April 2017
It was my wedding day! it was! But where was my husband? I had been at the altar for hours and my husband was nowhere to be found. Mrs. Alicia my mother-in-law had excused herself outside to call him times and times again but he did not show up. Despite all this, the smile on my face could have been compared to the light coming in through the glass windows, I had dolled myself up for this wedding and despite the fact that my legs were killing me due to the 6-inch heels I was wearing, I refused to let anything spoil my wedding.
I looked to where my parents were seated, they smiled without a care in the world, it was expected since they were getting rid of a nuisance. They had made this fact clear to me since I was young and when the first opportunity presented itself, they thrust me into the arms of Alicia Valero. It wasn’t a bad deal to me, Alicia was lovely. She loved me even more than my parents but it was her son that was her problem. I had wanted to back out after our first meet where he treated me like I didn’t exist but his mother assured me that he just needed time so I married him.The door of the church opened and my husband entered, 3 hours late. He walked in and my breath caught, he looked so handsome even with the frown on his face, I found my mind wondering to how he would look if a smile stretched those icy lips of his, I wondered how he would look if a laugh lifted those stone hard cheeks and if the twinkle and light of laughter entered his eyes but I could only wonder, the only thing he gifted my eyes with was the frown on his face.Yet I was happy, I looked forward to when he would open up to me, to when he would show me the cheerful personality that his mother spoke so highly of. It was time to read our vows and I promised myself onto Simon till death do us part. Simon read out his vows and I felt excitement build in my heart despite the fact that he read it like a death sentence.‘I now pronounce you husband and wife’ my excitement bubbled out as the priest joined us together and I turned to kiss Simon. He placed a fleeting kiss on my lips and turned away, the kiss left much to be desired and I looked forward to our wedding night.We walked out of the church hand in hand after taking pictures but immediately we got to where cars were parked, he got in and drove off leaving me standing, stranded. My mother-in-law saved my face and instructed her driver to take me home.I got home and headed to Simon’s room still clad in my wedding gown. I was met with a shocker when Simon told me never to step foot in his room. He pushed me out and called for the maids and instructed them to show me to my room, he told me that he wants nothing to do with me and that I should meet the maids if I wanted anything.October 2017Tina’s povI heard the angry footsteps of my mother-in law as she marched up to my husband’s study, the door slammed shut a moment later.Although I couldn’t hear them, she was probably yelling at him for the way he treated me, I had tried to keep it from her but that’s kind of hard to do when your business is all over the news.I looked at my phone at the article that was released about me and Simon Valero.‘Trouble in Paradise’ the article had my crying picture as the cover. The picture did nothing to accentuate my looks, the head warmer I had shoved my hair into hid the long wavy beauty of it, my tear stained face hid the clear grey that was my eyes, plus I’m sure the picture was taken to show the troubles I was facing, in other words I was ugly. I remembered the day the picture would have been taken, I had gone to Simon’s office to confront him when I couldn’t get a hold of him at home, that day I left his office crying as the only words he said to me were harsh and
Simon’s povThe sound of a door slam startled me from what I was working on; I looked up and saw my fuming mother. ‘Oh, I guess it’s my door that slammed then’ I thought,She stormed over to me, ‘what is this I hear on the news about you, what is this I hear you did to Tina’ she says,‘Mum, you know better than to believe everything you see on the TV’ I told her and went back to what I was doing on my laptop.She slammed my laptop shut and yelled at me ‘Tina told me what happened, she told me you dragged her to a gynae to find out if she was pregnant for your baby, I scoffed at her words ‘so Tina has made a habit of talking to you about me’‘Do you expect her to suffer in silence, do you know how hard I tried before I got her to open up to me’ she adds.‘When I saw the article about you two in front of a gynae, I thought I would be expecting good news only for me to find out about how you threatened that you would have made her get an abortion had she been pregnant.’I stood up and
Tina’s povThe bang of the door slamming jolted me and I wiped the tears from my eyes furiously, ‘I was the stupid one for wishing him well in his love life, for expecting that he would be anything other than the asshole he is.’ ‘Why am I even crying, I should have expected this’ I thought but my tear glands refused to cooperate and the tears kept falling.I was suddenly filled with anger and hatred for Simon, he turned me, someone that almost never cried into a crying mess, I wiped the tears that were flowing down my face again and again but they didn’t stop coming.I hated both Simon and his mother for turning me into this, although I wasn’t happy with my parents, it wasn’t that bad because I expected nothing from them, but with Simon, I kept expecting and my expectations kept getting dashed.I was suddenly filled with hatred for both Simon and his family, I picked up my phone and reapplied for a divorce, I was tired and done with this unrequited love I had for Simon.My phone rang
August 2023Tina’s povThe sound of the pitter patter of little feet filled my ears and immediately, my heart lifted and a smile spread over my face.My son, Ajax, jumped on my bed and began to drag my arm ‘mum, mum, get up, its morning already’I turned and hugged my son fiercely; he was my pride and joy, the only positive from my marriage to Simon.Just thinking of the fact that he was just a “false negative” away from been aborted made me hug him tighter.‘Mum, you’re squashing me’ he said and wiggled himself from my grasp.He resumed dragging my hand ‘it’s a Monday morning and you’re still in bed, at this time!!’, he screams out the last part and a laugh erupts from me.I blinked one eye open, the sun streaming through the crack in the curtains showed that the sun was well and truly up.I spring up from the bed carrying Ajax with me; he wiggled out of my grasp and ran out of my room.I drew the curtains open and took a breath of fresh air, ‘I have a busy day today’ I thought, ‘I h
A racing heartI hid out of their sight and tried to calm my racing heart, it was my ex- husband together with someone else, probably a business partner.Bella headed over to me and told me to go behind the counter; I thanked her and went while Bella went to take their order.At the counter, I was out of their line of sight and I was grateful for that, ‘Wow!!! Is that not the Mr. Simon Valero, greatest business mogul and Chairman of SR Group?’ the voice of Cathy, one of the other waiters resounded in my ear, her excited voice was an annoyance as she had only good things to say about my asshole of an ex- husband.I tuned her out and turned my attention to Simon’s table, I watched their little movements and prayed that whatever they had to do would be done soon.I wondered what a business mogul like him was doing in this little town.I felt little hands pull on the hem of my uniform ‘mummy, mummy, I have trouble with my homework.’The sound of my son’s troubled voice startled me from m
I stare at my phone for a moment, then a moment extra to sound of my heart beat rushing through my ears, it was Trove, the last company I applied to, although it was small compared to the other companies, it was my last hope.I squint my eyes at the text message, I didn’t want to open it and see another sorry Miss Valentina.Bella snatches the phone from my hands, ‘you know, staring at your hone screen for years won’t make the message read itself'.I held my breath as her eyes flitted over the message.‘Wow, you got it, you actually got the job'‘What!’I grab the phone from her hands and read the message out loud.‘Dear, Miss Valentina Berkeley, we are happy to inform you that you have passed the third round of application and are selected as an employee of Trove company, Congratulations' , I squealed and did a happy dance as I read the message over and over.‘Shhh, you’re going to wake Ajax' As if hearing his name Ajax's eyes blinked open 'are we home yet'.‘No sweetie, go back to
The harsh glare of the sun did nothing to perturb me as I walked to the glass door that was the entrance to Trove Company. I looked up at the imposing logo of Trove in capital letters on top of building and a tremor went through me.‘Finally, a corporate job’, I squealed a little to dissipate the nervous energy and I smoothened my curls and adjusted my bangs while checking my reflection in the door.‘Deep breaths’, I pushed open the door and walked into the building.‘Time to meet my coworkers’ I get in the elevator after asking for directions to the PR department from the front desk and pushed the button for fifth floor.‘Wait! Hold it!’ I heard a voice shout and quickly hit open on the elevator.The door slid open revealing a guy. He moved to enter then stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing me. ‘Creepy’ I thought.He kept staring while fiddling with the strap of the bag hitched on his shoulder.I gave my hair a pat down and looked myself top to bottom to make sure nothing’s wrong.
I locked eyes with Mr. Ajax Jordan, my coworker.‘What was he doing in an elevator in my apartment building’ I thought,Confusion mars his features as he looks at me, I step into the elevator with Ajax’s palm held firmly in mine.I go to press the floor of my apartment but I see it has already been pressed with the red light illuminating it.After the brief confusion that passed over his features, he went pressing his phone.I breathed easier and adjust my face mask praying for the ding of arrival so I could escape to the safety of my apartment.‘Miss Tina, is that you?’‘He recognized me’, I felt the oxygen in the elevator drop by half and I itched to rip the mask of my face just to breathe easier.I ignored him, hoping he would drop it.Wide chestnut brown eyes move closer staring into my eyes, ‘Miss Tina? Is that not you, I mean your clothes look familiar.’I take a step away from his wide curious eyes and bob my head a little in acknowledgment.‘Sorry, I got into your personal spa