EMMA It was morning. I looked ones a the clock. Eight am to be precise. I turned to find Samuel laying on the bed. He seemed to be fast asleep, as his boys wasn't stiffened.I smiled as I looked at him. He looked so peaceful asleep.I cuddled up to him and he groaned as he pulled me closer.โYou're awake,โ I said,โYes,โ he mumbled. His eyes were still closed and I could barely feel my legs.โYou do know it's morning, right?โ I tried to inform him, โaren't you going to work?โโI am on a three days leave.โ He replied.โOh. You didn't strike me as the kind of person to take leaves from work,โ โI actually don't. This is the first time I'm taking a leave this year. I usually take a two day leave once a year to visit my family. Now I'll be taking it twice.โโBecause of me,โ The guilt gripped me.He opened his eyes. โI know that tone. There's no need to feel guilty about it. I already needed the rest.โโYou're saying that to make me feel better,โโMaybe, but I'd burn the world to make y
EMMA .I stood in silence. How would I say it to him? He probably already knew.I searched his eyes to find any clue that he knew what I was about to say, but it was hard to tell his emotions.โI don't know how to say it,โ I confessedHe kissed my forehead. โLet's have breakfast, and you can decide if you really want to tell me.โHow could he be so calm about all this? I didn't want to argue so I walked out of the room beside him.We arrived at his kitchen and he pulled out a stool for me to sit.โWhat do you want to eat?โ He asked,I shrugged, โanything.โHe dropped the pan, focusing on me. โWhat do you want to eat, Emma?โI grew confused. โScrambled eggs and maybe pancakes.โโGood,โI watched as he set out to work. I chewed on my finger, wondering how he could be so calm. I sighed.โTake some tea,โ he said, handing it over to me.It was chamomile tea. โThank you,โ I appreciated.โSo,โ he started, taking a seat, โI opened an Instagram account today,โ his grin was genuine.โwhy?โ I
EMMA.I ran immediately to his side. His lips were white, and his eyes closed.โGod,โ I muttered, trying to check if he was alive.I placed a finger under his nose, and luckily, I felt warmth on it.He was breathing, but his chest was still. His blood pressure had to be low.I looked around, trying to find a way to help when I sighted something beside him. There was a tray, and in it, there was a white substance.I looked at his lips again. They were extremely white, and so was his nose.โFuck,โ I muttered, dropping the pan on the floor.Now, I couldn't take him to the hospital because he had too much of a good reputation to be seen in such a state.I picked up his phone, searching for an emergency number. There was only one. Adrian. I knew that was his elder brother, but his brother was all the way in a other country. How would he be able to help?I looked at Samuel, and seeing that he was knocked out, decided to take a chance.The line rang for a few seconds, before he picked up.โH
EMMA.I looked between both men. Paul's eyes squinted, and Samuel had a snarl on his face.โLeave.โ He repeated,I expected Paul to rebut or try to explain himself, but he didn't. He walked out.I turned to face Samuel. I wanted to ask about Paul, but he was not strong enough to walk. There was a lesser chance triggering him would help. If he wanted Paul gone, then so be it.โFuck,โ Samuel sputtered, laying back.โHow are you feeling?โโMuch better. Just hungry.โโStay here. I'll get something for you.โ I got up from the chair.โBabe, please help me lock the entrance door. I don't want anyone coming into the house.โโSure thing,โI ensured that was the first thing I did. After that, I scooped out some of the food I had seen in the kitchen.When I returned, his eyes were wide open and he was staring at the ceiling.I tapped him, handing the plate over.I watched as he ate like a boar. I had seen him eat on a few occasions, but never had I seen him consume so much and so fast.โDoes th
ISABELLA โI didn't want the divorce, your son did.โ โYou filed for it,โ my father-in-law persisted.I groaned, covering my face. He didn't get it. No one was getting it.โHe's torturing me in that marriage. I can't keep up anymore.โHis mother moved towards me, โAlex can be a tough child at times. Hd was one of our hardest, but that's why you're a woman. You're meant to build him.โI glared at her, โI'm not teaching a grown man how to act his age.โShe sighed, โyou don't get it. This generation has changed a lot of things from what they used to be.โI wanted to shove her off, but I was sensible enough to know she still deserved some level of respect.โYou both should try talking to him. He's not looking at me, or anyone else.โ I told them.I didn't want this marriage, but I had known what I signed up for when I filed my name on those papers years ago.โHe's on his way here,โ Alex's father replied.I was surprised to find out they had actually gotten Alex to return home. I had been t
ISABELLA.I had no idea what Alex's parents had said to him, but at exactly nine pm, he returned home. I had just finished washing the dishes when he got home. I had no workers around.I stood still as he walked through the door. He paused and I noticed the large distance between us. None of us tried to break it.He sighed, โDo you want to have dinner with me?โ He asked,Did I have a choice?I nodded. If his parents had convinced or coerced him into this, I was sure they expected me to equally participate in it.โPlease get dressed, we'll be out in ten minutes.โI nodded again. I couldn't trust myself to actually form a reply. If I did, I would most likely end up in tears.I sighed.He walked into his room. I decided to change my clothes.I sighed, as I chose an outfit. An event that used to be more than exciting had soon become a chore. I didn't want a chore. I wanted to be gone.I looked at the room. When I had left I was all too confident I would never return here. Now, look where
ISABELLAI had expected him to try throwing a tantrum or gaslighting, just as he had always done, but he didn't say anything. He chewed on his food, ensuring we never exchanged eye contact or touched.โI brought you here for a reason,โ he said,I waited for him to continue.Seeing that I had nothing to say to that, he continued, โwe need to come up with a way that our marriage can work.โโI think we've gone far past that level,โ I admitted. โThis sham of a marriage can never be fixed, and it's not my fault.โโI never said any of this was your fault.โโGood.โโCan you calm down so we can settle this?โI waited for him to pitch his not-so-brilliant idea.โI am proposing an open marriage.โMy lashes flicked hard. โWhat did you say?โโWe need to try an open marriage.โ He repeated, โwe both know that I can't be in a committed marriage with you.โโBecause of her,โโYes.โ He agreed. โEmma will always be in the picture. As long as she is alive, I can't love another person.โHm. So, Emma being
EMMA.A day had gone by, and Samuel's health had speedily improved. He was moving around the house, acting seemingly normal.As I watched him whisk the egg, I couldn't help but notice how different he seemed. It was easier to understand him now that he could be free with me.He had said his addiction was his greatest secret, and I hoped so. It did seem so. He no longer walked around with so much caution.He hadn't touched his pills, nor had he mentioned it. I wanted to suggest throwing it away, but I knew he could easily get new ones, and that would cost more money. It was better and safer to teach him abstinence from drugs even when he was surrounded by them.He poured the eggs into a plate, setting it next to the waffles.I poured him a cup of coffee. Kristina was yet to call, and I hadn't spoken to my mother yet. I couldn't risk knowing if she was mad at me. I would lose it.โHey, have you spoken to your mum yet?โ Samuel asked,It was as though he could read my mind. I shook my hea
EMMAโYou know what? Prepare, we are going out for dinner tonight.โ I giggled at his words. He was radiating excitement. โYou're so excited about this,โ I said, again.โWho wouldn't be?โ He asked,โHaving the best woman in the world bring your child is one of the best gifts life could ever give to me. I feel like we need to plan a more elaborate celebration.โ He said,I watched as he moved around.โI'll get a makeup artist, and some designers over. The dinner won't be tonight, it'll be tomorrow. I need to plan this dinner specially. It needs to be a celebration to remember.โI smiled widely at him, โall this for a child that hasn't been born yet?โโOf course.โ He exclaimed.THE NEXT DAY.I had been bursting with excitement ever since I got back from my doctor's office. It had been confirmed that I was a three weeks pregnant. The makeup artist had arrived an hour later, alongside the designers.I sat still as they worked professionally, giving me the outlook I had chosen.Samuel had
EMMASIX MONTHS LATER.I stared at the strip test, not knowing what to think. There were two red lines on it. I wiped my eyes, then looked at it again. Two lines.My attention diverted as I heard footsteps approach the door. A knock followed, and then he spoke, โbabe, are you in there?โ He asked,I wiped my nose of the snot before answering, โyes,โ I replied.โAre you alright?โ He asked, again.โUm, yeah.โโAre you sure?โโYes.โAre you still feeling nauseous? I could get a doctor to come over.โI really wished he would stop pondering with tons of questions, but I knew Samuel enough to know that he wouldn't rest until he was convinced that I was healthy.โI'm fine. I'm actually fine,โโYou don't sound fine...but I'll be in the kitchen if you ever need me.โโThanks,โ I curtly replied.My eyes fell back on the strip in my hands. I should have been excited, I should have been jumping with ecstasy, but I didn't know what to feel. I didn't know how to react.I leaned forward, placing my h
EMMAAs I approached Isabella, she eventually paused then turned around. I watched as she crossed her arms across her chest, โwhat do you want?โ She asked ,with a sneer.โI want to talk,โShe chuckled. โYou want to talk. After years of ruining my marriage, you want us to talk? What do you want to talk about?โ She spat,I pleaded an arm forward. โPlease, just calm down. I have left Alex, haven't I?โ She hissed, โWe know you only left my husband because you found another site to dig your gold.โ I sighed, โyou have every right to be mad at me, and to have awful thoughts about me.โ I continued, she only glared harder, โI just want you to know that I am sorry. I truly am. I have wronged you in many different ways-โโAnd you'll do it again.โ She cut in.I sighed deeply, โno, I won't. I won't do it again, because I'm sorry. I have left Alex.โโOh, no no no. You can have him. Gone are the days when I wanted him. You can fucking have him. I'm done with him.โI sighed, โfine. For what it's wo
EMMA I stared at him in shock. He couldn't be serious, could he?โWhat do you mean?โ I asked, confused.โI already knew.โ He repeated,He had a sly smile on his lips. I was too stunned to speak. Could this be a dream? A crazy dream. I blinked twice.How could my mother tell him, and not tell me.He saw the confusion on my face, and began to speak, โI know you're confused, but let me explain. Your mother and I already talked about you before you arrived at manhattan.โ He explained, โshe always complained about you and Alex and how she wished you would always leave him. When I met you at first, I didn't know you were her daughter, but as time passed, I found out.โโWhy didn't you say anything?โโYou said you weren't ready to talk about it and I didn't want to force you.โI don't know what to say, โI-Iโฆif you knew, why did you still stay with me?โโI met, and studied you. I realized you were more than just a silly affair. Emma, your affair went viral, there's barely anyone who doesn't
ISABELLAI watched as Chris's face bent into a frown. I expected him to stand up to Alex, and claim his position, but either he was too chicken or just knew his place, so he stepped back. Alex stood before me, and I ensured I had anything but the slightest of smiles on my face.I watched as he skimmed me from head to toe. โYou lookโฆstunning,โ he said,I couldn't remember the last time he had looked at me like that, or even looked at me at all.โAre we going to dance, or will you keep gawking at me?โ I asked, raising a brow.He took a step back, โlet's dance,โ he said, stretching forth his hands. I took it, and followed him to the dance floor.The song chosen was a slow, and soulful one. We danced rhythmically, with his hands on my waist, and mine on his shoulders.I took a whiff of bus perfume, and my knees weakened. Alex never played with scent, and that was one of his most attractive attributes. The dance continued, and I silently searched for El through the crowds. It was hard t
ISABELLA A knock pounded on my door. I knew it could be no one else but him.โCome in,โ I said, applying the final touches to my makeup. I knew he wasn't aware that I had changed my mind and would be attending.I listened as the door opened, and he stepped in.โYou're coming,โ he simply stated,โYes.โ I replied, dropping my lipstick. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, โdo you have a problem with that?โ I asked, facing him.โNo,โ he replied, but I could clearly hear the tension in his voice.โWhat? You don't like that I'll be able to see you stalking her?โ I wanted to ask, but I suppressed it. Talking about Emma had gotten me nowhere. It was time to play fair.I picked up my bag. โCan we go now?โ I asked,I watched as his eyes fell on my legs. My dress wasn't exactly short, but it held my curves accentuating my look. The dress had an open back, and thin arms, giving way for me to show off my toned skin. My hair was down to my shoulders, and I had red lipstick on.I watched as h
EMMA.The burial was done soon enough, and I wanted nothing more than to return home. New York just felt like the place where all bad things happened to me. I didn't want to return here.I silently remembered Kate and Faith. Both had been unable to make it for the burial, and although I wanted to be infuriated, I knew I couldn't blame them. Faith was in the last month of her trimester, and her husband had informed me she was due at any date. I couldn't risk her losing the baby due to a heart attack from such a news, so we kept it away from her.Kate on the other hand had relocated out of the country with her husband. I was wise enough to know the expenses for returning back were too much. She could repay her respects later on.God, how did we get separated so soon? I always thought we would all grow old together. I sighed. Truly, Kristina had left all she owned in my care, and I didn't know what to do with it. I wasn't sure I wanted to sell the house just yet, but I didn't know what
EMMAAfter days of trial and error, we had finally been able to get Kristina laid to rest. I had thought that by now, I would have left the denial stage, but that was a lie. I was still in denial as much as ever. My mind just couldn't grasp her not being alive and with me. It made no sense.I crossed my arms across my chest as the priest read from the bible. I looked around. Not even one of her family members had made an attempt at attending. Samuel had offered to invite his family to stand in, and luckily, they all did. I was eternally grateful for that.I looked around. The only person that wasn't seated was Samuel's mother. She had excused herself minutes ago.I sniffed, trying to push back the tears that had been formed in my eyes.What would happen to our dreams of growing old together? They were all justโฆgone! Just like that! Everything we had budgeted.Samuel held my hands tight. He hasn't known Kristina for the longest time, but even he knew how kind of a person she was. If o
EMMA.Okay. This resemblance was beyond extraordinary. I stared at her for a long time trying to decipher if I could spot any difference between her and Kristina. Finally, I closed my eyes.If I hadn't seen Kristina's body rotting on that floor, I would have been so confused she was the one.โAny problem, ma'am?โ She asked,I shook my head.Samuel helped me place an order. I sat still, not knowing what to say or do.โHey,โ Samuel said, bowing his head to meet mine.Tears had piled up in my eyes. I wanted feedback from the cops. I wanted to know what had happened to my best friend. โHave you heard anything?โ I asked,He picked up his phone, and scrolled through, โnothing yet,โ he said, dropping his phone.I sighed. โThey're not taking this seriously enough! They need to do better!โ I screamed,He touched my back, โdarling, I'll ensure that they work faster and put this at the top of their books.โโThank you,โ I thanked him.I was drained. โI want to go home. I'm tired.โ I said,and by