Novels by Sunlacious Parker

LilaThe morning I was supposed to report to work, Eve showed up at my apartment door at 6 a.m, holding a bag of groceries. She did not even wait for me to invite her in.“You can’t face the lion on an empty stomach,” she said, as she got busy in my tiny kitchen.I watched as she scrambled eggs and made toast. No one had ever done anything like this for me, not even Orion. In my old life, a chef prepared my meals. This, this was different. It felt nice to have someone do something nice, not out of obligation.“Thank you, Eve,” I said, my voice softer than I intended. “For everything.” I owed her half my paycheck as it stood.“Don’t thank me yet. Just promise you won’t let those snakes on the executive floor eat you alive.” She then looked at me waving the spatula.“And for God’s sake, try to speak up today. Look Mr. Stavros in the eye. I know you’re shy, Sera, but you can’t let him or the other secretaries smell fear. They will take advantage of you.I almost laughed. Shy. If only she

TheoBad news came in threes.First, the South African mine deal had just fallen through. Weeks of negotiation down the drain. I had lost so much sleep over it only for it just to go up in flames. The owner had decided to work with a local consultancy despite all my efforts to sweeten the deal.Second, my coffee was cold. And third, the worst of the three, Lila Sterling, was getting engaged.I stared at the blank screen for a full minute before I leaned back in my chair.“She is getting engaged tonight,” Max, my best friend, said from across the office, his tone too casual for the bomb he had just dropped.“Orion Vale is finally putting a ring on it. ” He continued. He was baiting a reaction out of me and I could feel myself falling for it.“Hmm.” I replied, keeping my voice even. “Good for her.”Max raised an eyebrow. “That is all you have to say?”“It’s not like she is married yet,” I replied. “She is getting engaged, Max. Not married. There is a significant difference. Engagements

Lila The hospital let me go a few days later and Eve helped me settle the bills. I didn’t ask why she was being so kind. I just welcomed it because God knew how much I needed someone to hold my hand.I had learned, after much confusion, that Eve was my best friend. At least, she was the best friend of the woman whose body I occupied.Eve talked the whole ride, talking about how she was happy to have me out of the hospital and how my mom was happy to hear the news.We stopped in a part of town that I did not know even existed. The building was old, the paint on the outside was peeling. It did not look fit for living.“Home sweet home!” Eve said, leading me up a flight of stairs that smelled like mold and dust.She opened a door, and I walked into Sera’s life.The apartment was small. So small that I did not think it qualified to be called an apartment. I could see everything from the door. The couch had a blanket thrown over a worn out spot. The tile colors were mismatched and stained

LilaWhen I woke up again, the first thing I tried to do was move, only to hear the metallic clink. A cuff. I was cuffed to the hospital bed. That must have been because I had panicked earlier. And if I acted out again, who knew what would happen again so I stayed still and waited. God knows if Orion had plans to have me shipped out to some mental institution as a plan b.I had to keep calm until I was out of the hospital if I stood a chance at knowing what had happened to me.The door opened a few minutes later, and the doctor appeared again. It was time to put my acting skills to play.“How are you feeling?” he asked while checking the monitors.“Confused and tired,” I replied while also pulling at my hand, to which he smiled and got a key from his pocket.“ We were worried you would try to hurt yourself again,” he said, smiling softly as the cuff fell apart and I massaged my wrist. Handcuffs outside the bedroom were not my kind of thing and I intended to keep it that way. “Confusi

LilaThe first thing I was aware of was a male voice in the distance. Each word was pulling me to wake up but my chest felt heavy and God did my body hurt.I knew that voice. It belonged to the morning news anchor on Channel 8. Derrick Green. He had interviewed me three months ago and I found myself watching him everyday since then.He had a lovely voice and an even lovelier face, something Orion had always been jealous about.“…tragic news reaching our desk this morning. Lila Sterling, heiress and CEO elect of Sterling Global, is in critical condition after a fall from a balcony last night during her engagement to her long time boyfriend Orion Vale. Doctors say she may not make it, reporting minimal brain activity…”My heart stopped. They were talking about me.Derrick continued, “Her fiancé, Orion Vale, released a statement early this morning saying Lila had been battling depression and alcohol addiction for years. He said, quote, ‘I tried to help her through her struggles but I di