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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
Cecil walked into Stop's boardroom and discovered six of the seven board members already seated and waiting. She didn’t call for a meeting or know what this was for, and the confusion showed on her face. Her bright smile immediately faded, and she paused at the door with a startled look. “What is going on? And why are you all seated here?” “We all received emails last night requesting our presence at the company this morning by nine.” Maggie Reid, the blonde-haired lady in glasses seated on the left side of the room, answered. She was Cecil’s cousin and a major stockholder at Stop as well. Cecil received the performance statement last night from the finance department, and it was their lowest recording in two years. She had hoped to call for an official meeting with the board members, discuss the state of the parlour, and possibly declare bankruptcy. All of this she wanted at her own pace, but their gathering had snatched that opportunity from her. “I hope I am not too late,” Olive
Oliver’s POVThe anger and the helplessness of knowing her back was against the wall showed themselves on Cecil’s face. This was business and not a personal affair. Ela was a very business-minded person and kept everything professional. It was a show of respect to everyone seated, but Cecil didn't care about how she looked.She turned to me a few times, but I could do nothing. If I were to rise, Lewys would have attacked me, and I also didn’t want to get up. Ela was offering to buy Stop, and in so doing, I wouldn’t lose my investment. This was a win for everyone, including Cecil, but she didn’t see that.Getting fired on the spot made things worse.The security team marched in and came to lead her out, and Ela followed them. I followed, “You think this is the end?” she demanded as soon as they were out. “You think you are just going to come here and take everything away from me?”Imela gave her a pitiful look. “I think the answer to that is yes, I can.” She took a step forward. “And
My ride arrived after a few minutes, and I bid farewell to Vivian and told him to wish me luck. Knowing Cecil, she wouldn’t take the news well. A breakup would be the last thing she would accept, especially after everything she had been through, but this was for the best. It is better to break up now than when we are married. As long as Imela was here, I would never belong entirely to another, not really. Admitting it to myself was the first step out of confusion. Cecil deserved a better man—a man who would take her and all the love she had to give seriously. The car came to a stop, and I got down and paid. I walked into the house, and there was an opera theme playing. That was the first. I made my way further in, dragging myself as usual to the door and opened it. I stepped in and found Cecil seated on the bed, sobbing, and Chloe Reid, her mother, seated beside her, patting her back and consoling her. My stomach turned, but not in a good way. I didn't get along with the Reids as
Third POV Nina stood at the door, watching the make-up artist put the finishing touch on Cecil's face. She looked so beautiful on her special day that it brought back a few memories. Cecil had chosen a lace ball wedding dress that would trail behind her when she walked. There was a silver crown on her head that pinned the veil and her braided hair behind her and kept them both in place. Nina didn't understand the crown when she first saw it, but now she does. Cecil's father, Hunter Reid, was downstairs, and her mother, Chloe Reid, was in the room for moral support. The bride's maid and trail occupied the next room, and there were about five of them, all wearing matching royal blue dresses. Everything was in place, and in all but an hour, they would be at the chapel where the wedding would take place. Nina always had reservations about Cecil; she didn't trust someone who would date her friend's husband immediately after his divorce. It showed she was never a friend to Imela, and that
Three months later "You can stop here, Caeser; I will walk on from here," Imela said as the gate came to the cemetery gate. Caeser turned off the car and got down to open the door for her. She told him she would not be long, and he waited for her. She stared ahead at the gravestone not so far from her and walked towards it. "It's been a while, Grandma," she said, placing the red rose on the grave and sitting beside it. Today was the perfect day to visit because Imela had less work on her plate, which made her close early. Having already had it in mind to visit sometime this week, she headed here after leaving the hospital to do the needful before going back home. The last time she came to see was a few days after Christmas, and that was six months ago. She had so much to say then because a part of her felt she was going crazy and needed direction and focus. Since then, she hasn't found the time to return to the series of events taking place around her. "I want you to know that Oli
Third POV Max was almost done with his tie when Nina stepped back into the room. “I just got off the phone with Imela,” she said, slipping her phone into her purse. They were getting ready for Jayden’s release party. It was a get-together and celebration with family and close friends only, and since there wouldn’t be many people, Sir offered Lockwood Corner for the night. It was a secluded VIP corner in his club in the heartthrob of the city. There will be music, drinks, and fun. This would be Jayden’s official welcome. His final hearing was this morning, and with the new evidence that came to light, the judge had no choice but to exonerate Jayden of the charges of drug trafficking. With the news of his release came the need to celebrate the victory. The troublemakers will not pass up this opportunity. Nina was already dressed in a red maxi dress, which stopped over her knee. Her blonde hair was in a neat bun, and her makeup highlighted her already attractive features. Max's eyes g
Joe's body hit the ground with a loud thud. I gasped and took to my heels, running into the bushes around the building as fast as my legs could take me. I didn’t have direction; I just didn’t want to die. I heard another gunshot, and pain shot through my shoulder the next second, taking me down. The gun had grazed my shoulder, and the protection I got was from my dress. I hid behind a tree in the woods, keeping my presence there as minimal as possible. I heard careful footsteps heading to where I was, and I knew it was Cecil's. I had to calm down and calculate my next move if I hoped to stay alive. I counted down the last step, and the first thing I saw was the gun held out. With calculated risk, I reached for it, and we both struggled. Finally, I took it from her hand, but before I could point it at her, she slammed her palm against my hand, and the gun fell out into the bush. I threw a quick fist, which met her in the face, and before she could recover, I kicked her onto the gro
Imela's POV Cecil's phone rang, and she pulled it out of her pocket to look at it. "It's Dad," she said, stepping back from Joe. "I have to take this; keep an eye on her." She instructed before stepping away from the room. Joe stood at the door with his hands folded over his chest. He had kept his gaze anywhere but near me. It didn’t take a genius to know he was only in this to make Cecil happy. Sad, he didn’t know there was no way to make a crazy person like Cecil happy. He was as much a victim of Cecil and Marlo as all of us were. “I understand.” I told him, and this brought his attention to me. “What?” "Why you threw your life away for her? You love her, and we will do anything for the one we love.” I replied. “You hurt her; she believes she has to do this because of what you did to her.” His defensive response came, sounding like someone brainwashed by love. “Cecil is not a bad person; she has been judged, misunderstood, and abandoned by those she once called family. You did
"I was never crazy. It was you all along." Imela said as Cecil got down from the Jeep and walked towards the uncompleted building on the left side of the road, and Joe pulled her along. Cecil and Joe had taken Imela out of the Garcia Group firm and into the parking lot, where she saw Benjamin unconscious beside the car. She tried going to him, but Joe held onto her and pulled her into the black Jeep parked opposite her car. "You killed Kimberly and framed me; you killed Elena; you tried to kill Ocean, just like you tried to kill me many times. Did you kill Chan, too?" Imela demanded. If Chan were alive, he would have uncovered the truth that Cecil was out and behind everything a long time ago. He had died suddenly at the beginning of it all, and she had believed the McCann brothers had done it. That wasn't true; Cecil was behind the murder of Detective Chan. The satisfied look that appeared on Cecil's face further proved it. "He helped you put me in prison; he had it coming. Beside
Oliver's POV Flashback I made my way over to where Nina stood, waiting for me outside the restaurant. I didn’t know why she had decided to meet outside today when we had always met at my place. We hugged and walked into the restaurant for lunch like every Saturday. After I got my place, she began coming there, and we would cook and eat and catch up on everything we had missed out on during the week, from study to work and everything. “You know, when you said you wanted to see me, I thought you would come to the house like you used to,” I said as we took our seats at the table on the left side of the restaurant, close to the window. She gave me a half smile and said, “I cannot come; Cecil is there.” She didn’t try to hide it, and most of the time, we have just moved on from the discussion altogether. She disapproved of Cecil, and I saw it in her body language and how quiet she tended to be whenever she was around Cecil. I brought Cecil along for her last birthday party, and Nina
Trigger Warning! Violence in this chapter Third POV It all started a year ago. “The first time I saw you, I knew a day would come when I would need you,” Cecil said as she stepped towards Gloria, a splitting image of her. She had met her when she travelled to Puerto Rico on vacation two years ago. They didn’t look so alike at first because Cecil had red hair, a thin eyebrow, and pink lips, while Gloria had blonde hair, a full eyebrow, and red lips. Cecil could also tell Gloria was financially struggling, and it showed in the way she was dressed. Cecil didn’t know why, but she wanted Gloria close, so she helped her into the States, waiting for her to get her papers. After the sentence was carried out, Cecil reached out to Gloria, telling her to play out her part, and in return, she would get her the papers she needed. She already had connections with not only the correction centre but also the warder, so leaving the prison was easier, and all Gloria had to do was pretend to be her u
Imela's POV Jean’s words echoed in my head. The result of the many tests showed I couldn’t have killed Kim; there were more than the two of us at the apartment; someone else had killed her and framed me for it. They had hoped I wouldn’t wake, having injected me with a high dose of lead and solvent. Waking up had thwarted their plans, and the test results vindicated me and showed my innocence.I wanted to think of who could have been responsible for this. I didn’t want to say Cecil; after all, she was in my head. I couldn’t give her credit. Cecil was in prison, and even if she wasn’t, she alone couldn’t have pulled off all of this. There was someone else—someone close to me, someone who knew me and could influence my mind.My phone rang in my bag as I stepped out of the car, snapping me out of my thoughts. I thanked Benjamin, who held the door open for me to step out and pulled the phone out of my purse to see Nina as the caller ID. I answered and pushed open the door. “Nina, hey,” I
My lashes fluttered, and I released a loud yawn. I covered my mouth to reduce the noise so I wouldn’t wake Ela up, but when my hand dropped from my face, I found her already awake and sitting in bed. “You are awake,” I said, noticing her intense gaze on the ceiling. “I remember,” she said. I pulled myself up to sit down, and my brows furrowed, wondering if it was what I was thinking, but I waited for her to keep speaking. “Not everything, but I remembered how I got to Kimberly’s apartment. She called me and sent me her address. She was going to call off the engagement with Marcel and wanted me to hear her reasons first.” She said. “The police checked your phone after you were arrested; they didn’t find a call or any such message,” I told her. Her gaze moved to me. “I am telling the truth.” “I believe you,” I replied, meaning every word. Getting this memory back was a miracle, and this meant there were more than two people in Kim’s apartment, as at the time of her death, the thir