A Beautiful Misunderstanding

It was already three o'clock in the morning. Soon, it would be dawn and light would crack through her window.

But Essie couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to put either her mind or body to rest.

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Rain was pouring heavily outside. 'The weather matches my current mood,' she thought with some annoyance.

Her heart ached every second. Something in it expanded, consuming her completely. Nothing she did would reduce the ache.

Her imagination started to run wild. She could vividly imagine Zac with his beloved woman, cozily wrapped in his arms.

Damn it, why did she always have to think about him!

She cursed her thoughts for always running back to him. He was allowed to love whoever he wanted. And what he did with his lover was none of her business. She had no right to dwell on his thoughts.

After taking a deep breath, she forced herself to think about Hanson. After all, today he had confessed his love for her. She was supposed to think about him and the happy future he had promised her.

"Essie, think about Hanson. Think about his gorgeous face," Essie spoke to herself in this empty room. But her attempts went in vain. Zac's face kept flashing on her mind. The way he had taken care of her when she feigned a cramp. "Someone help me!" she screamed, feeling miserable. She tried to convince herself that Zac didn't even think about her.

Suddenly, her mind took a different turn. She couldn't think about another man. Perhaps it was because she was Zac's wife, even if this marriage was only an accident. In the eyes of law, they were a couple. 'Was it appropriate to cheat on him? And most importantly, is it appropriate for him to be with another woman right now?'

The answer was no. Instantly, she got down the bed, grabbed the darkest lipstick from the dresser and rushed into Zac's room.

drew open the curtain and sketched two bloody

she decided to

lightning flashed through

there were few cars on the street. But Zac seemed unperturbed by the horrible weather. With a

the storm. Every time he dialed her number, he waited expectantly for an answer. But when he realized it was still switched off, a

his

ring! It wasn't switched off anymore. His ice

you doing?" Essie barked from the other side of

the caller ID. A part of her wanted to reject the call, but her curiosity

are you?" He tried his best to keep his voice steady. If it was possible, he would have crawled out of the

home. I was sleeping but your call

'At home?' thought Zac.

The anxiety he was

and William

had seen his boss lose his calm. Normally, he was like a cheetah, powerful and always in control. Nobody ever got to see his vulnerable side. Today, he was akin to an angry dragon

conquered the world while women conquered the

boss's true emotions still remained a mystery to William. Even though his actions seemed to indicate he loved Essie, he never confessed it in

and cold. One could never

apartment, Essie heard the sound