"Sometimes, we are so smitten with happy endings, that we believe we'll end up with one too." Ambrosia Bellemore never believed in happy endings, even though the books she read said otherwise. The closest she ever came to magic was when she found the most beautiful pair of ruby red heels on Amazon. "Lives aren't stories. Stories end, happy or otherwise. But lives don't. We die, and there's nothing happy or otherwise in dying." Calum Achorn never believed in magic. The closest he ever came to magic was when he met an infuriatingly wonderful woman on a flight to New York, wearing the most beautiful pair of ruby red heels he'd ever seen.
I hate everybody.
"Yes, even you, Mr. Cadwallader." I mumble at my golden retriever as he snuggles deeper into my lap.
"The fact that you can sleep while I'm distraught with worry amazes me, Mr. Cadwallader." He looks up at me with his head cocked to one side and his ears flat against his head. He gives me an assuring whimper. I melt.
"I was correct in the decision of bringing you home, Mr. Cadwallader, even though I had to go against my Mother." I shudder as my mother's disapproving face fills my head.
Mr. Cadwallader gives me a huge grin, as if he were brimming with happiness. I didn't feel quite so optimistic.
"What am I going to do?" I question myself and God as Mr. Cadwallader's head droops and he goes back to sleep.
Great company.
It's been three days since the letter arrived, and a month since I gave that horrendous interview.
I still remember making an appearance at the Achorn House, clad in just my white cotton shirt and plain blue jeans, my hair falling straight and lifeless past my shoulders, and deep, dark circles under my pale blue eyes. A hung-over, hippie of a woman.
I didn't mean to party the previous night of my interview, I swear on the River Styx. It just happens so that my best friend, Cecelia Blythe, could be very persuasive if she needed something. And this time, it was Lionel Francis, the new model she'd managed to snare for her rising career in model photography. I don't know what that means, but that's what she told me.
After an hour of champagne and watching Cecelia straddle some other poor guy when she realized that Francis already had a boyfriend, I finally managed to make it home and sleep, already dreading the horrible day that I was sure was about to come.
And boy did I dread that day.
The doors that led to Achorn house were made of glass, my numb head noticed as I got out of my beat down Prius. The glass shone magnificently as it caught the sun, but given my sorry state, I couldn't quite enjoy the view.
I would treat myself with a generous cup of coffee if I walk out of this office with a job.
If.
I'd never heard of the Achorn house before, much to the horror of Cecelia, since, I quote, "It is owned by the richest man in all of America and has a lovely boy for a son, who was twenty three, a perfect match for me, with bright blue eyes that shone like beautiful Lapis Lazuli, and who also happens to be an author, and given my 'excessive compulsive obsession with words' would be the man who mans me. And then as his personal secretary, I might, I should, manage to capture his heart with my sweet, heartwarming, yet underdeveloped charm, or in simple words, I must dress scantily in one of her dresses to catch the eyes of a guy who didn't sound so promising in the first place.
No wonder my mother hates her.
Back at the Achorn house, I enter through the sliding doors, the kind that senses your presence and swishes open of its own accord, and peer anxiously at my queer surroundings.
It's so bland, was my first thought.
I shouldn't be here, was my second.
I swallow to keep the urge to hurl down. But before I could find the bathroom, a cool, collected voice calls out from behind me.
"Miss Bellemore, so glad you could come."
Let's see the Lapis Lazulis, shall we?
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"