Helen stood up beside me, holding my hands as we walked to the bed; her touch was warm and comforting. As we walked, a wave of calmness washed over me knowing full well I was in good hands with Helen.I approached the door to my bedroom and cracked it open slowly to make sure that no one was outside. Helen was right behind me, as we slipped into the room. The door clicked shut softly behind us.The room was quiet and sleeping; it was silent, with only the gentle hum of the air conditioner. I felt a wave of my relief wash over me as I stepped inside, knowing that for the first time I was really alone with Helen and could now talk to her without fear of being overheard.Helen let my hands go and moved to sit on the edge of the mattress; I followed suit, sitting beside her, the touch of our legs reassuring."Telling me all," Helen said, her voice soft, soothing, and so reassuring, turned to me and asked: "What happened? Why are you lost in such a bad way?I took a deep breath and felt a
I looked at her as the wave of skepticism hit me. "I mean, you can dress sexy, and all shall be well," Helen added, so sure of herself. An eyebrow rose with the skepticism that criss crossed my mind. That was all that easy?Helen nodded seriously."Yes, ma'am, it is worth trying," she said."You've got nothing to lose and all to gain." I sat reflectively on her words, and hope began a nascent rising inside of me. Maybe, just maybe Helen was right, maybe dressing up and taking lunch into my husband's office would just be what saves our marriage.I looked at Helen and felt so grateful to her for bringing the ray of hope to me. "But what if he refuses?", I almost whispered. The lines on Helen's face softened as her hand reached out and patted my arm."He will never turn you away, madam," she explained. "You are his wife, he loves you; these are the ill days and that is what matters." In gentle waves of words, my nodding signaled an acceptance brought forth by comfort at Helen's assuranc
While in the shower, my mind took me to Adrian-to what he used to make me feel. I thought of how he used to hold me, the way he would kiss me, and the way he would make me laugh. A pang in my heart because things were really different now between us, yet I was set to change it.Out of the shower, on went the dress. Slipping into the gown, I felt it hug my curves as gently as a warm caress. Looking in the mirror, my breath caught in my throat. I looked beautiful, and I knew Adrian would be impressed.I took a deep breath, and a wave of confidence washed over me. I was ready for Adrian, and I was ready for him to notice me. I was ready for him to love me again, and I was ready to do whatever it took to make our marriage work."Okay., ma," Helen told me, her head nodding in agreement while the spark of understanding shone in her eyes. I knew from the way she looked, serious with the intent to succeed, that a very nice dinner would be in store for Adrian and me."Do your best, please," I
Next, I reached for my perfume, this beautiful vanilla spray that always makes me feel so confident and sexy.I spritzed a little over my skin, and the sweet fragrance wafted up to meet me. I was going on a date, and I couldn't help this thrill of excitement at the idea of capturing Adrian's attention.My makeup had been on, just enhancing the eyes and the lips. The color I decided on for the lips was something bold and bright red; even against the color of the skin, it had popped.With my heels slipped on, complete with a matched handbag in color, the feeling of the true goddess rose. The heels added some element of glamour that made me just know I'd be making quite the statement as I would normally do."Today, I will hook Adrian today," I whispered to myself, while a charming smile beamed from my lips. I opened my cleavage a little with my hands and observed how this gown fitted my curves."I'm hot," I said, feeling proud of myself.Then, I stood up and began walking down the hallwa
I went to the office upbeat, buoyant, my racing heart with anticipation. I could not wait to see the scenario unfold before my eyes-to be able to eventually face Adrian and get my answers.The steps were huge, slow, and sure while I strode into Adrian's office; I felt a mission was well underway-my feet seemed not to feel or touch the floor, impelled by this almost primeval, instinctive propulsion.Upon reaching the door, I was stopped by a soft voice."Excuse me, ma", it said, and turning round, I saw a beautiful woman, fair in complexion, clad in an all-splendid red-some really pretty woman with her curly brown hair, bright smile. She looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and politeness.Who are you, please?" she asked in a soft melodic voice."And who do you look for?" She looked at me directly into my face, her eyes as if probing my brain. I felt the flutter of a bird in my chest, which I managed to still, reminding myself why I was there.I smiled confidently, self-assured."I
"Yeah, we need to talk, Adrian," I said, my voice shaking with emotion; it was a tearful and desperate tone. But Adrian did not even bat an eyelash due to my distress; he sat looking at the screen of his phone. And in that instant, I felt a pang of sadness and a bit of despair, feeling finally that he was lost, his heart hardened against me.I stood there, feeling so vulnerable and exposed, as Adrian walked over to the door, his face still fixed on the screen, a smile playing in the corners of his lips. He locked the door and settled into the chair, his eyes never leaving the phone."What brought you here?" he asked, his voice unemotional, as if he was speaking with a complete stranger.And he added, releasing words like profound cuts in my heart: "And for what reason are you dressing up as a harlot?" His face was stuck to the phone without turning toward me for even one second, so that he might not feel ashamed of looking into my face. The wave of pain and humiliation mounted in my h
"It's okay, it's fine," I exclaimed heatedly, though with defeat; the words burst in a gush from my lips in one tumble, with every syllable coated with desperation and despair. I was tired of groveling, tired of reaching out to him, tired of the damn rejection that had worn down my heart through relentless barrage.I sprang up at once, swift, sure movements in every limb; my anger bore me on like a billow against which the shore breaks.I clutched onto the wicker food basket tight, the crackling of wicker in protest as I hoisted it from the table-the only sound heard through the quiet like a shout of defiance. The heavy feel of the basket in my hands was real and reminded me of the work that I had done for our love, so coldly thrown in the trash.I went out from behind the door of his office, my footsteps stumbling on the cold, hard floor; the sound itself appeared to resound inside the silence, an ultimatum, a declaration.The door stood looming over me, a barrier between me and the
Slowly, I started getting ready, undressing and cleaning off the makeup from my face. Tender strokes of the wipe were soothing onto my frazzled nerves as I did everything really slowly.I relished this transformation-taking place, akin to a caterpillar finally making its way out into the world from its cocoon, rebirthed, renewed. I changed into something sexy and hot-a tight gown, fitted at my curves to a T, cuddling me at just about all the right places like into a second skin.And then, looking into the mirror well, I couldn't help but feel this surge of pride in me, a surge of confidence-half a queen surveying her kingdom.My full, round breasts stood to attention, their tender peaks upward like delicate water droplets glistening with a subtle sheen, like the first light of dawn breaking over the horizon. The dress was tight, showcasing every bend and contour of my body, like a work of art on display. I felt like a different person altogether, one ready for the world to bring it on
The swirling emotions danced across Zan's face at that moment, where Adrian knew very well the reason why. His deep-set eyes seemed to pierce through, revealing an ancient sorrow balanced with a raging urge for justice. The very tone of his voice impassioned as it turned into words, dripping with bitterness that encapsulated that suffering Adrian's family visited upon him."I think I need some compensation for the damage you have done," he said with total entitlement. "You must compensate me, Adrian." Adrian's eyes dropped, his shoulders slumping under burden after being guilty. He knew he could not undo whatever had happened, but he thought he ought to make some kind of reparation.In his desperation, he asked her, "What is it you want so that I can atone?” He would do anything to make this up and start healing the pain he had caused. The tension rose as Zan narrowed his eyes with a glare."Fifty percent of the profit in your company will be okay," answered Zan, firm and resolute. "F
ANDRIAN FLASHBACKThread by thread, it began to untwist. "'I came back from work that day and received a message that my office would be on fire,'" Adrian spoke with a quaver in his voice that bore the weight of memories.Tightly gripped around the mobile phone, Zan's knuckles turned white with tension. "Your father, Hilbert, threatened me," Adrian went on, fearful with the sound of it: "He held my mom captive for months," he broke into tears.Zan's mind reeled, the implications racing through his thoughts. "I called him that night, and he said he would release my mom," Adrian shouted back, desperate. "I gave your wicked father one hundred thousand dollars for my mother to come back," he spat out, filled with anger and hurt.The silence that ensued was tedious and burdensome on his chest. Pain and desperation streamed from the other end of the line, and Zan could sense them, but he himself was paralyzed in an emotional freeze of shock and horror."But guess what your dad did," Adrian'
I was there, the blood rushing through my veins; it was in a nightmare where Adrian's voice echoed with desperation and denial: "How...please, I didn't kill your mom and your dad." His words spilled in a stream of incoherence; they were desperate attempts to convince me of his innocence. "Perhaps some other person could use my name for that."But I hardly forgave him; I was angry and grief-laden, like a ten-ton cauldron left to boil without supervision. "Shut your mouth up, Adrian!" My voice spat through clenched molars. "You know what I'm talking about. Shut up your mouth, my friend. You know what I'm talking about." The weight of my malediction stared him in the face.Adrian spoke into the receiver; his voice shook and descended to lower planes, quickly shot into the protective skies. Even as he braced himself to defend his innocence, he uttered: "You wouldn't want any company to overrule you, would you?" My words dripped with venom. "Just shut me up, Zan." The time when silence rei
Adrian remained riveted to his phone, his eyes wandering over the screen in confusion and apprehension. Those words that he had just read burned into his brain with each syllable filled with the accusation of hostility. "You have destroyed my family; you have made me an orphan,' read the text of Zan. Adrian was still grappling with the meaning of those words from Zan; it was becoming a headache for him.'What is all this about, Zan?'” Adrian said, sounding horrible with confusion, almost desperate. "I'm getting confused, please help me understand," he added as his brain went into overdrive with questions. What kind of an imbecile was this man? How could he even utter such words? Adrian could hardly focus on any one thought because new questions kept flooding his mind in a swirling storm leading to greater confusion and frustration.Adrian winced at the coldness of Zan's reply. "Ohh, okay, I will do just that," came Zan in that trademark voice dripping with menace. "I told the Dubai go
The message on the phone caused Adrian to stare in horror with bulging eyes. The pang of hurt and disappointment had begun as the mind raced with questions. He answered immediately, smashing his fingers on the keyboard. "Zan, why?? What's this for?" was his message, his eyes glued to the phone, waiting.But there was none from Zan. The silence felt heavy, and the seconds ticked like hours. With his anxiety building, Adrian's mind wandered all over the place. There was a feeling of dread; his insides were churning.Just as he was about to lose all hope, the message popped. "We are going back to already, sir," was an obscure, foreboding message from Zan. Adrian's eyes sharpened, and his mind was racing with questions. "Why?" was again written furiously, with trembling fingers, full of anticipation.The words of Zan were so incisive and quick, like a punch to the gut. "Did you violate any rules?" asked Adrian, but though he had surprised questions, he was mostly involved in important mat
Nested deep in the shrubbery of the guagua bushes along the winding road, shadows loomed long and dark upon the earth as Adrian continued driving. Putting the car to a halt with the engine sputtering to a stop, Adrian sat in silence, staring at the telephone tracker. Somewhere out there, according to the stats by the GPS, Jenny was to be found, yet her exact whereabouts remained clouded in uncertainty. His frustration red-hot beneath the surface, Adrian felt he might explode with anger at any moment. He ripped off his shirt, the fabric tearing against his back, a white singlet visible underneath. He kicked off his shoes, bare feet trembling with rage and ready for the kill. He was a man on a mission, backed by an awesome determination to get Jenny and save her.Adrian sat there, chest heaving, and gathered every ounce of courage for the battle ahead. The path ahead was fraught with dangers: conditions under the guagua bushes kept many secrets and few ever braved them. Yet he was read
Samuel looked at Julian with a mix of concern and confusion as he observed Fidelia's odd behavior. "Maybe she has taken some hard drugs; that's why she's behaving like that," he said in a low, thoughtful voice. Julian narrowed his eyes somewhat, his expression skeptical but then nodded in agreement.Her eyes glowed and her face twisted with a new terror. "Yes, I am mad," she said rather bitterly. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Due to the agony my mother went through. I shouted because she was in a state." Her words were poured forth in a flood, raw and unrefined. "No one was able to comprehend, not knowing her monster husband did it all, just so he could extort money.For a moment, Fidelia's eyes were fixed on Julian, boring into him with fierce intensity. "And you, Julian," she shouted at the top of her voice reverberating through the entire room. "You wanted me to have sex with you, right?" Her words hung in challenge and accusation in the air. In that instant, a longer ripple of
Standing there, dumbfounded, my eyes flew back and forth between those two people before me. What are you doing here, Dad?" I softly asked Samuel, turning my head towards him. Then to the other figure, a man whom I never have seen before, yet for all intensive purposes, he seemed familiar. "And you too, what are you doing here?" I added, narrowing my eyes while trying to place him.And then, like someone thrusting a sudden sunbeam into a cloudy day, it came to me and I recognized him, Julian. The name whispered through my mind, and I shivered. The pair exchanged a glance, Samuel and Julian, then both burst into laughter. A cold wind seemed to sweep the room.They laughed heartily and then, with a peal of laughter, fell silent, looking at each other with watery eyes. They turned towards me, then laughed again as they dug their faces in. That sound pierced through the fog of my confusion and terror and left me feeling naked and vulnerable.My throat mounted a steeplechase over my heart-
The darkness weighed on Adrian. Alone, he stared at the smartphone screen, and slowly the worries came and began overshadowing him. He tried calling Jenny for the final time. But this time it was even worse. "BEEP" the dial tone resonated inside his mind as a sad song, tying a heavy string to the future of uncertainty residing in front of him.He was losing within that desperation clutching his heart. His once sharp and focused mind began to wander off aimlessly and could not concentrate on anything apart from those haunting images of Jenny.The incessant maelstrom of questions swirling in his head formed different shapes, and all were more tortuous than the first. "Man, how am I getting through with this thing right now?" He held the phone in a grip that suggested it was the only rope that could hold him alive.His fingers raced across the screen with both urgency and desperation, and though the seconds trickled by in almost a freeze, every second seemed like an eternity as he stared