ALARIC’S POVI let out a small yawn as I stretched my hand to pull my wife closer. My eyes were still closed, but I was met with emptiness. I sprang my eyes open, my heart thumping. The sun had risen in the sky, sending its reflection into the room. My eyes ran round the room. Her clothes were still sitting on the laundry basket, so that had to mean she was in the house. I dashed into the restroom to find it empty. Fear crawled through me. Did she leave me again? Was it forever this time?My heart was beating so fast. Even though I had gotten used to being people’s second choice, I had doubts that I could live without her. I picked up my phone from the bedside and instantly dialled her number, but it was switched off. A bead of sweat broke across my neck.Soon, I was storming downstairs, asking every maid if they had seen my wife, but none did. My parents and Elena were sitting at the dining table, munching on food.“Good morning, son.” Mother smiled brightly. “Care to join us?”“Hav
AUTHOR’S POVIsabella’s soul had been trapped in a dark, endless abyss, and she had no idea of how long that had stretched on. It was like she was alive and wasn’t at the same time. All it took was just a second for everything to change. A loud cough escaped her lips as she pulled her eyes apart, her body weak and in pain. There was something attached to her arm, and the whole room looked unfamiliar, as did the Blonde-haired, good-looking man standing before her.“Where am I?” she asked out of sheer curiosity because she could vividly remember being with her husband and then the confrontation with Elena and his mother. “Get me, Alaric, please.” She proceeded, wanting to believe this was one of the rooms in their house. The man, dressed in a white shirt and black pantsuit, made his way carefully towards her, his hands in his pocket and his eyes not leaving her. He was in disbelief that she would request Alcohol the moment she awoke. Regardless, he had millions of questions running thr
ISABELLA’S POVToday was exactly two years since I married the man I had loved for five years. A smile caressed my lips as I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and turned my head to steal a glimpse of the pretty red and white cake sitting in the transparent box on the passenger seat. My phone dinged continuously, but every time I looked at it, it was just classmates from way back, expressing how lucky I was to be married to the once school hottie and a multi-billionaire. Maybe my marriage wasn't as rosy as people thought, but I was at least glad I got to be with him. Alaric Wolfe….His name rang in my head for the umpteenth time. The image from the first day I saw him seeped into my mind. It was my first day in college, and I was just a shy, nerdy girl with whom no one wanted to relate. Even my sister did her best to avoid me. “Who walks around in glasses and an ugly outfit like that? Reputation, girl. I don't know about you, but mine matters.” She had said, sounding so disgus
ISABELLA’S POVA sharp pain ran through my head as I drifted my eyes apart. The harsh, sterile light hitting my sensitive eyes caused me to blink. The smell of antiseptic filled the air, mixed with the beeping sounds of the machines. I tried to take in everything about my surroundings. Before everything went blank, the image found its way in. “Oh! You awake?” A gentle female voice said, and I turned my head slowly due to the pain of seeing a pretty lady who seemed to be in her twenties smiling at me. She was dressed in a nurse uniform. She had black hair and looked like she was pleased with her job. “How do you feel now?” She questioned; however, I felt my mouth was too dry to respond. It felt like I hadn't drunk a drop of water in ages. My throat was so parched, with my head throbbing.My whole body was on fire. It felt as though it was stung by needles, and I groaned. “What day is it?” I managed to croak out, my voice a shadow of itself. I could feel my energy draining with string
ISABELLA’S POV“See what the cat dragged in after four days.” Elena let out a smug look on her face. “Just enough time to have all the fun in the world while your husband suffers. Poor Alaric. It must be such a headache to be married to you.” She added, her tone dropping, causing me to clench my teeth.Two years after school, and yet nothing had changed. That is such old bitchy behaviour from a spoilt brat. I rolled my eyes and tried to walk past her, squeezing Mireille’s hand not to give a response. My whole body was on fire. The pain was getting worse with every second that ticked by, even though the Doctor admitted to giving me painkillers. I still had to show up some other days to get checked. “You don't get to leave when I’m talking!” She threatened, pulling me back and causing my head to let out a bang. My heart rate rose, and I could feel it hammering against my chest as memories of the accident flooded my mind. I could smell the lingering petrol in the air. The world was clos
ISABELLA’S POVI took a deep breath as my eyes ran through the well-light room. Tables and chairs were in every corner of the room, and so were people I had never met until this moment. My fingers were trembling from the nervousness. This was an art competition, and I didn’t even know if I was supposed to be there. Mireille had submitted one of my Alaric paintings to sign up for this. I saw contestant number 5 doing his own thing, and the crowd cheered him on. According to rumours, there were ten participants, most of whom had influential people or knew the judges. In contrast, all I had was Mireille.“I can’t do this,” I mumbled, and she immediately caught my palms in her, squeezing it gently.“Of course, you can. I know what you are capable of, Isa. If you ever feel nervous, remember the one time I peed myself in front of my crush and didn’t do the same.” I chuckled slightly, her words calming me a little.“Contestant 6, come up stage.” I heard one of the judges say into the microp
ISABELLA’S POVThe sun was shining brightly in the sky yet Alaric was nowhere to be found, even after I sent a mail to him, demanding that he showed up. I grunted as I tapped my shoe heel against the floor due to the nerves wrecking inside me. It felt so strange, unreal that I was about to put an end to this bondage. This term called love that had tied me down for so long. It was almost nine am and my flight leaves in thirty minutes.“We need to go, Isa. He is not coming. He doesn’t care enough to.” Mireille said, her left hand wrapped around my shoulder. “I’m glad you know you deserve better now.” She added in a whisper and I felt my eyes soak with tears.For once I had thought he would care enough to be here. To let me go of my heart, and stop hurting me. But how can he let go of something he never wanted in his possession. I bit on my lower lip and nodded before getting back into the black Mercedes Benz the company had pick me up. Even as the door closed and the engine roared to l
ISABELLA’S POVI dragged in a deep breath as my fingers trembled coldly. I was sitting in one of the offices that the red haired secretary had directed me to, just two days after i got to Florida. My heart couldn't stop beating so fast as I awaited them to get here. I meant the CEO of DeluxeArts, said to be in a meeting. I was dressed in a wine-colored cooperate gown that stopped a little above my knees, paired with a white heel and bag. Mireille picked them out. I took in the sight of the office as the large glass windows flooded the room with light, while overlooking the buzzing street. The office was separated by glass walls that made her feel almost seen and each calling painted in matte black. In front of land laid a sophisticated piece of wooden furniture with a monitor and keyboard on it. There were books, and paintings hanging and neatly arranged on the shelves. Everywhere smelt so intoxicating.The glass door pushed open and I watched a middle aged man walk into the room, dr
AUTHOR’S POVIsabella’s soul had been trapped in a dark, endless abyss, and she had no idea of how long that had stretched on. It was like she was alive and wasn’t at the same time. All it took was just a second for everything to change. A loud cough escaped her lips as she pulled her eyes apart, her body weak and in pain. There was something attached to her arm, and the whole room looked unfamiliar, as did the Blonde-haired, good-looking man standing before her.“Where am I?” she asked out of sheer curiosity because she could vividly remember being with her husband and then the confrontation with Elena and his mother. “Get me, Alaric, please.” She proceeded, wanting to believe this was one of the rooms in their house. The man, dressed in a white shirt and black pantsuit, made his way carefully towards her, his hands in his pocket and his eyes not leaving her. He was in disbelief that she would request Alcohol the moment she awoke. Regardless, he had millions of questions running thr
ALARIC’S POVI let out a small yawn as I stretched my hand to pull my wife closer. My eyes were still closed, but I was met with emptiness. I sprang my eyes open, my heart thumping. The sun had risen in the sky, sending its reflection into the room. My eyes ran round the room. Her clothes were still sitting on the laundry basket, so that had to mean she was in the house. I dashed into the restroom to find it empty. Fear crawled through me. Did she leave me again? Was it forever this time?My heart was beating so fast. Even though I had gotten used to being people’s second choice, I had doubts that I could live without her. I picked up my phone from the bedside and instantly dialled her number, but it was switched off. A bead of sweat broke across my neck.Soon, I was storming downstairs, asking every maid if they had seen my wife, but none did. My parents and Elena were sitting at the dining table, munching on food.“Good morning, son.” Mother smiled brightly. “Care to join us?”“Hav
ISABELLA’S POVThe house was quiet, but I tried to note the way so I wouldn't get lost on my way back. The sky was filled with the stars alongside the bright moon. I dragged in some fresh air, hoping the night would speed by fast so we could leave. I didn't know how long had passed, but the air had gotten so chilly that it penetrated my skin, causing me to gnash my teeth. I clicked my phone to check the time and noticed it was dead. My charger was in the car, and the key was back in my mouth. Blowing air out, I stood up and headed back to the room.The whole place looked similar and confusing. Even though I tried to trace it, I feared I might open the wrong one. I heard a door creak open before I caught sight of the man with the glasses from before. He had a frown on his face, and his palms formed into fists. My heart raced slightly as I feared I had caught something, but he passed by me as though he didn't even see me, which was a relief. I stepped forward and noticed the door he ca
ISABELLA’S POVWe walked in, holding hands. They were still sitting around the table. Elena looked up.“Our car is bad. We might have to spend the night, " my husband informed them, and I caught Elena’s face brightening. However, Alaric didn't look happy. He turned to me. “You should have dinner. I have no appetite.” “Me too.”Eating where I wasn't liked wasn't advisable, even if I was hungry. Who knew what end they would go to? A lot of things just seemed too weird. I could sense the competition among them all.“That’s nice. We are all staying over, too.” An older man who looked like he was in his late thirties said, his glass on the brink of his nose. He was dressed in a green shirt and white pants. I didn't know his name.“Alright, uncle. We will head to bed now. We have work tomorrow,” Alaric informed me and then pulled me with him. I could feel his warmth seeping through my skin as we headed upstairs, and soon, he stopped in front of a brown door. “We will stay in this room,”
ISABELLA’S POVI stood there frozen, unable to decide what to do or say. Was I to burst in on them and have her in a cuckold, or was I to wait till they left?I tried holding my breath as though they would hear it. I could hear her moan. Her back against the wall, they looked so engrossed in their act, and they probably weren't stopping anytime soon. Lastly, I wasn't about to watch a full-blown porn movie. A swam of irritation hit me in the stomach, almost throwing me up. This was so disgusting. It felt so wrong. What could ever be the reason to cheat on your husband with his brother? Why?I was thinking of what to do when my phone rang, and I was startled. I pulled it out quickly and turned it off. My body shook, and my lips got dry. I heard them; then he whispered something and footsteps. And somehow, I was glad that it was finally over, so I stepped out, only to see her standing there, her arms wrapped around her waist.“I knew it had to be you. Whatever you plan to do, remember t
ISABELLA’S POVMy heart was racing so fast as we drove into a tall building with a vast compound. This was the second time I was coming to his house, the first time was when I was invited by his father to talk about the marriage. My fingers were trembling. It was like visiting the past and it left a sour taste in my mouth. “We can leave if you don’t want to.” He must have been able to tell.“No, I’m fine. I just can't wait to see them.” I lied and watched him raise his brows but he doesn't ask any questions.Stepping closer, he wrapped his palm around mine, and whispered, “If you ever get a need to leave, then I will get you out of here. I don't like them either so I won’t force you to.” His words felt like pouring a big bowl of ice over my burning nerves because I felt a lot of relief. We walked through the huge white door, laughter echoing through the air. My legs were getting wobbly and I dragged in a deep breathe to calm myself.We were still holding hands. “Mother.” Alaric s
ISABELLA’S POVEven as we sat on the left side of the room, the looming feeling was unshaken. The setting was pretty. From the chandelier hanging low to the large wooden piano sitting in the centre of the room to the pianist clicking away. Including the white fabrics spread on each table and the pretty flowers. The atmosphere smelt so nice and rich. I couldn't tell if it was due to the other guests there or if a particular spray was infused in the air.I watched him signal the waiter, and he walked over. He was dressed in a white shirt and black pants, his black hair neatly trimmed, and a smile on his face.“What would you love to eat, Isabella?” he asked, quickly adding, “Can I call you that?”I hummed in response, too nervous to talk. It widened as my eyes ran over the words on the menu I had picked from the table. Every single meal here was so expensive that even water wasn't spared. It wasn't that I couldn't eat them; I just wondered why he was so nice to me. Noticing their gazes
ISABELLA’S POVI felt my heart swell with pride as I spoke. I was standing in a room with five men looking at me and nodding in agreement. CEO Rex was dressed in a grey suit and black shirt and had a proud expression. He was relaxed in his seat, his fingers stroking his beard. Today was my first day in San Francisco, and I had to catch an early flight to get here, and luckily, it was barely five hours. A car had come to pick me up, too.“I believe doing this will benefit our company because it will strengthen loyalty and help build a relationship with the community. I need you to understand that the world is revolving, and seeing things from young talents’ perspectives might just be what we need to keep us growing. Thank you.” I completed the sentence and watched Rex clap with a smile.Picking the document, I headed back to my seat. My heart started to race. What if they didn't like my idea? Wouldn't that make me look like a fool?“See, I told you she is a very intelligent woman,” Re
THIRD PERSON’S POVAlaric ran his fingers through his hair as he huffed. His anger was brewing, but not at her but himself. Maybe he had overreacted a little. This person was her boss, after all; this was her dream, her line of work, and he might have to accept. But how was he supposed to stand there and watch another man touch his wife?Adjusting his tie, he slammed the car door shut and then stormed after her.“Isa!! Stop!” He ordered, but she didn't budge. She had heard him, but she would be damned to let him have his way. She could feel the volcano in her about to erupt, coupled with the twist deep in her stomach.“Fuck Isa. Do you always have to be so stubborn?” He increased his pace, and so did she. Finally, she sighted the door and stormed in, fiddling with the lock when it was pushed open.“Fuck Isa. Fuck!” He yelled, looking at everything but her. “I am going to have hypertension at this point.” He was breathing heavily and running his fingers through his hair again. “Wha