The Winter Bride (TSBS-2) COMPLETED

Chapter Twenty-Four

Deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance.
― Oscar Wilde

Ashley Davis-Harris

Bliss; a magnified emotional state of joy or personal fulfilment and happiness. Our lived experiences determined what was bliss for us. Nearly, all experiences comes with minor or major life changes. Some comes from a period of struggles that rocks our very foundation.

I thought back to my childhood and imagined how blissful it could had been if my parents dared to set aside social and familial norms for a show of affection. Taught to be always phlegmatic, I missed out on the world's greatest weapon- love.

In my family, love was always hidden and unexpressed. It was present, but it was not shown often. Love was forbidden unless it passed all the norms.

I had always thought Eric Hasting, my ex-fiancé was the perfect definition of love as approved by the norms until his true colors were shown to me.

Love could be deceptive. I learned it from Neil.

Neil had been as deceptive and cruel as possible in order to bring me into his life. But his actions showed my worth against the social conventions. I was defeated and casted out.

The only person who defied all social norms to be free and happy was Neil and that was what attracted me to him at first. Gradually, I started letting go of my prejudice and saw Neil as what he was, and what he could be.

Yes, love could be deceptive. Love could be Neil.

And, as I ran down the stairwell, an air of exuberance surrounded me, a gleeful skip to my steps. I felt light with my emotions. I was giddy with the realisation.

If love could be deceptive, I could accept all the consequences it would bring because deception led me to Neil. It was time to make mistakes and live with it. Damn the social norms.

With the same joyous smile, I opened the door and greeted. "Oh, hello. May I help you?"

The lady in question raised her perfectly curved eyebrow, and scanned me up and down. "Hello yourself." She sidestepped me and invited herself inside. With hands in her pockets, she circled around the foyer and glanced upstairs. "Where's Neil?"

As soon the question was out of her mouth, I felt the specks of my happiness vanish away. Closing the door slowly, I turned my back to it and studied her. I could not guess her accurate age because although she looked young enough, her face had a mature look.

Her sandy brown hair were short and styled into a chic bob haircut that gave a strong impression of her. It put shame to my simple straight ones. She wore a trophy cream silk-broadcloth shirt with formal pant; accessories from highly acclaimed and expensive brandsthat spoke royal wealth. She paired the whole Designer outfit with... converse?

My eyes went to her face once again as I looked at her in puzzlement.

"What? You haven't seen a woman in sneakers before?"

She might be wealthy and quirky, but this was an unwanted visit and moreover, uninvited entrance to our safe haven. Being a Davis did give me a strong backbone and taught me to face the bratty debutantes of elite society.

"Actually, I have not seen uninvited women barging inside like that before." I crossed my arms and looked down at her haughtily. "Who are you? And, what is your purpose here?"

Usually at this instance, those bratty debutants had a red, bloated face before they stormed off to complain to their mothers. But something quite different happened this time with this unfamiliar lady.