There was a bolt of lightning that lit up the room, followed by thunder that shook the windows. At this point, Kelvin saw a flashlight on the nightstand.He grabbed it quickly, knowing he was in a tight spot. He switched it on and shone the light over to Evelyn in bed. She was white and still, with one eye open wide, fear showing.Perplexed, Kelvin moved nearer. There was some blood oozing from a minor cut above her left breast. It did not appear too bad, but it still worried him.Evelyn tried to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth. Her fists, however, tightened, resisting the mattress. Kelvin's alarm intensified."No way!" he exclaimed, waving at her. She just went limp like that, her head falling back onto the bed.There was a shiver that went through Kelvin as he stood, a distance of ten feet from her. He felt that something was not right. He called out her name gently and placed his hand on her chest, wishing to feel a sign of life. He felt warm, sticky blood on his f
It was five minutes to midnight when Kelvin and Evelyn entered the poorly lit bar. There was an old beer smell and tobacco. He had an increasing tenderness at the back of his neck, but he ignored it.Evelyn's lips glistened in a seductive smile as she strode swiftly to the bar, "Let us just have some drinks and we'll leave later.".She was flirting, but looking at something more sinister, something Kelvin could not determine.Kelvin had two highballs, his throat dry. Despite the guilt, he had to acknowledge that it had been a good night. "It was unbelievably good," though still with a feeling of control.As Evelyn leaned away, Evelyn's eyes glittered with a sensuous light. "Will you leave me now?".There was no hesitation in Kelvin's mind. The damage was done. Earlier, he wasn't going back to his empty house this evening, no matter what a judge told him. "You gave me the green light to change my mind." "I've changed it," he said, his voice overpowering his own.She kept him at arm's l
The late afternoon sun slanted through Chris’s office window, casting long golden bars across stacks of case files. He was at his desk, riffling through paperwork he couldn’t focus on. The muted bustle of the precinct seeped in around him – footsteps in hallways, the distant ringing of phones – but his mind was elsewhere. His phone lay screen-up on the desk, glowing with a missed call: Lilian. He stared at it, jaw clenched. Her unanswered calls felt like accusations.Chris drilled a finger into his palm, trying to jolt himself back to reality. He replayed her voice in his mind – gentle but anxious, from the last time he’d spoken to her. Now she was silent, and his stomach twisted with frustration and fear. He had meant to reach out again today, but each time his finger hovered over the call button, dread froze him.What if she hung up? What if he deserved this silence? He remembered all the mornings he had woken to unanswered messages or no reply at all. Lilian must have been avoiding
Kelvin sat in the leather taxi seat as it rained and looked out at the harsh lights that were shining in through the window. The city was always just out of reach, he told himself, an endless film in his head. Evelyn's warm hand brought a sense of life to the streets tonight; they were alive. His evening was not normal for what he was doing, and that was the idea."Sugar, I have a crush on you," Evelyn whispered. Her voice was low in the darkness of the taxi.She slyly smiled and pounced on him with her perfume mixing with the subtle city aroma. "You are so refreshing; do you know that? You are not like the other men I've dated."Kelvin smiled, his thoughts ringing in his head. This was a temporary escape, a moment outside his predictable routine. The initial burden of guilt he felt had disappeared, replaced by the excitement of the unknown.They passed by a line of bright neon signs advertising baby food, and Kelvin stole a quick look at Evelyn. She had a teasing aura about her that
When the door was opened suddenly, Kelvin stopped in the doorway. Unaware of what to expect, the woman who was welcoming him was far from it. She stood poised in the dim light of the corridor, shrouded by the faint light inside. Her hair so silky that it poured down to her shoulders, like nothing but the surface of smooth glass. Quickly measuring him up with her dark brown-colored almond-shaped eyes, she counted. She was extremely beautiful, yet something about her smile was repulsive.Her body was seen in the loose red silk dress draped around her waist. The dress hugged her tightly, outlining her athletic physique. Shapely legs were exposed as the dress was open down her lower half. When she moved her legs and he looked at her face once more, Kelvin's heart was racing like thunder. This woman was far from his usual type of companion."Good day," she breathed softly, her voice clear.Despite the curl of her lip, she smiled firmly. "Let's go in." She stepped aside to let him pass unim
Kelvin's vehicle stopped next to a stylish black BMW, its glossy exterior mirroring the neon lights shimmering gently over the parking area. The other car, a blue sedan with tinted windows, remained silent and dominant beneath the dim light of a distant streetlamp. Two vehicles, two stories unknown to him, just like his own evening’s future.The attendant stepped out of his little booth, his white overalls dirty with oil and age. His weather-beaten and anxious face broke into a wise smile as he gestured for Max to park beside the empty spot next to the BMW."Will you take long, sir?" inquired the elderly man, casually propped against the car door in a way that left Kelvin feeling strangely vulnerable.Kelvin hesitated, feeling the tug of indecision gnawing at him again. "Maybe. Depends on if my friend happens to be around." His voice sounded strange in his ears, too cautious for someone supposedly meeting an ‘old friend.’The attendant’s smile widened, his eyes glinting in the faint l
Kelvin checked the clock for the hundredth time, where the minute hand moved very, very slowly around the dial, like a snail with absolutely no hurry. The typically busy office felt suffocating, filled with the heaviness of his thoughts. For the first time in years, his work tasks, such as coding, attending meetings, and analyzing numbers, no longer consumed him. He was bored. No, not just bored and restless, and he didn't know why. The door suddenly opened. Adrian grinned broadly, clearly happy, as he entered his office."How is our single man doing?" Adrian sarcastically showed sympathy as he slumped in the chair across from Max's desk.Kelvin ground his teeth. “Stop it, will you? You’re not even being funny.”Adrian raised an eyebrow, pretending to be hurt. "You don't even know what you're missing, man."Kelvin gripped the table as he fought to keep his temper in check. Adrian had been persistent ever since Doris traveled. The continuous taunting regarding his unexpected "liberati
He noticed a stunning, thin woman with tight red clothing walking by, and her heels squeaked on the shiny floor. Her clothing hugged her body tightly, highlighting her thin legs and tight waist. She had a stunning green eye and smiled brightly as she slowly glanced at Kelvin with long brown locks of hair cascading down her shoulders. His heart beat faster than ever before for a moment as he stared at her in awe.He never once looked at another woman since he met his girlfriend Doris. His expression changed from a momentary look of guilt to pure excitement."Why am I feeling like this?" he pondered as a surge of fear engulfed him. He shook his head, trying to get the ideas away, but her seductive smile stuck in his head like a strong scent. After all, even married men did it; why shouldn’t he?The smooth walk of the woman past his office caught Kelvin's attention, well aware that she would be a fun night even on the streets. The thought slipped him through in a rush. Doris never would f
Doris had just finished returning Chris’ greeting, her voice light and familiar like they’d known each other for ages. Lilian didn’t even try to mask her stare. She stood frozen in place, taking them both in—Doris, still casually standing by the door, and Chris, standing there like this was his moment.Her stomach turned.Apparently, she was the only one left out of the loop. Would she have even known about Patricia if Doris hadn't dropped by? Or would Chris have kept sending his agents in the dark, like a puppeteer pulling strings behind velvet curtains?She rose to her feet, her movements slow and deliberate. She turned to Chris.“I appreciate what you’re trying to do,” she began, her tone razor-sharp, “but it’s not necessary. I have everything sorted.”Lilian’s voice didn't waver, but deep down she felt it. That hollow ache of knowing this man wasn’t here because he cared—he was here because of obligation. Because once, long ago, their lives had been tangled in vows and signatures.