After the ceremony, the reception was filled with laughter, music, and dancing. Mia twirled around, delighted to be part of it all, while Eric and I mingled with our guests. It felt like a dream, but I knew it was real. This was the life we had built together, after all the hardships, after the struggles.During the toasts, there was another surprise in store. Tony, who had been promoted for his incredible work in turning in Rico and Lola, stood up to make a speech. But instead of the usual brotherly words, he turned to Alicia.“Alicia,” he began, his voice uncharacteristically nervous, “you’ve changed my life in ways I never expected. You’ve become everything to me, and I can’t imagine a future without you.”There was a collective gasp as Tony dropped to one knee, holding a small ring box in his hands. “Will you marry me?”Alicia’s eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, she was speechless. Then, with a soft laugh, she nodded. “Yes, Tony,” she whispered. “Yes.”The room erupted in
Emily's POV. I felt the strange wave of dizziness hit me suddenly again as I went about my daily routine in my room in the mansion that I had come to know as my home. A wave of chills washed over me as I recalled the familiarity of this feeling. It was a few minutes past six am. I had woken up later than I should have. I rushed into the bathroom in a flash and emptied the content of my stomach. My hair stuck to my face as small beads of perspiration formed on my forehead. I dabbed my face with a small face towel and rushed back to the room. With weak hands, I picked up the hair brush that had been going through my hair before to resume, brushing my hair and packing it in a bun. Mrs Wilson, my mother-in-law, had instructed that my hair be styled before I stepped out of my room. It made me wonder if I was such an eyesore for her. She could barely stand my presence sometimes. I rushed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the family. The table has to be set by six thirty. I
Eric's POV.We were to have dinner, a family tradition we held regularly, at a fancy five-star restaurant that screamed luxury and class.I walked towards the table we had reserved with Emily in tow.I tugged on the edge of my navy blue Armani tuxedo and raised my hand to look at my golden wristwatch. We were just on time for the dinner despite the mild traffic."Welcome, son", my mother greeted chirpingly and I nodded in greeting to her."Did you have to look like you just fell from a rose bush?", my sister, Alicia, snidely remarked, giving Emily a thorough once-over.Emily turned beet red and kept her head down, as she took a seat beside me.We had some extended family members around a as well. My mother's sister and some aunts were also around."Eric, dear, give your aunt Melinda a kiss", aunt Melinda cooed from her seat.I felt reluctant. Mushy reunions were not my thing. Nonetheless, I placed a soft kiss on her cheeks, keeping my expression blank."It's so good to see you. Look a
Emily's POV.I was downtrodden!He asked me to get out of his car so late in the night.I stood outside the car with its door wide open, and Eric's girlfriend sauntered over to the seat I formally occupied, brushing my shoulder harshly.The chilly air hit my skin, and I shivered slightly, standing beside the car."I don't know why you won't just divorce her!", the lady's voice was carried through the air to my hearing, and my heart shattered even more.It hurt enough that his mother was talking about our divorce already, but hearing this stranger talk about it as well made me want to scream in frustration."Baby, you know I can't. Not yet at least", Eric explained desperately, and she huffed in annoyance."You've probably fallen in love with her and spent want to be associated with me anymore," she snapped. I caught sight of her arms folded across her frame.Eric's face as he tried to make her see reasons with him made my stomach churn with an unexplainable feeling."Come on, babe. Yo
Emily's POV"The clients whose wedding we just designed for said to thank you personally, ma'am," Rachel called from the door of my office, and I lifted my head to face her.A pleasant smile broke out on my face. My customers' satisfaction was my satisfaction.I nodded at her in acknowledgement. "No problem, Rachel. It's a pleasure doing business with them", I replied dismissively, returning my attention to the papers I had been attending to on my desk."They sent me this for you, ma'am. They put in a good word for us to a family who have a huge wedding coming up", she said excitedly.She placed a copy of the wedding invitation on my desk and I stared at it briefly."Alright. Get stated on the research for aesthetics", I replied.She nodded and was about to exit my office when she turned back quickly."They also paid beyond the price we told them. They were that pleased, Ms Emily" she said, sounding excited."Oh! Okay", I said with a warm smile and she nodded excitedly before l leavi
Eric's POVI adjusted my jacket as I strode briskly across the large living room with my leather briefcase in my hand and a permanent scowl etched on her face."Eric, darling. Are you off to work?"My mother rushed over to me, placing her two hands on my arms as she tried to get me to slow down."But-We have not even talked about the wedding preparations," she argued, pulling me to a seat.I sighed.A wedding. That has been all that has been on her mind since Emily left. It made a splitting headache break out in my head.Lola could not have been happier when I had been made to propose to her and introduce her to the family. Her wish was finally granted, but it felt like my hopes had just been dashed.Any hope of being free from my mother's controlling grip would be dashed when I get married to Lola, who seemed to be under her spell. Any hope of finding and reuniting with Emily would be dashed, and the thought of that alone made my facial expression harden.I could not take it."I ha
Emily's POVI stared around in a daze at the buildings and the streets where I was once familiar with as they fleetingly disappeared.Nothing much had changed in the past five years.I recognised the street where the Wilsons mansion was as the cab drove past it. I was not planning to stay with them for the event. I would rather die than stay in the same house that held all my bad memories that I had locked away."Ma'am, we just passed the street you talked about. Where would you like to get off, please?"I thought about it for a while before giving Jim a pleasant smile. "Take me to the nearest guest house to this place," I ordered with a firm voice, and he nodded, stepping on the gas of the car.Thoughts of my daughter consumed me as i watched the houses and buildings on the side of the road disappear as we sped past them.Mia had made a fuss when she heard that I was leaving for work. She cried a lot, making me cry as well. I had never spent a day away from her. This was a new expe
Eric's POV"The cake has to be perfect; nothing like you have ever created. It has to be the most spectacular thing anyone has ever seen. It has to be talk-of-the-town gorgeous", my mother went on describing to the small but first-class baker who sat opposite her."Yes, ma'am. We deliver only the best, and yours won't be an exception. ""Listen to me, it was to be huge. Very tall. We are using a hall with large ceilings, so it has to be much taller than the couple or even the entrance to the hall. It will be bought in through the roof. It must have a grand entrance", she kept describing.The woman nodded, swallowing hard. "Of course"Lola interjected. "Make it pink, please. Pink and white with gold edges. Pink is my favourite colour. ""Pink," the woman noted audibly while writing into a book in her hands."Also, please add some tiny gold bells..."I zoned out of their conversation, which was going on in the li