ログインThe taxi halted in an old, familiar neighborhood. The driver was about to help Isla out of the car, but she waved him off.“I can manage, thanks.” She opened the door, stepped down, then tipped him. “You can keep the change.”A bright, grateful smile spread across the driver’s face. “This is very generous, ma’am. Thank you so much.” He happily drove off afterward.Isla sucked in a deep breath as she stared at the worn-out, pale buildings before her. Once upon a time in her life, she had shed bloody tears, rolled herself in mud, and eaten dust just to live here, it was a season of her life she would never forget.She slowly approached the neighborhood. Unlike before, when it had been lively and filled with children, it was now empty, almost as though no one lived there anymore.“Isla?” a familiar, crooked voice called out.Looking ahead, Isla saw a skinny old woman walking toward her. As she drew closer, Isla recognized her; Lady Rohana, the witch disguised in human form who had paid d
“Welcome, loved ones. We are gathered here today to join Mr. Dev Rajan and Mrs. Priya Menon in holy matrimony…” The officiant’s voice faded within seconds, and all Isla could hear was white noise and the loud thudding in her chest; her heartbeat.It was taking everything in her to pretend Damien wasn’t standing beside her, dressed in his neatly pressed black suit, fully buttoned and tied this time, a white rose tucked into his chest pocket. His extremely glossy black hair was styled in tapered sides, highlighting his striking face even more.It had only taken a quick glance earlier, and she already recalled the way he looked from beginning to end. A sudden ripple of applause burst through the air, slicing through her thoughts. Looking ahead, she saw Priya and Dev had already sealed the deal with a kiss.“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Rajan. I hereby pronounce you man and wife,” the officiant announced, followed by louder claps from the guests.Isla wore a fake smile and forced a clap,
Evening.“Cheers, to the latest bride-to-be,” a female voice announced, and a small circle of burgundy glasses gently clicked together in the air.Priya’s bridal shower was happening in one of Khan’s Empire’s luxurious hotels. She had her close friends with her, including Isla, Elise, and some other well-known women.They were seated outside, perched on the concrete edge of the fifteen-meter-wide swimming pool. The girls were dressed in matching white silk robe gowns, their bare feet dipped into the glowing, shimmering blue water of the pool.“Cheers!” they jeered together and sipped their red wine.“I’d love to make another toast.” Isla took the opened bottle of wine and poured half its contents into her glass, then raised it. “To my best friend, Priya. Heaven knows how much I’ve waited for a day like this, where we’ll go for a drink together as married besties and talk about our husbands, and how much of jerks they can be!” she spoke in a lazy slur.“Cheers,” the women said as they
Later that afternoon, Gareth invited Isla out for lunch. As Isla stepped out of her company building, she sighted Gareth’s shiny black Lexus waiting in the parking lot. Before, he would have been standing outside, and leaning against the body of his car while waiting for her with the warm smile he always wore, but now he simply sat inside the car.These past days he's been trying to act like everyone was fine but he was simply bad at it.Isla sucked in a deep breath, using the fingers on her right hand to hide her ring finger. She entered the car and sat down.“Hey,” Gareth glanced at her very quickly and greeted softly.“Hi,” she forced a smile, also nodding at him briefly while fixing her seatbelt. After she had settled down, Gareth passed her an iPad with a free hand while he drove with his other hand out of the Khan’s Empire building to the road.“Pick the restaurant you'd like to eat at,” he said casually, keeping his eyes straight ahead.Isla only glanced at the menu sharply be
Khan’s Empire“With several big names like Peter Smith, Reginald Johnson, the Williams family, and so on, I believe the Rajans’ wedding will be the right place to launch our new line.”Mr. Han’s voice faded over time, and the only image Isla could see was herself from earlier, scattering her bedroom in search of her missing wedding ring, still unable to find it.“What do you think, Mrs. Khan?” Mr. Han asked, but there was no reply.“Mrs. Khan?”Isla was snapped back into the boardroom, immediately meeting the concerned yet slightly annoyed faces of the heavily suited individuals seated on each side of the long oak table.“I’m sorry, can you come again?” She was never one to apologize for any reason in the boardroom, but this was more than the fifth time she had drifted off and asked them to start over.“I was talking about using the Rajans’ wedding to introduce our new diamonds to the world. We can subtly incorporate the diamonds into our outfits and accessories. I believe we’ll catch
“Do you think we’re going to be welcomed back for the wedding?” Priya asked softly as she walked hand in hand with Dev down the street.“Definitely not,” he chuckled.People who walked past them cast strange stares, and Priya tried to hide her face every time.“They’re acting like they’ve never seen a married couple walking on the street before,” Dev coughed out with a quiet huff.“I know, but we’re so obvious,” Priya pouted. She hid her face again when another person passed by.Suddenly, she was swept off her feet into Dev’s arms, carried in a princess hold. Her eyes widened like an overinflated balloon.“Put me down,” she whispered harshly.“No. I want to make it even more obvious that you’re my wife,” he smirked.“But we’re not married yet,” she reminded him.“Oh…” He cleared his throat, and Priya’s eyes crinkled as she stared up at him, wondering what he was about to do.Then he began screaming; loudly.“Hey everyone! We’re getting married today! I’m taking her to the venue now, a







