Since she couldn’t afford a $250 washing machine, Jessica asked the seller for a discount. He agreed immediately, surprising her, but when she opened the machine at home, she found something much more startling. Jessica and Edward realized parenting would be difficult after having Kathy, their first child. Young parents had financial problems and were always short on money. Edward had a failing Texas textile business. Jessica was a weekend nanny while Edward watched Kathy. After having a kid, costs rose but income stayed the same or dropped some months. Must be hard on them too. It may be harder.…
Author: World Wide
Ella worries when her attic makes unusual noises when Aaron is away. But nothing could prepare Kate for the unexpected discovery of her mother-in-law, Diane, hidden upstairs… What’s happening? After my husband Aaron went for a weeklong work trip a month ago, it all began. Before the disturbances, I liked being alone in our little suburban house. It started with intermittent faint thuds from above. I ignored it, thinking the home was settling. In truth, our attic wasn’t an attic. Aaron and I boarded up the enormous windows in the third-floor room when we moved in, and there was a…
Social media creeps into your life and relationships whether you want it or not. Cute photos and updates for friends and family are mostly harmless. But occasionally things turn unexpectedly. Mark and I were almost a year together. He was the ideal boyfriend. Whether we were trekking or watching TV on a Sunday, she was kind and always made me laugh. His presence made me feel lucky. I thought it was time to announce on Facebook. We took this photo on a hiking route one day. It was wonderful to smile with the sun behind us. “My favorite person and…
Judith asked me to never open her old red suitcase in our closet, which I did for 11 years. I heard a voice in the luggage one night. Curiosity won. Its contents wrecked my life. Luna loved cuddling up by the window to watch the snowfall. She disappeared that night. Felix slept on a chair with his paw over his eyes, blissfully unconscious. I sipped whiskey in the recliner, letting the fire and Christmas lights calm me. Business kept Judith away again. Another last-minute excursion. Another lonely night without her. I hated being alone over Christmas week, but she said…
When Julianne answers her husband’s phone, an angry voice discloses a shocking secret: he’s been cheating. She must move quickly to defend herself and her children from her husband’s deception. That morning, I would have said I was happy. Perhaps not convincingly, but I would have said it. It was before the call. My days were split between wife, mother, and school volunteer. Raymond, my breadwinner, a mid-level manager, arrived home late too often due to job stress. Ethan, my eight-year-old son, was my rock and kept me going while Raymond’s gaze gnawed at me. I had no time to…
I anticipated things to change when I remarried, but I never expected my new wife to take my late wife’s money. We wanted our girls’ future, not hers. She felt she could coerce me. What followed would teach her a lifelong lesson. As I held a seaside photo of my late wife and our children, I shed a tear. “I miss you, Ed,” I muttered, touching Edith’s face in the photo. “The girls are rapidly maturing. Wish you could see them now.” The snapshot showed her dazzling grin and sparkling eyes, a reminder of the life she lost to illness.…
Thanksgiving dinner at my place seemed like usual family fun. However, as my mother-in-law Linda entered holding her sweater, I felt she was hiding something. I was right. Something under her top left us stunned. Know that peculiar sensation when someone enters a room and you know something’s off? That’s how I felt when Linda arrived for Thanksgiving dinner. Her acting was off. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite. Gathering everyone around the table, exchanging tales, and eating your mastered cuisine is special. Jeff calls me “the turkey perfectionist,” but I know he likes it too. A business friend introduced…
Ten years from now, Times Square on Christmas Eve. Peter promised his high school love Sally he would be there on prom night. A decade later, he arrived hopeful. Instead of Sally, a young girl approached with a devastating truth that would ruin his life. They heard their students’ muted laughing and a quiet violin drone. Peter gripped Sally’s hands tightly, his thumbs stroking her knuckles like he could remember her touch. Crying had left black lines on her hot cheeks and mascara. Her voice broke as she continued, “I don’t want to go.” Peter’s eyes sparkled as he controlled…
Have you ever had the past abruptly enter your life?One minute I’m clearing tables at my favorite restaurant, the next I’m looking at the girl who made my high school years terrible. I’m cleaning up at my little diner, which smells like fresh coffee when you walk in. Our regulars know my name, favorite drink, and possibly many other things about me. Since Beth, one of our waiters, is sick, I’m helping out today. We took over her duties because she’s pregnant and beautiful, although she had a dizzy episode earlier. We support each other without hesitation since we’re close…
