Accidentally in love

Chloe “No, Simon, don’t worry. I’ve got this.” When in reality, I knew I didn’t. Simon was my employee and friend for over four years, ever since I opened my pastry shop. He was the first person who answered my job listing; 20 at the time, tall, blond, Viking type, and it wasn’t a secret I liked him from the moment I saw him. Before I discovered he had a boyfriend. But him being so easygoing and friendly made that initial awkwardness vanish quickly, and we grew to be more than friends; he became a brother I never had. Usually, Simon was in charge of the delivery, but today his boyfriend was having knee surgery, and I understood he had to be there. “But…” he said, and I interrupted him. “No but! Go! That’s an order!” I commanded with a smile, knowing he wouldn’t misunderstand. “And wish Dave to get well soon!” I yelled after Simon, who was already on his way out. Watching him disappear from my sight, I sighed loudly. “Are you OK, Chloe?” I heard Abby ask from the storage room. “

ChloeRemembering how shocked I was earlier today when I opened the room door where Molly was crying desperately, my hand hesitated on the handle this time. What if something happened? What if…?What was I doing? Hesitating about entering my home? Snorting lightly, I pressed the handle and went in. Luckily, no surprises were waiting for me.I found Molly in the living room, watching the news and munching on a bag of chips in front of the TV. Her head snapped in my direction when she heard me come in, and she smiled like crazy, making me worried about her mental health.“Look! They’re all talking about me!” She motioned for me to sit next to her. “They’re calling me a runaway bride! Like in that old movie. Can you imagine how pissed off my parents must be now?” She switched off the TV and turned to me. “Sorry about the chips. I got hungry.”“Don’t worry about it,” I brushed it off. “How are you?”“Oh, better than I have been in a long time. Thank you,” Molly’s voice was so thick with e

Chloe A hot shower after a long day never felt so good as tonight. I always enjoyed the feeling that warm water brought as all the sweat, stress, and the previous day’s events were washed down the drain. It worked like magic on me; droplets relaxed my muscles, and steam relaxed my mind. But this time, I needed more. So, after I rinsed my hair and scrubbed my body, I put on my favorite floppy nightie and poured myself a glass of Chardonnay. It was mid-July, nights were as warm as they could get, and I enjoyed them on my balcony. Taking the wine with me, I stepped out onto the terrace. Looking up, my eyes met with the full moon. I smiled at it cheekily while sitting in the comfortable rocking chair. The city’s buzzing was muted; only the sound of moving cars down the avenue could be heard intermittently, a loud laugh or yell here and there. But soon, it all would be quiet, like someone turned off a switch. Silvery moonlight bathed my balcony with the rest of the city, dispersing magi

Chloe“Why did you do it?” Oh, God. His voice sounded better than I remembered, raising goosebumps all over my skin. ‘Really, Chloe?! Ogling on a guy in a situation like this?’ Had I lost my mind completely?“Did what?” I swallowed the hard lump stuck in my throat, unsure of what he was referring to.“Don’t play stupid!” He roared. “What is that kid that tried to mug me doing here? Are you two working as a team?”“Hey! Watch your tone! I gave him the job this morning so he wouldn’t do the same again. Next time, I won’t be there to save him from getting arrested or killed.” I hoped he was too intoxicated to remember mugging or Frankie’s face, but I was wrong. He remembered everything. Either way, I wasn’t going to let him drag through mud the only good deed I did yesterday.“Bringing me here to sober up? Was that because you have a conscience and regret helping destroy my life?!” he yelled while advancing towards me while I stood utterly frozen at the same place, not even noticing the

GabeTo say that two weeks after the disastrous wedding resembled a hell hole would not be an exaggeration, not in the slightest. If I could choose the moment in my life when I wished a ground could open up and swallow me, it would be this one. The pressure I’ve been under was overwhelming, and it was a miracle I didn’t break.When all things came to me at the same time, I didn’t know what hit me.My office phone was constantly ringing; reporters wanted to get exclusive from me. They stalked me around, followed me like dogs, camped in front of my house, and even got their hands on my private number.Business partners, suppliers, workers, and site managers needed reassurance; they all required a guarantee from me that we would pull through.Shares dropped by over 10% on the first day and an additional 10 in the next three. I could only thank heavens for stopping at that point because I wasn’t sure we would survive more.Stakeholders were mad, but honestly, who could blame them? They th