REINAEverything Bruce said to me made me super happy. It was a thing or joy entirely to see that someone was particularly interested in everything that you did.“I can't wait to see you on that day, Bruce. I really can't,” I said and grinned over the phone.“You have no idea how honoring your request means to me. If I am not there on your big day, I doubt if my mind would be at rest,” he responded.I felt my heart leap as he talked. He had a special way of making me wear a smile on my face for the remaining hours of the day.The big day was already approaching and I knew that I had given this project my best.Anything that would happen that would make this project successful, that I had already put in place.Myself and Bruce talked for a few minutes before the call went dead and I went around my other businesses.***The day of the launching was soon coming fast. The D-day that we had all been expecting. I have been feeling quite skeptical about it for the last few days on this proje
REINAI woke up to the sound of my alarm clock, buzzing through the walls of the room.Without wasting time, I had my bath and got prepared for the big day in front of me. I could not believe that I had woken up this early just to get to the office for the launching.I stood in front of my mirror and tried different dresses for the occasion. I had to let my instinct tell me which dress I could wear for this event.As the lead designer for this project, I could not be caught wearing something not up to standard.I would make the headlines for something not worth it. On my body was another piece of clothing that I finally settled with. An ash coloured pants suit with a bow tie hanging down from my neck. I tried to keep it as minimalistic as possible and I ended up giving off the old money vibe.My makeup was mild and simple and I complimented it with a nude lipstick. On my legs were my black loafers and I grabbed a sun shade over my eyes to match.My hair was not left out, it was st
ETHANRunning helter skelter was not the word. I was literally everywhere on this D-day.Dressed in my most expensive and best suit. I began by greeting every important personnel that I came across.While I was exchanging greetings with the people that matter, I spotted Ravenna from afar. Her face was so uptight and I tried to avoid her but the man who I was talking to didn't let me go on time.The ceremony had just begun and my attention was not needed indoors almost immediately. I still had about twenty minutes to run around outside and do a little networking before I went back in.Reina had been helping me with the introduction and everything needed. “It was nice speaking with you, Mr. Ethan. I guess I will have to sit and wait for the best part,” a Chinese exporter said to me. That was the end of our discussion . This time, Ravenna was very close to me. I could smell her even from a distance.“You are avoiding me again, aren't you?” she asked as she got to where I was.If there
REINAAfter my conversation with Ravenna, I had been quite disturbed. Yes, I went back into the studio dark room to confirm that nothing had been done to the clothes.My dear was relieved a little when I confirmed that the clothes were still in good shape. Nothing was done to the clothes. Everything was still as it were.But, now sitting beside Ethan in this hall was the most awkward thing ever.The media personality in charge of the event was doing his work perfectly well. Calling us to speak when it was required of us and calling on the live band in charge of the music to play when it was necessary.I was enjoying every bit of it until my phone lightened up.I quickly swiped up to check what it was. It was a text from an unknown number and it read.“Be careful. Ravenna is about to do something unexpected. This is not about the dresses. It is about your child.”I almost screamed and Ethan noticed my unusual behavior. I was going crazy in the middle of the event. I swiped to check w
ETHAN“I will get you the drink you want now,” I offered.“No, please. I can cater for myself. Besides, it won't make too much sense if both of us are seen at the bar when it's our ceremony,” she protested.She was only looking for excuses to make but, I won't give in to her excuses this time.This launching ceremony was so important to me but still I am still looking out for her.She better notice the sacrifices I am putting up for her to fall in love with me.“Other trusted staff are there to make sure the event goes as planned. Besides, I am not planning to stay there throughout today. Just for a few minutes, when you get yourself. We can both go back and join the “Hmmm…what if you are needed somehow? I still don't buy this idea,” she said.“If I am needed, then I will go and attend to it. There is no cause for alarm. I want to make sure that my designer is okay.”She chuckled and I walked down with her to the little bar in the building. I looked back over my shoulder with my dar
REINA This second wine tasted a lot better than the previous one. But, even as I drank that. I still wanted to leave. “Ethan. Ethan. Ethan. Ravenna.”Those names kept on ringing in my ears. He is Ethan. Ethan is him and Ravenna is his wife.I am in a bar alone with the man that I never wanted to be seen with. The man whose wife was someone that wanted me out of this world.What was I even doing? Why was I so comfortable that I was sharing a drink with him?Holy heavens! I'm just out of my mind.I needed to go but I didn't know how. I have tried all I could to get myself out of here and find Raveena before she ruins my day but I could not. Ethan has held me captive and won't allow me to leave his sight. I messed up big time reading that message in his presence. I would have been more careful.“I am sorry, Ethan. I think this short time we spent today was great and I really need to leave. Let's not forget that we have something to do.”“I am aware. I never wanted to keep you here. A
REINA“Raveena!” I almost blurted out. I was terrified to the core and I knew that my Raveena had started to plan things that were silly. I looked beside me and saw that Ethan had been staring at me the whole time.“What's the matter? Now, I am certain that something is definitely wrong somewhere and you have no choice but to tell me,” he demanded.I wish he could understand that this is not something I see myself talking about, not anytime soon. I had a lot on my plate and staring here was not helping. I need to find Raveena before she finds me and spoils my day.“It is nothing. Let's go to the hall now. They need us,” I pleaded with him but he decided not to let me come with him.“They are still far away from needing us, Reina. I need you to open up to me and let me know what the problem is. Look, I don't bite. I know that we have had some misunderstanding but that doesn't stop me from helping you if I can,” he disclosed but that was not the problem that I had with him.“Like I s
REINA We both froze and stood still. I recognised that voice. I sure did. “Ravenna! What are you doing here? You should be at the launch. In the hall,” Ethan said, almost stuttering in between words.I was getting embarrassed on his behalf. But, my fear was greater than his embarrassment. I was scared of what Ravenna was going to do next. I just had to stay alert and prepare myself.I faced her and maintained eye contact with her so that she would get the impression that I was not afraid of whatever she was going to do.Besides, she was alone. I would do justice to this. I trust myself.“Stop It, Ethan. I am not in the mood for all of these. I had always known that you had been secretly seeing her. You should be ashamed for going back to your vomit,” she sneered at him but Ethan was not moved by her words.It was written all over his face that he does not love her and he does not see any future with her. But, as always Raveena would keep forcing herself on him even if that was the
Reina“Why isn’t he waking up, Ethan?” I whispered, clutching the edge of the hospital bed.My voice trembled as I stared at Andrew’s pale face, his tiny body was almost swallowed by the sheets. The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room.I was going crazy. My only child was in a critical condition. “Reina, calm down,” Ethan said softly, though from his voice , I knew he was also scared. He was standing by the window, his hand pressed against the glass. “The doctors said they are running more tests.”I snapped my head towards him. “Tests? Ethan, he has not opened his eyes in hours! This is more than a fever. I know it!”Ethan turned to me and his face tightened. “Do you think I’m not worried? I’m losing my mind here, Reina! But panicking won’t help him.”The tears I had been holding back spilled over as I buried my face in my hands. “He’s just a child. Our child. He doesn’t deserve this.”The night before, Andrew was not sick. He just suddenly became
Reina The email came at 7:45 a.m. sharp. It was as if the person who sent this mail did it deliberately to give me chills. I was sitting at the kitchen table, still in my oversized sweatshirt and sipping my first coffee of the day when I saw the subject line. “Congratulations on Your Appointment". My hand shook as I clicked the email, my heart pounding. And then I saw it: the confirmation that I had landed the job I had been dreaming about for years. It was the job of a Creative Director at one of the most prestigious firms in the city. I let out a gasp so loud that Ethan came running into the kitchen. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you fine?” he asked, his face filled with concern. “Nothing’s wrong!” I said, laughing through my tears. “I got it, Ethan! I got the job!” His eyes widened in disbelief, and then, like a switch, his face softened into a smile. “Are you serious? Are you serious right now, sweetheart?” he asked, stepping closer. I nodded, holding up my phone
Reina The following morning, the house felt colder than ever. It was not the weather or the light drizzle outside my house, it was the emptiness Ethan left behind. After our little argument last night. Ethan left the house and refused to answer my calls. I was going crazy because of a husband I had married and now, he had refused to come back. My heart became so heavy as I began to think about the implications of our argument. Had I pushed him too far this time? Was this all my fault? I would have shut the fuck up and not talk much to him about anything. It would have saved us a lot of stress. I stared at the clock, my coffee untouched on the table. Every second that passed without a word from him felt like a ticking bomb. My pride told me to wait, to let him be the one to come back and apologize, but my heart was screaming at me to call him, to beg him to come home. I needed him home. I needed to see him even if we were quarreling. I picked up my phone, my fingers hov
Reina “Damn it!” I almost yelled at the blank wall b The sound of the rain splattering against the window just reminded me of how my mind was. The atmosphere in the house had changed since the accident. I was getting better of course, I knew I was. I was taking my drugs and going for my frequent checkups to make sure I was fine. I was doing all I wanted to do to stay alive. Because, Damn. I still had a little boy that I needed to take care of. Ethan was trying his best to be present, trying to make things better between the both of us and I always appreciated his efforts but something still felt fractured. No matter how hard we tried, the pieces of our relationship didn’t fit the way they used to. That was just the plain truth. I could not continue lying to myself. I loved him, yes. But we were not as we used to be. Tonight, the tension felt unbearable. I sat at the dining table, staring blankly at the steaming cup of tea in front of me. Andrew was already in bed, and t
Reina Everyday in the hospital was filled with so much pain and all I could see were patients who were attended to and nurses who were filled with so much concern. Ethan never left me for a second. He was there every morning when I woke up and every night when I drifted into restless sleep. But the accident had changed something. It was not just in my body, but in the air that surrounded us. I could feel it in the way he hovered over me, his hand brushing mine as if afraid I might shatter. I could see it in the way he looked at me. It was not just love; it was fear. And I hated it. “You are not eating enough,” Ethan said one afternoon. I pushed the food tray away, the smell of the hospital’s chicken broth making my stomach rumble. I hated the sight of food. I didn’t want to eat anything. “I’m fine.” “You are not fine, Reina,” he said, his tone hardening. He sat down beside me, his knee brushing against the edge of the bed. “You almost died.” I flinched at the word. “You
ReinaI woke up that morning feeling restless. Something was off, though I could not quite put my finger on it. I didn't know what was wrong. Ehan had left the house earlier than usual, claiming he had a meeting with a client. Andrew was still asleep upstairs and I could hear his small snores drifting down the hallway, reminding me that he was here in this house with me. Although, I knew that in an hour or two, he was going to be left with his nanny. I lingered over my coffee, staring out the kitchen window at the dull gray sky. The forecast had warned of heavy rain later in the day, but I was not worried. My schedule was packed with back-to-back meetings, and I had promised myself to leave early to pick up a package. "Are you going to sit there all day, or are you finally going to get ready?" Celia's voice crackled through my phone.“I’m moving, I’m moving,” I mumbled, setting my mug down and heading upstairs.As I dressed up, my thoughts wandered to Ethan. He had been doing goo
Reina's POV I woke up to the sound of rain tapping against the window. When I turned to my side, Ethan was not in bed. Again. For the past few days, he had taken to waking up before me, always slipping out of the room quietly. He said it was to give me more time to rest, but I noticed some strange things about him. He hovered around me yet kept his distance, as though he didn’t know how to approach me anymore. I sat up slowly, careful not to let the dizziness creep in again. The doctor’s words echoed in my mind: “Stress is a major trigger.” I could not help but laugh bitterly. How did he expect me to avoid stress when my entire life already felt this stressful? I was trying not to allow myself to be very stressed but, some things won't let me. “Reina?” Ethan’s voice startled me. I had not even heard him come in. He stood in the doorway, holding a tray with what looked like breakfast. I could see some scrambled eggs, toast, and a glass of orange juice. “You made br
Reina’s POV The pounding in my head kept on returning as it screamed vengeance to me. It was the third day this week, and I could no longer ignore the dizziness that often followed. I gripped the edge of the kitchen counter, trying to keep myself from falling to the floor as my vision blurred for a moment. “Mom, are you okay?” Andrew’s small voice pulled me out of my haze. He was standing by the fridge, holding a juice box, his curious eyes staring at me. I forced a smile. “Of course, sweetheart. Just tired. Did you finish your homework?” “Yes,” he replied, but his brows furrowed. “But, mum. You don’t look okay.” Before I could reassure him, the front door opened, and Ethan walked in. I could still feel his presence as he stepped in and it gave me a kind of feeling that I could not quite explain. Things had been better between us, but there was still a fragile thread tying us together. “Hey,” Ethan greeted, glancing at Andrew and then me. His eyes lingered on my face.
Reina I and Ethan reconciled again. After so many times of quarreling. The weeks after our reconciliation felt good at least. Ethan was attentive, loving, and almost like the man I had fallen in love with years ago. It felt too good to be true, and deep down, I could not shake the feeling that the storm wasn’t over. We were still going to have our quarrel again. One evening, as I was sitting in my home office reviewing proposals for my latest fashion campaign, my phone buzzed. It was Celia.“Reina, you are not going to believe this,” she said happily and her voice tinged with excitement and panic.“What is it?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.“I just saw Ethan,” she began.“And?”“He was at a café with a woman I didn’t recognize. They looked… close.”I felt my stomach drop. “Close how? What do you mean by that?”We just reconciled and now, Celia was telling me this? This was not true. “They were sitting in a corner booth, whispering, and he handed her a thick envelope. I did