CHAPTER 1
Alice stood frozen in front of the TV, her heavy breathing the only sound breaking the silence. She let out a loud hiss as her body wouldn’t cooperate with her to imitate the yoga instructor’s poses.
“Okay, okay, we are almost there, Alice.” She whispered to herself, a half-triumphant smile plastered on her face. She was rocking a bright pink sports bra and sleek pink high-waisted leggings, and her curly black hair was tied up in a messy bun that kept falling apart, begging to come loose.
“That’s it, that’s it!” She chanted lowly to herself. She tried to bend her body into a warrior pose, her legs quivered and she stumbled, causing her face to plant into the coffee table. “Okay, Ouch! That’s not fair. I can’t be that stiff!”
“And now, move into downward-facing dog,” The instructor on TV cheerfully exclaimed like she wasn’t about to send some people to their early graves.
“Aye, that shouldn’t be difficult,” She clapped her hands and got into action, but her body had other plans. Her arms and legs shook from the pressure, and her butt stuck up in the air like a giant balloon.
Just as she was about to give up, Alice’s cat, Ms Black, strolled into the room, gave her a disdainful look, and demonstrated a perfect downward-facing dog pose. Shocked by how petty her cat was, Alice’s jaw almost dropped.
“Hey, you show off! I am trying to practice my yoga here!” She glared at the fluffy white animal, but couldn’t help the laughter that erupted from her. Ms Black, having accomplished her mission gave her owner a smug look and walked out of the living room. Alice shook her head in amusement.
Undeterred by Ms Black’s drama, she tried again, this time attempting to touch her toes. However, instead of gracefully folding forward just as she had intended, she ended up with her but in the air—again and her face planted in the carpet.
In her twisted position, she was startled when she heard a gasp from somewhere around the room. “Al, are you okay?” A familiar voice called out, face marred in concern.
Quickly untangling herself from the unpleasant position, she turned to the direction of the voice, “Hey mum, you are up early.” She said, her voice laced with embarrassment. She had woken up early, hoping to do her yoga in peace, but it seemed she and peace were two worlds apart.
“Yes, I am. Are you sure you are fine, love?” Alice’s mother, Juliet, asked, brows drawn together.
Alice laughed, “Mum, I am fine."
Alice couldn’t help but envy her mother. She looked beautiful and younger than most women of her age. No one would ever believe the woman was just two years away from turning sixty. Would she be like that too?
“Coffee?” Juliet asked, breaking Alice out of her reverie.
“Sure, thanks,” Alice welcomed the distraction, joining her mother in the kitchen.
As they sipped their coffee, an uncomfortable silence settled between them.
Juliet's silence stretched on, and the way her shoulders clenched betrayed the anxiety that coiled within her. "Sweetie, you’ve been staying with me for a while now," She began, "And I think it’s time you started thinking about your future,” Juliet said, her voice laced with concern.
Alice felt a familiar knot in her stomach. This conversation was becoming all too familiar. “Mum, I am trying. I just need some time to figure things out.”
Juliet’s expression turned sceptical. “Time? You’re twenty-eight, Alice. You need to start taking your life seriously again. You can’t keep living in the past.”
The mention of her age and past stung. Alice knew her mother was right, but it hurt to admit it. She glanced away, trying to compose herself. Her eyes landed on a photo of her and Damian on the fridge. She quickly looked away, not ready to deal with those emotions.
"Oh, I get it, Damian hurt you badly, but honey, you need to restrategize your life. At age twenty-eight, you have no love life, no tangible career, or a reasonable plan for your life. It has been what? One year and four months?”
“One year and six months." Alice corrected.
"Sweetie, you need to focus on the future. Damian is not the only guy out there. I believe there are thousands of great guys out there waiting for a great woman like you.”
“Yeah, sure,” Alice whispered into her cup before taking a sip of the coffee. "I have nothing to offer them right now."
Juliet shook her head in disapproval, “I can’t believe you resigned from the job that was paying you well for your writing career that is not going anywhere.”
“You know very well why I quit that job. I couldn’t do it…” She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat.
“Oh, yeah, why must it be you? Why wasn’t he the one to quit his job?” Juliet asked, eyes blazing with furry
“Mum, Damian owns the company." She let out a nervous laugh.
“Yeah, sure.” Came Juliet’s sarcastic reply. She continued, “All I am saying is you need to move on because the man in question has already moved on. I mean, today is his wedding day, right?”
Alice groaned and covered her face with her palms, “ Please, don’t remind me.”
“I need you to do the same thing he did,” Juliet stated firmly.
“You want me to get married? Men don’t just fall from the sky!" Alice joked, hoping it would lighten her mother's mood, but the woman wasn't having it. She gently added, "It takes time to find a legit man, if not forever.”
“Even if God was to throw a man down from heaven just for you, how would you know, when you are always inside the house like an aglaonema.”
Alice nodded and said, “God should be kind enough to throw him inside my room.” She smiled at the thought of that.
Juliet flashed her daughter a look of disbelief. “Alice, I also wanted to talk to you about Gwen,” Juliet said, her voice softening. “I know she’s been helping with Damian’s wedding, and I’m worried about how that might affect you.”
Alice felt a surge of emotions—anger, hurt, and betrayal. “You’re just now bringing this up, Mum? Gwen’s been working on the wedding for months.”
Juliet’s expression turned sympathetic. “I know, sweetie. I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to upset you. But I think we need to talk about it. How are you feeling about Gwen’s involvement?”
Alice shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “I’m fine, Mum. It’s not a big deal.” But Juliet wasn’t convinced.
“Alice, don’t lie to me. I know you’re hurting. And I’m worried that Gwen’s involvement might make things harder for you.” Alice sighed, feeling a lump form in her throat. She was hurting, and Gwen’s involvement was making things harder.
Just then, James, Juliet’s latest conquest, walked into the kitchen, a charming smile on his face. “Good morning, ladies!” He gave Juliet a gentle kiss on the cheek, and Alice couldn’t help but feel a pang of loneliness.
“Good morning, James,” Alice replied with an uncomfortable smile as her eyes darted between the intruder and her mother. She couldn’t help but cringe as she spotted their matching PJs.
After her father's death, her mother had grieved for years before deciding to open her heart to love again. Alice knew her mother had been dating, but then James appeared to have captivated Juliet's heart. The only concern Alice had was that Juliet was older than James.
"At least she found someone," a bitter voice hissed in her mind. Overcome with a sudden wave of awkwardness, she fled to her room, her cheeks burning.
Inside her room, Alice flopped onto her bed, surrounded by piles of dirty laundry and unwritten manuscripts. Her laptop stared at her, accusingly.
With a sigh, Alice opened her laptop and began typing. She was determined to make progress in her writing career, even if it killed her.
The words flowed slowly at first, but as she got into the zone, her fingers flew across the keyboard. Just as she was finally getting something right, her phone rang. It was Gwen, her sister.
Alice hesitated, wondering if she was ready to talk to her. Gwen had been acting as the event planner for Damian's wedding, which was today. Alice hadn't spoken to her sister since finding out.
She finally picked. "Gwen, what do you want?" Alice asked curtly, trying to keep her emotions in check.
"Alice, I need your help," Gwen said, her voice laced with nervousness. "Two of my staff called in sick, and I'm short-handed. Please, can you come and help me out?"
Silence lingered on both sides. Alice was taken aback. Her sister was asking her to help with Damian's wedding.
"Gwen, you can't be serious. You want me to help with Damian's wedding?" Alice's voice was incredulous.
It felt like a cruel joke.
“Please, I am in desperate need of your help right now. The flowers are yet to arrive, the lights are not yet fixed, just found out that some of the tables are broken. Linda got the wrong materials and many other things I don’t remember.” Gwen’s voice was low, even desperate.
The line went silent. Alice knew her sister was waiting for an answer, but she just couldn't bring herself to respond. She was torn between her loyalty to her sister and her own emotional well-being.
"Please, Al. After this wedding, I will cut off all ties with him if you want me, but please, my business is at stake."
"Gwen, I am sorry about your situation, but I can't help you." She quickly ended the call before Gwen could breathe another word.
As she hesitated, Alice’s mind wandered back to the past. She thought about Damian, about their failed engagement, and about the pain he had caused her. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to face him again, even if it was just to help her sister.
‘Don’t you want to see what the lady he left you for looks like?’ that same conniving little voice chimed. “Oh no!” She screamed into the pillow.
What if it was the final blow she needed to move on with her chaotic life? The thought of seeing him exchange vows with another woman might be the brutal reality check she desperately needed to accept that they were truly over.
With a newfound sense of determination, Alice picked up her phone and dialled Gwen’s number. “Hey,” she said, trying to sound casual. “I’ve changed my mind. I’ll come to help you with the wedding.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Gwen responded, her voice laced with surprise. “Alice, are you sure? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
Alice took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. “I’m positive, Gwen. I need to do this.”
Alice felt a shiver run down her spine. Ms Black, sensing her owner’s anxiety, jumped onto the bed and nuzzled Alice’s hand, offering silent comfort. "What do you want me to do first?"
