Burdened by her parents' expectations, Hannah Morales found herself trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage. When she finally breaks free she relocates to another town. With hard work and determination, she begins to rebuild her life and regain the confidence that was once shattered. As Hannah's business flourishes, she finds herself becoming stronger, more independent, and determined to never let anyone control her happiness again. Serenity Gils, on the other hand, is a free spirit who lives life to the fullest. She cherishes every moment, embracing adventure and spontaneity. However, beneath her carefree demeanour, Serenity yearns for a deep connection with someone special. Her casual encounters leave her feeling unfulfilled, always searching for that missing piece of her heart. One fateful day, as life's unpredictable twists would have it, Serenity's eyes lock with Hannah Morales's across a bustling crowd. In that fleeting moment, she finally understood she was searching for love in the wrong age group. But with Hannah's past resurfacing and catching up with her, will the love they have for each other, despite the age difference, be enough to conquer all odds? ------
View More** August 2000 **
Hannah Morales stared at her reflection in the mirror. Just a few minutes ago, three women surrounded her. Whilst one worked on her hair, the other applied a variety of products on her face which she had lost count of and the last woman arranged the beautiful white dress she had on.It wasn’t like the typical dress every girl dreamt of wearing on a day like this. This one was special and it meant the world to her.Her grandmother wore it. So did her mom. And now, she was wearing it. And she loved it. It was a beautiful dress after all, not adorned with extravagant pearls and whatnot. It was simple yet classy.And it was what the women in her family had worn on their wedding day, a day Hannah has been dreaming of. The day when she walked down the aisle, wearing the same dress her mother wore whilst she was minutes away from marrying the love of her life.Except, the man she was marrying wasn’t the love of her life. He was her friend and Hannah had a great amount of respect for him. But she didn’t love him. They grew up together and went to the same high school, but that was it. Her feelings for him are purely platonic. As for every man she'd met.Matter of fact, she didn’t like anyone with a joystick between their legs. Growing up, Hannah Morales found her attraction to women insane. It wasn't until she turned seventeen that she fully came to terms with it. The fact that she loved women. So much so that she'd grown to hate the thought of being with a man intimately. Hell, the thought of coming home to a man after a long ass day at work made her stomach churn.But it had to be done. For the sake of her family and the position they held in the community. Coming out would soil their reputation, which is why she didn't protest when they asked her to marry Austin Jenkins.Her dad was the mayor of the city. And her mom, well, she was a trophy wife, and her soon-to-be in-laws were quite known around town too. Two influential families coming together. One word, power.But Hannah didn’t want to be a trophy wife like her mom. There was so much she wanted to do with her life. She wanted to start up her own business and make a name for herself, not hide behind her family’s last name and her husband’s last name like her mother did.And that was the aspect where both women didn’t see eye to eye.“Oh Hannah my dear, you look lovely” her mother, Mrs Morales walked in, a proud smile on her face and a pool of tears gleaming in her eyes.She looked briefly at the woman whom she took her hazel eyes from. “Thanks, mom” she looked back at her reflection.“Let’s go. Your dad is waiting by the limousine to take you to church. I can’t believe you’ll soon become Mrs Jenkins” the older woman whose hair was rapidly showing signs of ageing cooed.Hannah sighed. That was another thing she wasn’t okay with. She didn’t want to carry Austin’s last name. She didn’t want to be a Jenkins. She was, after all, marrying the man to please her parents, couldn’t she at least keep her last name?Bringing it up now will be the genesis of yet another argument and she didn’t want that. She needed her thoughts intact while she made the worse decision of her life. How ironic.Hannah Morales wished the 1995 limousine didn’t reach the wedding venue as fast as it did. She wished the ride lasted a while. She was even ready to entertain her father’s bickering if it meant she could have enjoyed her last seconds as a free woman.But much to her dismay, she was listening to the instructions of the wedding planner her family has been interacting with for the past months on how processing into the hall will look like.She listened, but nothing sank in.And then she felt her father’s hand on her shoulder.“Let’s go, honey. It’s our turn”The next minutes happened in a daze. Her hands were entangled in her father’s, then they were walking down the red carpet leading to the alter, he was whispering in her ear words which would make her smile on any other day.“I can’t believe I’m giving you off to another man. Seems just yesterday when you were playing in the garden” the older man’s voice was laced with emotions.'Yeah, can’t believe it either".Hannah’s mental remark was filled with disgust.The doors opened and everyone looked in their direction.Hannah swallowed a gulp. Her soon-to-be husband was exactly fifty steps away from her.Hannah Morales forced a smile on her face. But it didn’t last long. So she made a mental note to smile only when she made eye contact with someone.And well, once she was standing at the altar with her soon-to-be husband.Her hands disentangled from her father’s and he gracefully kissed her on the cheeks then handed her over to Austin as though she were a parcel.Hannah pushed that thought to the back of her mind and tried to focus on what awaited her.When Austin took her hand, she felt cold and she froze on the spot. And then she remembered she had to smile.The corners of her mouth raised and she gave him a sly smile.“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to put in matrimony, two people who love each other” the bald priest with a beard spoke out.Love? Hannah gave a mental chuckle at the priest's statement. She fancied Austin, that was the most she felt for him.Seeing the smile plastered on Austin’s face, Hannah Morales knew she could not marry this man. She knew she could not spend the rest of her life with this man.It wouldn't be fair to either of them.She should have apologised then and there to him, to their family and to everyone who'd come for her.But she couldn't. She couldn't bring that pain to her parents. So when the priest began with the rites, Hannah dismissed those thoughts into the pit of her brain."Do you, Austin Jenkins, take Hannah Morales to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse until death do you part?"Austin looked at Hannah with a smile that broke her heart."I do" he replied."Do you, Hannah Morales, take Austin Jenkins to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse until death do you part?"Hannah looked at Austin. She could tell that he'd picked up on the fact that she didn't want to marry him. So he gave her a pleading look, begging her to ruin his reputation.Hannah was silent. In her heart, she knew whatever decision she made, someone will get hurt.So, she closed her eyes and said the words she knew will be the start of her nightmare."I do"--------Turns out they were headed to Phuket. Hannah had barely shaken off the exhaustion from their flight before Serenity had dragged her onto the warm sands of Phuket’s beaches. It was breathtaking; the way the golden light of the setting sun reflected off the waves, how the air smelled of salt and blooming frangipani. It was their first time here so this moment still felt new, untouched, like a dream they had yet to wake from.Hannah and Serenity walked hand-in-hand on the beach, letting the cool water kiss their feet as they strolled along the shoreline. The morning air was crisp, and the beach was almost empty, save for a few early risers. The rhythmic crashing of waves was the only sound between them, but it was enough. This was their peace.Then Hannah saw it.A beautiful setup stood just ahead of them, something that hadn’t been there yesterday. White folding chairs lined either side of a petal-strewn aisle, leading to an archway wrapped in soft fabric and adorned with fresh flowers.
The morning sun streamed through the Inn’s curtains. Hannah stretched lazily, a contented smile tugging at her lips as she turned over, expecting to find Serenity beside her. Instead, the other side of the bed was empty, slightly warm, evidence that Serenity had been there not too long ago.She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and spotted Serenity at the dresser, folding clothes and slipping them into their suitcase. Hannah’s brows knitted together in confusion.“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice thick with sleep.Serenity turned, flashing her a mischievous smile. “Packing.”Hannah frowned. “Why?”Serenity zipped up the suitcase and walked over to her, cupping Hannah’s face in her hands before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Because our flight leaves in an hour.”Hannah blinked. “What flight?”Serenity only smirked and kissed her again, deeper this time, her fingers tangling in Hannah’s hair. “You’ll soon find out.”Hannah wanted to protest, wanted to demand answers, but the way S
Hannah had never believed in magic, not the kind in fairytales, anyway. But the moment her lips met Serenity’s after so many weeks, she felt it, an undeniable spark that sent warmth rushing through her veins. The world outside of their embrace faded into insignificance; all that mattered was the way Serenity melted against her, how perfectly their bodies fit together, how the past seemed to dissolve into nothingness.Serenity’s lips were soft, hesitant at first as though worried that Hannah would push her away, but as Hannah deepened the kiss, she responded with equal fervor. Fingers tangled in hair, arms wrapped around each other like they were afraid to let go. A soft sigh escaped from one of them, Hannah wasn’t even sure who it was, but the sound only intensified the moment.When they finally pulled apart, breathless and dazed, they stared at each other. Serenity’s eyes were wide, shimmering with something Hannah couldn’t quite place. Relief? Gratitude? Maybe all of it. Then, as if
Serenity's breath hitched as she stared at Hannah, her mind struggling to catch up with reality. After weeks of searching, hoping, and nearly giving up, she was here. Right in front of her. For a fleeting moment, she thought she was dreaming. The world around her blurred, and it was only when her father spoke that the spell broke.Patrick leaned in, voice barely above a whisper. "I'll be waiting outside."Serenity barely registered his words, too focused on the woman before her. Hannah looked different. She looked tired, but still breathtaking. Her curly dark hair was pulled into a loose bun, her eyes shadowed with something. Serenity wasn’t sure if it was pain or hatred.Hannah, on the other hand, was overwhelmed. She hadn’t planned for this. Not today. She had just come back from her retreat, seeking a quiet moment in her childhood home before heading off to Dartmouth. Yet, here she was, standing face-to-face with the person who broke her heart. Someone she wasn’t sure she was ready
Serenity barely heard the knock at the door before it creaked open. She had been lying on her couch for what felt like hours—days, maybe. Time had blurred together into an endless loop of sleepless nights, swollen eyes, and the dull ache in her chest that refused to fade. She didn’t need to turn her head to know who it was. The worried voices, the heavy footsteps, the scent of home that clung to them—it was her parents.Her mother gasped, a sharp intake of breath that spoke volumes. “Oh, Serenity…”She rolled her eyes. “Don’t start, Mom.”Her father sat on the edge of the couch, his brows furrowed in concern. He reached for her hand, but she pulled away. She wasn’t ready for comfort. Not when the pain still sat so fresh in her chest.“You look terrible,” her mother continued, ever blunt. “When was the last time you ate? Drank some water?”Serenity exhaled sharply, forcing herself upright. The room tilted slightly, and she realized, belatedly, that she probably was dehydrated. “I’m fin
Serenity stumbled out of the red room, her bare feet hitting the cold floor of the club. The music pounded in her ears, but it was nothing compared to the hammering in her chest. Her dress hung off one shoulder, her hair was a mess, and the sting of last night’s emotions still burned through her veins. “Hannah!” Her voice cracked as she called out, scanning the dimly lit club. Faces turned, whispers started, and she could feel the judgment radiating off the crowd. But she didn’t care. “Hannah, where are you? Please, just talk to me!” The air smelled of sweat, alcohol, and regret. Serenity’s vision blurred, not just from the harsh lights, but from the panic setting in. She knew she looked desperate - hell, she was desperate. But Hannah wouldn’t just leave her, right? Not after everything they shared last night. A hand grabbed her wrist gently. “Serenity, stop.” Serenity turned, eyes wild, and met Rachel’s sympathetic gaze. “She’s gone,” Rachel said softly, her grip firm but not forc
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