After Carlo and Sienna's exquisite wedding, Laia and I discovered ourselves in a serene corner of the resort's garden. The waning sun cast a gentle, warm glow over the surroundings as we distanced ourselves from the jubilant celebrations. The air carried the delightful scent of flowers, and in the distance, we could hear the soothing waves caressing the coast.
We trekked together, our fingers entwined, and contentment surged through us. The brisk ocean breeze and the subtle saline sea aroma, nearly eclipsed by the flower's fragrance, stirred up cherished memories. With a grin, I inquired, "Recall our first New Year together?" as we settled on a nearby bench.
"That day was full of joy, shared with our friends and families," she chuckled. "I believe it's also the very same day when their relationship took off."
"Who? Carlo and Sienna? How did you find out?" I asked, perplexed since I hadn't told her yet how I discovered Sienna's pregnancy two years ago, during her
I never even once imagined that I would be married to a girl that I once loathed. A single mistake may lead to my instant passing as I tremble while waiting for her in front of the officiant with a gun pointing against my head. I tried to calm myself down, but the waiting made me more nervous. Not a single friend of mine nor any family members attended our sudden wedding. I do not know how I should explain everything to them once this extremity is over — the only thing I know right now is that I must misbehave with their demands. Shortly after I went home from a business trip not too long ago, a group of fortified men suddenly snared me from my apartment. I was kidnapped and prayed to them to save my life, veritably nonplussed as to why I was being held captive. Despite menacingly brandishing their guns, they refrained from causing me physical harm. "D-Dear gentlemen... I'm just a regular employee. My family is not even wealthy enough to afford ransom money for me. You might have mi
I couldn't handle the urge to look at the figure of a beautiful woman sitting on the table right across ours—I couldn't stop staring at the form of a lovely woman seated across from our table. Her smile fills the dimly lit pub when the random-colored disco light turns to their table.My focus remained locked on her as I puzzled over her identity, my brow furrowing. A curious sense of familiarity washed over me, but I couldn't link it to prior experiences or connections.I carefully examined her, straining into my memories to recall her name or where we could have met previously. It was as if I were sifting through the scattered puzzle pieces of my past, longing to piece together the forgotten connection with the enigmatic figure before me.It was a great night out for the guys, hanging out on Friday night with rum and beer in hand while flirting with random girls in our arms.The gentle sound of DJ music made me dizzy and sleepy.Occasionally, I looked at the woman who caught my eye wh
On my way out, I spotted Laia crouching isolated on the corner of the street. I had assumed she had already departed, as their group wasn't at their table when I returned from the restroom.Seeing her alone, I suddenly felt the urge to rectify things, even if it meant reconciling with her after playing around and breaking things off the next day."What was I even thinking?" I muttered.I was about to call for a cab when I suddenly saw her stumble to the ground as she tried to stand up and walk. Normally, I would have laughed my heart out already seeing her wasted like that, but I strangely felt annoyed instead."Damn! Why did you even drink if you can't even handle it?" I grumbled as I approached her.I scooped her into my arms and examined her disheveled appearance up close. Her skin appeared remarkably soft, and her scent, a delicate blend of perfume and alcohol, intoxicated me. I nearly lost my composure, tempted to kiss her neck right then and there in public."Laia... Where are yo
The alarm was already ringing, but my eyes were still heavy. I want to sleep some more, but I need to get up now. I grabbed my phone on the bedside and struggled to turn off the alarm because my sight was still blurred from lack of sleep. I suddenly felt the numbing sensation on my arm as I tried to pull away gently from Laia's embrace."Sh**! What did I do last night?" I whispered to myself.My head was ringing intensely so I tried to stretch my neck and massage my nape to release the tension on my head as I slowly stood up while my eyes were partly closed. I yawned a few times while walking to the bathroom door.I accidentally bumped my toe on a hard leg of the table near the bathroom and gasped, "Holy Sh**!"I crouched in pain as I rub my toe while holding my breath briefly before springing up to walk limping to the bathroom. I took a shower in a hurry then wore my clothes back that still stinks with alcohol."F***! I don't have time to get a new set," I murmured while hurriedly fi
It's been weighing me for such a long time. Laia's identity was extremely mysterious. Even though we attended the same grade school. No one could actually identify which family she came from. Also, her parents or relatives never participated in any school activities. She was exempted from those activities for some reasons. Despite being a loner, no one tried to bully her except me. "I was really a j*rk back then," I whispered while I was in front of my office computer. "You're still a j*rk though," a coworker and friend, Eric, sitting beside me said while tapping my shoulder and bursting into laughter. "Sh*t!" I exclaimed, realizing I was talking aloud. Eric laughed as he looked away and continued with his task. I also did the same, but I couldn't focus on my work. ************************ A week has already passed and Carlo hadn't gotten back to me regarding Laia's information so I decided to drop by his house. I rang his phone when I was already around the area. Ring! Ring!
The night I lost sight of Laia was also the last time I tried searching for her. I spent most of my time in the office and even at home doing the designs and reports that were assigned to me. I was currently tasked with making a design for the landscape of a multibillion beach project of a client whose identity was hidden by the company. The contact I was given was the secretary of the client named Daniel Adler. He's been so unreasonably stingy for some reason. I had to redesign the whole draft multiple times because he always rejected it, saying it wasn't up to their standard. I already had my supervisors and managers involved in the design, but we couldn't figure out what was wrong with the design. "He didn't even point out what was wrong with the design, Sir," I complained. "I know. Give up the project, the management will take care of the rest. Focus on the upcoming events," my supervisor asserted as he took the files from my hands. I felt defeated and annoyed. It was the fir
I never really cared whomever I ended up with. However, marriage is quite insufferable for a happy go lucky like me. Will she cooperate or will she let me die without mercy? "Hah! Laia... Is this what you were talking about that night? I feel like I'm a moth caught in a blazing fire," I sighed, covering my eyes with my right arm, lying flat on a soft and unfamiliar bed in a huge unfamiliar room, and guarded by armed men by the door. I felt like a prisoner whose life is about to end. I don't even know if I am already regretting jumping into this mess. I only felt sleepy and uneasy. Let it be if this will be the end of me. I wanted to think more about the situation, but my body suddenly shuts down on its own. It was already bright outside. "Did you sleep well, Mr. Elrod?" Mr. Adler asked. "I'm not sure if it's a good thing, but I did," I replied as I rolled out of the bed. I felt refreshed since they are no longer pointing their guns against me. Though I still feel jitters from see
I woke up early the morning on the day before my wedding, feeling restless and anxious. I tossed and turned in bed for a few minutes before finally getting up and deciding to go for a jog to clear my head.I quickly changed into my running clothes, put my headphone on while playing an upbeat song and headed out into the cool morning air at the park three blocks away from my apartment.I pounded the pavement with each step, trying to clear my mind as I jogged through the park."I couldn't believe that I am getting married tomorrow, especially to a woman I had once loathed," I sighed as I trudged with an overwhelming mix emotion about my situation.As I ran, memories of the night he had slept with Laia flooded back to me. I can still vividly recall her soft and luscious lips, her cool and refreshing scent that still lingers on my mind along with her soft moans that excited and peaked my desire to eat her whole that night without thinking too much about the consequence.I started asking