Kali woke up early and slid out of bed while Samuel was still asleep. She walked around the apartment quietly. After the previous day's events, she was exhausted and starving. She wanted to stuff herself with whatever she could find in the kitchen.

"Morning."

Kali looked over her shoulder, scared. "Oh, Ember. It's you."

"Sorry to scare you."

"It's alright. I was about to rummage through your kitchen for something to eat. Would you like to join me?"

"Sure."

Kali was nervous. She had forgotten most of her conversation with Samuel because her brain was still asleep. But after seeing Ember, Kali remembered Samuel had told her everything. She hoped Ember wasn't too angry or disappointed in her. She considered her a friend, and it would hurt to lose that.

"What do you want?"

"A sandwich is fine."

"I am too hungry to show off, so what if I make us a simple sandwich for today?"

"I'll take it."

Kali prepared sandwiches with enough for them and Samuel when he finally woke up. She set the tray on the counter and prepared two large cups of tea for them to drink.

"I am guessing by now, Samuel has told you I know everything?" Ember started after she finished her first sandwich.

"He did."

"I am sorry."

"You're sorry."

"For what my mom did. The entire situation. I am angry, but I can't be insensitive to what she put you and my brother through the past months. I am assuming you didn't enjoy having to put on a show for everyone."

"We weren't always putting on a show."

"Yes. I know. He told me you two want to make your marriage work now."

"Yes, but I meant with you. I don't want you to think we aren't friends."

"Are we friends?"

"I would like to think so. At least, I consider you a great friend and my family."

"I would like that too. Samuel told me everything, and while I am angry about both of you lying, I understand why you had to do it. I am also appalled by my mother's antics and what she did to you."

Kali lowered her head. "You mean Richard."

"Yes. It was a cruel trick, nothing less."

"How did you find out? About Richard." Kali asked, noting that Samuel didn't have to explain that part of his story to Ember.

"We found out when we were younger. My dad told us after he had told Samuel and then requested that we keep it from our mother. He didn't want her to know that we knew."

"Why?"

"Maybe it was his way of seeing how she would reveal the news to us. If she ever planned to." Ember grew sombre, she twirled the spoon around her cup. "It wasn't an easy thing to hear. Our mother had cheated on our father and gave birth to a child. I was angry. I didn't understand how he could stay or still love her because she wasn't regretful."

"Some types of love can't be understood."

"I think he still thinks he can save her. Maybe he fell in love with a version of her he believes exists and was not a fictional character she created to get him to fall in love with her."

"She seems to be hard on all of you but more on Samuel."

"I love my younger brother, but he always allowed her to walk all over him. Many times I invited him to stay with me, leave home, and spread his wings, but he wouldn't. He stayed, like my dad, wanting something to change. I think he had finally accepted that she wouldn't."

"When did you give up."

"The day I decided to leave. I chose that as my best option because I would have been bitter if I stayed. I am not like Peter. He learnt to give our mother an inch in return for his space and respect. I couldn't. Still, for all she did, I wouldn't think she would do something like this. She would stoop so low to hurt Samuel by linking Richard to him again."

"It wasn't meant to be that. She didn't intend for us to grow close together. It was more for Richard's discomfort than anything else until Samuel and I started our relationship."

"I know, and I am sorry this is happening. Believe me on that."

Kali smiled. "You have no reason to be sorry. You didn't even know."

"But I do now, and I will help make this right."

"Samuel said you know your mother better than anyone."

"Obviously not. Since I didn't think she would be capable of something like this."

"But you believe you can help?"

"Yes. Samuel said it must have something to do with her and not him. The only things my mother risks anything for are business or income. Those two are the same to her. I do not doubt that there was a financial reason she didn't want Flora and Samuel to get married."

"How can you be sure?"

"If my mother simply disliked Flora, she'd say so. According to Samuel, she repeated, multiple times, that his relationship was not her concern. Something else mattered. Something that required their relationship not to go further."

"Further?"

"Mom only asked him to break up with Flora when she found out he wanted to marry her. I think there's something to that." She dusted her hands and pushed her empty plate back. "I'll go home today while she is in the office and look at some documents. It may take a while, but it's our best bet."

"What if someone notices?"

"That's why I'll ask to be alone. Don't bother yourself about it. Don't you have work as well?"

Kali was exhausted. She couldn't even think of work but didn't want to think of staying home. There was still so much disillusion and anger in her. She was disappointed in all the time she spent with Richard. It had cost her so much. And even after she thought it had brought some good in return, he still found a way to sully her life. But she didn't want to let it.]

She wanted to have happiness. That wasn't too wrong.

Why should she allow Ysabel to destroy one of the few things she had found happiness in?

"What are you going to do about work?" Ember asked again. "You can call in sick today. Stay here, gather yourself."

"I'll shower and go home to change."

"Okay."

As Ember got up to leave, Kali stood to stop her, meekly hugging her. "I am sorry."

"It's okay. I am going to make it okay."