Naomi West******“Let’s go Ben. Time for bed.” I intentionally don’t yell out my plans for tonight when I call for Ben. Denzel has been playing the role of a jealous and offended husband ever since we mentioned Marcus’s name this morning. It’ll only blow his head if he were to know what we’re going to do now.Ben finishes his dinner early and discards the dishes in the sink before running to his bedroom. With one more lookout for Denzel—still refusing to budge from the sofa and watching Frozen 2—I slip inside Ben’s room.He’s already sitting up on the bed under the covers when I enter. He excitedly looks at me as I approach my side of his bed and take out my phone.“Quick. Before daddy gets too weird.” He whispers, acting as if we’re kids watching a movie after curfew.I open my contacts and video call Marcus. I hand the phone to Ben as we wait patiently for Marcus to pick up. After three rings, he eventually does, but it changes to voice call.“Is it a bad time?” I ask, desperately
I have been feeling guilty towards Marcus all night. Even though I made that Devil sleep on the couch and didn’t spare him a single glance this morning, my heart weighs heavy when I think of Marcus and how unfair I’ve been to him.Which is why the first thing I did in the morning was to schedule a meeting with him. I wanted to take Ben out as well, but Denzel probably knew about my intention and ended the discussion before it even came up.On the plus side, at least Marcus and I’ll be able to have a conversation like proper responsible grownups—on the downside, I won’t have any shield to hide behind.The bell jingles on the cafe’s door, warning us about a new presence. I look up and notice Marcus walking up to my table. For some reason, I can’t bring myself to smile.“Marcus, hey.” I speak, but even my tone sounds too monotonous. He nods, acknowledging my presence, but doesn’t speak up.Gathering courage, I say. “About last night. I’m truly sorry. Had I known beforehand, I would’ve d
"Naomi, I'm leaving." His bluntness astounds me and leaves me speechless. I stand before Denzel, my soon-to-be husband, in my wedding gown. I eye him up and down and my heart sinks."Why aren't you dressed?" My voice comes out sharper than I intend. I feel pathetic inside but it appears as if I'm angry at him."We've to postpone the wedding. I have an important business to tend to." Denzel's words come out in a hurry. It feels as if he just can't wait to leave."What is so important that you're postponing our wedding?" My tone keeps getting harsher.There's a lengthy pause before any of us speaks."I've found her." The tears involuntarily slither down my cheeks. The ache in my chest intensifies and her name clouds in front of my eyes. Layla. I angrily stomp towards him. I put my hand on his shoulder and turn him sideways to bring us eye to eye. My face feels hot from anger but his only shows urgency—urgency to get away from me to get to her."Why? What does she mean to you that you
Naomi West ****** “Naomi West? Please sign here.” The postal delivery officer loans me his pen. I’m still on a call, so I don’t bother asking him questions. Even though I’m not expecting a parcel, I still take it. After all, it’s too small to be a bomb. I shut the door after the man and turn back around into my home. I flip over the parcel in curiosity to see who is the sender. To my utter confusion, there is no return address or the sender’s name on it. An anonymous parcel? Fine, not a bomb, but it definitely has something to do with drugs. “Mommy! Mommy!” Ben’s tantrum draws my focus from the phone call and the parcel. I hurriedly place the parcel at a height where my little demon can’t reach. I search the drawing room to catch him running towards me like a thief escaping cops. Behind him, Marcus jogs into the hall with Ben’s backpack and bottle. I understand at once why the little demon is running away from him. Ben quickly hides behind my legs and holds onto them before I
"Is everything here?" Marcus asks once we get the stuff inside our apartment. Yes, and by ‘our’, I mean we're sharing it. We rented it as soon as we saw the design. It was indeed the best deal we could find on two days' short notice. Besides, it will be only a temporary residence until I save up enough to buy a home. I can't believe I'm going to be living together with him. I remind myself that it's only temporary—but it doesn't change much. "Did you get a response from Myra?" Marcus puts down a box of kitchen utilities he was carrying on the floor and cuts them open. My eyes follow his arms, the way his muscles flex and relax and the sweat that coats them. He's only wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans. I'm not attracted to him or anything, but I haven't dated for five years. It doesn't hurt to admire a free show, right? His question comes back to me. "She's invited us to an event. Skylight Novels & Publishing is going to celebrate the opening of its branch in San Francisco tonig
"Five years... Destiny is truly a bitch, right?" Denzel throws his head back and laughs maniacally. I check my surroundings once more, but I can't find the slightest trace of humanity. Denzel continues to laugh but stops when he notices me staring into the distance, not heeding him. The next thing I know, both his arms slam down on either side of me, caging me between him and the wall. His chest aligns with my face. Even with the shirt on, I can imagine his muscles just by their outline. My face feels hot. "Why did you come back, little rose? Aren't you afraid of the consequences I can make you suffer?" He angrily slams his hands on the wall, talking through gritted teeth. He takes my chin in his grip and tips my head up to meet my eyes. My heart is beating frantically. I can't stare off into the distance to ask for help. I can only crane my neck and gaze at his handsome face and let the fragrance of his shaving cream overwhelm me. The scent catches me off guard when I recognize
Denzel Flynn ****** I feel distracted during the entire meeting hour with the executives. The manager of the Application Management Department, Parker, updates me on the current stage of our app and its faults, stretching the meeting unnecessarily longer. I’m not always this impatient. But I have an important file lying on my desk that can change my future forever and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. ‘I want the file I asked for on my desk, Jake.’ I text my secretary for the tenth time. He sends me a yellow face, frowning emoji. Jake doesn’t like to be told twice. I smile inwardly, knowing that the file is waiting for me on my desk. “Sir, to rectify the faults within the app, we’ll need another five months before the launch.” It tips me off. “You said that during the last meeting as well, Mr. Parker.” The meeting hall falls silent and my words echo. I see Parker visibly gulp his spit down his throat. “After going over the data, I estimated that someone working with your sala
After leaving my office in Jake’s capable hands, I’m headed to meet James Davenport, a well-known, eminent movie director and producer, and my brother-in-law in his mid-thirties. In terms of business, James isn't a rotten apple, but when it comes to fame and social life, his reputation is no better than common trash. When Chloe told me that she wanted to marry James, I had the man investigated inside out. Sleeping around was his hobby and the words faithfulness and loyalty weren’t in his dictionary. He initially thought that he’d be able to get away with dating Chloe. That was before he found out about her full name. After marrying Chloe, I strictly banned him from partying. He didn’t take me seriously until I promised to relieve him of his manhood if he ever proved to be unfaithful to his wife. The driver pulls over before the studio. I get out of the car and find the usually bustling spot to be uncommonly quiet. Outside, not a single person can be spotted and on top of that, the