"l have to be on my way now. I need to give my boss my resignation letter," Tessa said, bringing out the letter from her bag. She had worked in the convenience store for the past six months. The pay was not that enticing but it helped take care of some of their bills.
"Working for the Winstons meant getting a fat paycheck. But the money came at a cost - having to deal with their demanding and often unreasonable requests. The Winstons were known for being difficult to work for, and the high pay was meant to compensate for the stress and trouble they caused. But when Tessa got to meet Mrs. Winston, Aaron's mother, her initial narrative about her changed. She just saw a sweet loving soul, though putting out a tough side of her to people but deep down she was kind at heart.
"Alright hurry up, so you can park up. I have a feeling that Aaron Winston won't take no for an answer," her grandmother said teasingly
Maya chuckled at her grandma's obvious joke and let out"Bye grandma. See you soon"
Tessa left her apartment, she felt like a heavy load was lifted on her shoulders. She was not able to sleep well at night. She thought of a better way to convey the news to her grandmother knowing fully well that the news wasn't going to sit well with her. However, she was glad the way things played out. Her grandmother supported her decision and they meant so much to her
She boarded a taxi and headed to the store, the drive was short as the store wasn't too far from her house. She got down and heaved a deep sigh, she didn't know how her boss was going to feel about it, however, she had to do it as that was the best thing to do at the time.
She entered the store and greeted her co-workers, she stretched out her hand and dragged Mara, her best friend, to a corner. They have been friends since childhood and Mara has always been there for her. She had to tell her about her marriage to Aaron Winston.
"Why didn't you show up at work yesterday Tessa, l called you several times but it wasn't going through" Mara scoffed, worry evident in her voice
"I'm sorry about that, l had to go to grandma's place of work, to stand in for her, you know how tough the Winstons can be with their workers," Tessa replied.
Mara rolled her eyes at Tessa, "Wait, wait, you were at the Winstons" she queried, her eyes squinted out. Mara had been the dramatic one and Tessa wasn't surprised at all, she expected that exact reaction from her.
Tessa nodded
"What was it like there? Does it look like paradise like people say?" Did you get to see your crush?" Mara stared at her, bombarding Tessa with a whole lot of questions.
"Calm down Mara, you're being dramatic right now. You need to see your face" Tessa remarked as she chuckled at Mara's funny face. Mara had a way of lifting her mood all the time, she had entered the store with mixed feelings but here she was laughing out loud.
"Well, yes, everywhere looked like heaven, people's description didn't do justice at all. That villa is definitely a paradise. Just like we see in the movies"
Mara giggled, and asked, "So what about the latter?"
Tessa shrugged her shoulders, she knew Mara was going to scream her lungs out when she finally broke the news to her
"Well, about that. Something came up Mara,"
"What's wrong?" Mara asked, she could see the worry in Tessa's eyes.
"I got to meet Aaron Winston, long story short. I'm getting married to Aaron Winston" Tessa whispered in her ears, not wanting to be loud.
"What?" Mara half screamed, she didn't see that coming. She had a lot of questions to ask."Why? How did this happen?" she asked
"it just happened Mara, everything happened so fast, we will talk about it later. My wedding is tomorrow and I don't have much time, l came to hand in my resignation letter. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing Mara, but l do know that l love him" Tessa concluded.
"Alright Tessa, l can't categorically say that you made the right decision, you barely know him. But l know you have loved this man for the longest time even without him knowing. I know you have a reason for making this decision, don't worry about anything, everything will be fine. Okay?" Mara said as she pulled Tessa into a warm hug."I'm going to miss my best friend" she let out
"Don't be dramatic. I'm only getting married, I'm not running away Mara" Tessa said with a smile on her face, she held onto Mara. That hug what was she needed at the moment
Tessa let go of the hug and said, "l have to meet the boss now"
"Good morning boss" she greeted immediately after she entered the office
"Tessa, sit down. I'm sure you have a valid reason for not showing up at work yesterday"
"I'm sorry sir, l had an inevitable experience yesterday and that's why l didn't show up yesterday, l know Mk should have called to inform you but I'm sorry l didn't. However, I'm here to resign."
Her boss raised an eyebrow, asking, "And why is that, if l may ask? If it's about the pay Tessa, l could give you a raise."
"Although I really appreciate your kind gestures. It's not about the pay sir. My grandmother is sick and l need to resign to take proper care of her."
There was pity in his eyes as he looked at Tessa. He looked worried for her, just then Tessa knew he was going to let her resign without a fuss. She had been worried that he might ask for some days, if not a month of notice before he can finally relieve her of her duties with them. But from the look of things, her resignation was going to be easy
"I wish your grandmother a quick recovery and please do take good care of her," he remarked, accepting the resignation letter Tessa handed over to him.
Tessa thanked him profusely and walked out of the office, her mind free and elevated.
"Are you sure Lisa is actually missing or she doesn't want to be married to you?" Dylan asked.Aaron clenched his fist in anger and glared at him "What do you mean she doesn't want to be married to me? You know how much Lisa loves me and she doesn't have any reason not to want to be married to me. She might actually be in trouble or even worse kidnapped, have you thought about that?" Aaron pointed out, anger and frustration evident in his voice. "Ohhh true, but what if she isn't? Moreover, have you sent your men to investigate this and probably look for her?" Dylan asked, keeping an expressionless face.Dylan Thompson was Aaron's childhood friend, he never liked Lisa for Aaron. But Aaron was too blindly in love with her to even notice how much of a snitch she was.She was clearly with Aaron because of his money and that's it. He had seen Lisa with different men on different occasions but somehow she manages to escape being caught. The last time he tried to tell Aaron about it, Aaron
Aaron glanced at his wristwatch and said "It's noon already. I'm here to take my bride-to-be home" Tessa's eyes widened on hearing that. Such an arrogant jerk! She fumed. "And what if it's a No!" She fired back at him. "Why do l have a feeling that it is a yes? You wouldn't quit your job if you were going to decline. And you wouldn't dare to say No" Aaron said proudly. 'What? How do you know that?" Tessa asked with widened eyes. "There is a lot you don't know about me Tessa, and l hate to be kept waiting is inclusive" He said and brought out a file, he handed it over to her and said. "Open it or perhaps you can go through it on our way home" "Home? Is this asshole being serious right now? I haven't even given my approval yet" Tessa thought to herself. "This guy is clearly an asshole and why can't l just say no to him and go back to my normal life. How can l be in love with such a jerk, who doesn't even give a fuck about me? Hope I'm not making the worst decision of my life?"
"She's bold! I like her already. And there is something about this one, she's quite different and outspoken, you have really met your match, someone who could stand up to you without fear" Dylan said and sat down on the couch.He turned and met Aaron glaring at him, giving him the "really?" look."You know, the last time I checked, you're my best friend and you're supposed to be on my side," Aaron said vehemently, giving Dylan a questionable look.Dylan giggled and replied "I'm on your side man, we want a better Aaron. And I'm particular that this one is going to blow your mind away real soon""Well, let me refresh your memory just in case you've forgotten. I'm still engaged to Lisa and no one, l repeat no one can ever replace her, and I'm going to do anything to find her and marry her" Aaron declared."Yet you're getting married to another. And not just anybody, a breathtaking and gorgeous lady, or is there something you're not telling me, Aaron?" Dylan teased and laughed. "I'm done
Hours later. Mara left as it was getting late, she needed to run some errands for her mother. Before she left, she encouraged Tessa to be strong as all of this would be over soon.Tessa shrugged back on her bed after Mara left. Her mind reminiscing on the day's event, she could recall the hurt in Aaron's voice as he made those dreadful promises to her on the altar. She knew he didn't want to be married to her, Lisa remained his only true love.It hurts for someone you love, to love another. She only came into his life a few days ago, so it was understandable if he didn't see her in the way she wanted him to.She stared at the mirror and wondered how long she had to put up with Aaron before he found the woman he loved, Lisa.As she lay on the bed, gradually drifting off to sleep, a knock came on her door, which made her open her eyes and let the person in.Deep down, she wished it was Aaron knocking, probably coming to check up on her. Tessa knew that her wish was futile. Aaron would n
Aaron glared at her without uttering a word, he shifted his gaze and continued eating, not sparing her any further glance."Thanks for the new clothes" Tessa added and stood up to leave. Aaron's silence was beginning to take a thorn on her.…….It's been months, living with the Winstons and yet no news about the whereabouts of Aaron's fiancee. He was clearly losing his mind as he had tried everything possible to find her but all to no avail. Aaron and Tessa hardly speak as he always look irritated anytime he was around her. Nevertheless Tessa tried as much as possible to avoid him and his tantrums but Aaron wouldn't let her be without picking on her. It was as if he made it his life goal to frustrate and trigger her.Tessa was on her bed, wrapped up in the warmth of her beddings when her phone suddenly beeped and a message appeared on her screen. She squinted her eyes in curiosity as she saw that the message was from Aaron. Wondering what it was this time."We have a brief meeting wi
Tessa could feel Aaron's anger from the way he held her hand. "But l didn't do anything" She thought to herself. The party was epic. With different influential men trooping in and out, Aaron seemed to be the richest with the kind of treatment and attention he was getting from them. She was not left out, as almost everyone that came to greet Aaron gushed about her beauty."Aaron you've got a pretty wife" That was a compliment that Tessa got used to, it almost sounded like music in her ears.Aaron was called for a brief discussion with some of the men. Tessa was seated at the table, sipping her drink quietly and waiting for Aaron. It took long enough and Aaron was yet to return to the table. She turned using her eyes to ransack the party hall, looking for Aaron. "Looking for someone?" Alexander's husky voice echoed, coursing Tessa to turn and smile at him, a bit disappointed because she wasn't expecting to see him.Tessa nodded and shifted her gaze from him. Her eyes fixed at the ent
Tessa took a cab and after a few minutes drive she got to her grandmother's house. It was Mara's day off from work and she came around to wait for Tessa.Tessa enveloped her grandmother in a warm hug."You look so good Tessa" Mrs Taylor complimented her.Tessa smiled and replied "You don't look bad yourself. Thank you Mara for taking good care of her" "What are friends for? She's like a mother to me too, so it is also my job to take care of Granny" Mara retorted, pulling Tessa into a hug."I have missed you T," Mara said, patting her back softly. Eleanor had placed Mrs. Taylor on an extra salary for as long as Tessa lived with them. So everything she needed was provided for her. She was able to take care of the bills around the house with the tips she got from the Winstons.They all chatted for a very long time, trying to catch up with the things they've missed. A few hours later, Tessa's granny returned to her room to get some rest while Tessa and Mara continued with their discus
Tessa's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe her ears, "How did he get to find out? She thought to herself. "Whatt?" Tessa said, stuttering a bit but tried to maintain her composure."A friend dropped me off" She said, a little bit frightened. She watched as Aaron stood up and walked towards her, keeping an expressionless face.Tessa moved back a bit and stopped, looking at him and wondering what he wanted to do.He reached out to her and grabbed her hand forcefully saying. "When did Alexander Cooper become a friend?"He goaned, his grip on her hand tightened.Tessa winced slightly in pain and said "You're hurting me Aaron. Do you get to choose my friends now? He's a friend and he dropped me off" Tessa said stubbornly. Aaron clenched his fist hard on her hand and freed her. Tessa winched hard in pain. Her hand bruised. "Your friend huh? Fine. Leave my room" He commanded.Tessa sighed and left angrily, holding her bruised hand.As she left, Aaron clenched his fist harder. W