I married Bruce at twenty-five, a year after I graduated from university, and had a secure job as a Stock Broker.
He was a family friend…
The son of my father's best friend.
It was a marriage of convenience, to be honest…
He was a nice guy at first.
I got to know him, and we got along.
And with time, I learnt to love him.
And I think he loved me too.
But really, the void in me hasn't been filled.
I rushed to get married after I graduated, wanting to finally move out from my parents' home and live life for myself.
But Bruce was always just so busy with work…
And I hardly see him anymore.
Which is why, even after getting married…
My university routine hasn't changed.
I get up,
Go to work,
Come home,
Cook for my husband,
Go to bed,
Go on my phone or watch some TV…
And write books to fill up my evenings.
I have nothing else to do…
Lonely nights without my husband or friends to speak to.
I like to write stories.
It's like medicine for my heart…
I leave a piece of my soul in every story I write.
And the feedback from my online fans isn't too bad either…
At least some people acknowledge me, even if they are a bunch of strangers.
I just want things between me and my husband to go back to the way they were.
Back to the way they were when we first met.
Even though we met through strange circumstances, we eventually fell in love.
We enjoyed each other's company before he got too busy…
And I knew what I needed to do.
I needed to do something to ignite that spark again.
Anything.
Maybe some sex is what we both need.
We haven't slept together in six months.
I never wear anything sexy, because of the expectations on me of being the "modest wife", but I guess, what's the harm at home?
I'm allowed to seduce my own damn husband.
Maybe the lingerie I bought today will come to good use, after all…
2
sofia
I stood in the middle of my bedroom, and changed into the lingerie set that I’d bought from Victoria’s Secret earlier. I could feel my cheeks flushing red. I'd never done anything like this before. My body was swimming with nerves, because I was anxious about how Bruce would react.
But this was a really sexy set. I was sure that it would be fine. I was finding it really hard to reach out to Bruce nowadays, and connect with him, but maybe when he realized what he was missing, he would go back to normal.
“Writing about a romance is easy for me, so why is a real life romance so damn hard?” I shook my head to myself. “I guess I should wait in bed for Bruce to arrive.”
I lay down in bed in the lingerie, waiting patiently for the doorbell sound that would signify Bruce was back.
A few hours later.
“He isn't even at fucking home yet!” I seethed angrily, growing snappy and agitated. I was tired of waiting. “I've been lying down here for hours, only to make a fucking fool of myself.”
I balled my hands into fists, rattling them angrily as I felt my blood boil to the surface.
“I don't even know why I fucking bother with him anymore,” I snarled. “He makes no effort with me, and shows no interest. He's never even at home.”
I could feel my chest constrict as tears began welling in my eyes. My heart was hurting so much that it physically felt like it was about to explode. Me and Bruce didn’t have a conventional relationship. Communication and effort was what made a marriage strong, yet Bruce lacked in both departments, and always left me to feel like shit on my own. I felt so empty and hollow, that it felt like I was struggling for air.
“Guess I'm eating for one tonight,” I mumbled, and made my way to the kitchen, taking out some cheesecake from the fridge.
I cut it into slices, and scoffed them down, not bothering to stop for a breath. Feeling like complete and utter shit about myself, and needing something to distract me.
I blushed at his words, my cheeks flushing as bright red as my hair.“I'm so happy you got the book deal. Hard work pays off, babe. I'm especially happy that you finally got the good news you wanted, ‘cos I was getting quite tired of you biting my ass about it for months.”I giggled in response. “If I don't complain to you, who else will I complain to?”“I wouldn't have you any other way, babe,” he smirked, and before I knew it, he was down on his knees, holding out a ring in front of my face. I could feel my eyes well with tears. This felt like something out of a dream. It felt so fucking surreal.“Arturo, what are you-”“Sofia Martinez, I am completely and utterly in love with you. I don't want to spend another day without you in my life.“I want to grow old with you.“Have a million fucking babies with you.“Watch you write more and more books until we're both old and seventy-two.“I want you to be mine forever.“Forever and fucking always.“I love you with every fibre of my fuckin
I'd been waiting and waiting to hear back from a publisher.I knew that I was being impatient…Because they got thousands and thousands of manuscript submissions every day.But I just wanted to know what they thought of my story.And the waiting game was driving me over the edge.I tossed my laptop to the side of my bed, sighing heavily, frustrated. Arturo walked into the room, with a worried and concerned expression on his face.“Everything okay, baby girl?” he asked, alarmed.I stood up huffily, making my way towards him.“I still haven't heard back from any publishers,” I sighed, taking my head into my hands. “I'm starting to give up hope. I really thought I'd written a good story, Arturo. I really did…”“Patience is a virtue, baby girl,” Arturo reassured me. “You’ve just gotta have faith that your hard work will pay off. Even if it gets rejected, it doesn't make your story any less beautiful.” He wrapped his arms around me. “The opinion of other people won't change that. Our love
53bruceMONTHS LATERI sat down on my computer in my office, agitatedly getting all of my work done for the day.I'd spent weeks trying to do some digging on Donte.On Arturo...But I found nothing.With every search I made…Every file I looked at.It was like they were ghost men.They had nothing about them held against them on anything.I didn't want to let it go so easily...Because the fact that there was so little information just made me even more suspicious about them.But I learnt to let go.To let go of Sofia...That bitch and what she did to me fucking killed me.Replayed itself over and over in my head like a form of fucking torture.I could only pray that Arturo would fuck her over in the worst possible way.Make her feel worthless.Make her feel like she was nothing.Nothing without me.I rolled my eyes angrily, standing up in a huff.Fucking bastard.Arturo Abruzzi…You'll get what's coming to you one day.“Hey Bruce,” came the voice of my accountant as he strolled into
“You promised me that we would be together!” Carmen shrieked hysterically. “We've both been so miserable with our spouses. Why can't we just be together, Bruce?”I rolled my eyes, not needing this shit right now.“Divorced or not, I'm not gonna let this shit slide so easily,” I heaved, my voice strung with venom.“What do you mean?” she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.“I'm going to need to do some fucking digging,” I snarled. “If Donte Abruzzi thinks he can threaten me, he's got another thing fucking coming. There's definitely more to these motherfuckers that meets the eye.”“And if you don't follow Sofia, he isn't going to do shit to you,” Carmen shrugged, agitated. “Just let it go, Bruce. You're getting in bed with some rich motherfuckers. You're making crazy tons of money. I don't understand why you're so bothered by all of this.”“Whatever, Carmen. I'm going to work.”“Men!” Carmen sighed frustratedly.I shook my head angrily, before I turned on my heel, and began making my way ou
“No offense, but who the fuck are you?” I sneered, as Carmen rubbed her chin, immersed in thought. “This really isn't a good time. You can't just barge in here without an appointment.”“Now you listen here, you little shit,” the man seethed. “I heard everything. I know exactly what's going on.”“Excuse me?” I snarled. “What the fuck are you talking about?”“So this is the woman you've been cheating on your wife with,” he accused angrily.I jolted upwards, startled, wondering why the hell this man that I had no idea who the fuck was knew so much about my life.“I don't see how my personal affairs are any of your concern,” I snarled. “Mind your own fucking business.”“Spare me the self-righteous bullshit. I'm Donte Abruzzi. Arturo Abruzzi's brother.” He trailed off his sentence, balling his hands into fists. “Now, you're going to ring the police and tell them not to pursue the case of your missing wife. Jesus, with the way you treat her, I'm not surprised she left you.”“Excuse me?” I
“Now put a smile on that pretty face for me, baby. Because we have a flight to catch.”“Thank you, Arturo…” I whispered. “You don't know how much I needed to hear that.”49arturoI was at standing on my phone, calling Donte. Letting him know what was going on, and everything that I needed him to take care of.“Yeah, Donte?” I breathed.“Yeah, bro?” Donte answered, on the other end of the line. “Is everything okay?”“I need a favour, bro. I'm leaving London to go back to Manhattan. I need you to take care of business while I'm away. I don't think I'll be coming back.”“Has something happened, bro? Why are you leaving?”“I met her after all these years, bro…” I heaved. “And this time, I'm not letting her go.”“Sofia?!” Donte replied, in disbelief. Unable to believe his ears. There was a silence for a few minutes, and my heart pounded against my chest. “You can tell me the story when you're ready, bro. Just do whatever makes you happy. That's all that matters to me.”“Love for that, br