True colours are revealing themselves
With a longing look, Cecil watched as Gwyneth McGee walked away from us, but the older woman seemed so offended at the rude interruption that Cecil couldn’t call to her.Ela whispered something into her partner’s ear, and he chuckled richly and shook his head in response. Cecil didn’t like that because her teeth gritted, and she turned her attention to Ela and the man Gwyneth had just called Mr. Martinez, but before she could speak, I did.“Ms. Garcia, it’s so nice to have you here. I am glad you honoured the invitation,” I said, holding a smile on my face in hopes of diffusing the tension that had already built.I'd never seen Cecil so frustrated since we got together, and it was best to make sure things didn't escalate.“The pleasure is mine. This is a lovely event,” she answered.It wasn’t even in the top ten among the lovely events I have attended, but I didn’t say anything to counter. “Oh, you’re so nice,” I said instead.“Oliver, please meet Fermín Martinez, my boyfriend.” She i
Third POVSeth didn’t want to be here; it was too crowded, and he felt eyes on him as he made his way around. Because his overdose made the news and got people talking, many knew about his addiction. Although he checked into rehab to get himself clean, he didn’t do it for anyone, not even his parents.It was for Jesse, his nephew.When Nina visited him at the hospital, she had brought her son along. He saw how brightly the little angel smiled at him, and he wanted to be a better uncle to him.He checked into rehab the following week and has kept an image of Jesse in his mind ever since.He came here today because Oliver invited him, and he also told him something noteworthy. Imela had a son, and Oliver believed it was his. It didn’t make much sense when Oliver said it to him, but after he left, Seth thought about it.Oliver thought Imela’s son was his because of the lie they told four years ago against Imela. It was a lie, and if it was a lie, it meant Imela’s son was Oliver's, and he
Imela's presence at the anniversary party sparked a fascinating conversation online and on the news during the weekend. It was her first official outing in the States, and they were honoured to be the first to have her. This generated more positive marks for the Plane Enterprise than they had seen. The Garcia Group was a force to be reckoned with, and seeing the CEO at their fiftieth-anniversary party moved them into a positive light. It meant that their days of struggle would soon be behind them. Ultimately, the night that had started rough had become a breakthrough. The last thing Oliver expected to receive this Monday was a phone call from Ivory at the hospital. Seth had attempted suicide and was in terrible condition at the hospital. He had to abandon everything he was doing at the office and hurried over to the hospital, where he found Ivory already there with Robert, looking miserable. He spotted Nina in the corner with her head bowed. "What happened?" He asked, stopping be
Oliver's POV Receiving news of Seth's awakening was an answer to prayer. I couldn’t believe when I last prayed, but for his sake, I did. Just like a week ago, when I heard the news of his attempted suicide, I cancelled the rest of my appointment for the day and drove straight to the hospital. I met with the doctors, who told me they had transferred Seth to another unit after his awakening and led me over to see him. I pushed open the door to his room, and I saw Ivory still seated beside him, holding onto his hand. She hadn't left his side in the past week. Robb couldn’t return to his role at the company, as he spent his time here beside his wife and others, going around to get food and whatever else she needed. If she had left his side, it wasn’t up to an hour. Ivory believed this was her punishment for being a horrible person, and yesterday, I found her with her eyes closed, mumbling something under her breath. She was praying. She might have realised the error of her ways and how
FlashbackOver three years ago,"What do you think of a parlour that caters to every woman's beauty needs?" Cecil asked as she fell onto the couch beside me and placed her legs on my lap.“You will need to elaborate,” I replied.“We are looking at a parlour that sells cosmetics and other body essentials, gives spa and massage services, and carries out makeovers and glow-ups for our clients." She elaborated, "I did my research, and all three are always separate. I plan to make them all accessible at one stop for women looking for everything in one venue. This puts an end to too much stress. We will have the latest products in beauty and body care and provide body therapy sessions. As we advance, we would incorporate door delivery, and customers wouldn’t have to stress themselves out by leaving the comfort of their houses.” She finished, and she looked like she had thought everything through.“That sounds like a great idea,” I said after thinking it over. I was genuinely impressed. “I
Decision on what to wear tonight. Things like this were my kryptonite; it was easy to dress up for work and dates, but anything that differed from these two always had me wanting to pull my hair out. It could be that I didn't want to dress too formally, but I didn't want to stand out while there.Though I had known about it a month prior, I didn't prepare for it.“Do you think she would be there?” Vivian asked over the phone as I pulled out the clothes I finally decided to wear. A grey long sleeve, black suit and plain trousers. Unlike last year, there was no colour code.I buttoned up my white shirt and adjusted its collar. “I do not know, and I do not care at this point,” I answered.It was Robb and Ivory’s thirty-first anniversary, and it was the first formal outing I was going on without Cecil by my side. We didn’t break up, but I came close to doing that. I knew Cecil, and I knew she would hurt herself if I ended things with her, especially now. We were just apart. Perhaps I'll
Imela wore a violet dress that stopped above her knee and had its front parted. She had moderate makeup on her face, and her lips had nude lipstick, which matched her earrings. Her hair was in a neat bun with a lock hanging over her face to give her an edgy look. Her boyfriend had a black suit on a white crew-neck shirt, and they both looked simple yet elegant for the event.Unlike at the company’s anniversary, they didn’t seem to know anyone here, so the couple stayed with each other. She was still smiling at whatever Fermín kept whispering into her ear, and the cuteness made my heart ache. I groaned. Why did she have to bring him? Why was she here?The last time I checked, this was a party for family and friends, so why was she here?They said misery loves company.Well, I was miserable, and I wanted everyone else to be a little miserable with me. Is that too much to ask?"Do you want to go and say hello?" Seth once again pulled me out of my thoughts.I snapped out and turned my at
Third POVAfter Imela placed a bid on the finished artwork of Seth, she and Fermin said their farewells to the celebrating Planes and took their leave from the party.Their drive home was twenty minutes, but they did it silently, and neither wanted to break it. Usually, Fermín kept Imela engaged in one conversation or the other, but there was no such thing this time. For whatever reason, he didn't want to break his silence. The awkward silence began after Imela returned from the restroom. All the way home, they maintained it, and Imela stared out the window to keep herself distracted from it all. Her hand trailed her face a few times, reminiscing about Oliver’s touch on her skin, which now made it feel different to her touch. She had no affection for Oliver, so why did she feel this way?Caesar opened the car's door as it stopped in front of the house. She stepped out and walked into the house, and Fermín followed behind.“Mamá!” Ocean called, running downstairs and towards her with