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TWENTY NINE
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Terms and Conditions THIRTY
EDMOND“Congratulations,” I read aloud. “Your devotion to making this work and for your hard work, Snuggle is happy to inform you that your family has unlocked the trials and tribulations privilege.”The app did not even make an attempt to hide the insidious meaning that came with that horrible title. My mind raced for a minute. I had questions. Like, What did that even mean? What predicament was the app going to throw us into this time around? The box of troubles vibrated in my head and I dared to look. It was another pop-up from Snuggle. Do you wish to speak to a representative? I hit the accept button and put the phone close to my ear.“Hello,” I breathed, picking up Ronald’s business card with my free hand.“It is wonderful to hear from you again Mr. Edmond, I am Cupid, your love manager. How can Snuggle help you today?” The vaguely familiar voice replied on the other end.“What the hell is a trial and tribulations privilege feature?”“Do not let the name frighten you. The purpose
Terms and Conditions THIRTY ONE
EDMONDMy personal assistant picked the worst time to waltz in. I was on the verge of a mental breakdown. I hated this. I hated feeling powerless and what hit harder was the fact that it happened to concern my carefully calculated relationship with my family; especially my father.She noticed it because I could not even bother to hide the inferno raging inside of me. “Edmond, are you alright?”“Do I look alright?” I flared. An action I regretted almost immediately. But I could not take it back. I brushed my troubled hair backward with my fingers and took in a deep breath. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I am just dealing with stuff.”“If you don’t mind me prying, Edmond, is it that bad?”I dropped Ronald’s business card back on my desk and looked at her. She was worried for me. I felt the same way too. I could not continuously lose my cool pending the time that the Snuggle app still had us wrapped around its little fingers. It was bad for business in all aspects. “We all ha
Terms and Conditions THIRTY TWO
MAYCan you survive yours? I despised how that one sentence managed to stick to my brain. No, I couldn’t. Even if I could, why would I willingly put myself in that situation? It had taken a lot of sacrifices to get away from her and how she constantly made me feel. I did not understand it. The trials were supposed to be about sustaining this relationship. So why- Why was this the trial I had to face? I picked up my phone and with shaky hands dared to type in the word ‘mom’ into the search box of my contacts app. It had been so long. But I had to know. If my mom made it here… she would flip. I had no job. I was trapped with a dating app and married. That would be the worst part too. I was married to my ex-boss. A man who did not have to worry about money. If there was something April Wolfe hated more than men who did not fit her fairytale narrative, it was broke women who married the rich. I fitted that box quite perfectly.I hesitated. If I called her, what would I say? I wondered tho
Terms and Conditions THIRTY THREE
EDMONDMay had me worried so I left work early. I made sure to call her, to know how she was. But each call went to voicemail. It was not like her. Driving home, I could not shake the concern that boiled my blood. What could Snuggle have fucking put her through?The traffic lights turned red, but I did not stop. Instead, I hit the gas, and my car sped through the intersection. I knew I was breaking the law, but I did not care. I needed to get home, and I needed to get there fast.I weaved in and out of traffic, cutting off other drivers and honking my horn. My mind was racing, and I couldn't seem to slow it down. Thoughts of everything that had gone wrong today spun in my head like a hurricane. I could feel my blood pressure rising, and my heart is pounding in my chest. Yet I was taking it out on the road. In the back of my mind, I knew what it was. I had always thought May and I weren’t like creatures. But Snuggle knew better. Her task had to be something related to her mother. Even
Terms and Conditions THIRTY FOUR
MAYHe sounded right out of a fairytale. My very own Prince Charming. It was hard not to swoon. The man left his work which happened to be his love child because he was worried about me. That was the stuff you only read in books. I could tell he was still worried about me even if he promised that he was not going to pester me. In a way, that bothered me. So I tried to break the ice while he was washing my plate.“I listened to your voicemail,” I said, staring at my fingers while I continued. I still felt a ton of guilt for practically ghosting him. I did not want to be a burden. Mom would hate that. “You vaguely mentioned the Trial and Tribulations prestige function. So I am curious. What did Snuggle demand from you?”Edmond continued to wash in silence. I almost believed I had asked the wrong question. But then a chuckle escaped his lips and he turned to face me. “It is a trial. Trust me, mine is just as bad as yours. If you think you are the only one with family drama, wait till you
Terms and Conditions THIRTY FIVE
EDMONDCupid told me that the goal of the trial and tribulations was not to break us but to make us stronger as a couple. A couple who could face whatever tribulations were thrown their way and survive would only wax stronger. They were not wrong too. Being here. Being this close to May made me feel… okay. It made me feel like I could actually survive dinner with my father.“Dinner with my parents will be tomorrow. I am thinking maybe we should go shopping tomorrow. What do you think?” I said, my hands still firmly grasping her shoulders.“You think I dress badly?” May replied. Her voice was soft and low.I was forced to break the hug to make eye contact. “No,” I replied. “I do not think you dress badly. You dress like May Wolfe. If we are going to waltz right into a pack-house, it is best we make you look like a wolf too.” The pun was unintentional. But I was not lying. My parents would probably find out I was married to May. With enough probing, they would also find out how that cam
Terms and Conditions THIRTY SIX
EDMOND The day passed through. Half of it at least. I was on the edge of my seat at work. Even when I closed early, I couldn’t help but worry. Every passing second meant that my personal hell was getting closer. The cool evening air was refreshing as I drove towards my home but there was no time to bask in the beauty of the setting sun and the cast of warm orange and pink that blanketed the sky. I rolled down my car window, allowing the crisp air to fill my heavy lungs while I focused on the winding road that led to the front gates of my house. May must have known I was close because the moment I pulled up to the gate, the automated gates immediately shuffled to the side, allowing me access. I intended to park somewhere decent and go inside to help May out. But she was already outside waiting for me and she looked beautiful. She wore a fitted black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, paired with a pair of sleek heels. Her blonde hair was styled into a lob, perfectly
Terms and Conditions THIRTY SEVEN
EDMONDI turned off the headlights of the car so she could see us better. We were both nervous wrecks when we highlighted the car. Without the bright lights of my car blinding my line of sight, I could tell she was not fine. Mom loved to take care of her body. Pilates three times a week kinda routine. She liked her clothes perfectly fitted too. One look at her and I could see two things were wrong. She was thin and not in a healthy way. What made it even more glaring was the fact that her clothes which would usually accentuate her body loosely hung on her skin. She was not being overly dramatic. She was not actually doing so well.“How are you doing, Mom?” I asked, remaining frozen where I was. I did want to run over to her, take her up in her arms, and wrap her in a tight hug till she begged me to stop. But I still felt resentment. It made me feel like a horrible person because she clearly was not doing okay and I was there, holding a grudge. Mom didn’t look at me. No, she had her ey
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