RYAN BURKE
It was late afternoon and the sky had very few clouds outside. I left the company just before 16:00. Morgana would be arriving between today and tomorrow at "our house", she had been avoiding me for a few months. I hadn't sought her out during that time necessarily because I liked her, but I needed to keep up the sham she and my grandfather had put me through.
I never wanted this crap marriage, but I had a bit of empathy for the situation when she explained her father's state of health.
I was fooled from the start. So we came to a consensus, I wouldn't get in the way of her life and she wouldn't get in the way of mine.
We would be in this marriage agreement for as long as her father needed medical treatment and I would maintain my relationship with Elena. Marriage to Morgana was always nominal. Frankly, I never really looked at her, my attentions always belonged to the blue-eyed blonde who dominated me.
As her father died a few months ago, I decided to wait for a period of mourning and then apply to have the marriage annulled.
I think she had already received the email with the documents and terms of the agreement.
I got into my Rolls Royce and drove through Rookgaard until I reached my destination. I had been living there for about a week. Making sure that everything would be in order when she arrived, since the house would be hers after the divorce.
I parked at the door and hurried downstairs. Today I still have to attend a dinner at my family's house, because nothing can be simple in my life.
As soon as I entered the house, I saw two huge pink suitcases. I knew she had arrived. I went into the living room and saw her sprawled on the sofa.
The small woman there was no more than 1.62 and had black hair falling under her crumpled, unkempt clothes, big eyes and a lipstick-red mouth, sighing as she dozed off.
I dragged my suitcases upstairs and put them in the master bedroom. My bedroom.
I went back downstairs and she was still asleep. Her peaceful sleeping face gave her a slightly angelic look. Except for the red lipstick that made her mouth so attractive.
I watched her for a few moments, intrigued by that feeling. This woman was a different figure from the last one I had met. I swallowed down the sudden urge to kiss her and cleared my throat so that she would notice me.
Startled, she lifted her head and looked at me, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.
"When did you get here?" I said, showing no reaction to her presence.
She stared at me, bewildered, and let out a groan as she stretched, aligning her body on the couch.
"This morning!" she replied, yawning. "Just before lunch."
She reached for her phone and gave a slight jump, looking at the screen. She probably got a shock realizing it was already past 5:00 PM, and she had lost almost her entire day while napping.
"Darn it!" she exclaimed, still looking dazed.
"You should have let me know; the driver would have picked you up," I said, pouring a glass of whiskey and sitting in front of her, eyeing my email.
She nodded and kept her expression serious.
"Just read it, and if you have no objections to the division of assets, sign it, and we'll be done."
She looked at me, her face blank. I wanted to know what she was thinking, but it was unreadable. She remained silent for a long time.
I sipped my whiskey and continued to stare at her face. This woman seemed nothing like the one I married. She was more confident.
"I know it will be okay," she sighed, looking to the side. "Tomorrow I'll sign it. Excuse me, I need to organize my things."
She got up and headed towards the kitchen. I simply watched attentively every movement until my phone rang. Elena's name lit up on the screen. I picked up the phone and moved a bit away to answer the call, maintaining a look of disinterest as Morgana disappeared into the kitchen.
"Hi, dear. How was your day?" Elena's soft voice echoed through the phone.
"Normal. Work, as always. And I'm at the house now."
Elena sighed on the other end of the line. I could feel her frustration. Our relationship had always been secretive, and she longed for more.
"Ryan, we need to talk. Has that woman answered the email? This is not working for me anymore. We've been in this situation for years, and I'm tired of hiding our love like it's something dirty."
I swallowed hard. I knew this conversation was inevitable, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon, especially on the same day Morgana arrived.
"I know, Elena. I'm aware of the complications, but we have to continue like this for now. Morgana is here now, and... well, we need to deal with some things."
The silence on the other end of the line was followed by a resigned sigh. Referring to Morgana as "that woman" left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"In fact, I just spoke to her, Elena. She's here, and she agreed to sign the divorce."
"Really?" Elena responded, sounding surprised on the other end of the line. "No objections?"
"Yes, no objections. Don't worry; I'll handle this as quickly as possible." I sighed heavily, feeling some resentment growing in my chest. "But that wasn't why you called, was it?"
"No. Actually, I called to make sure you don't forget we have that dinner tonight."
I had completely forgotten about that. I ran my hand over my face. The dinner with her conflicted with the family dinner.
"Of course, dear, at 9:00 PM?" I asked. "I have to go to my family's house today."
"Oh... Sure," her voice sounded less enthusiastic. "I'll see you later then?"
"I'll be there at 9:00 PM."
"Okay, I'll be waiting."
I hung up the phone and went upstairs for a quick shower. The night would be long. While the shower water fell on me, I couldn't help but reflect on the complexity of my life. Two relationships, both based on lies, secrets, and conveniences. The decision to finally end the marriage with Morgana relieved part of the burden, but now I faced the challenge of maintaining appearances with Elena.
MORGANA FOSTER A thin ache throbbed in my chest. Hearing the word 'divorce' coming from his mouth hurt much more than reading it in the document. I felt my eyes welling up, looking down, blinking a few times to dispel the tears before they fell right there. Why had I fallen in love with him when he treated me with no tenderness? There was no love or affection, just a play of smiles during visits and important gatherings. I wouldn't appear sad about it; I had promised myself that he wouldn't see me crying because of him. Not after all the nights he spent away with "sweet Elena." After an eye roll, I cleared my throat and responded: “I know it will be all right.” I sighed and glanced to the side; I needed to be strong. “Tomorrow, I will sign it. Excuse me, I have to pack my things.” Then I stood up from the couch with a bitter and disdainful smile, marching toward the kitchen. Ryan raised an intrigued eyebrow, and I could feel his gaze following me all the way. I knew he didn't expec
MORGANA FOSTER In the car, the journey to the Burke mansion was silent. Ryan didn't try to start a conversation, and I wouldn't insist on bothering him. Silence would reign throughout the way. As he drove, I looked at the street, reminiscing about how all of this started and how I ended up here. "Who would have thought that little Morgana Melissa Foster would be married at twenty-three to such a handsome and powerful guy like Ryan Burke." I glanced sideways at the man driving the black Rolls-Royce. Perfectly sculpted in his black suit. I couldn't help but laugh bitterly at my own life. In the first year of marriage to Ryan, I was sure I could win his heart if I were truthful and showed him that I was willing to do anything for us. So I cooked my best dishes and sweets, took care of him when he was sick, did everything possible. But it didn't help much since he spent most of his time on business trips and the majority of his free time with Elena. No matter how kind and caring I
RYAN BURKE "Why the hell is everyone now looking at and praising Morgana?" I thought, feeling that twinge of jealousy burn in my mind. In recent years, I had been negligent. I didn't visit her, nor did I bother to find out how she was doing. Not even on the day of her father's funeral. Elena had a problem that day and was in the hospital, and I was with her. So I accompanied her, but made sure I left Morgana well-supported with all the resources possible. "Enough with the compliments for my wife, Stefan," I said, squeezing his shoulder forcefully and maintaining a smile. "You're making her embarrassed." She kept her eyes down and the smile shy, while all attention was directed at her. This behavior was unusual, even for her. "Are you getting jealous, cousin?" "Where's my beloved granddaughter?" My grandfather called; I heard Mr. Burke's voice as he entered the room. Morgana's eyes sparkled like crystal when she spotted the elderly man entering the room. My grandfather, Mr. Julia
MORGANA FOSTERWithin minutes of answering a call, Ryan was gone with a lame apology to his family, leaving a heavy atmosphere behind. I tried my best to ignore whatever he came to do to me.He hadn't given me a single explanation, but I knew he had left to find Elena. My heart ached, and I had to keep the smile awkward.At the end of the night, James guided me back to the house from the mansion. He was a handsome man, too handsome to work as a simple driver. Always polite and kind. Treating me much better than my husband. I sighed heavily at the realization of that fact.The way back was silent. James wasn't much of a talker and neither was I, which limited our interactions. Arriving home, I walked up the stairs with heels in hand and went straight to the bedroom. I took a hot shower, getting rid of the thought.“What is he doing and who is he with now?” I got out of the shower, putting on a white satin nightgown with lace and comfortable panties. Like most likely, Ryan would spend th
RYAN BURKE After Morgana left, I looked at the papers on the table and leafed through them. She had actually signed. My heart had a brief twinge of pain and I didn't understand why the feeling. I wanted the marriage to end for a long time, and I only married that woman because of her father's illness, which, after a while, sensitized my heart and made me continue in my grandfather's foolish contract. Now there was a reluctance within me to sign back and get rid of her. What was wrong now, then? She wasn't a terrible wife. In the first year we were married, she didn't impede my goals, nor did she intrude on my relationship with Elena, so understanding. She even cooked some things that I liked. I felt a bit like a jerk for having a relationship outside of marriage, but since it was only a nominal marriage, I felt a little better as time passed. I always went out with Elena to dinners and private parties, causing no big fuss, otherwise, my grandfather would kill me. Since Morgana did
Morgana Foster The hallway was quiet today at the hospital. We just had an emergency in the morning. A girl had arrived with her leg caught in a car wheel. It was a simple procedure to remove the tire and a minor surgery to mend the bones in the broken foot with the orthopedic staff. Now I was just walking around and looking at some past patient charts. "Doc. Foster!" Elliot smiled when he spotted me and walked towards me. The blond hair, the honey brown eyes, along with the slender and tall body made him irresistible. He could easily be a role model, no doubt. He walked over and kissed me on the cheek. "How are you? Are you enjoying working here?" "Hi, Doc. Sharon, I'm loving everything!", I smiled at him and collected myself after the greeting. What a charming and kind man, "I hope to enter the residency program next year, I am very excited about the results of the internship!" "Glad you like it!" You are an excellent candidate for the residency vacancy! I'm sure you'll make it.
MORGANA FOSTER Everything seemed normal when we arrived at the nightclub. The sound was loud and the lights were flashing. People were dancing in some places. I rolled my eyes around the place, not spotting them."Where are they?" I asked, turning to BethanyShe stretched her neck into one of the reserved areas of the club and spotted the group of doctors sitting in a reserved area, my eyes following her all the way."Got it!" she said, pulling me by the hand across the room.They smiled at us, so we made our way there, asking the dancers in the middle of the dance floor to excuse us."Ladies!" John Nardek, the heart surgeon, was the first to greet us. John was 1.87 meters tall, with black hair, brown eyes and a plump, velvety mouth. He was wearing a white shirt, light blue jeans and a black leather jacket that outlined his slender body.This was the first time he had made a greeting outside the formal.He raised a glass of beer in a friendly greeting, "Welcome!""Hello!" we replied t
RYAN BURKE When Morgana left the room, I could see Elena in full rage. She went in next and closed the door behind her. Her fists were clenched, and she could feel the air darkening behind her. “What do you have to tell me about this scene?” she said. Her blue eyes glistened with tears that pooled at the edges. “Nothing!” Her face paled as she looked at me in disbelief. Obviously, she wouldn't believe my story., “Nothing happened.” “And you expect me to believe you?” She began to cry softly. Looking at the floor, she walked heavily and leaned against the door, dragging her body until she sat down. “You said you wouldn't see me because you wanted to concentrate on work!” I snorted silently, shrugging at her. “And that was exactly it!” I went to the closet to get some clean clothes. I grabbed a white cotton shirt and black sweatpants. I got dressed and continued talking, while changing clothes that still smelled strongly of cigarettes and whiskey for clean ones. “Elena, my love, do