The truth was, Lucius had described himself perfectly. That was a big part of the image I had of him. I also thought about the good things he had, but no words came out of my mouth. He noticed and let out a low chuckle. We had arrived at my apartment, and he was about to park at the entrance.“Wouldn’t you rather use my parking spot? Or… do you want to come up to my place?” I offered, trying to smooth things over.He thought about it for a few seconds before driving into the underground parking lot. I used the remote I kept in my purse to open the gate, and a few minutes later, we were entering my apartment.I stood awkwardly by the door, holding my keys, unsure of what to say. It occurred to me to offer him food, so I headed straight to the kitchen.“Do you want something to drink? Or eat? I’m starving, and I have a ton of instant ramen,” I said, already setting a pot on the stove.Lucius sat in the armchair silently, as if he were debating what to say. I abandoned the pot and ap
I hadn’t been able to sleep or eat due to nerves. But the lack of sleep or food was well hidden under professional makeup and a dress like this one. Or at least that’s what Jenna kept telling me.“Oh my God! You look stunning! Like something out of a magazine!” she gushed as she adjusted the train of my wedding dress. “Look at yourself in the mirror!”Today was my wedding day. Finally, I was going to marry Lucius in a one-of-a-kind contract. I had been getting ready since early morning for the ceremony, here in this hotel room, along with a couple of stylists, a photographer, and Jenna.I took a deep breath before looking at my full bridal look in the floor-length mirror behind me. Once I felt ready, I turned around to take a good look, and I was left speechless at how beautiful the dress was.The reflection showed me in a mermaid-cut gown covered in divine lace with embroidered flowers and pearls. The dress fit my body like a corset, and the semi-sheer long sleeves, along with my
However, by the time we signed our names in the registry, those playful smiles had to come to an end. The officiant then asked us to kiss, and we did.It was probably the most chaste kiss we’d ever shared in our relationship. As we parted and turned to face our guests, I couldn’t help but notice the bitter expressions on some of my guests’ faces and the stunned looks on most of the Browns.We had done it. Lucius and I had defied all odds and gotten married.-The nerves should have calmed by now, but they hadn’t. The hard part was supposed to be over, yet as we waited to be announced at the reception hall inside the hotel, I still felt anxious.“What did the floor ever do to you for you to stomp on it so viciously?” Lucius asked, casually munching on grapes as if nothing were out of the ordinary, as if this little waiting room for the newlyweds was a spa.“Are you serious? I’ve felt like throwing up since this morning,” I complained.“Why? Did you eat too much last night?”“Pre
My feet pounded against the floor rhythmically, and my heart raced. I had finally done it—I’d finally gotten a promotion at work, and Andrew, my fiancé, was the first person who needed to know. Walking down the hallway, I clutched my briefcase tightly, grateful that no one else was around. They’d think I was crazy, especially since I was unable to control the huge smile on my face. But who could blame me?My life was finally transforming into what it was always meant to be—a happy, blissful life. In a few months, I would marry the love of my life, and I’d finally stop being relegated to serving coffee at the company. The tears, humiliation, and loneliness would end. I, Marianne Fairmount, would no longer be my family’s punching bag. I would be the wife of a promising entrepreneur and finally, finally, everyone would respect and accept me.“Andrew? I have great news…” I called out, opening the door to my future husband’s apartment.The living room lights were off, and a soft jazz mel
Yesterday morning, I’d woken up with the man I loved, chatting about how excited we were for the wedding of our dreams. This morning, I woke up in a cheap hotel room with my eyes swollen from crying so much. There would be no wedding, no happy ending for me, no family I had dreamed of. I was left with practically nothing. No roof over my head, and who knew whether Andrew would have the decency to return my clothes. The only thing I had left was my job. One to which I have returned, locking myself in my cubicle to immerse myself in my work and crunch out numbers. I worked for Fairmount Corporation, a fairly large real estate company dedicated to what all real estate companies do: buying and selling properties. And I, who had been a business administration graduate for almost three years, had been working there since then. The fact that I shared the same last name as the company was no coincidence. Its owner was my father. Fairmount Corporation was a family business, one in which I e
I could bring up an endless list of humiliating incidents involving my family, such as the time I came to this house to kneel before my father for money for my mother's treatment, and the time Amanda and her mother gave me a box of used and torn clothes because I "needed to dress better." But asking me to help organize the wedding of my ex-fiance with his pregnant lover, who was my half-sister? That had to be one of the most sadistic items on the list. "I will not help Amanda organize her wedding with Andrew. Why would I do such a thing?" I said slowly, giving my father time to admit that this was a bad joke. Serge looked at me with disapproval, while Amanda watched with a smile she tried to hide while eating her fruit salad. "It’s disappointing that you aren’t deciding to be a better person about this matter. If you don't help, I will be forced to reconsider your contract with our company. I heard you just managed to sign as a permanent employee," he threatened. I would have
I was in a fog of pleasure that I didn't want to emerge from. Kisses were traded back and forth, and the caresses on my bare legs moved up and down. I writhed among the white sheets, enjoying the warmth of the man on top of me. I didn't want this to ever end."You're beautiful, Marianne," he whispered in my ear. "You're beautiful too," I whispered, sounding as daring as I had never been. I bit his lip with delight, which encouraged him to go faster. The way he was moving in and out of my body made me let out so many pitiful moans I hadn't even known I could make. "If it's too much for you, tell me..." he said, sounding restrained. Too much for me? What was he talking about? The slight discomfort or the pinch of pain I had felt at the beginning? That was nothing compared to the pleasure that dominated me. Sex was the best thing in the world; I didn't even know why I had been so apprehensive about it. "What if I told you it’s not enough?" I said, caressing his face. "Go faster
It was nice to have a friend who cared about me. Jenna confirmed that by letting me sleep on her sofa until I found a place to rent. I would have to stretch my budget and wait for my new salary at the end of the month to have a decent sum. It wasn’t that I was terrible with finances, but rather that I had been paying off some of my mother’s debts, and my salary wasn’t very high.At the very least, I had a place to stay for the next few nights that wasn’t a hotel. That was reassuring. I was very, very calm about my life and my place in the universe. I convinced myself of that in the elevator at work. I took a deep breath and held my briefcase tightly, as if it would be stolen at any moment."Are you thinking about that stranger from last night again?" Jenna asked, amused."No. I’m thinking that today will be a good day," I said with optimism. The kind I felt deep down inside."I don’t want to ruin your positivity, but didn’t the lobby feel a bit off?" Jenna said, worried."What was