MAYMy mother was a force of nature. Disappointed wouldn't be the right word to describe the energy she would send my way if she found out her daughter was now homeless, penniless, and married all because I didn't read the fine print. I was cornered but if I had to choose, I would choose to survive a kiss with Edmond any day. I decided I would tell him the task Snuggle had handed me the minute he walked out of the bathroom. But as seconds trickled by, I wasn't finding it that easy to talk myself out into this one. My first kiss was going to be fiction. Something Edmond and I just had to do because it was for the best and not because we wanted to. The fear was clawing at me again, and it was taking more than an extra few minutes to stop shaking. I grabbed the phone and read through the pop-ups that Snuggle had sent just to remind my brain that this was not the time to be afraid or rational. It was just one kiss. It wouldn't even mean anything. It would be over before it even got awkwar
EDMONDI sat at my desk, staring at the computer screen, but not really seeing the words on it. Instead, my mind wandered back to the kiss I shared with May. It was just a small moment, a brief brush of our lips, but it left me feeling something I haven't felt before. I tried to push the thoughts away, reminding myself that this marriage is just a convenience, a way to keep ourselves safe from Snuggle’s insanity. But it was getting harder to tell myself that was just the case. I had wanted to kiss her last night. This just made things… Why did I feel so conflicted? Why was my heart beating faster whenever I was around her? These were questions I could not answer, and they frustrated me to no end.“Are you alright, Mr. Walters?”I looked up to see my assistant. I hadn't even realized she had opened the door. The look on her face told me she could tell something was wrong. I was that easy to read.“Yeah… I’m good.” I forced a smile. It didn’t look like she bought it but she did not pry
MAYBe a fashion Icon. No matter how much I rang the words in my head, this item on the bucket list did not seem achievable. Not anymore. I would never lie to myself. I was not conventionally pretty. No the modeling world claimed that beauty wasn’t what they were looking for. The goal was to sell clothes and symmetrical and bland faces were enough. But that was a lie. Even if it were true, I truly did not think fashion was something I wanted to make a career out of anymore. I was satisfied with working in real estate. It was easier and surprisingly, less tasking on my body. I was going to stick with it. I pushed that thought aside. Two items had been struck out from the bucket list. I had bleached my hair and somehow done something out of my comfort zone. Now that I thought about it, perhaps it had been foolish. All that was left was a teen girl’s fantasy, shellfish, and fear. Yes… Conquer a fear. What did I fear?Against my will, a memory from the morning flashed brightly in my mind.
EDMONDThe perplexed look on May’s face told me everything I needed to know. This was going to be just like that night at Mox. Except I wasn’t even trying to be dishonest this time around. It was just hard telling her the task Snuggle had handed me. I watched her face continue to twist. So much so, that I could not decipher whether she was disgusted or mad.“I was going to tell you,” I finally blurted out, dropping the crab leg in my hand back into my plate. “I swear.”“Tell me what?” She asked, her eyebrows arching in suspicion.Was this a trick? Had I been reading too much into things? No… This had to be a test and May just wanted to see if I would keep on lying. “I was… What did Snuggle send you? The text was from them, right?”May nodded. “They sent me an appreciation. Why? Should I be worried?”Shit! I really jumped the gun. “Forget it.” I answered, immediately fixating on my plate while silently praying that she would let it go. But I had to be kidding myself. May and I had not
MAYI had to be crazy. I should have nipped this in the bud before it blossomed. Now, it was a little too late. We could tell ourselves it was just a kiss that got out of hand. But I knew it was more than that. My opinion about Edmond had changed since that movie night and the wet dreams were just the start of this rendezvous of madness. It killed me a little to see that look on his face when he pulled away from me. It was almost as if he regretted it. The silence between us stretched for the longest time until Edmond’s phone beeped. As if trying to escape the loop of painful awkwardness, Edmond reached for the phone and looked at it.“It is from Snuggle,” Edmond filled me in.I nodded, knowing he was only trying his best to make us forget the kiss. I wish I could. But if that was what was needed for the tension in the air to subside, then so be it.“Let me guess, no reward?”“They offered me an opportunity to answer a question I had no answer too. I guess I have the answer now.”The
EDMOND“Do I still love my ex?” I repeated. Where was this coming from? She looked visibly upset. I looked around, wondering what could have fire-started it. She had mentioned Snuggle incoherently before bringing up Lucille. So I imagined it was some task she was given. If it disturbed her that much, I was going to answer it. “Lucille has basically moved on and practically hates me. Do I still feel something for her? Yes. A part of me will always feel something for Lucille but I am content. I am okay with her moving on. I might not be there yet. But I will be.”“Are you sure?” May asked me. She meant it too. “Because if you still love this Lucille, we have to tell the app now.”“Why?” I quizzed, taking a step closer. I noticed May mirrored me and took me one step back, as if cautious of me.May stormed to the table and picked up her device. She took a moment to unlock it before shoving it in my face. “Look at this,” She urged and I obeyed because she seemed agitated. I was staring at
MAYSpontaneous. If Edmond’s intention had been to shock me, he did a terrific job. His hands were callous. They made every graze his fingers made on my body real. His mouth tasted like shellfish. In retrospect, that wasn’t supposed to be romantic in any light. But Edmond’s mouth could taste like onions and they would still taste like heaven. That would be scary to admit but I was lost in the moment. I liked how his lips felt against mine. I liked how our tongues fought for dominance. Edmond’s touch got slower and more determined, sending shivers down my spine. I liked it. My nipples perked up when Edmond’s fingers untucked my shirt and fondled my bare skin. It was filthy but I liked it. Moans escaped my mouth as his fingers wandered up my spine and found the hook of my bra.“That is naughty,” I mumbled, refusing to let go of his mouth.Edmond chuckled and let go of my mouth. I had to have been the neediest kisser because it took a lot to not moan out of frustration. “I can be naughty
MAYI instinctively pulled the covers of the bed to cover my face when the harsh rays of the sun hit it. The ease at which the covers moved told me something was odd. I peeled back the covers and looked to my side. Edmond was gone. I turned to my other side and searched the drawer that stood there with my eyes. My phone wasn’t there. My memories were still hazy. A potent afterglow of the sex. But I remembered leaving it in Edmond’s workspace. Begrudgingly, I rolled off the bed and slipped into a pair of flops that weren't mine. Edmond’s feet were huge because it felt like I had stepped right into bigfoot’s footprints. I had almost made it to the door when I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. I was naked. Knowing that the butler or cleaners could be downstairs, I decided to put on something. One of Edmond’s white shirts was the first thing to catch my eye. It was big and big was good. I slipped into it before heading for Edmond’s study room.I had barely made it down the stairs wh
EDMONDI helped May out of the bar and guided her towards my car. It was what I would call a very original experience. Straddling her close so she wouldn’t fall and having her kiss and whisper utter nonsense as we made our way back to my parking spot was weirdly comforting. It made me feel close to her. May was not the shy type. But I could tell that with me, she held back. With Alcohol in her system, she didn’t have to be reserved. I could see my wife in all her chaos. She was…beautiful. The sun was setting and the skies that were once vibrant now had a dark purple hue to it. It was cool. Just like I felt with her now. The drive home was filled with silence. But not the awkward kind. It was peaceful. I had May sit at the back because she told me she was tired and excluding her occasional sniffles and giggles, she seemed to be asleep. I helped her out of the car when once we arrived home and led her inside. I noticed her drunk smile soften when we entered. The familiarity of the place
EDMONDI pushed back my chair, the wheels scraping against the floor in protest. The stifling air seemed to thin as I rose with a single thought. My hands swiped at my desk and I picked up my car keys before rushing for the door. The heavy lumber door slammed shut behind me as I stormed out of my office and outside the parking lot.May was breaking my monotonous routine and it was a change I welcomed. The sight of my car greeting me in the fading sunlight greeted me. May had become a catalyst for my liberation. She was a force that had completely obliterated my predictable and normal life. Her presence in my life breathed new life into my days, challenging me to dare spontaneity. With determined steps, I made my way to the car.With a quick turn of the key, my car’s engine roared to life as I slid into the driver’s seat. Snuggle had caused me to realize May and I were like creatures. It was still a surprise that our lives were that easy to read by a matchmaking app. But Snuggle was no
EDMONDAs I sat at my desk, my mind swirled with a jumble of thoughts and worries. The weight of the world seemed to press down on my shoulders, making it hard to focus on anything else. May was on my mind. She was the only thing dominating my thoughts. The impending task that Snuggle had forced her to undertake gnawed at my insides, filling me with a mix of anxiety and concern.Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the door to my office open, and my personal assistant stepping in. She cleared her throat, interrupting the whirlwind in my mind. I looked up, momentarily startled by her presence."Is everything alright, Mr. Walters?" Her voice carried a hint of genuine concern.I blinked, trying to gather my scattered thoughts and bring myself back to the present. "Oh, sorry, I must have been lost in my own world there for a moment.""It has been consistent these past few days," she said, out of concern. And she was right. It was hard to concentrate at work lately. The weight of Snuggle
MAYGoodbyes held power, whether it was filled with love or drenched in hate. Love's farewell brought pain and suffering, while hatred's parting was supposed to bring peace. Cutting ties with my mother was meant to bring me the freedom I craved. But one glance at her anguished eyes shattered any notion of liberation. I had seen that look before, hidden behind her false smiles. Every time I did something that reminded her of the man who ruined our lives, I caught a glimpse of that pain. But this time was different. She made no effort to conceal her disappointment and hatred. In her eyes, I was just like my father—a deserter.But there was no turning back. I had reached my breaking point. Enough with self-loathing. Enough with the fear of letting her down and walking on eggshells to avoid triggering memories of my father. I took the first step, walking past her. My body trembled uncontrollably as I brushed past, barely avoiding a collision. It didn't feel good. None of it felt good. Let
MAY*Trigger Warning: This episode contains family conflict, emotional abuse, and Narcissistic behavior*I didn't remember much about my father. The memories of the good times had faded away, although there were photos at home that told stories I couldn't quite recall. One picture stood out to me—the one where we had messy ice cream all over our faces, yet wore big smiles for the camera. But amidst the haze, the memories of the difficult moments remained vivid. I would hide in my room as a child, tears streaming down my face, as the fights grew worse. Thankfully, they were never physically violent, but that didn't make them any less painful.As I got older, I began to understand that my parents didn't love themselves, and the only reason they stayed together was for my sake. However, I couldn't be the glue that held our family together, no matter how much I wished for it. My mom's hurtful words became increasingly unbearable. Eventually, my dad reached a breaking point. One night, he
MAYThere was barely a moment to catch my breath when another message appeared on my screen, causing my stomach to plummet as I quickly scanned its contents. "Was this the work of that crazy app?" My mother was not one to leave things in the dark. I had unknowingly given her a clue that connected to my current predicament. I knew she would dig into it, especially if it involved Snuggle. If she could associate Snuggle with the app, it meant she already knew a lot about them.Edmond noticed the change in my reaction and inquired, "Is that Snuggle?""No," I replied, showing Edmond my phone. "It's even worse. My mom is in town.""Oh, she sounds angry," Edmond mused. "I can drive you.""No," I refused. "I think I should handle this alone. I don't want my mom to cause a scene in my neighborhood. I may not be popular, but I don't want to become the subject of gossip once all of this is over and I return home.""Okay then," Edmond gave me a wry smile before planting a kiss on my cheek and lea
MAYEdmond's progress with his mother gave me a glimmer of hope. I knew it might be wishful thinking, but seeing him mend his relationship with her gave me a flicker of optimism. It had been four days since that memorable dinner at the Walters' house, and Edmond was still talking to his mother. They appeared to be growing closer, and what's more, Mrs. Walters expressed genuine interest in getting to know me. It was an unexpected and heartwarming development. However, we still kept our little secret about Snuggle, our leachy companion. Edmond promised he would eventually reveal the truth to his mother, but only when he felt confident that she wouldn't freak out.Meanwhile, my mind was consumed with thoughts and worries about how things would unfold with my own mother. I spent the entire week obsessing and stressing over it. I couldn't help but indulge in fantasies of a smooth reconciliation. In my daydreams, my mother would understand, accept, and embrace me for who I was. It was a bre
MAYEdmond led me down the grand staircase and towards the sleek black car parked outside. I felt a sense of relief wash over me as we finally made our way toward the exit. It had been a long evening, filled with formalities, fake smiles, and drama, and I was eager to leave. But just as we were about to get into the car, a feeling of panic washed over me. My hands suddenly felt too free, and it was then that I realized I had forgotten my purse inside the house.My hands unconsciously pulled away from Edmond's and I turned to look back at the Walters family home. "Is something wrong?" Edmond asked, his brow furrowing with concern."I forgot my purse," I replied, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. I knew I had to go back inside and retrieve it, but I was eager to leave this place and get away from the pretentiousness of the evening."I'll come with you," Edmond offered, but I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I'll be quick." Was that a lie? Yes. But I didn’t want him to have t
MAYHis parents exchanged looks. Looks that were easy to read. His mom didn’t like the threat that Edmond just dropped and the stare she gave her husband was more of a plea that he kept his mouth shut. His father, on the other hand, was still seething. But Mr. Walters also understood that his son was not bluffing and he respected his wife enough to cut the heated conversation shut.“I apologize for losing my temper,” The man forced, licking his teeth before smiling at me. “We are not usually like this May. It just comes as a shock that my son had a whole wife and didn’t bother to tell us anything. Until now. It is wonderful to see you, May. I really hope we can get to know you.”“Yeah,” I nervously answered because there were really no words I could conjure to answer the man. I didn’t want a conversation. I just wanted to survive this dreadful family reunion. Yet, as bad and triggering as being in the Walters family was, I was content. I was at peace. If the night continued, my mind w