The sound of the music was pounding and Sarah's loud screams in the back seat were able to deafen anyone in the car. Shanon looked back and laughed at Sarah and Stevan's ridiculousness. They compete to eat the most nuts and drink the beer the fastest.
"I'm sure they'll be drunk when they get to the campsite," Jordyn commented while remaining focused on driving.
“I think so too. Sarah had downed three bottles of beer. Really crazy."
"But I applaud her because she can still sit up straight without the slightest sway."
“She's great.”
“Wow, I won. You lost, my baby darling. Fifty dollars!” Sarah stretched out her palm right in front of Stevan's face, which was starting to turn red.
“Tsk, you cheated. You knew that I wouldn't win against you, but you placed such a high bet.”
“Quickly give me fifty dollars.”
Stevan pulled fifty dollars out of his wallet and threw the money in Sara
Anthony pulled the gear lever in P as soon as he arrived at his destination. He could see two SUVs, one sedan and one jeep, parked around the camping site. The tents had been set up, and he could see the smoke from the campfire rising into the air.Anthony rubbed his face roughly as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He told himself that he did this not because of Shanon, but because he wanted to make sure his students didn't do anything deviant while camping in the forest.Yeah, keep lying to yourself, dude.“Fuck!”Sick of hearing his inner demons mock him, Anthony stepped out of the car and slammed the door hard. The soles of his shoes stepped on the small pebbles on the ground and created sharp crunching sounds. He checked the surrounding tents one by one and found no one. Anthony scoffed at how careless the students were for leaving their belongings unattended in the tent. They did not know the dangers that might arise ar
“Coffee, sir.”"Thanks."Jordyn took his place next to Anthony and took a sip of his coffee. They have the same object to look at. Shanon. Her condition was better and she was sitting in front of the campfire with Sarah. They laughed and told each other jokes that only they knew. Shanon's palms held a mug. Guess it was hot chocolate. Anthony knew quite a few things about Shanon because of the business marriage. Shanon preferred chocolate to coffee. Shanon kept a stock of bitter chocolate in the refrigerator as a snack when her period came. Shanon liked sweet food, but when it came to chocolate, she preferred, and really liked, bitter chocolate. Apart from that, there were several other things about Shanon that Anthony began to know. He was a good observer. And he would keep it that way.Anthony stared at Shanon in amazement because an hour ago Shanon was still curled up in his arms, scared and cold. And now, she looked like a normal girl who had neve
“One sandwich and orange juice please.”Shanon smiled at Agnes, the cafeteria cook. She is everyone's favorite and a good mother to all campus residents. Agnes always gave large portions of food to everyone, especially the students who looked thin. Agnes never married and had children. That's why she dedicated her entire life to feeding students like they were her own children.“Hey, Anne. Get Ms. Wilson's order.”“Aye aye madam.”A girl with a ponytail made a salute gesture at Agnes. The girl smiled at Shanon before she went back to work preparing her order.“Hi, sweetie. Nice to see you show up at my counter again. It was a terrible incident.” Agnes leaned her elbows on the counter and gave a sincere sympathetic look.“Yes, I must admit that it was terrible. And I am grateful to be standing here to eat your incredibly delicious food.”Shanon had to get used to the sudden po
Shanon held Avery's cold palm and smiled gently at her sister. She was happy to be able to visit her sister again in between her busy schedule at college and being Anthony's wife. She still couldn't tell Anthony about Avery. That's why she couldn't go to visit Avery freely. But she always made sure Avery's weekly hospital bills were paid.“Hi, Ave. You look increasingly pale and gaunt. When do you wake up? I really miss you"Shanon imagined that the sound of the cardiograph was Avery's voice. The device was connected directly to ger heart. Shanon's stupid imagination imagined that Avery was talking through tubes connected to her heart.“You know, the man who was supposed to marry you wasn't as bad as I imagined. Yesterday, he took me to dinner at a fancy restaurant to celebrate my success because I got the highest score in his course exam. You know, it means a lot to me. It's been a very long time since we ate an expensive meal in a fancy restaurant.
Shanon tried to keep her promise to Jefferson to talk to Anthony. After leaving Jefferson's house, Shanon went to campus because she thought Anthony would be there. But when she arrived at his office, Anthony wasn't there. Shanon then went home and hoped to find Anthony alone in his study, but again she failed. Anthony wasn't home. The house was still the same as the last time she left it before going to the hospital to visit Avery.As day turned to night, Shanon became increasingly worried because there was not a single call or incoming message from Anthony. Shanon waited in the living room anxiously. At nine p.m, Anthony had not yet come home. Shanon decided to look for Anthony at several clubs around Boston. He probably decided to go to the club and have fun with the bitches. Or Anthony might take out his anger on booze. She once saw Anthony half drunk in his mini bar.“Where are you, Anthony?” Shanon clutched her cell phone in frustration.Anthon
Anthony walked straight along the deserted literature department corridor. His steps were so calm and full of confidence. The smell of old books and dust filled his senses as he turned right towards the storage room. He pressed his palm against the rough surface of the door. His eyes moved to the right, feeling the presence of someone around him. At the count of three, Anthony turned quickly and ambushed his stalker before dragging her into a dusty old storage room.“You should take my words more seriously, Jane.”Anthony pressed Jane's back against the wall with his strong arms. Jane winced in pain when she felt Anthony twist her wrist and her chest tightened from the pressure of Anthony's elbow.“Hi, baby. You surprised me.”“No need to pretend in front of me. You were spying on me all this time, huh?”“No. I just happened to see you in my department. I wanted to greet you."“Bullshit. I know
Anthony removed Shanon's arm from his chest slowly so as not to disturb her sound sleep. He rubbed his face roughly to get rid of the sleep that still hung in his eyes. The clock still showed three o'clock. He got out of bed and put on his pajama pants which Shanon had thrown away a few hours ago and fell under her dressing table.His cell phone was still ringing noisily on the sofa. That was the reason why he decided to get up from Shanon’s warm bed, because he was worried that the sound of his cell phone ringing would disturb Shanon's sleep."What's wrong, Ben?"“Sir, I have bad news.”"What is it?"Anthony was starting to get used to bad news since his parents died. He realized that good and bad things always go hand in hand in the world. He couldn't live with only the good things and leave the bad things behind.“Mr. Jefferson just died.”I told you, he wasn't surprised at all. In fact, Anthony had be
“Shanon! Oh my God, I saw the news on television this morning."Sarah walked into class and ran over to Shanon in a frenzy. She dragged over a nearby stool and sat facing Shanon who was busy studying the economic management exam material.“Anthony’s grandpa was found dead by his maid in his study last night. Is that true?"“According to the police who handled Anthony's grandfather's death, it was indeed a case of suicide. I haven't heard from Anthony yet.”"Hey, why are you here, instead of going to Anthony's grandfather's house to accompany Anthony during his grandfather's funeral?"“I'm not needed there. Anthony didn't want to be seen with me at his grandfather's funeral. Remember, our wedding is a secret.”Shanon tried to hide her sadness by reading material that she had already memorized by heart. But she just wanted to hide her sadness from Sarah. Things would get out of hand if Sarah started di
Shanon frowned in confusion when she saw Anthony suddenly stand up and throw the napkin on the table. He hadn't finished eating his steak and hadn't touched the wine, but Anthony suddenly left the table in a silent anger that confused her.“Hmm... I think he's sick of having a wife like you. You show the affair too bluntly in front of him."“You've really drained all my patience, bitch. If you can’t say proper words, you better shut your damn mouth.”Shanon moved her chair back and stood up.“Shanon, where are you going? Your ankle is sprained. I will help you.”“No, Jamie. I can handle it. You just keep eating here.”With unsteady steps, Shanon walked out of the dining room. She was so angry that she wanted to hit something. If Annika wasn't her friend, she would have happily punched her sister-in-law in the damn mouth who had been messing with her since this afternoon.Shanon walked to
Shanon was happy because her relationship with Anthony was quite conducive throughout the afternoon and evening. They didn't leave their room after Anthony got a bruise ointment. They spent their time lazing around in bed, cuddling. Shanon enjoyed a very calm moment with Anthony with the sight of a snowstorm that made the entire landscape outside the window very white. They could barely see the mountain ranges or trees that were usually clearly visible from Shanon's room.At seven, they finally went out of their room because they were starting to get hungry. Anthony held Shanon's waist tightly and led her down the stairs because Shanon refused to be carried by him. Shanon's friends greeted Anthony in friendly tones as they passed each other near the stairs. Shanon was very grateful because she didn't run into Jammy at all while walking down to the dining room. That would be a very awkward moment. Shanon hoped they could return to Boston as soon as the storm passed.&ld
Anthony jumped down from the helicopter with solid footing. He brushed off the sunglasses that framed his eyes and rolled his gaze to the range of snowy mountains that spread out around him. Everything was white and a little misty. Anthony turned towards the magnificent villa that stood on flat land at the top of the hill. The villa was quiet. Anthony told the pilot to wait because he wasn't planning on staying that night. He just wanted to take Shanon home right then and there. He thought about it while they were still in the air. He wouldn't let Shanon stay at the villa any longer with her ex-lover and immediately took her home.“Are you one of Mrs. Sarah’s friends?”"Yes. Where is she? Where is everyone?”“They were skiing on the hill.”"When are they coming back?" Anthony asked impatiently.“I think they'll be back at lunch.”Drake looked at Anthony's appearance from head to toe. All black
Shanon appeared exactly five minutes later in a white and blue gradient ski outfit and furry hoodie. Shanon carried goggles and other ski equipment in both hands.“They gave me this before I came out.”“Sarah and Stevan make sure their friends have everything here. Let's go. Our friends left half an hour ago.”“They must be at the top of the hill. Why is there no cable car here?” Shanon started to complain just a few steps after her shoes hit the snow. The combination of uphill roads and very thick snow made the walk feel five times more difficult than just climbing up a steep mountain.“Where's the fun if you just get on the cable car and glide? The journey from the bottom to the top is more amazing than just gliding.”“Really?”As far as Shanon could see, she only saw pine trees and rocks covered in snow. Shanon wondered whether Anthony was a ski fan or not? She had seen Anthony s
“Morning, Shanon.”“Morning, Josie.”“It seems you didn't sleep well last night.”Shanon put her ass on one of the empty chairs next to Joselyn and her husband. Most of the other round tables were already filled with other couples. Shanon caught a glimpse of Sarah and Stevan sitting with Justin and his girlfriend.“Yeah, I think so too. I woke up with a very tired body and mind. I need some coffee.”Right after Shanon said that, a housekeeper came in with a pot of very fragrant coffee and started filling her empty cup with coffee that made Shanon's mouth almost drip."Thanks."“What would you like for breakfast, ma'am? We have pancakes & bacon, hashbrown & sausage, and smoked beef omelets.”“I want a smoked beef omelette with hashbrown, can I?”“Sure. I will be right back."Shanon leaned her back against the back of her chair whi
After making sure Sarah didn't follow her, Shanon dashed to her room and plopped down on her king size bed as soon as she arrived at her room. She rolled herself up like a fetus. She felt that the bed was too big to sleep on alone. She had never felt so vulnerable when she was away from Anthony. She was always fine while living alone in New Heaven. She had never missed Anthony so much. But, that night she felt vulnerable and missed Anthony so bad. She needed to hear Anthony's voice.Shanon rushed to grab her cell phone on the nightstand. She deactivated airplane mode and dozens of notifications started flooding into her phone. It took Shanon ten minutes to wait until the notification ringtone died down, and her cell phone returned to silence. Shanon then pressed the speed dial to call Anthony.“Anthony…” Shanon's voice sounded hoarse and wet."What's wrong with you? You turned off your phone, and you suddenly called me with puffy eyes?”
Something big?Shanon thought Jammie was just joking to scare her or intimidate her. She didn't have any inkling as she went into the dining room with the dress code Sarah had set for that evening. A silk nightgown for the women and silk pajamas for the men. Sarah seemed inspired by their summer vacation at Joselyn's villa. At that time, they had a pajama party and played a snakes and ladders game all night while eating various kinds of snacks that they brought from their respective homes.But for tonight, Sarah had modified it a little. She didn't make her female friends wear pajamas, but instead nightgowns, as a sign that they were no longer teenagers, and that they were adults with integrity.“Welcome to the pajama party.”Shanon's jaw dropped as she entered the common room. The room was on the first floor, second hallway after the hall. The room looked really amazing with a gold interior and walls covered with gold wallpaper. The
Shanon quickly forgot everything Jammie said as she was busy welcoming her friends who came to the villa that day. They reminisced while screaming and hugging because it was the first time they had met since graduating from high school.“Anna Hughes! Oh my gosh, I can't believe it's you.”“Sarah, thank you for inviting me and my boyfriend.”“Hi Anna. Are you pregnant?”“Oh, our Shanon genius! And yes, I'm pregnant."“Oh, congratulations to you, darling!” Shanon hugged Anna warmly.She then hugged Aaron, Anna's lover.“Welcome to our humble Villa. Please follow Tobby to your room.""Thanks."Not long after Anna and her lover went to their room in the right wing, Drake arrived from the airport with three couples. Joselyn, the blonde woman, got out of the van for the first time and screamed excitedly as soon as her eyes caught the figures of Shanon and Sarah.
Anthony's voice on the speaker startled her. Shanon hurriedly opened the door wider and asked Jammie to come into the villa. Shanon then turned her back to Jammie to talk to Anthony."I have to go," whispered her.“Hey. Is he one of your friends?”Anthony caught a glimpse of Jammie's face over Shanon's shoulder. Anthony narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his wife's movements.“Yeah, he's one of my friends. I have to find Sarah or Drake to get them to prepare a room for Jammie. I'll call you again tomorrow. Love you.”Shanon sighed softly. She didn't know why she suddenly became that nervous just because Jammie came while she was on a video call with Anthony.“Did I interrupt you with your boyfriend?”Shanon choked up hearing Jammie's voice so close to her ear. She hurriedly turned around and smiled awkwardly. Her face turned red when she was stared at so intensely by Jammie."That was my husba