NARRATOR’S POVONE YEAR LATERThe wedding preparations were in full swing, and Sydney rushed into the dressing room like a whirlwind, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the center of the room where Grace stood, resplendent in her wedding dress."Grace!" Sydney exclaimed, her initial frown melting into a beaming smile as she took in the breathtaking sight in front of her.Grace turned away from the mirror, surrounded by a swarm of cloth fitters, each one of them pinning and adjusting the folds of her wedding dress, and the many layers of the ivory satin and lace flowing around her like a dress from a fairy tale.Grace had designed the dress herself, because she wanted something that would be the best of the best. An epitome of both elegance and sophistication. Indeed, it was a masterpiece, with six seamstresses and fitters carefully tending to every detail on her body.A few hairstylists also hovered around Grace's head, working their fingers around the strands and twisting and cur
I received a pornographic video."Do you like this?"The man speaking in the video is my husband, Mark, whom I haven't seen for several months. He is naked, his shirt and pants scattered on the ground, thrusting forcefully on a woman whose face I can't see, her plump and round breasts bouncing vigorously. I can clearly hear the slapping sounds in the video, mixed with lustful moans and grunts."Yes, yes, fuck me hard, baby," the woman screams ecstatically in response."You naughty girl!" Mark stands up and flips her over, slapping her buttocks as he speaks. "Stick your ass up!"The woman giggles, turns around, sways her buttocks, and kneels on the bed.I feel like someone has poured a bucket of ice water on my head. It's bad enough that my husband is having an affair, but what's worse is that the other woman is my own sister, Bella.I let the video play, watching and listening to the two of them having sex, my disgust being provoked time and time again. Every time I hear their moans,
The soft wind of the night continued to whip my hair to and fro while I stood outside with my suitcase next to me. I was already out of that house, finally. Not quite far ahead into the streets, I noticed the headlights flashing brightly in my direction, and a faint smile quirked up my lips because I recognized who it was in an instant.The flamboyant red sports car pulled over right in front of where I stood, and an even more flamboyant woman was in the driver's seat twiddling her fingers at me as she wound down the windows.It was Grace.Grace was not only my best friend, she was also my business partner. We've been inseparable since our college days. And because we both shared a passion for fashion, we both decided to turn our dreams into reality by co-founding Luxe Vogue, a fashion-forward online shopping website that quickly became a favorite among young trendsetters.Grace had a keen eye for design, so she was in charge of designing stunning clothing collections, while I focused
MARK POVI pulled into the driveway, exhausted. Another long day of both work and fun had left me drained, and all I wanted was to unwind and relax. I stepped out of the car and loosened my tie, eager to get inside and finally relax. When I entered the house, I saw Sydney sitting there, staring at me with her usual blank look. I barely spared her a glance while heading straight for my study."I want a divorce," Sydney said before I could even reach the sanctuary of my study.Divorce? Ridiculous was the first word that came to my mind, and ridiculous it was indeed. The family business of Sydney's parents had been lent to the GT Group, which I owned. This was a contract that benefited both parties in every sense of the word. Sydney was only a woman I'd married, who depended on her parents and me for survival.Divorce, huh? It was obviously her new way of crying for attention, like she was fond of doing. It used to be the pitiful demeanor she carried around her, which was enough to convi
SYDNEY'S POVAs soon as I returned to the airport, I could already see Grace waving eagerly at me from the other side. Enthusiastic smiles and grins curled up my lips the closer I got to her. My short trip had come to an end, and might I say that those were the happiest three months of my life in a very long time.I wheeled my suitcase faster behind me and rushed, also waving back at Grace and rushing to meet her where she was standing. I hadn't noticed for a second at first, but someone familiar walked quickly past me. I couldn't help stopping to turn; I could swear I knew that back. No one could tell me otherwise, it had to be Mark. It was him.I was right, I confirmed with myself when I actually stopped and turned back to look at the person. It was Mark, I couldn't have missed it, walking with those fast strides of his as usual. He probably didn’t see me? Or if he maybe didn't recognize me again? I'd been gone for just three months, but if that was enough time for him not to know w
SYDNEY'S POVI threw that damn agreement into the shredder," he spat. "I've already canceled an important meeting for you, I can't waste any more time."He hadn't changed one bit. He was still that angry, impatient man I'd left behind who thought the world revolved around him. Rather, “my world”. If he didn't want his time wasted, why the hell did he follow me back there?Whether he threw the documents into the shredder, or burnt them to ashes with a lighter from his study, or kept them somewhere, none of that was my business.I stepped back from the door and stared angrily at his face."My intention to divorce you is serious and solemn. If you don't accept a divorce by agreement, then I will have to file a lawsuit for divorce. That will only waste more of your “precious” time, Mr. Man!" I made that much clear.At a point, my mind would slide back to think about the man who was probably still hiding somewhere in the house. I was also standing in front of the door and making sure to bl
MARK'S POVI groaned as I turned in bed. My head throbbed dully and I held it as I slowly rose from the bed. I looked at my surroundings and wondered why I was at home. I should be at work.I dropped my head in my hands and tried to remember. It didn't even take a second before the memories rushed back.My assistant had been able to locate where Sydney was and I had left every work I was doing to speak some sense into her. I remember that I had ordered her to follow me then…I frowned. Everything had gone black."That witch! How dare she hit me?" I gritted as I got off the bed. I glimpsed some medication on the drawers as I staggered out of my room.What was wrong with her? Why was she taking this far? I thought.The sound of wood banging against walls reverberated through the house as I threw every door open."Where the heck is she?!"The staff of my household just stood there speechless. Some of them flinched each time the door banged.I had asked where she was about a dozen times a
SYDNEY'S POVI couldn't stop the laugh that burst out of me as I took in the fourth special order for the day.Usually, Atelier receives a bunch of orders on a daily basis, and our employees take care of these orders. But if the jewelry order were to be custom made, the orders came directly to me.Right there on my screen was an order for two pieces of jewelry from Mark's assistant. It had been included in the preference space for it to 'stand out' from any of our jewelries, then he ended it with 'just name your price'.Typical. Only Mark would be so egotistic to make a request sound insulting. It was Mark's assistant that placed the order, but I was sure the order was on behalf of Mark. There was no way his assistant would be able to afford Atelier's custom-made designs for himself.I swiveled in my chair, whistling, "Time to make some extra millions."I turned back to my laptop's screen and reread the last phrase. My grin widened, "Oh. I am so going to name my price."Briefly, I won