to her, she
Lorraine and her friends headed off to the party at Summerville Hotel. Located a few blocks off the Edensville, Summerville Hotel was another place Lorraine and her friends had never dreamt they'd get into. It was the finest Hotel in the city, and it had received a five-star certification on Forbes review but it was clear that it was worth more than. The dinner night was scheduled to start by 8p.m but Lorraine and her friends had arrived a little early with time to spare.Outside the event stood Alex's cousin Sloan, she was the one who gave Alex the invite. To Alex, her cousin was her model, having been lucky enough to marry into the Dubois family, Sloan had quickly adjusted to the upper-crust society and Alex wished for a life just like her cousin. When Sloan saw them, she waved over curling her lips into a smile"Alex..." "You came" she called excitedly and then spotted the rest of the girls"And you brought friends" she added with a withdrawn smile"Hope it won't be a problem, it
The cab stopped at the gates of Edensville. Lorraine got out and, after having her face verified by the security, the guards opened the gate. She hurriedly walked through, holding back her anger, tears, and frustrations until she reached the front entrance of her home.Her hands trembled as she fiddled with the locks, overwhelmed by the sudden realization that she just had which had made her unsettled. She couldn't understand why it affected her so much or why it caused her such anxiety. Struggling with the keys, they slipped from her grasp, and she slammed the door in frustration."Damn it!" she exclaimed, forcing a pained smile. She found the idea almost amusing, and then chuckled. All this time, she had been married to a billionaire, not just any billionaire, but the heir of the Winston Fortune. If only her mother could see her now, she thought.Bending down to carry the keys, Lorraine finally managed to unlock the door. She walked inside, locked it behind her, and headed straight
Clay walked towards the hotel's exit, feeling a sudden change in his mood. The air around him became still, filled with silence as he couldn't help but think about Lorraine. He wondered how she was doing and what she might be feeling. Whenever people discovered who he really was, it always took them by surprise. They would often be speechless for a few moments, while others would immediately start asking for favors and financial help. It was because of this that Clay had made the decision to keep his true identity a secret.Thinking back to his high school days, Clay remembered a family trip to a beautiful botanical garden in Korea. At the time, his best friend Joanne had wanted to come along, but it was strictly a family-only trip. Clay had explained to Joanne that there was nothing he could do to change the plans, but little did he know what would unfold next. When he returned to school the following week, he was shocked to discover a widespread rumor that the first son of the Wilso
The door swung open, and Clay rushed in. Making his way towards Lorraine, he grabbed her hand, and she flung it away,"Talk" "Why did you lie to me?""Because people don't know how to take the truth", Clay began"And what is the truth, Clay?" Lorraine interrupted, and Clay heaved a sigh"The truth is I am exactly who you think I am" "The first son of the Wilson Family and heir to their fortune", he responded "And because of who I am, people have treated me differently." "Oh, the glamorous life is too hard for you, Clay?" "Having your name open doors literally and opportunities is tough on you?" Lorraine replied mockingly"You don't know what it's like. It's not all glamorous" "I am being resented, blackmailed and used because of who I am","When your best friend tears down your image because you refused her a favor, you'll know exactly what I mean", he raged and was about to walk out when Lorraine interrupted, stopping him in his strides "I'm sorry", she quickly apologised, realisi
The weather report for the day was at a slightly lower temperature than the previous day. At minus three degrees Celsius, winter was just a month away, and the cold sent shivers down Lorraine's spine. Every winter holiday was her family's traditional holiday. She was expected to be at home to be with her family to participate in the merriment and bonding. While she was in college, Lorraine always looked forward to this holiday. It was the only time she could see her little brother Jordan build fires in their backyard and roast marshmallows which she always seldom burnt. It was a pre-season Christmas in the Davis family, but this year felt different; her brother was diagnosed with cancer, her family was in debt with medical bills, her marriage had failed, and worse, her parents blamed her for it and wanted her back home indefinitely. Suddenly, a tradition that was once fun-filled and brought her joy seemed gloomy and dreadful as she stared for minutes at the calendar date beside her b