Iris After the shower, I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, my hair still damp. His question had caught me totally off guard, and more so, my reply. I let him shower first, when he was done, I went in and had my shower. By the time I came out of the bathroom, Orchard was already rummaging through his closet, pulling out a crisp shirt and dark trousers. His ease and confidence were something I admired and envied.I went to the vanity, my hands trembling slightly as I reached for my makeup bag. I wasn’t usually this nervous, but today felt different. Everything felt heightened, like all eyes would be on me tonight.As I started applying foundation, my hands shook just enough for Orchard to notice. He walked over, his shirt half-buttoned, and leaned against the dresser, watching me with a calm expression.“You need to relax,” he said softly. “Everything’s going to be fine.”I sighed, setting down the brush. “I know,” I replied, though my voice didn’t sound convincing. “It’
Iris Halle’s reply was totally expected, the world could probably be ending tomorrow and she would go to the office today.“Yeah, but…” I reached out toward her, placing a hand on her. Granted, she wasn’t pale, and she didn’t look tired. If anything, she looked much better than the day she was discharged. But still. I had seen just a little bit too much confidence harm someone. It suddenly struck me, remembering one of my high school friends, Betty. Her mom got admitted to the hospital due to an accident. While Betty was mostly fine, her mom wasn’t. By the time the doctor said she was fine and ready to go home, Betty’s mom spent two days at home and died in her bed due to complications from a surgery she had. Of course, Halle couldn’t be compared to that. Still, I was worried. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” She smiled a rather kind smile, shook her head, and somehow tapped me on the nose with an index finger. “I’m fine,” she said. “Not really perfect, but the whol
Tiffany I stood staring at myself in the antiseptic-smelling air of the ladies' room, of course be-speckled with the scent of various perfumes and other air fresheners. Still, it left my nose powerful enough to pick out anything sometimes. This time, however, my focus had been so much on the mirror, on myself, on the dress I frankly hated, especially when compared to hers. Damn it, my sister was supposed to be living badly. She was supposed to be suffering. Her life was not supposed to be anything I wanted. It wasn't supposed to be anything I desired. So why? Why was her dress an early sub? I had seen the dress in several pictures. I'd loved it. I'd raved over it. I wanted it more than anything itself. And yet, my step-sister showed up in that dress with a billionaire dressed on her arm. She smelled impeccable. In a custody battle, I had seen the bottles. They looked almost like crystal. I'd wanted it, but frankly, the thing cost a little more—nearly as much as my car. And then
DaveThe signature blue flashes of sirens illuminated the night outside. It clashed against everything and everyone, but even aside from that, it didn’t matter. What mattered was the smoke—high pillars of smoke moving unfettered toward the night sky, while large pillars of fire did the rest of the illuminating if the sirens weren’t enough to see. “Can you tell us what happened?” I snapped back into my mind while seated and found myself in the holding room of the police station. There was a female police officer staring at me, her arms folded across her chest. Her hair had been slicked back, making her look like a cat, I thought to myself. “I didn’t see anything,” I said. Of course, that was a lie, but they didn’t need to know that. “Look, Mr. Rover. We know exactly who you are.” She placed a hand on the table, revealing her ugly nails. No, seriously, her nails were uneven, pointing in all directions, and coupled with her terribly kept fingers, it all stirred a sense of dis
IRIS’ POV.As I looked around the place, I couldn’t help but smile at myself proudly. I tucked my hair behind my ear as I shifted the table a little to the left.“Better here, Miss?” One of the workers called out to me and I turned.I licked my lips as I bent my head to the side. “A little higher, please. He’s tall, so he might bump into them.” I told him and he nodded as he adjusted it like I’d asked.“Perfect.” I muttered as I smiled.I rushed back to the kitchen as I continued with the cake I was baking. I really hoped Dave would like all of this. I had put in so much effort, even baking the cake myself so that he could hopefully feel all the love I had for him as he hated it.I tucked my hair behind my ear as I grabbed the icing, blushing as I boldly wrote his name on the cake with a happy birthday and a flirty heart and kiss indicating that after the party, we would have a spicy night after.I could feel the shivers travel down my spine as I thought of this, biting my lips.“Some
IRIS’ POV.Divorce papers? No! This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t believe this.“Open this car now!” I yelled at the driver as I tried to open the door as I tried to scoot over to the front, but he ignored me as he ignited the car.“Sit tight, Ma’am,” he instructed as he continued to drive.I gasped as I turned, to see Dave still on the call, unbothered. What on earth was going on? Was I just imagining things? Could all of this just be effects of all the wine I had last night?I ran my fingers through my hair as I sat back in the car, trying to be strong. This was all a joke. It couldn’t be real. He couldn’t want to divorce me. We had been through so much together, so, it was impossible that he would want to throw it all away like this.I stared at my ring as I caressed it. I needed to have hope in my marriage and my love for him. Maybe it was all just a misunderstanding.I had been so lost in my thoughts the whole ride that I didn’t realize when we got home.“We’re here now, Ma’a
ORCHARD’s POV.“It didn’t go well.” I could recall telling my father for what felt like the millionth time.I adjusted my tie as I ran my fingers through my hair, pondering on how awful of a day I had. I was frustrated, to say the least. Everything about my life was passing me off and nothing seemed to be going right. Not right now, at least.I was trying my best to remain positive as I hoped it would all come to an end, but it just seemed to get worse as time passed.At first, I thought that if I attended just a few blind dates and they didn’t work out, my father would let me be, but I was wrong. Attending the first blind date just gave him more leverage on me and I was forced to attend more till I could no longer take it.I had just gotten back from yet another failed blind date. She wasn’t worth it. None of the ladies were. They all seemed to be the same. Rich spoilt brats that knew nothing but how to spend “daddy’s money.” While I didn’t have a problem with spending on my woman if
IRIS’ POV.“Dinner at the restaurant tonight?” I chuckled as I nodded, putting the documents aside before taking a deep breathe as I shut the laptop.“Yes, husband.” Orchard extended his hand, letting me take it in mine as I smiled at him before we walked out of my office together.Four years had passed since the night Orchard and I first met and we’d been “married” for around the same time.A lot had happened in all this time and I was surprised to see that almost everything that had happened was good.Orchard was the best thing to have ever happened to me after I lost everything and I could never stop being grateful for his existence in my life.But, it was nothing but a marriage of convenience.“I’m so grateful to have you in my life, Orchard. Trust me, I could never show it enough, so, at least let me say it.” I would usually tell him at the most random moment when thoughts of how lucky I was to have him came to mind.“I’m even more lucky to have you, Iris. I mean, look at everyth
DaveThe signature blue flashes of sirens illuminated the night outside. It clashed against everything and everyone, but even aside from that, it didn’t matter. What mattered was the smoke—high pillars of smoke moving unfettered toward the night sky, while large pillars of fire did the rest of the illuminating if the sirens weren’t enough to see. “Can you tell us what happened?” I snapped back into my mind while seated and found myself in the holding room of the police station. There was a female police officer staring at me, her arms folded across her chest. Her hair had been slicked back, making her look like a cat, I thought to myself. “I didn’t see anything,” I said. Of course, that was a lie, but they didn’t need to know that. “Look, Mr. Rover. We know exactly who you are.” She placed a hand on the table, revealing her ugly nails. No, seriously, her nails were uneven, pointing in all directions, and coupled with her terribly kept fingers, it all stirred a sense of dis
Tiffany I stood staring at myself in the antiseptic-smelling air of the ladies' room, of course be-speckled with the scent of various perfumes and other air fresheners. Still, it left my nose powerful enough to pick out anything sometimes. This time, however, my focus had been so much on the mirror, on myself, on the dress I frankly hated, especially when compared to hers. Damn it, my sister was supposed to be living badly. She was supposed to be suffering. Her life was not supposed to be anything I wanted. It wasn't supposed to be anything I desired. So why? Why was her dress an early sub? I had seen the dress in several pictures. I'd loved it. I'd raved over it. I wanted it more than anything itself. And yet, my step-sister showed up in that dress with a billionaire dressed on her arm. She smelled impeccable. In a custody battle, I had seen the bottles. They looked almost like crystal. I'd wanted it, but frankly, the thing cost a little more—nearly as much as my car. And then
Iris Halle’s reply was totally expected, the world could probably be ending tomorrow and she would go to the office today.“Yeah, but…” I reached out toward her, placing a hand on her. Granted, she wasn’t pale, and she didn’t look tired. If anything, she looked much better than the day she was discharged. But still. I had seen just a little bit too much confidence harm someone. It suddenly struck me, remembering one of my high school friends, Betty. Her mom got admitted to the hospital due to an accident. While Betty was mostly fine, her mom wasn’t. By the time the doctor said she was fine and ready to go home, Betty’s mom spent two days at home and died in her bed due to complications from a surgery she had. Of course, Halle couldn’t be compared to that. Still, I was worried. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” She smiled a rather kind smile, shook her head, and somehow tapped me on the nose with an index finger. “I’m fine,” she said. “Not really perfect, but the whol
Iris After the shower, I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, my hair still damp. His question had caught me totally off guard, and more so, my reply. I let him shower first, when he was done, I went in and had my shower. By the time I came out of the bathroom, Orchard was already rummaging through his closet, pulling out a crisp shirt and dark trousers. His ease and confidence were something I admired and envied.I went to the vanity, my hands trembling slightly as I reached for my makeup bag. I wasn’t usually this nervous, but today felt different. Everything felt heightened, like all eyes would be on me tonight.As I started applying foundation, my hands shook just enough for Orchard to notice. He walked over, his shirt half-buttoned, and leaned against the dresser, watching me with a calm expression.“You need to relax,” he said softly. “Everything’s going to be fine.”I sighed, setting down the brush. “I know,” I replied, though my voice didn’t sound convincing. “It’
Tiffany Dave soon began to walk towards the door. My mouth hung open as I watched him. Surely he wasn't serious, right? He was joking, right? "I'm sorry," I said. I blurted it out. "Can we just forget that ever happened and face this like adults?" He stopped dead in his tracks, his muscles tensing as he breathed in and out slowly. Somehow, I found myself mirroring his exact actions, trying to ease out the tension I felt and hoping that the slight moisture on my head wasn’t sweat but merely my imagination. "Fine," Dave shrugged, turned around quickly, and began walking toward the walk-in closet not far from me. Subconsciously, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding and began panting heavily for breath, while even more moisture gathered on my forehead. Yep, that was sweat, I told myself as I reached for a bit of tissue and dabbed at it. Before I was done with my makeup, he came out, fully showered and wrapped in a towel, his hair now white and wet. His eyes briefly found
Orchard’s Pov“You know, you really are the most beautiful person to walk the earth.” I said to Iris, as she stood by the mirror brushing her hair. “You’re just saying that because I’m your wife,” she chuckled, her eyes lighting up the room and my heart as well. “What do you say, we try something different right now?”“Orchard! Your mum’s event is in a few hours, we should be getting ready.”“We have time.” I winked, earning a playful glare from her in return.I opened my lower drawer, retrieving a tool box from it, Iris eyes never left mine. I got close to her as her eyes followed my body, looking a bit presumptuous about every move I made. I took out from the toys I had brought, a blindfold. For some reason, I felt she looked very appealing in it. I was going to be gentle with her anyway. I just didn't want her eyes staring at me while I continued. I wanted her looking as hot as I wanted her to be. Not that she wasn’t already, I just needed to see her that way, in blindfolds.I s
Tiffany “No,” she shook her head. “You wait,” she said, very firm. “You wait until everything is ready, and then you go change. I’m hoping that at least you’ll have things done before you come home.” She started to walk away from me. “Very good,” of course, that was her staple—walking away when she believed herself to be done with people or going to meet someone. So, after Mom left, I decided to go downstairs and simply get some hands-on experience. “Status?” I whispered to Bethany, Kimberly’s second. “We’re almost done with the table placement,” she said. “Of course, they’re also ready to cover the tables and set up the centerpieces. We’re having a few issues, though,” she said. “The guest list is quite muddled, and because we didn’t have a rehearsal dinner to figure out who’s sitting where, I hope the vegan table doesn’t get mixed up with the one for meat-eaters.” She widened her dark blue eyes. “This is a travesty,” she said, touching her forehead. “Shut up,” I mumbl
Tiffany’s POVI stood in front of the mirror, carefully brushing out my hair. Last night’s argument with Dave lingered in my mind, he hadn’t been himself, but that didn’t make the pain any easier to bear.I set the brush down on the dresser with a soft clink and reached for the necklace I’d chosen, a simple gold chain with a small emerald pendant. I was fastening the necklace when I felt a pair of familiar arms wrapping around my waist. I hadn’t heard him come in, and the sudden warmth of his embrace startled me.“Tiff,” he said softly.I froze for a second, caught off guard, then let out a slow breath. “Dave,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral.He tightened his hold on me, resting his chin lightly on my shoulder. His touch wasn’t demanding; it was tentative, almost apologetic. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.“For last night?” I asked, though I already knew.He nodded, “I was out of line, Tiff. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. It’s no excuse, but I was stressed, and…” He sighed, his breath
Orchard’s POV The evening air was cool as I climbed the steps to the rooftop. My body felt heavy, like each movement required more effort than it should. The door creaked as I pushed it open, revealing the quiet sanctuary that had always been my retreat. The rooftop wasn’t much to look at, it was a simple flat space bordered by a rusty railing. A few old chairs sat scattered around, one missing a leg, the other barely standing. The city stretched out in front of me, endless and alive. I stepped toward the edge, my boots scuffing against the uneven surface, and sank to the ground with my back against the railing. Reaching into my jacket pocket, I pulled out a half-empty bottle of whiskey. It clinked softly against the metal railing as I set it down beside me, and for a moment, I just stared at it. My fingers tightened around the glass. I unscrewed the cap and raised the bottle to my lips, the first sip burning as it slid down my throat. The whiskey was old and sharp, but it did the