“Speaking of traditions,” Zarina cut through the chatter, her gaze sweeping across the table before settling on Caroline, “can we still go berry picking today?”
Her sweet voice almost sounded forced in my ears.
Excitement swept through the room. Everyone seemed eager at the mention of berry picking, a tradition I was apparently unaware of.
“Berries?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
Zarina turned her smile toward me, a hint of something smug in her eyes. “Didn’t Regan tell you?” she said with fake innocent surprise.
“There’s nothing special about that,” Regan replied, his eyes on Zarina as if to warn her or something.
“But you hold it so dear in the past since it was Zarina’s favorite place,” Reila added, smirking.
One of their cousins chimed in, “Do you remember Zarina’s face when she finally filled her basket? She was so proud!”
"She thought it was like her biggest achievement when she was the last one to do that"
<An hour or two crawled by, each tick of the clock echoing in the empty room. Slowly, I took a deep breath, willing myself to pull it together. Fighting back the lingering tears, I splashed water on my face, hoping to erase any evidence of my breakdown. A quick look in the mirror confirmed my eyes weren't bloodshot anymore. Reaching for my red lipstick, I swiped it across my lips. A final touch of red on my nails completed the transformation. Staring back at me was a woman who looked strong, unbothered, anything but broken.That's exactly how I wanted them to see me.Downstairs, the sounds of the mansion bustling back to life pulled me from my self-imposed exile. The family was preparing for their berry picking. Taking a fortifying breath, I ventured downstairs.The sight that greeted me was a sea of smiling faces, all gathered with baskets in hand. But something about those smiles felt forced. Living amongst these wealth
Dust motes danced in the afternoon sunlight filtering through the lace curtains. I was standing on the porch, waiting. My attention was snagged by the hushed whispers coming from behind me.Peeking out, I caught a glimpse of two maids, their uniforms crisp."Did you see her?" one, a young woman with bright, curious eyes, whispered. "Sir Regan's wife? Yes. God, she’s so gorgeous. Now, I know why Sir Regan married her?”The other, older and more wizened, scoffed. "Hardly wife material, if you ask me. All stiff and proper, not a smile to be found. Remember Miss Zarina?"“Yes”“Now that was a perfect match for Mr. Regan. They used to laugh together all the time. Always running through these halls, picking flowers, stealing kisses in the garden…"“Really?”"They were like two peas in a pod," the older maid sighed. "Such a shame things didn't work out."I took a deep breath and ignored them but failed anyway. Their words were engraved in my mind.Soon after, the chatter and laughter grew lo
I sighed as I glanced out the window, watching Regan, Zarina, and his cousins laughing and drinking outside. The middle-aged group had decided to go out on the lawn and have a bonfire there. I wanted to join them, but I knew it would be awkward. Besides, I didn't drink beer—I never liked the taste. Feeling a bit parched and seeing that it was already 8 PM, I decided to head down to the kitchen for a drink.As I walked into the kitchen, I was surprised to see a young boy standing near the microwave. It was Ethan, a quiet seven-year-old who rarely spoke or joined the other children. His face was still adorned with a pair of thick eyeglasses. I was sure the other kids were in the movie room with their nannies right now.I frowned, remembering that the boy was not at the dinner earlier. Seeing him alone now, I wondered why he wasn't with the others. I watched as he fiddled with the microwave, sighing to himself while his other hand was holding his iPad. With a gentle smile, I walked over
Regan's POVMe and my cousin were gathered on the terrace, the evening air filled with the scent of pine and the distant chirping of crickets. I leaned back in my chair, a cold beer in hand, as Reila launched into another one of her stories. She's talkative that's for sure."...and then, remember when Uncle Frank tried to impress that girl by riding Dad's old motorcycle?"Everyone burst into laughter. "He nearly broke his leg!" Tim added, slapping his knee.Zarina, sitting beside me, chuckled softly. Her laugh was like music, soft and light."He didn't walk right for weeks," she added, shaking her head and turning to me. "Right?""How did you know that?" Reila asked, laughing.Zarina pointed at me, "He told me.""I knew it," Reila said.I shrug, "It's not meant to keep a secret."Zarina laughed and I looked at her. She has a pretty smile and just an angelic face that made me fall for her even now unlike Anastasia who has this fierce and tough expression she always has. They are even d
Anastasia’s POVSoon after we finished the delicious meal, Ethan and I sat on the stools at the counter, facing each other. He was a little messy eater, but his tiny chomps were full of such enthusiasm that it was hard not to smile. "So, how's the food, champ?" I asked, leaning forward to get a better look at his cute, sauce-covered face.He stopped mid-chew, his brow furrowed in deep concentration for a moment, before offering a reluctant nod. A bubbly laugh escaped my lips, and I reached over with a napkin to wipe the red streak of tomato sauce from around his lips.Just then, a voice cut through our little moment. We both turned towards the door to see Regan leaning on a door frame, arms crossed, looking a little flushed but definitely not drunk. I felt a sudden rush of nerves, wondering how long he had been standing there watching us. My cheeks flushed as I straightened up, trying to maintain composure."Hey there," he said, "What's going on?"Ethan and I exchanged a glance, an
A mountain of presents, wrapped in shiny paper and tied with extravagant bows, threatened to topple over on the far side of the room. On the mahogany table, a sea of cards gleamed under the soft light. I picked one up, its edges embossed with a delicate silver pattern. The familiar, pointed handwriting of Vivienne, one of Regan's business associates' wives made me almost sigh in dismay."Dearest Anastasia," the card gushed, the words shimmering with fake sincerity. "Happy Birthday! Wishing you all the joy and fortune you deserve. Perhaps we can schedule that charity luncheon we discussed? Regan mentioned such a wonderful idea..." The card fluttered from my grasp, landing face down on the floor. Charity. Luncheon. Always something they wanted. “As expected,” I muttered.The silence swallows the room, the only sound is the relentless ticking of the clock. My fingertips painted a crimson danced a nervous rhythm around the stem of my wine glass. The heavy damask drapes, a deep sha
With shaky steps, I left the dining room behind, my wine glass clutched tightly in my hand. The familiar path to the piano room seemed longer tonight. As I pushed open the door, the soft glow of moonlight illuminated the grand piano sitting majestically in the center of the room. With a heavy heart, I crossed the threshold, the cool air of the room wrapping around me.Sinking onto the chair in front of the piano, I reached out to press a key, but my trembling fingers betrayed me. Tears blurred my vision as I wiped them away, the ache in my heart threatening to consume me once again.I was once a pianist prodigy but after witnessing my mother die in front of me, in my piano room, I cannot press a key ever since. I can clearly remember that day like it happened yesterday. It was raining so hard and my mother jumped on the balcony just the time a clash of thunder echoed in the room.“Why would you even do that, Mom?” I raised the glass to my lips and drank deeply, the warmth of the wine
As I made my way to the kitchen, I tried to push aside the lingering sense of hurt and betrayal that lingered in the back of my mind. With weak hands, I set about preparing the table for breakfast.Susan approached me with a concerned expression etched on her face. "Miss, you should really rest. You've looked not okay.”I offered her a weak smile as I focused on the breakfast table, "I am fine, Susan.”When I heard Regan's footsteps descending the stairs, I plastered on a cheerful smile. "Good morning. I've made breakfast. Won't you join me?"But he merely stared at the spread before him, his expression unreadable as he brushed past me without a word."Not hungry," he muttered, his tone dismissive as he made his way towards the door.Desperate to reach him, I seized the coffee pot and held it out to him. "Please, just take a sip,"But before I could react, his hand collided with the coffee pot, sending scalding liquid splashing towards me. I cried out in pain as the hot liquid seared