Apartment

As her ears started ringing, the lump in her throat growing, the words he spoke faded into the background. Her eyes welled up, and her breath hitched, she had heard him right? “Earth to Rebecca, hello?!” He replied to her in an annoyed tone. She took a deep breath, “After 20 yrs you really don’t want a life with me” she managed to speak slightly above a whisper. She had been his rock, put his needs first, never said no to his frivolous spending, and had loved him enough for the both of them; yet in the small bedroom in their city apartment he stood with divorce papers in hand. She hadn’t been naive about the rough patch that they were navigating, but they had always worked past because Rebecca had always put her husband 1st. “Rebecca I don’t love you and no level of your love is going to undo these divorce papers. I can’t even stand to be in this room with you, but I want to be on a united front when we tell the kids.”

"Tell me," I stutteringly said, my voice breaking like glass. "Do you only want to have sex with me?" With a furrowed brow and a tone that suggested frustration. He began, "Mabel, I... I don't-” "Steve, I can't handle inconsistency now! I simply cannot. I cut him off, yelling as I shook my head angrily. "What is going on between us?" My gaze pierced his, requesting an open response and a clear route through the emotional ruins. His jaw tensed as he averted his gaze, then returned to me with a look of deep confusion on his face. He said, "I don't know either, Mabel," in a voice that was hardly more than a whisper and was filled with a sense of helplessness that was similar to mine. "Everything is moving so quickly.” I averted my eyes and frantically wiped at the unrelenting stream of tears that were tracing icy paths down my hot cheeks. "I think you need to leave," I whispered, barely able to breathe. I felt like my voice was about to break. ****** Mabel Jordan, scarred by past betrayal, seeks solace in the bustling city of Dax city. Sharing an apartment with the vibrant Hazel Harrison, she's thrust into a world of wealth and secrets. When she encounters Hazel's cousin, Steve Harrison, passion flares between them. Drawn to his dark allure, Mabel agrees to his terms: a no-strings-attached affair. But as their connection deepens, she battles with her own desires and fears and questions the limits of their arrangement. Can she tame the wild heart of a man who has sworn off love? Or will she cling to the safety of a loveless arrangement?

Lyka is a simple woman, jolly, funny and kind-hearted. She accepted her fate when her father died. She became a nanny in her own house because of her stepmother but she never blamed her father for marrying again before but now she seeks freedom. One day, her cousin Kyla visited her and brought her away from her miserable life. They hung out together and even bought her everything she needed. She thought Kyla was just so good to her because they were relatives. Days passed, when Lyka heard a sudden news that her stepmother wanted to sell her to those loan sharks. She was terrified and immediately planned on escaping. She went far away even though she didn't want to leave her younger step brothers. She doesn't have a choice but to go far away.  On her new journey, new life, new apartment, her cousin Kyla suddenly showed up and begged her to act as her substitute as a bride. She immediately said no even though they really look alike. But things changed when Lyka knew her cousin was in danger. She made a choice to agree with the said plan.  She was anxious to meet her husband. Kyran was not fond of this kind of arrangement but was forced to have her beside him. Would they click with others or would it be a disaster?

Cora was only 10 when she realized that she had an unusual ability and that was to see ghosts. Now living on her own and battling school and her only job, she is forced into a world other than her own. Jem the spirit that resides in her apartment after a terrible accident, explains that she is more than thought. Jem was a spirit that wasn't meant to be where he was. A fire broke out in the place that he was, now occupied by a woman named Cora. He sensed that she was different, that she was destined for more than just work and school, and wanted to help her discover who she really was but in his current condition with him being a walking spirit, he could only do so much.