CHAPTER FIVE ~ "New Beginnings"

929 Words
Flipping his phone to check the notification, Greg exclaimed, "Arghhhh!" his mind was clearly anywhere but in the meeting Greg was attending It had been three days without a text or call from Beth. "I wonder where she thinks I am," Greg thought to himself. He had spent all those nights in a hotel as a way to try and punish Beth for what he believed was her behavior at his office the other day. Greg and Beth had always been best friends since their high school days, despite Beth having had a crush on him since kindergarten. One afternoon, after Michelle left him for another guy, their families had a dinner together; it was a custom that the Griffins and Stanford’s feasted together at least twice a year. "You look stunning tonight, Beth," Greg complimented Beth on that evening, who had gone the extra mile to dress up for the evening. It was the first time in a long while that she was seeing the man she had loved all her life. Beth was dressed in a jumpsuit that left her back bare, paired with fun high-heeled shoes. This evening, she let her dark hair fall loosely against her plain back... "Wow," Greg whispered to himself, "you look great, Bethany Stanford. I could barely recognize you." This was the conversation that eventually led to them becoming husband and wife. That afternoon, Greg had been thinking of Beth so much. Many times, he picked up his phone to try and call her, but his pride couldn’t allow it. Hastily, he got up, grabbed his laptop, and stepped out. "Mr. Griffin... Mr. Griff... Mr...." Charlene, his assistant, called out as he rushed out of the building. When Greg reached the house, his eyes scanned the yard, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bethany on her usual afternoon walk. "That’s weird," he said, observing her absence in the garden. He walked into the room to find a vibrant Alicia. "Welcome, Mr. Griffin," she said, smiling widely. "Hi, Alicia," he responded nonchalantly, his eyes still searching the room for any sign of Beth around the house. His curiosity was piqued. "Uhmm, Ali..." Before he could ask anything, Alicia had moved to a distance where he couldn’t shout. "Ahhh..." "She must be sleeping or reading," Greg muttered to himself, his voice tinged with concern as he carefully placed his jacket and bag on the table. With deliberate movements, he slipped out of his shoes, the silence in the house amplified his nervous anticipation. Slowly, he began to tiptoe towards the bedroom, his heart was pounding with a mixture of hope and fear. Each step he took felt heavier than the last, his breath held an anticipation of what he might find. As he reached the door, he hesitated for a moment, his hand was trembling slightly as he gently pushed it open. The door slid open with a soft creak, revealing the dimly lit room beyond. Greg's face peeked in cautiously, his eyes scanning every corner in a desperate search for her presence. But the room remained still, empty of the one person he was hoping to see. A wave of disappointment and worry washed over him, his shoulders sagged with the weight of uncertainty. "Beth..." he called softly, his voice barely above a whisper, hoping against hope for a response that didn't come. "Beth!" Greg's voice echoed through the house, louder and more urgent than before. Panic clawed at his chest as he went on a desperate search, calling out her name repeatedly, "Beth! Be--" His voice caught in his throat. He froze as the glint of light caught his eye, there was a reflection of something unexpected. Greg Stumbled his way forward trying to find his way to it, he found himself staring at the wedding rings placed on top of the divorce papers. "It can't be," Greg muttered, his voice trembling with disbelief and a growing sense of dread. He drew closer, with his hands shaking as he picked up Beth’s 24-carat wedding ring. "Huh, so She really signed the divorce papers" he said as he played around with the ring, carefully walking through the room, he watched her space of the closet, she had picked out her clothes living on the dresses and jewelry he had got for her, Greg felt a sharp pang in his heart as he glanced around the room. She was gone... Meanwhile, at Alicia’s place, Beth struggled to settle in, her emotions were swirling uncontrollably. Alicia’s house stirred up memories of her and her sister Kayla sneaking over whenever their parents were out of town. The familiar scent of old wood from the floorboards and the unchanged appearance of the couch where Alicia used to sew her kids winter sweater enveloped her. While sitting there, Beth observed every corner of the house while sipping on her coffee. It was definitely not far from being the mansion she was used to, but at least she knew she was safe now. There was a buzz at the door just as she was about to take a sip of her coffee. Startled, she leaped from the couch, slipping into her house shoes. "Must be Kayla," she muttered excitedly, recalling their earlier conversation where she had shared her whereabouts. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she dashed towards the door. "I'm coming, Kayla!" she called out eagerly. But as she swung the door open, her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. The cup of coffee slipped from her trembling fingers, tumbling in slow motion towards the porch below.

Great novels start here

Download by scanning the QR code to get countless free stories and daily updated books

Free reading for new users
Scan code to download app
Facebookexpand_more
  • author-avatar
    Writer
  • chap_listContents
  • likeADD