As Lorraine walked through the streets to hail a cab, she was flooded with thoughts on why Celeste had invited her for dinner. Surely, it could not be she was dying for her company, she had made it very clear that Lorraine was just an obstruction to her long-awaited and dreamt marriage with Clay and that she had to go. Why else would she now be calling her for dinner? As Lorraine's mind delved deeper into these thoughts, an e-scooter slightly passed her,causing a gust of wind that tousled her hair. It snapped her back to reality and made her realize the toll her marriage had taken on her. From David's attempts to tarnish her reputation to Shawn's attempts to use her, and now Celeste's invitation, she questioned how her life had spiraled into these troubling events, and stopped and wondered how her life had gone from a small girl living in The Bay, meeting up with her friends on Taco Tuesdays, movie dates and arcade nights to being at the center of these disturbing events. Did love h
Lorraine almost made it out of The Continental when her phone buzzed. She pulled it out with frustration, thinking it was Celeste. Could she not take the hint that she was not going to back off of Clay? Lorraine thought, frustrated over their meeting. But as she stared at the screen, her frustration changed into worry and desolation as she read the article"Wilson Fortune heir chooses young mistress Lorraine Davis; what a strange profile match", the article read, published by chief editor David Wright. Lorraine felt numb as she read the texts. Her heart sank at the ridicule that was thrown at her. It was okay when her name was not mentioned, but now she would become the center of attention in the news and on social media. She worried about her family's reaction to the news, and the thought of it made her heart sink. In less than a minute after the news was published, she noticed strange faces staring at her, and then her phone buzzed again. She quickly checked the text from Celeste "D
Winter was almost three weeks away, but it was still really hot in Manhattan. Lorraine felt tired as she walked slowly to her room and sat down at her work table. She found an old portable radio from the 90s, a gift her father had given her when she first went to college.Her father had said, "This will help you during tough times." Back then, Lorraine didn't understand what he meant. She was much younger than her classmates when she finished high school, so she had no idea what college life would be like.On her first night out in college, when she met him, standing across the college bar chugging down a beer with his fraternity boys, he had a desirable body and a more striking look. She stared at him with desire, an intoxication quite different from the alcohol she had taken. She was drunk enough to know she was drunk - "I know you're growing up, and soon you'll be off to college, but if you're drunk and you know you're drunk, that's probably the right amount", her father had educat
Lorraine decided to listen to her friends' advice and confront her fears. They had a point, but she was more worried about the answers she might get to the questions she had for him. What if they were wrong? What if she had just genuinely fallen in love with someone who only saw her as a pawn in his games, she shook her head, trying to dismiss the thoughts forming in her head. Ignorance was bliss, but she believed the truth would set her free. With that notion, she pushed open the double sliding doors and walked out.As she stepped onto the street, the weather had suddenly changed, becoming gloomy with a chance of rain. The strong breeze roughed her neatly styled hair, and she groaned in frustration. Even though she was going to see her husband, she had taken the time to dress fancy and improved her appearance; there was no sweeter vengeance than looking good to the one that caused you pain. Lorraine wore a flared skirt with boots and a cashmere sweater for the cold. She looked left a
As the taxi drove through the open roads of The Bay, she couldn't shake off the overwhelming feeling from Grandma Edith's generous gesture. Suddenly, the day felt brighter, and her mind wandered into thoughts of becoming a homeowner as she soaked in the soft ambiance of the open road, the freedom and peaceful atmosphere it now brought. Lorraine had traveled on these roads for a more significant part of her life, but now, she noticed the little things she had never paid attention to before, like the sweet fragrance of the Daisy gardens by the bridge.The fact that the man she loved wasn't behind her difficult situation brought her excitement. Maybe it was all thanks to Grandma Edith, fulfilling her wildest dreams and granting her this wonderful gift, perhaps it was her journey back to Clay as she looked forward to reuniting with him and the promises of romance their meeting held. For the first time in weeks, Lorraine Davis felt completely happy.She took out her AirPods and put them in
The following morning, Lorraine woke up and foundClay's arms over her. She carefully slipped out of his hold and stood quietly from the bed, staring at him. His mused hair, peaceful sleeping face and contoured muscles rose and fell rhythmically with his heartbeat as he inhaled and exhaled. A vibrant smile escaped her lips as she recalled the previous night's events.Much to her surprise, she couldn't hold back. Her kisses were unrestrained and urgent like she wanted to forget the last few weeks of her life, and Clay's lips were cherry sweet amnesia.Last night, she followed his lead like a salsa dancer. This was, after all, a dance, the oldest and most common of them all, the dance and art of seduction. When they finally reached his massive bed with gray sheets as neutral as the thinning of white and black and as smooth as snow to the touch, she could not remember when her blouse had come off or if she held any thread of will left in her body. Part of her had expected it to happen,
At 7 a.m., the radio turned on and the tunes of Elton John's song "Sacrifice" filled Lorraine's room. The sweet melody and beautiful lyrics made her sleep even better. Lately, ever since the night she had rediscovered her love for radio songs, which helped soothe her pain. Lorraine had said goodbye to Alexa and welcomed back the antiquated media she grew up with.Lorraine enjoyed the static buzzing and the voices of newscasters on the radio. It helped her meditate and sleep, just as her therapist had suggested to her when she delved deep into Lorraine's youth, and found that it was an emotional comfort that often soothed her when she was growing up, and dealing with teen angst and typical rough days at school. When her therapist Celine suggested the radio as a remedy for her recent breakup with Shawn, Lorraine found it amusing and impractical. She decided that her regular two hundred dollars a week would be better spent elsewhere than on a stranger telling her to practically "listen
Lorraine was shocked when she saw her husband. The night before, she had hurriedly left his house, leaving only a letter by his bedside, trying to save face. She had hoped he would be busy with work or a business trip as he usually was, so she wouldn't have to see him at the company. But today, Clay had made time to meet her, which she found quite inconvenient.At the company, Lorraine didn't know how to address him. She knew Clay was a strict CEO who preferred to be called by his last name. She always wondered why being called by his name ticked him off, but decided not to press on. Nervously, she said, "Good morning, Mr. Winston. Sorry I'm late." Surprisingly, Clay smiled. He found her shyness endearing and kept his gaze on her, making her feel even more uncomfortable."Why are you late, Ms. Davis?" he called out. Even though they were married, Lorraine kept her legal name. He motioned for her to come closer, and reluctantly, she walked towards him, her feet dragging, and her heart
It was a Saturday morning, exactly two weeks after the funeral, the morning air felt blissful as it sieved in through the open windows of their bedroom. Lorraine had moved back in with Clay and finally, they were living together as a couple. Earlier that week, Lorraine and Clay had renewed their vows and had a small ceremony, publicly announcing their marriage to the media. After everything that had happened, they figured that they wouldn't let anything else come in the way of them being together as a family. There was no reason to anymore.Clay had won over his family's affection, and Lorraine had reached the zenith of her career independently without Clay's help. She finally felt fulfilled and no longer felt belittled by being married to a man as famous, wealthy and influential as Clay Winston.Lorraine woke up that morning and found Clay still sleeping peacefully beside her lips parted in a smile.Slowly, she slid out under his arm, stood up and walked towards Edith's crib. Seein
Lorraine was appalled upon hearing her father tell her Jordan's funeral was the next day."Dad what do you mean his funeral is tomorrow?", she asked seeking confirmation "We don't think we should keep it for long, so we're going to do something small and intimate. Only a few friends and family" Elaine interjected sharplyLorraine was not satisfied with the arrangements, but this was her brother's funeral and she did not particularly want to argue. The faster Jordan was buried, the quicker she could mourn him and try to move on.Just then, Clay walked in and when he saw Lorraine, he hurriedly marched towards her and pulled her into a deep hug"How are you? How is she?" He asked with concern, and at this time her parents realized they had not asked about their grandchild"She's fine, she's healthy" Lorraine replied hastily and immediately her mother gasped in shock and covered her mouth, crying softly"Lorraine I'm so sorry I didn't ask. How is my grandchild?" She asked with curiosity.
Leaving a letter for Mrs Hughes was a lot easier to do, but here Lorraine was standing face to face with DeAngelo and couldn't find the words to say goodbyeDeAngelo sat on the stone bench outside, gazing at her quizzically, wondering why she had showed up unannounced after ignoring his calls and messages.After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he asked with concern "Lorraine what's going on? Did you have a safe delivery?" "No, I mean yes, I did. The baby is fine, she's with the girls now" she replied sharply and then sucked in a quick breath and said"I came to say goodbye""Goodbye?" DeAngelo asked reflexively, stunned "You're leaving?" He added still in shockLorraine glanced at his face and said meekly "Yes. My family needs me" She said vaguely and paused. Shifting her gaze to DeAngelo's face, she saw that he still needed more context and hesitantly she said "My brother died yesterday. I'm going back home for the funeral and to be with my parents through it""I don't thin
The next day, Lorraine woke up to the sound of her beeping alarm. Opening her eyes, she groaned in exhaustion and the reality that her brother was now dead sank in again and the weight of it kept her under her sheets.Today was going to be her last day in Italy, and she never imagined this was the feeling she'd be leaving with.Having always known it would be tough to leave, she always believed it wouldn't feel that hard when she finally got back home to see the faces of everyone she loved. But now Grandma Edith was gone, and so was her brother.Lorraine tried so hard not to cry, but could no longer hold the tears that stifled in her eyes and at that time, she heard a faint knock on her door.Quickly, she got up, wiped the tears away and said "Come in" The doors swung open and revealed Caterina leaning pensively against the wall with a tired look on her face"Good morning" she uttered softly. The girls had spent all night taking turns to watch over the baby and as a result did not ge
Lydia and the girls were outside the hospital when Dr Ivan approached them. Elena was the first to spot her and immediately hurried towards her "Is she alright doctor?" She asked frantically A small smile plastered on the doctor's face as she replied "Yes, she is. They both are""Why don't you go in? A nurse will come to take the baby away soon" She nudged and walked away. Instantly, the girls rushed inside the delivery room and saw Lorraine with a baby carefully wrapped in her palms. At first sight, they were all in awe by the view, but then when they moved closer, Caterina noticed that she was crying.At first, she assumed that Lorraine was just excited to have her baby. Slowly, with light footsteps, Caterina approached Lorraine and when she saw the baby, she gaped in awe."She's so beautiful," Caterina said softly. Lydia and Elena were on the opposite side of the bed staring at the baby, but suddenly they noticed Lorraine's sullen expression."Lorraine?" Caterina called on seein
"What?!" Caterina exclaimed I'm excitement. Immediately, she stood up and went over to Lorraine, helping her to her feet, and grabbed their papers "Ladies, what is going on here?" Mrs Hughes said authoritatively, seeing the girls disrupt her examination atmosphere."Ma'am Lorraine needs to go to the hospital, she's having a baby" Caterina replied helping Lorraine down the stairs. At that time, Lydia and Elena instantly got up and followed.When they reached the front of the hall, Mrs Hughes walked over to them and got the papers. She then leaned towards Lorraine and said with a gleeful smile "Congratulations. Do not worry about the examination, I'll take care of it" The girls rushed to the SUV and brought it around immediately. Caterina helped Lorraine into the backseat and in a few moments, they were off to the hospital.The engine roared through the highway. Luckily, Lorraine already had the number of the doctor who attended to her when she was pregnant, Lydia quickly retrieved he
It was a week after the Art Convention ended. When Lorraine returned to the school, she was graced by a grand welcome, while some people were not happy that her honest speech could ruin the chances of their school winning, they ultimately admired her courage and what she did for them.That morning, Lorraine woke up and for the first time ever, she didn't feel the need to conceal her pregnancy. Pretty much, the entire school knew of it by now and it felt free.Spring was almost over, and it was hard for her to bid it farewell, much harder cause this was her last semester in the Art School before she'd have to return home.Lorraine had fallen in love with the city and its people, the different lovely personalities, their food, boat rides and most especially, the friends she had made.The thought of going back home was not quite as exciting as she thought it'd be. Over here, she felt like she was with people who spoke her language, people who understood the struggles of what it means to
The judges settled around 9:15 that morning, and shortly after the second round of the competition began. As usual, Davio Art School went first, their representative was a girl who was already shaking in her boots when she was called to the stage.Lorraine sat pensively, observing and studying the reactions, expressions and patterns which the judges used to examine artworks. In her head, she had cooked up a plan, but this would only work if she could find their emotional trigger and find a way to use it against their rules."Next up, Faun's Art School!" The announcer called. Grace was sitting beside Lorraine trying to trash talk and put her out of her game. She smirked as she stood up and walked to the stage. At that point, Lorraine's confidence was too high to be threatened. There was something more important at stake to be disturbed by what some posh art school girl thought of her.Grace took the stage and the timer began, thirty minutes! Thirty minutes to come up with something d
The day was bright and sunny. However, Lorraine woke up feeling clouded in her head. She had made a bold decision yesterday night to forfeit the award and the certificates that came with it, but now she wasn't so sure anymore.Her career's future and everything she ever wanted and worked hard for hung on that decision. She sat up and shook her head, dismissing the thoughts then walked into her kitchen and made herself something to eat.She needed a clear headspace to think, but just then she was interrupted by a knock on her door. Groaning in frustration, she marched towards it and opened it aggressively "What?!" And immediately regretted gee outburst"Mrs Hughes..." she blurted in shock"Good morning Lorraine," the lady said and brushed past her, entering her room. Lorraine remained frozen at the door for a few moments, then closed it and turned to Mrs Hughes. "Sorry ma'am, but what are you doing here so early?" She asked Mrs Hughes turned to her with a proud smile and said, "I c