Novels by Rolando

Emily's pov I moved in with Wendy, but that was supposed to be a temporary measure. I thought that after the divorce, from my own fifty percent, I could get my own decent apartment and get back on my feet. Wendy recommended a good lawyer. He was a cousin of hers and a nice guy; plump, with thick frames and a burning sense of justice. He told me that the affair Brad had would give me a sure advantage. For the first few months of the divorce proceedings, Brad was suspiciously docile and understanding. Of course, that did not make me want to take him back, but rather, I was on my guard knowing that he would definitely pull something. Then, after another hectic day in court, I stepped out with a smirk on my face, knowing that soon I would be officially severed from that man forever and with enough cash to keep me afloat for a while. Wendy had suggested that we go on a girls' trip. I agreed as I hadn't been on a proper outing all along because Brad would always be waiting back at home,

Emily's povHis look of utter confusion might have been mildly amusing if I weren't insanely furious. The lines of stupidification written all over his face told me that in his wildest dreams, he did not expect me to place divorce on the table, even after seeing him pushing his tongue into my younger sister's mouth. He finally pulls away from Becky; "Sweetheart, why don't you give us some time alone? Go fix yourself a sandwich in the kitchen?"I watched the two of them with my jaw on the floor. Mixing with my rage was shock. This was not the man I had married; the man I married had no idea how to be sweet or romantic. He was blunt and irritable at every turn, or maybe... Just maybe he was that way with me because he never liked me, not to mention love.It took all the patience inside of me to wait until Becky was done whining, and finally let just the two of us discuss.Good!I don't think I would have been able to handle both at the same time."When did it start?" I asked. My voice

Emily's pov Becky was truly the golden child. I'd get straight A's, but that was 'expected.' Becky would manage to avoid straight 'F's, and my parents would shake the house down to its foundation, congratulating her like she just solved world hunger. After I left that house, I thought I'd left all that behind.But nope!It wasn't bad enough that she already had everything; she had to take the little I had as well."I want to go back home," I told Wendy quietly. I thought she'd argue and nag, but she agreed easily. When we passed the sliding doors of the hotel, I was still thinking of Brad; he had never once kissed me like that, leaning in with his whole body while he craved with need. That was my wake-up call. I held Wendy tighter."You know what?" I said, a rush of determination entering me, "Fuck Brad, the night is young and I deserve to have fun. Who cares about him?"Wendy looked at me worriedly at first, then squeezed my hand with support, smiling back in approval. We went

Emily's pov On a normal day, I would not have accepted my best friend's offer. I had never really been a party animal and became even more reserved after getting hitched. But tonight was not just about my anniversary. Grandma was dying.She was bedbound, and the doctors said they were doing everything they could to treat her, but on every visit, I could see the light dimming in her eyes in real time; my heart cracked each time. I had hoped that this dinner would distract me, and he would be here for me, only to be abandoned yet again.I obeyed the caller's instructions like my life depended on it. I arrived at the hotel, and Wendy caught me in the lobby, hooking her arm into mine."I'm so glad you came, girl and–"She looked down disapprovingly at my wedding ring. It reminded me of the first time she saw it. She laughed and said, "All right! All right, I fell for your prank, now where is the real ring?"It took a lot for my self-esteem to recover from that one, and I don't think I'v

Emily's pov "Perfect," I smiled to myself after lighting the scented candle and backing away to admire my work. A romantic steak dinner with wine and rose flower petals scattered on a fresh floral tablecloth. Tonight was my fifth wedding anniversary to Brad Winchester, the love of my life. He already gave me a heads up that we wouldn't be able to go to a restaurant this time, he lost a big project recently, and his agency took a hit. I didn't want to be selfish. For the first two years of our marriage, he forgot our anniversary. For the third, he bought me gas station flowers and convenience store chocolates. Then last year, he took me to a two-star restaurant. The food honestly tasted like rat piss, but I smiled through it all. He was just going through a tough time, and as his wife, I was supposed to support him, so tonight I made this surprise dinner that I'd been planning for weeks. Now that I was done, I took off my apron and wiped my hands clean of any residue of cooking befo