GENERAL POVThe day had gone completely dark by the time Michael and Owen got into their respective cars. They waited inside for James to stagger back into his car and drive out before they followed him. Michael was particularly angrier, he kept his hands on his steering wheel murmuring to himself, his chest heaving upwards and downwards while his mind bubbled with thoughts of what he might do when he finally caught up with James. Owen, though quieter in his car, was no less resolved, his gaze fixed intently on the taillights ahead.Soon, James started his car, and afterward, the two friends followed.The trace led them through connecting streets, past neon-lit storefronts, and busy sidewalks until they arrived at a club on the edge of town. It was so much darker now than when they first left.The only source of light in the area was from the flashing neon, signs that adorned the club’s entrance, casting an artificial hue over everything.James had since parked and entered the noi
ISABELLA'S POVLilian's hand was warm as she led me gently toward the spot in the shadow where her car was parked.The area around us was growing darker by the minute. My eyes were still misty, and I could feel the cold sting of fresh tears clinging to my cheeks.Lilian didn't say much, her concern etched into every line of her face as she helped me into the passenger seat. We locked up the car doors, and then Lilian sat beside me for a moment, and from the corner of my eye, I could see her brow furrow in a mix of confusion and sympathy.It was obvious she didn’t fully grasp what had just happened, but her concern was clear.I kept sniffing, trying to compose myself.Lilian's eyes softened as she watched; she reached out, her hand hovering over my shoulder."Why don’t you put your address into the GPS?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.I nodded, fumbling with my phone to type in the familiar route home. The screen blurred as more tears welled up, and I had to blink several ti
THIRD POVMichael and Owen made their way back to the club's main hall.Their look now was a big contrast to how they had entered earlier.They had totally emerged as whole new creatures."I can’t believe it man. This really changes everything," Michael had said, his voice still sounding doubtful in a way.Owen leaned back in his chair and shot Michael a playful smirk. "See? The way is clear for you now. I’d start calling you ‘brother-in-law from tonight." He teased, raising his palm in a mock salute.Michael laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "How is this even possible?”As they continued their banter, Owen’s eyes darted around the room, half-heartedly looking around for any trace of James.There was no sign of him; he must have hurried home since then. The crowd was even thicker now, and the music thundered through the club, making it impossible to hear anything except the beat. Suddenly, Michael felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, the sensation jolting him forward.
ISABELLA'S POVThe first light of the day shone through my white transparent curtains, waking me up from sleep.I rolled lazily on my bed before rising to sit up.A yawn escaped from my mouth as I stretched my arms over my head.It was yet another Monday morning, the start of a new week, and still, the first thing I could think of was the chaotic weekend I experienced.Even in my dream last night, all the scenes kept replaying over and over again.From Michael’s unexpected confession to the wild night out with Lilian to the quiet solitude of Sunday.Everything just lumped together, leaving me with a weird sense of unease, of foreignness. It was almost as though I had watched all the activities of my body from a state of coma.I streched my hands again one last time before climbing down from the bed, my feet touching the floor of hardwood.I trudged across the room, starting up the routine of getting ready for work.Starting with a quick brush of my teeth, a refreshing shower, and the
ISABELLA'S POVI could still hear the loud breathing of my colleagues; they appeared to be louder now than normal.Judge Jonathan was slipping away from us, and we were running out of options, out of time.I dimmed my eyes, remembering the words of my favorite professor in my third year, Professor Raghav. He was Indian.He always had a way of seeing beyond the immediate problem—a way of finding the thread that connected everything. As I struggled to keep my composure, one of his popular quotes during our ward rounds hit me with a force triggering the light of insight."When you’ve eliminated everything you can see, start looking for the inviscible. Because danger is always a friend of the shadows."Those words struck me with new clarity. We were focused on what we could measure—what was right in front of us. But what if the real problem was something we hadn’t even considered? Something squatting in the background, eating up the patient in a way that wasn’t immediately obvious?“
ISABELLA'S POVI almost laughed after he made that statement but managed to hold it in, shaking my head instead as I headed towards the changing room attached to my office.I refused to look back until I closed the door behind me.For a second, I leaned against the cool tiled wall as my mind replayed the scene that unfolded back there.The image of Michael sitting there, playing my drunken love confession to me... What had I been thinking?“I can't let him get under my skin like this.” I whispered, covering my mouth with one palm. As I made it back to the office.Michael was still there when I opened the door; this time, he was comfortably sprawled on the couch.His fingers danced across the keypads of his laptop.He didn’t seem to notice me at first, and for a fleeting moment, I found myself smiling at the sight of him and how, at ease, he looked.But as soon as he flung his head up, I quickly averted my eyes and walked briskly to my desk, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing th
MICHAEL'S POVAs my car sped through busy city roads, I couldn’t help but keep replaying my last conversation with Isabella.The sound of her laughter was still echoing in my head, and the taste of her supple cheeks was still fresh on my lips.Just a few months ago, when she was still a married woman, I would never have guessed that this would happen so fast, even though I claimed to be patient.For the most part, since I’ve known her, she has always been out of my reach; I had been condemned to only seeing her in my dreams and daylight fantasies.Now, Isabella and I were something a little bit more than friends; I made lunch for her, and technically, we had kissed—I mean, a kiss on the cheek was still a win. I let out an excited laugh for no reason.I felt light, almost giddy.Even the controlled revving of the other cars in front and beside me seemed to dance to the rhythm of my joy.Is this really happening? I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the rearview mirror, noticing the
MICHAEL'S POV The puzzled silence after those words shot out of Grandpa’s mouth remained; deep lines cut across my forehead. I was trying to make sense of the whole sudden discovery. How could they possibly know about Isabella? Not a word about her or her family had slipped from my mouth when I last argued with them. My eyes darted around the room, searching for answers in the faces of the others in the room, particularly that of my parents, who were also peering back at me with the same measure of curiosity as a bunch of strangers. Grandfather stood directly in front of me, his gaze sharp and unflinching. Dad leaned forward slightly, a deep frown creasing his forehead, while Mom’s eyes narrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line, a questioning mask. Grandmother sat still beside Grandpa, her hands tightly clasped in her lap; she was folding and unfolding it. “Why did you wait for so long, son?” Grandpa’s voice came again, but it was a bit calmer this time; there was an ed