“That pink dress washes you out; next.”
“Oh, that’s not good at all.”
“Seriously, Lace,” a long groan, “why is your closet so bland?”
It was 10 p.m on a Friday night, and while most people were reveling in their weekend break after the hectic week, Lacey was forced to try on dress after dress after dress, desperately hoping that the current one would be the final one. But, alas, Adi kept on saying no to the dress, so much that Lacey regretted taking him up on his offer to come over to help her pick out a dress for the wedding.
Yup. Lacey had finally decided that she would attend the mysterious wedding. If not for anything else than to figure out who sent he
“You’re Lacey, aren’t you? I can tell because of the eyes. Mark’s been waiting to meet you.”Mark, that was the groom’s name, Lacey recalled, but why the hell would he be waiting to meet her?Seconds felt like hours as Lacey stared at the outstretched hand. Seeing that she wasn’t about to shake him, the smile on Adam’s face started to get smaller.“No?”Lacey didn’t respond immediately. Now the four pairs of eyes that were looking at her had similar eager glints in their eyes. Apart from that, the youngest girl also wore a shy smile.“I’m Lacey, bu
After driving for a couple minutes, Lacey parked her car by the roadside. Maybe it was because of the fresh air coming in through her windows, but the tears that had threatened to fall earlier were no were to be found.A calm breath passed through Lacey’s lips as she rested her head on the headrest.“I feel like I’m in a cheesy drama right now,” she muttered to herself, then let out a laugh that was part humorous and part disbelief.What kind of person sends a wedding invite to a daughter they haven’t seen since she was born instead of calling her to ask if she would like to attend? If her father…Wai
“We hope you have a nice stay at Monsoon Resort, Mr. Taley.”Jonathan bopped his head in a polite gesture as he took the key and walked to the elevator. His current location was a remote resort on an island, where he had come for a two-week long nature retreat.The retreat gave Jonathan an avenue to distance himself from work for a little while, but the main reason he was there was because he found out Jada Reign was going to be staying at the same resort to attend the same retreat. It provided Jonathan an opportunity to meet the director and leave a good impression on her.The first event of the retreat was an orientation, which was happening tomorrow, so for the rest of today, Jonathan was going to remain indoors.
“That brings us to the end of today!”Lacey breathed out heavily, joining the other trainee actors in a round of cheers for the instructor who just made the announcement.Three weeks had gone by so quickly at JT Entertainment, and Lacey was enjoying nearly every aspect of it. The classes were more technical than those she took back in college, but the challenge made it all the more fun.Those were the good parts, meaning there were also the not-so-good parts. It was a tiny issue. One of the other trainee actors had found out that Lacey used to be married to Thomas Wright, and that person thought it necessary to share it to the whole class.Lacey’s relationship with them had been c
“I think you’re more my type, Lacey.”Those weren’t the words that Jonathan had thought to say, but when it left his lips, he found that those were the words in his heart. In a way, it was aj outward confession to Lacey, but also to himself.He couldn’t deny it any longer; he liked her. And now, he could freely admit that it played a big role as to why he had been so annoyed at her when he thought she was cheating on Steven. That then hadn’t only been about protecting his brother, Jonathan was ashamed to admit that.“Also, I’m sorry.”“Sorry?” Jonathan turned sideways for a split second and saw perplexion all over Lacey’s ex
“You live in the Penthouse?”When Lacey took Jonathan up on his offer to go up to his place, she didn’t expect that he would lead her over to the private elevator. You know, the one that led up to the Penthouse.A million people lived in their apartment building—obvious exaggeration but fifty floors meant that there were a lot of people going and coming—but Lacey had been vaguely aware that the place was owned by a hotshot politician. Honestly? She’d stopped by to listen to the receptionists’ gossip a few times.When she mentioned that fact to Jonathan—not the gossip part, but the politician part—he simply nodded, agreeing with her.&ldquo
It took about a couple seconds for Jonathan’s question to sink in. When it did, Lacey opened her mouth, then shut it. Actually, she didn’t know what to say.She liked Jonathan, that much was clear, and he liked her back. But it wasn’t easy to make a decision easily when her last relationship had been with someone who ended up betraying her. So, to open up her heart to someone she didn’t know that well…That wasn’t easy.Lacey was still thinking of an answer when her ringtone filled the space. Until then, Lacey hadn’t recalled that her ringtone being that loud, but maybe it was because of the open air space of the Penthouse, but the sound seemed to fill everywhere.“...”
Peace of mind was a thing of her imagination. Weeks had passed and Maddy still didn’t have peace of mind over her unavoidable situation with Liam Tirro. After the day he visited the school, Maddy, thankfully, hadn’t seen him again, but it was hard not to think about him whenever she saw Maria Tirro. Lacey wanted her to tell him, but Maddy didn’t agree with that. Like at all. Every day turned to be a paranoia-filled one as Maddy imagined Liam Tirro showing up at her parents’ house to demand for Lea. Although she was aware that it wasn’t possible, Maddy couldn’t stop those thoughts from filling her brain. “Mama, the pink dress, pleasee.”At her daughter’s plea, Maddy’s eyes fluttered as she remembered where she was. Her parents were throwing a get together for some friends, business partners, and acquaintances, and had insisted that they wanted Lea at the event, which was basically going to be a roomful of people whose main purpose of being there was to show off and find new gossip.
Two whole months had passed since the day Eliza left, and so far, Lacey had heard nothing from her. Not from lack of trying though. She’d called the other woman numerous times, but there had only been silence from her end. With that, Lacey left things as they were. How was she supposed to help someone who didn’t want to be helped? The news about Thomas had also seemed to die down, although Lacey had stopped paying attention to that. At the current moment, she was out of a job, and unsure about how to move forward with her life. That was where Jamie came in. More than ever, Lacey appreciated the presence of the older woman in her life. And to think that their first meeting came about because of jealousy. With Lacey’s mind made up to leave the entertainment industry, she needed other options. Thanks to Jamie, who introduced her to online business courses, Lacey had started taking lessons. For someone who majored in acting, it was interesting to start learning about something so new a
“Jonathan?”The line was silent for a couple seconds before Jonathan’s familiar, deep voice came through. “You sound tired…Did I wake you?”Lacey pulled herself to an upright position so that her back was resting against her pillow. For some reason, hearing Jonathan’s concerned voice immediately bettered her mood. A full smile bloomed on her face. “Hearing your voice is better than sleeping.” It had been quite a day for Lacey. She thought about how she’d originally planned to call Jonathan to tell him she was free to meet and to apologize for how she acted yesterday. Then Eliza’s issue came up, and she’d pushed it out of her mind. An awkward cough was Jonathan’s response. “You sound like you’re doing okay.”“Hmm.” “I’m close to the apartment. I want to see you. Can I come over?”“Ye–” Lacey’s first reaction was to agree, then she caught herself as she remembered her visitor. For Eliza’s privacy, she couldn’t let Jonathan here. It went the other way around too. Eliza would surely r
After telling Eliza that she could stay for as long as she needed, Lacey showed her to the guest room, then gave her a change of clothes, which she now had on. Later, she started on lunch. Sandwiches, Eliza had agreed too. She was almost through with it when a noise from the living room came. “What is she doing?” After plating the meal, Lacey wiped her hand on a napkin, then carried them out. As she appeared in the doorway, the sound coming from Eliza’s phone suddenly stopped as the woman put her phone away quickly. When Lacey placed one plate in front of her and raised her head, Eliza’s attention was on something as she deliberately avoided Lacey’s eyes. “Did something happen? I heard you shout earlier.” Lacey initiated. “Thomas, did he contact you? I hope you didn’t tell him where you are.”“Lacey.” Embarrassment and shame were visible on Eliza’s face when she finally met Lacey’s gaze. “Thomas released an apology video. That’s what it’s titled, but he doesn’t so much as apologiz
Jade Reign was one of the most interesting people Jonathan had ever met. Every action of hers wasn’t without meaning, no matter how confusing it might seem to others. They had finished breakfast long ago and were now in the middle of a discussion. Except they weren’t at Liam Tirro’s restaurant, Maria, anymore. With Jada’s direction, the two of them had walked over thirty minutes to the other side of the city, a place Jonathan rarely had cause to visit, to a place Jada called ‘Her Little Paradise.’ It was the first time in a while Jonathan had walked for that distance. But he wasn’t complaining. The weather was nice out and was just the right amount of cool, so by the time they reached their destination, he wasn’t a sweaty mess. Jada’s Little Paradise turned out to be the top of a bed and breakfast, a quaint home that gave off a wealthy air. The owner appeared to be familiar with her because she didn’t bat an eyelid when Jada and Jonathan walked past her with a simple greeting. T
This was way out of Lacey’s league. Stunned, she stared at the bruises on the woman in front of her. The choking marks around Eliza’s neck was just like what Thomas did to her also. Subconsciously, her hand rose to her neck. “Thomas did this?” Lacey's tone rose with incredulity. She shouldn't have been so surprised having experienced firsthand what Thomas could do when he was pissed off. But seeing the abuse signs on Eliza was an eye-opener. It wasn’t just something he did to only her like Lacey wanted to believe. Just who exactly had Thomas become? But more importantly, what was she supposed to do in a situation like this? Call the police? Call someone? Do nothing? While in thoughts, Eliza put on her mask again, hiding under the sunglasses and scarf. “You should go to the police,” Lacey heard herself saying. After running through several options in her head, that was her conclusion. “Report him for domestic abuse.”Before she even finished giving the advice, Eliza was already shak
It must have been due to a lapse of judgment, Lacey concluded. Or else why would she agree to meet up with Eliza? In any case, she was meeting her replacement in less than two hours. Over the phone, Eliza’s voice held something that sounded a lot like distraught, which was the only reason Lacey was moved. When it came to Thomas and feeling distraught, she knew the feeling all too well. Although, if Eliza’s fears turned out to be true, she was in a much better position than Lacey had been in. For one, she wasn’t married to Thomas yet. And two, she held as much, maybe even more fame than Thomas, so if he somehow decided to pull what he did in the past and call for a press conference, Eliza would be better positioned to defend herself. “What to wear?” Lacey pondered out loud as she changed out of her indoor clothes. Something simple. The weather today was much warmer than the day before, so she settled on a light dress. At Eliza’s request, their meeting place was an art gallery. This
{This is Eliza. Thomas’ girlfriend. Let’s meet.}It was after breakfast, around noon time, when the message came in on Lacey’s phone. In the comfort of her room, Lacey stared at the device with blank eyes. Last she heard from Adi, Eliza and Thomas were still in a relationship. Not too long ago, Lacey learned from Adi that Eliza and Thomas had possibly gotten engaged. Did that have to do with why she wanted to meet? Since they were still together, did Eliza feel she had some sort of bone to pick with Lacey? And it wasn’t a request either. It read more like a command. Speaking of Adi, he and Maddy had left earlier. The two lovebirds, Sangah and Holly, were still around, but before Lacey entered her room, they seemed like they were about to be on their way out too. For a brief second, Lacey let herself read Eliza’s message again. Eliza. A total stranger other than that time when Thomas brought her over along with the divorce papers. Ever since then, there’d been no contact. Grante
Leaving her two guests in the living room, Lacey disappeared into her room to dry her hair and change out of her wet clothes. That only took about ten minutes, but the next time she came out, there were now four people in her living room. Maddy and Adi had arrived. Adi was mid-conversation with Holly when he spotted Lacey. Immediately excusing himself, he walked over to her, stretching out his arms even before he reached where she stood. With a welcoming smile, Lacey let Adi hug her. Even before she was out of Adi’s hold, Maddy was already waiting to the side, and the moment Adi moved away, she took over the hug. “Are you okay?” Maddy asked as she gently swiped the palm of her hand up and down Lacey’s freshly-washed hair. “Silly question, but me and Ads saw the post you made. A lot of people are on your side.”It was that comment that reminded Lacey that she was yet to put on her phone after turning it off earlier. Somewhere between her getting back to her apartment, washing her hai
Even though Jonathan didn’t get the chance to talk to Lacey, he wasn’t too bummed out by it after seeing that she wasn’t mad at him. She was back home safe, plus she had a friend to stay with her; those were enough for him. Upon getting back to his Penthouse, the first thing he did was go through his mails. Tomorrow, he was meeting with Director Jada Reign, and he wanted to make sure that she hadn’t sent an email canceling after the news his company was embroiled. Thankfully, there was no mail of cancellation, which meant they were still on for tomorrow. Jada had picked their meeting location; a newly opened fine dining restaurant Jonathan had never been to before called Maria. According to her, while she was in Italy, she had food made by the chef, and wanted to check out his new place. Jonathan didn’t protest. Jonathan found it a little weird that she wanted to go to a fine dining restaurant in the morning, but he kept that to himself.There were also a couple messages from his pa