ANNAAs I stepped into the large hall, I was in awe. I had to clamp my mouth shut, to prevent myself from gawking at the designs. This was supposed to be the dinning? I silently wondered what the office would look like. I looked around, noticing every carving, every design, every turn. It was truly a work of art.“Card?” The butler present asked. I pulled out my invitation card, and handed it over. He scanned it, then returned it back to me. I smiled as he paved the way for me. I walked in.The view was even more beautiful from the inside. “Wow!” I exclaimed.“Isn’t it the most beautiful sight?” A feminine voice came from behind me. I turned around to find a beautiful blonde in a red dress. Her lips spread into a bright smile. It was a wonder her thick red lipstick hadn't stained her teeth.“I'm Laura,” she greeted, as she extended her arm. “Emma Martinez.” I replied, taking her hand. She was drop dead gorgeous.“You're from Locus Architects Ltd,” she suggested with a hint of doubt.
ISABELLAI thought that minor argument was the last one for the night, but obviously, I was mistaken. “Stop the car,” Alex said to the driver, barely five minutes after we had exchanged words.“Now, sir?” The driver asked. I could understand his disbelief. It was almost midnight.“Stop the fucking car.” He demanded with more enthusiasm. The driver quickly screeched the car to a halt.I watched as the other cars stopped. It was night time, so we were the only ones on the road. Alex picked up his jacket, and pushed the door open.“Where are you going?” I asked, with a strained voice. I was exhausted.“Take her home,” he ordered the driver, clearly ignoring me. I watched as he walked into one of our other cars.I hissed, as I wrapped my arms around my chest. Everyday, his attitude worsened. He despised me even more.The car Alex had stepped into separated itself from the rest of us, and I watched as it took another route. He was definitely not heading home, but I knew where he would be-
EMMAThroughout the entire party, John introduced me to everyone he knew, and had access to. I met the entire partners in his firm, his assistant, his colleagues. The list was endless. Occasionally, he would massage my hand with his thumb. “Are you alright?” he would occasionally ask, and I would nod. I grew to realize that most of his colleagues were married, and even a few were expectant. He, Laura and about two others were His tone only changed when Laura walked up to us. She smiled, as she sat directly next to him. I felt his body stiffen.Laura carried the conversation easily, as they argued about politics, human rights, and the likes. I was left out, but not offended. I liked to listen to elites speak about their interests.Occasionally one of his colleagues would ask for my opinion, and I would try my best to give an appropriate answer.All seemed to be going well until Laura and John got into an argument. Unfortunately, it was a topic I had no experience in, so I silently wa
ISABELLA.I barely slept last night. Not after what I had seen at Alex's hotel room. I even tried to lay my head there, maybe the scent or feel of his presence would make me feel less horrible. It didn't.I walked into my office, silently hoping I didn't look as horrible as I felt. I wiped my eyes, as soon as I pushed my shades off.My assistant walked towards me, and I glared at her. I wasn't in the mood to work. I just wanted to see my husband. Why wouldn't anyone get that?“Good morning, ma'am.” She greeted me.“What do you want?” I barked. Did she want to use me to get to my husband too? Did she want to ruin my mood even further?She flinched at my question.“Are you deaf?” I sized her up with my eyes. “I wanted to help you with your bag,” she muttered in a low tone.I glared even harder. “My bag isn't heavy. As lazy as you think I am, I can actually lift a bag myself.” “Ma'am, I don't think you're lazy. I just wanted to help.” She replied, with a croaking voice. I could see te
EMMAI was heading to my desk when I heard the door to Isabella's office slam so hard. Alex stomped out, viciously annoyed. Anna and I exchanged quick glances.“What happened?” I whispered.Our floor was out of bounds for most workers, so only a few had the privilege of seeing the drama.Anna shrugged. She didn't know, and didn't care either.I dropped the files on her desk. “Watch this, I'm coming.” I said to her,I could see the resentment in her eyes, as she shook her head, but I ignored it and trailed him.His long legs were an advantage as he walked to the office paces ahead of me. I wasn't sure he knew I was behind him, but I kept a reasonable distance. Alex had never been one to show emotions, so his reaction meant Isabella had pushed a button, and I had to make sure he was fine. I cared about him too much to let the anger get the best of him.I wasn't cheating on John, right? I was only checking on my boss, as any normal employee would do. Except that I had spent the night wit
ISABELLA.He had to be joking. This had to be a fucking joke. I shut my eyes, trying to push back everything. I was probably dreaming, that had to be it. I must have slept off, and ended up dreaming about everything, because Alex wasn't asking for a divorce. He wouldn't dare.“Isa,” he called my name, confirming the reality of everything. I wanted to smack him right across the face.“Alex, no.” I refused. I didn't want to hear any of it. I couldn't stand it.“Isa, we've tried our best. It just isn't working out.”“We've tried our best? No, the fuck we've not! You haven't! You've never put in a single effort to actually make this marriage work. You never wanted me.”“Then why don't you want out of it?” He charged. For the first time, I noticed his eyes were bloodshot. I watched as he took a deep breath, then regained composure. “Isa, I don't want to hurt you.” I scoffed at that.“You've already hurt me. You're hurting me right now.”“Can't you see this isn't working? Staying together
EMMA. Two weeks had gone by since the incident with Isabella, and Alex. In those two weeks, Isabella hadn't stepped foot into this building. I, on the other hand, avoided Alex like a plague. There was a strange level of hurt he had released that day, and that made me realize I couldn't keep up with this emotional stress. I was getting too attached to him, and he didn't even know what he wanted.Anna walked in, seizing my attention. “Transcorp has asked to postpone the meeting.” She informed me.“Why?” I asked, confused.“They said an emergency came up.”“Have they rescheduled?”“Not yet, but they've promised to get back to me.”“That's good.” She walked out. I returned my attention to the work at hand. I was typing furiously when I heard my phone ring. I picked it up to find a strange number calling.“Emma Martinez,” I said, as soon as I picked up.“Hey, girly” the other voice came through. It sounded familiar. I could have sworn I knew the person at the other side of the line.My
EMMA.I didn't want to believe what I just heard. “Four years?” I asked, in confirmation. I dropped the drink in my hand.Laura beamed, and for the first time, I noticed the dark hint to her smile. I touched my stomach gently. “Yes, four years,” she affirmed. I knew she wanted me to be fully aware of her stand.I closed my eyes for a few seconds. It all made sense now. Why John disliked her, why he didn't want me interacting with her. “I need to leave.” I said, as I reached out for my bag.Laura's smile faded. “We have a lot to talk about. Why are you leaving?”“I'm leaving because I want to.” I affirmed. I picked up my bag, and rose from my seat.“Maybe next time?”I shook my head, “No. Never.”“Aw, I had a lot to say to you. There are some things you need to know about the man you're playing with,” I eyed her suspiciously. I had somehow found myself in the net of the jealous ex.“Whatever information you have can be sent to my mail. My assistant will filter it, and get back to me
EMMA.I stared into the empty space, watching the grass filled lawn. Kristy looked around, carefully taking in the arena.All the vibe , soft joy, and excitement had faded, and now it was time for business.I took a deep breath. The entire street was silent. I repeated that again. If anything were to happen, everyone in the neighborhood would know.Our voices would be loud.I shut my eyes, recalling how my mother used to slam pans as she shouted at us.The neighbors would come out, listening as she threatened to cut us off, and send us into the streets if we didn't behave.Why didn't Zara remember that?I clearly did. I recalled how a neighbor approached us, asking why we always defended our mother whenever the cops came to save us, and we would recite what she taught us, “she is our mother. We cannot survive without our mother.”Bullshit. Our mother had been ready to choose a man over us. Our mother threw tantrums because the man she wanted didn't want her in return.Our mother wa
EMMA.Kristy drove swiftly through the roads, with cool music playing in the background.We had driven off the part of town with numerous buildings, and we were currently passing through a number of line trees. I watched how beautiful nature could be.The silence and soft waves coming from the trees. It was beautiful to see.“How are you feeling?” Kristy asked, pulling my attention.I turned to face her, “I'm good. How about you?”“I'm alright.” She replied, with a deep heave.“Do you want to switch?” I asked,I knew I would eventually have to take the wheel for a while, but I didn't think it would be so soon.“No. It would just be helpful to have someone to talk to.”“Oh-” I sat up straight, “what's up?”“I'm just curious about your plans. I wasn't eavesdropping or anything, but Laura mentioned the possibility of you not returning. I thought this was just a short visit to see your sister. Are you really leaving us?”I took a deep breath, “I honestly don't know how it'll play out for
ISABELLA Slowly, my eyelids pushed open. I looked around, noticing that Alex and I had somehow ended up falling asleep on the balcony. We were laying on a spread chair, and I was on him.I wiped my eyes gently, clearing my view. How had we ended up here?I remembered us talking, and then I said a lot of things that had been needed. He said the things on his mind too. We eventually cuddled, and fell asleep.I remained in the same position. I could hear his heart beating gently.I loved the way we were. Just silence and peace. We hadn't even had sex in over a week but I felt this was the closest we had been.I heard him grunt, and shuffle, so I lifted my weight off him.He opened his eyes gently.“You're awake,” I said to him.As I watched his lashes move repeatedly, my heart swell with joy. Was this what it felt like to be in love?He grinned gently as he saw my face. “Good morning,” he greeted.He reached out, touching my face.“You look so pretty today,” I grinned at his complimen
ISABELLA.For the first time in years, I pulled out a blunt, and lighted it.Looking down through the windows, I watched as most people were gathered at a cubicle, partying, while the others stood nearby.They seemed happy, and…content. The exact opposite of what I felt.I took in a deep breath, before moving the cigarette to my mouth.A deep sip, and I pulled it out.How did I end up in such a life?I had imagined so many ways my life would turn out, but never did I think, despite all my hard work, that I would end up unsatisfied, sad, and tired.I had worked for this. I had worked for the money, for my home and for my husband. Now, I had lost almost everything.My daughter seemed like a distant relative who had no relationship whatsoever with my husband. Even I couldn't have a stable relationship with my husband. The memory of Emma still lingered in my marriage, and when it wasn't lingering, I was still bothered who he might be sharing his bed with.Emma wasn't entirely the problem,
ISABELLA “Who are you?” I asked, clenching my jaw.“It’s great you've finally decided to hold a conversation with me.”“That's not the answer to my question.”“My name is of no importance. You'll most likely never see me again.”“Good. Now, fuck off.”He chuckled. “You've always been a fiesty woman, Isa.”“Fuck. Off.” I spat even harder.The knowledge of Alex purposely leaving me out here was beyond heart breaking.“I have a lot more things to say to you.”“I have no intention of hearing it.”“My first question is, why him?”“Why what?” I asked, annoyed that he ignored my replies.“Why Alex? What's so special about him? He publicly disgraced you with a cheating scandal, he's currently ignoring you at your marital vacation? So, why him? What's so good about him?”“None of your fucking business.”“No, Isa. Don't be stubborn.”Who the hell did he think he was? “Leave.” I quickly said to him,“I believe that, by now, we would have accepted the fact that I'm not leaving anytime soon. You
EMMA.“So, now that Liam has given you the much needed permission to do whatever you want to do, what's the next plan?” She asked, breaking the silence.“I'll communicate with Kristy, and see if she'll be available to go with me in two days time.”“That's a solid plan. Is there anything else you need?” She asked,I could tell she was implying something from her tone, but I couldn't tell what it was.“Not really. Is there anything I should need?”“I think so,” she replied,“And that is?”“Give me a minute. I'd rather show you.”I sat quietly as she walked up stairs. She arrived a few minutes later with a pink gift bag in hand.There was a wide grin spread on her face.“What's that?” I asked, still in doubt.With all Laura had done for me, if she offered me another gift, I might just break down in tears.“I got a little something for you,” she said, still holding the bag.I felt the tears building up in my eyes.“I knew you would need it, and I didn't want you to be bothered. Here, take
EMMA.His words left me dumbstruck. My lips parted, but the words croaked in. I clamped my lips shut, pushing down the thousands of thoughts in my head.I thought he had forgotten me. I wished he had forgotten me!Why did he remember me?“You remember me?” I managed to croak out,His grin grew sly, and sheepish.“Now, onto business,” he said, ignoring my question. I blinked repeatedly, trying to recall if that had actually happened or if I was hallucinating. I had read somewhere that people often hallucinated once they had survived a traumatic experience, and it was safe to say my experience was traumatic. Was I losing my mind?I closed my eyes, then opened it. He was still sitting right before me, so that conversation had to have happened.I wasn't hallucinating. I couldn't be hallucinating “Oh my God,” I muttered out, understanding the implication of things.If I wasn't hallucinating, then he did remember me, and if he remembered me…“Are you alright?” His voice came in a thick,
EMMA.Laura arrived at four minutes after seven pm. I had just rounded up my third movie of the day. I had watched one, and was halfway through the second when the girls finally came. We talked for hours, and they finally left.I Ioved their presence, but them risking their spouses for me wasn't worth it. I wasn't comfortable knowing they were endangering their marriage.“I'm home,” Laura announced, as she walked in.“Welcome,” I replied, turning to face her.“Thank you,” she replied, pulling off her red bottoms. I watched as they both ended up on different sides of the room.If there was one thing I had grown to notice about Laura, it was how disorganized she was. No one was perfect-that I knew-but I had somehow concluded that she was. Aside that, she seemed to have her life I order. Moreover, it explained how she kept up with her social, and work life. Arranging her personal life wasn't needed at the top of the chart to me. She was on track.I watched as she dropped her handbag rec
EMMA.About eight weeks had gone by since I left that dungeon, and I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. It felt like the weeks I spent there had quadrupled, and taken even more months or years because it felt like the system had cut me out. Everything was the same, but different. I couldn't explain it. Everything looked the same, but felt different. I no longer felt like a young woman in her prime. I felt like an ex convict, and although I knew I was not actually convicted, it didn't make me feel any better. I had spent months in there fighting for my life. My brain, and thinking patterns had been altered.I took a deep breath, staring at the blank television. I was still too lazy to approach the sockets, and maybe it was better this way. I hated the noise that came from the TV, knowing fully well that I wouldn't be able to focus even when it was turned on. I was already too bothered about stuff.I was still deep in thought when I heard the doorbell ring.I gently wal