In the kitchen, the caterers were working tirelessly to prepare the best feast for the reception. The head chef, a stern-looking man in his late fifties, barked orders at his team."Presentation is the most important. I want those canapés to look as good as they taste," he instructed.Mary, Emily’s mother, was overseeing the preparations. She hovered over the kitchen staff, her sharp eyes catching every mistake."This wedding must be impeccable and perfect," Mary said, inspecting a tray of appetizers. "Emily has been through enough, and she deserves the best."The head chef nodded. "We’re on it, Mrs. Orbert. Everything will be perfect."Mary smiled, satisfied. "Good. This is a day Emily will never forget."---Outside, the garden was being transformed into a fairy tale setting for the ceremony. Rows of white chairs lined the aisle leading to a beautifully decorated archway of flowers and ribbons. The wedding planner, Becky, was directing the setup."I want those flowers evenly spaced
Seven years later...Leah, wearing a form-fitting dress and dark shades, walked out of the airport. She held the hands of two of the most handsome seven-year-old boys one could imagine.As she stood letting the breeze brush against her, she reflected on how she had long since forgiven her past and moved on. She had returned, blessed beyond words.The city had changed slightly, but those changes couldn't erase her memories of it.It remained as beautiful and vibrant as when she had left seven years ago.As she observed the surroundings, she mused, "The city has changed a little, but I wonder if the people have too. Have they evolved as I have, or are they still as treacherous as they were back then? Let's find out." She took a confident step forward into the city.The boys, her source of unconditional love, were a joy no one had shown her except her late mother. She had endeavored to be the mother they would wish for in this life and the next.Her boys were so striking that she often w
Leah sat down, whole the others surrounded her to get the full gifts. Everyone knew she was going to explain everything once she was done with the kids."I know I have kept you all in the dark but it was for my own good. I still want to thank you all for being there for me when I had nothing, you took me as your flesh and blood and treated me like a daughter and a sister. Never discriminated me like my own family did. Habmrboured me and till now you are still doing that for me and for my kids. If I didn't have you all, I don't know what I would have done. I'm grateful"... Leah said."You are giving speeches and epistles, I'm sure all this you said will full a whole book. I don't know what you thought we should have done. Throw you out?... Mrs Adams asked." No, she sniffed. I am just grateful. Two days for I left for Paris. I found out I was pregnant. That was the real reason why I left. I didn't know what to do or how I could disclose it to you all, my head was full, I couldn't think
Every morning in Alex's household began unhappily.Alex slept late and woke up early due to overthinking. For seven years, his wife had been trying to conceive without success, despite endless efforts. It felt like pouring water on a stone.He was exasperated by his wife's relentless desire to get pregnant. It wasn’t that either of them were ill, but their attempts at conception had been fruitless.This morning, once again, they had planned to check the pregnancy test. His wife, Emily, emerged from the restroom holding the strip. From her expression, Alex already knew the answer."Negative again?" he asked."Yes," she mumbled, ashamed to speak. "What should I do?" she asked desperately."Is that question for me?" Alex retorted."Are you tired of trying already? We need to keep trying until I become pregnant. I am tired too, but we still have to do something about this. It's not like I am sick," she lamented."Then who is sick, me? You are infertile, Emily. Must I spell everything out
As they stepped out of the penthouse, Mariam and Leah decided to relax at a nearby eatery to get accustomed to the neighborhood.Leah needed some time to cool off from the kids, even if it was just for a few hours.She preferred to go to the beach, but she settled for sitting and resting.An hour later, Lucian, a colleague of Alex, walked in while on a call."Alex, where are you? I just walked into the eatery. Hurry up, don't leave me stranded here."Lucian had seen Leah at Alex's house a few times and knew she was his wife back then. They almost became friends, but she had to keep her distance due to Alex's treatment of her.Initially, he didn’t see her, but she was seated close to him, just two seats away. His eyes suddenly landed on her.He stared for a while, contemplating if she was truly the one or perhaps her doppelgänger.It had been seven years; how could he be sure?He was startled when Mariam called out to her because he knew her name started with an "L.""Leah, I should pr
"For fuck's sake, can you at least listen to me? I know I was your husband before, but that doesn’t give you the right to just walk away from me like that. Can't I at least have some time with you? Go on a dinner date with me? What do you say?" Alex asked."Was," she emphasized with air quotes. "I can't remember being married to a man like you. Can you remind me? Or do you have Alzheimer's disease? And dinner? You had all the time in the world but couldn’t take me on a single date. Not even once. Now you stand here, asking me out on a dinner date. You must be sick!""What are you trying to portray in front of these people? That you are a good man? Please, stay away from me," Leah lamented.Leah and her friend tried walking away, but he ran to block them.This infuriated Jack, Mariam's new friend. He had to intervene."Excuse me, sir, can't you see they obviously don't want to have anything or any conversation with you? I suggest you leave them alone.""You have no business with what's
On hearing the glass shatter to the ground, Emily rushed and knocked on the door. "Are you alright? Alex, open the door. Did something bad happen at work today?"She was completely ignored, while Alex silently shed tears, covering his mouth with his hands."What did I get myself into? Why am I suddenly falling in love with her again? She has always been this attractive and reserved; why didn't I see that then?" He let greed cloud his emotions and judgments. He poured himself a glass of alcohol and drank it all in one go."I want to make things right with you, even if we don't get back together. I can just be friends, close to you again... Why didn't I notice you gave me peace of mind? She must have another man by now.""And he must be very wealthy, judging by the way she looks. To be in such an expensive eatery says it all.""She should have fought her way back and stayed in my life, fought for our love...""How could she fight when I didn't even fight for her at all but pushed her in
Emily dialed Lucian's number, and he picked up immediately."Hello, Lucian.""How are you doing?" he asked."I'm alright. I called to check if you guys are busy at work because Alex isn't home yet, and his phone is off.""Yes, it's been a hectic day," Lucian sensed something was wrong. "Don't worry, he’ll be home soon.""Okay, thanks. Could you ask him to turn his phone on, please?""Sure, I will."Lucian was already home since work had ended at 4:00 PM. "Where could Alex be? Probably visiting his ex-wife again. I should check our favorite spot before jumping to conclusions. But first, I need to attend to my pregnant wife."With that, his thoughts drifted, and he forgot about Alex until 10 PM when his wife had finally fallen asleep. He tried calling Alex again, but his phone was still off. "He should be home by now... I'm so exhausted."When Alex finally arrived home, he was heavily intoxicated. How he managed to drive home was a miracle. He had finished a bottle of alcohol in his car