The sound of the door creaking open woke me abruptly, my eyes fluttering as I realized I had fallen asleep beside him. My body ached from the awkward position — half on the floor, my hand resting on his chest, feeling the slow rise and fall of his breath. For a second, everything seemed serene. Then, the gasp shattered the silence. “Oh, my God!” A voice pierced through the room, jerking me fully awake. I blinked and turned my head towards the source of the voice. Amory's mother stood in the doorway, her wide eyes fixed on me. The sight of her sent a wave of panic coursing through me. “Emma?” she exclaimed, her voice sharp with disbelief, cutting straight through the remnants of my sleep. Her presence filled the room with tension. "Oh, Mother!" I exclaimed, stumbling to my feet, my heart pounding in my chest as I searched for the right words. "Nothing happened. Really. I swear." My voice cracked slightly as words spilled out, rushing to explain myself, to dispel the assumption t
"They want the families to meet?" Mother exclaimed, her voice sharp with shock, tension radiating off her in waves.I smiled, trying to keep my expression calm. "Yes. They asked about this weekend," I said, turning my gaze toward Father, curious about his reaction.Father, who had been leaning back on the couch, suddenly sat up straight, reaching for his phone. "Hey," he barked into the receiver. "Cancel my reservation for this weekend. Make up some kind of excuse. Okay."The tension was palpable now, thick in the air. Mother’s face was a storm of emotions, her expression caught somewhere between anger and disbelief. "Cancelled? Wasn't that with the Financial Services people?" she smirked, her voice laced with accusation.Father waved his hand dismissively, leaning back again, the phone now forgotten. "I was going to spend money to make connections," he muttered, releasing a heavy breath, "but we're about to be in-laws with such a huge family." He paused, shifting his gaze to mine, hi
Both Amory and I arrived at the gathering where our families were exchanging polite, albeit tense, greetings. Mother and Madam Elizabeth stood close, their hands extended for a handshake, yet hesitating—each waiting for the other to make the first move. It was a subtle battle, a dance of dominance in a single gesture. Madam Elizabeth noticed us entering, her eyes narrowing slightly before she took a small step back, signaling her readiness."Are we all here, then?" Father’s voice broke through the silence, his tone calm but with an undercurrent of tension.Amory’s father scanned the room quickly, nodding. "Our daughter is on her way..." His words were interrupted by the screeching sound of a black Benz speeding into the driveway, kicking up a cloud of dust that covered us all. Everyone instinctively shielded their faces, coughing as the dust settled."There she is," Amory’s father muttered under his breath, walking briskly toward the car as it screeched to a halt.Mother fanned the du
After a long, tense silence, the screech of Mother’s chair dragged me back to reality. She stood abruptly, her face twisted with fury, her eyes boring into me like daggers. "Emma," she hissed through clenched teeth, barely containing her anger. "Could we talk for a second?" Without waiting for my response, she stormed off, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floors. I sighed, glancing at Amory, who gave me a soft, reassuring smile. His calm presence was the anchor I needed right now. I offered a brief smile to the rest of the family before excusing myself, quietly slipping out of the room and into the corridor. Mother was already pacing frantically, one hand covering her mouth as though trying to suppress whatever torrent of emotions threatened to spill out. Anger and confusion radiated from her, and I could tell my earlier actions had shaken her. She noticed me, her eyes narrowing, and in an instant, she rushed toward me, her heels clicking against the floor like gunfire
"It was great to meet you today. Safe travels home," Grandmother said, her voice filled with warmth as she waved my parents off. Father responded with his usual charming smile. "I'll visit you soon, Chairwoman. There are a few things we need to discuss," he added with a nod, his tone holding a subtle layer of meaning that made me tense up. "Sounds good," she replied, her face brightening with a soft smile. I stood quietly, watching as Father opened the car door for Mother, who still hadn’t uttered a word of farewell. She moved with the same air of indifference she had displayed the entire afternoon, gracefully sliding into the passenger seat without so much as a glance in my direction. With one last glance at the car, I watched as Mr. Foden, mother's assistant, pulled away, taking them out of sight. As the car disappeared around the bend, the tension in the air didn’t follow. If anything, it seemed to intensify. Grandmother turned towards Amory’s mother, Madam Elizabeth, whose e
"What? Don't you know you're no longer our family when you get married off? You should think about your family now that you're married. You shouldn't be so greedy". "I'm so sorry Mother," l lost all my appetite for a smile. Loads of water are already gathering in my eyes waiting for a blink for them to drop. "Hurry up and get rid of it, we don't want anyone to think our exhibition is lousy, " she turned to take her leave. "That's so harsh mother," Elena also turned, forming her lips to make a mockery of me. "Instead of looking at the painting, can't you see how I feel? Sure, I may not be up to your standard, but I worked so hard on it with all my heart," I spurted out as tears rolled down my cheeks. "Hey listen, you were working on that painting while you should've been working harder. That's why I was upset." "I'm sorry. I misunderstood you. It's for a good cause, so I'm doing my best and I won't disappoint you," I retorted, trying to find her favor. "Let me know if you
Have you ever felt like your heart has been put in a mincer? That is how I feel right now looking at them. I feel like my heart has been shredded into pieces. I wanted to run away. To look away, but I don't want him to see me feeling jealous of him. Unfortunately, Amory's phone rang, giving me the chance to leave the room. Feeling a lump form in my throat, I excused myself to the bathroom, needing a moment to compose myself. As I splashed cool water on my face, I couldn't share the feeling of inadequacy that gnawed at me, wondering all over my sister's words. As I hurried out of the bathroom, my mind still swirling with emotions, I failed to notice the figure approaching from the opposite direction. Before I could react, I collided with someone, nearly stumbling backward in surprise. Looking up, I find myself face-to-face with Amory. His eyes widened momentarily in shock before softening with concern. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he exclaimed, reaching out to steady me. His touch w
With my heart racing, I follow the officers, determined to uncover the source of the disturbance. As I rounded the corner, my breath caught in my throat when I saw the appearance of someone lashing out, slapping someone. Someone familiar, someone I never expected to see in such a predicament with a force that echoed through the room. It was my mother who was being slapped by one of her customers, Mrs Rodriquez. Shock and disbelief washed over me as I struggled to make sense of the scene unfolding before my eyes. How could this be happening? What had led my own mother to be slapped by someone not up to her level as she always claimed? Shock and horror coursed through me as I watched my mother stagger backward, her hand flying to her cheek in disbelief as she collapsed within a second with her assistant manager gripping her to stand. "The police will find out. What should I do?" I read the words forming on her lips. She whispers to her manager's eardrum. I can see the look o