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
EDMONDThere was something different in the air. My cooking felt a million times better and I was practically frolicking all the way to my car all while ignoring the fact that I was running late and my personal assistant had called me a million times. I suspected it had something to do with the project party she had goaded me into throwing.As I settled into the driver's seat of my black Mercedes, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement for the day ahead. I could feel it in my bones. Today was going to be perfect and without any hitches. With a quick turn of the ignition, the powerful engine roared to life, and I pulled out of the gated mansion and into the open road. The morning sun continued to peek over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the city. It had been so long since I had found the metropolis a beautiful place. But it was when you weren't so busy. This was a city of glass and light. The skyscrapers towered above the streets, shimmering in the sunlight, their glass
MAYWith a new determination and a stuffed stomach, I surfed the internet to find out the best way to enter the fashion industry considering I never majored in fashion. My search led me to find a program called Queendom. It was a coming-of-age site that seemed to focus on fashion internships. It seemed like the safest manner to launch myself into the fashion industry. The reviews I looked up about the program seemed genuine. There were not a lot of success stories and many bitched about how competitive it was for a mere internship program that paid stipends. That only proved how real the program was. It urged me to sign up. I hit the keywords into my phone and browsed through their website.I could feel my nerves getting the best of me as I continued to scroll through the website. The home page was filled with girls too good to be true. Their smile was perfect. They all wore lipstick that contrasted with their pearly white teeth. A lot of people would argue that it was photo-shopped b
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
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
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
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
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