Chapter 29: Back to Where it All Began"Seven years," Gabriella said, her eyes locked onto mine. "They've been the best seven years of my life."“Mine too.” I couldn't help but smile, feeling a mixture of excitement and anticipation.As we walked off the stage hand in hand, the reality of the proposal began to sink in. We were engaged, and the prospect of spending the rest of our lives together filled me with excitement.Gabby and I walked through the crowd, exchanging glances and smiles that spoke volumes without uttering a word.At that moment, with my hand in hers, I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of our story.And as we looked towards the future, I knew that no matter what challenges awaited us, we were ready to face them together – hand in hand, heart in heart.The cheers of the audience echoed in the air, a Chord of joy that rumbled through the venue.I couldn't believe the extent of the moment – not only was our celebration witnessed by the lively crowd around us, but
Chapter 30: An unpleasant ReunionTwo days after I had learned the ugly truth, I stood in front of the three storied Victorian style house, but hesitated as I raised my hand to ring the doorbell.The house belonged to Jordan’s family and like every other person in Ruthwell who came from money, the lawns were well trimmed, the white picket fences were spotless and the house stood towering under the sunlight like a giant ready to engulf everything in its way.When I was still in high school, I had once been paired with Jordan on a group project and everyone else had bailed last minute, leaving just the two of us to finish the project all by ourselves. That was the first time I had ever set foot in their posh house.But the magnificence of the house was now overshadowed by seeds of doubt and now I kept wondering if our teammates bailing out at the last minute, was orchestrated by Jordan himself.I knew their living room was humongous, followed by twin staircases that led upstairs to the
Chapter 31: Truth Behind many LiesI saw every head turn in our direction as Jordan and I entered the cafe together.Around this time in the afternoon, the cafe was usually packed with school kids and shop workers on their lunch break but it seems like everyone here, no matter their age, had a gist of my story, even though they didn’t know me personally.I didn’t like being the centre of attention, but since Jordan had chosen to have a ‘discussion’ outside the house and out of Cathy’s reach, much to her dismay, the least I could do was find a public place to have said ‘discussion’.At least this way, even though I knew that the news that would leave this room will have several different versions, but the public nature of our conversation would help me steer clear of any cheating rumors. There was nothing that Jordan could do to me with this many eyes on us. “Here.” Jordan pulled out a chair for me and I gladly accepted the offer and took a seat. We were at a scheduled corner of the c
Chapter 32: The Real Purpose I walked into Citador cathedral, admiring the architectural beauty of the building.It didn’t matter how many times I had been here since I was a child, but the calm I felt here, inside these four walls, I had never been able to find the same inside the four walls of my home.The marble statue of the Lord stood proud and tall, several candles adorned at his feet. The high ceiling was painted with an image of the Archangel Michael fighting Lucifer, banishing him from heaven. A triumph of good over evil.As a child, I remembered waiting impatiently to head to church every Sunday, wanting to listen to Father Able’s sermons. Now, as I stood in the same house of the Lord, I was overwhelmed by a sensation of nostalgia as I crossed the familiar pews to head to the office in which the Father resided.But unfortunately, I wasn’t here to just pray. I was here for the reap purpose for which I had come back to Ruthwell in the first place.Our wedding. Gabriella’s and
Chapter 33: The Harsh RealityThis time, when I knocked on the doors of the picturesque Victorian style house, I had every right to be here and every intention of getting answers.The door opened after two whole minutes of me waiting outside and that too only a tiny fraction. As I had imagined, her expression changed as soon as she saw me and she was once again about to slam the door shut on my face. But this time, I blocked the door with a booted foot and pushed the door open with enough force that my mother had to step away in haste.“Hello, mother.” My tone was not affectionate, nor was it warm. This time, I knew the reality of what was happening around me and I could only wish that I had known it sooner so I wouldn’t have to live with the guilt of it all for so long.“Kyra.” My mother greeted coldly. “I’m expecting some guests. You should leave; you’re no longer welcome here.”“Unfortunately mother, I’m not going anywhere until I have answers.” I tilted my head to the side and gav
Chapter 34: Sweeter than RevengeI entered my hotel room, anticipation building as I awaited my brother Kyle's arrival.I knew he'd come running the moment our mother spilled the news about me buying back our house.It was unavoidable that Kyle, with his past of leeching off our parents, would now try to tap into my newfound wealth.When the knock sounded at my hotel door at nine o’ clock that evening, I smiled to myself in preparation of what was to come.I knew my dear older brother was going to show up at my doorstep as soon as he would hear about my father’s debt being cleared by none other than his little sister.And it’s not like my address was a secret. Everyone in town knew where I was staying, and they would’ve been more than happy to provide him with the address.“Come in.” I called out, not bothering to get up from my lounge chair as I sipped from my wine glass.“Kyra,” my brother came into view, with that same dirty blonde hair and blue eyes that I had always known. “It’s
Chapter 35: Trust Thy Sixth SenseThe unease gnawed at me as I paced around my hotel room. A foreboding feeling whispered that something ominous was on the horizon.Without giving it a second thought, I hastily dressed and headed to my mother's house, an innate sense urging me to intervene before the storm brewed.The night draped the town in heavy darkness as I stood in front of the hotel, desperately scanning for a taxi.To my dismay, the late hour had rendered the streets devoid of the usual bustle. There were no taxis or cabs in sight and not even a single car passed by this road so that I could try to stop it and ask for a lift.As minutes ticked away, I realized that the deserted streets held no promises of a passing cab.The distance to my mother's house felt impossible on foot, especially in the dead of night. The isolation was noticeable, amplifying the urgency of my mission.Just when desperation threatened to overwhelm me, a car slowed down in front of the hotel.Relief was
Chapter 36: Blood TiesI stood at the threshold, hesitating as the muffled voices from within reach my ears.My heart pounded with uncertainty, but the desperate need to understand what was actually happening inside propels me forward.Slowly, I press my ear against the door, attempting to decipher the words spoken by a male voice which undoubtedly my brother.Amidst the faint sobs, my mother's tearful voice resonates through the room. “Please, Kyle! Please don’t do this!”The air thickens as I strain to catch every word.“This is all I have left!” Her sobs grow louder as does the tremor in her voice. “What will I do after you’ve taken it all? How will I live on?”“That’s not my problem, is it?” Kyle yells out, and yet another crash makes me flinch, but I still keep listening. “How am I supposed to live on, mother? You think I can keep slaving at my in-laws like this every day? They treat me like a fucking slave! I need to get the fuck out of there!”“But…I won’t have anything left, s