Chapter one
🦋

The night was cold as always.  It never fails to remind me how cruel and harsh the world can be. I was seated in Adam's car, day dreaming of the worst that could happen when I stepped into that house.  

"I think you should go in. Won't help waiting outside for too long." Adam broke, a cool silence that filled my head with thoughts of everything that was supposed to happen in probably just three minutes.

Drawing myself to find sense to his suggestion considering we've been standaing there for ten minutes, staring at the Edmund's building.

Adam and Esther had approved of my visit to this house and they played an important role in my life as the nearest people to family to me so I knew I just had to.

Honestly, this house, was the least we thought of coming at all. We were really enemies with Lisa, who they said her parents were like wasn't making things any better, and now I'm the one about to face whatever it is laying for me inside.

She had appeared into our conversation earlier at school today with a special message for me. Her mum wanted me here. She wanted to see me.

I heard her mother was a well known and highly recommended Lawyer, and connecting the fact that mum and dads constant arguments have become more rampant than usual, I couldn't help but think of the worst possible thing.

Could they be coming to a Devore? Yes, it was something that we had given a thought at the lunch table at the cafeteria earlier, but Adam's positivity drafted us through the thought.

"It's a divorce right Adam?" I asked in the cold night, even if I knew my answer, shivering in my hoodie as I looked into his sorry eyes. He knew it was a divorce, he just didn't want to tell me.

"It is isn't it?" I confirmed from the tone of his reply.

"Look, we don't know why she even wants to see you. Maybe it's something about the school. Lets not let our emotions get the best of us. If you're okay with it, I'd come with you?"

"No...I'll be fine alone." I sighed out all hopes of his sympathy and followed the interlock ground to their door.

Like I expected it to be, the door could already speak their wealth. It literally said "The Edmund's" with a french curved writing on the fine mahogany door,that for some reason, made me feel like somewhat a prey to them.

Before I could knock, the door had already flew open and I could tell my eyes grew wider the moment I set my eyes on the masculine image before me. Who's this?

I wondered within, taking a full look for a while, this couldn't be her dad, he was way too young. I've heard and seen Mr. Edmund and I know he dosn't have such muscles, and for his age, he's unable to keep such thick brown, and curly hair.

And...Mr.Edmund is a married man, so he wouldn't be looking at me this way.

"Hay, I'm Bryan. Lisa's unfortunate brother."

I knew the identity "brother" was big enough for me to take in, but unfortunate?
Why that.

"Unfortunate?" I repeated, asking, I shook his hand that was layed in the air,towards me. I saw him grin as I felt the coldness on his palm.

"Oh. Rephrase;I am unfortunately, Lisa's brother." He gestured with a small laugh, he flapped his hands on his joggers, and smuged his hair in.

"Oh. Uh..." I was blunt on words, even though I wanted to laugh so hard, I just couldnt.

"You're Ciara Anderson. Arn't you."

"Yeah, I'm here to see your mother."

"Sure. Just step right in." He stepped to the right as I walked into the house that had the air that felt different from the outside. Cold. It was freezing cold, like two degrees or what?

"Actually, its above twenty degrees. So you're not freezing any moment." He said behind me, with a manic laugh, he lead me into a small room that was could be noticed from the house's entrance,

The temprature wasn't different, but the aroma was. Lavender rose, occuppied the whine coloured room, with a dark gold light that gave it authority.

His instant and long sigh turned my attention to him, slouching on the dark office chair that stood firmly behind the desk. He took a pencil to his fingers and took a smug look at me.

"Welcome," he played "to where i work." He raised his arms in identification to the room.

"Where you work?"

"Well, depends on how you define work because my definiton, is playing video games whenever my mum's not around."

"Video games, arnt those what? Bad for your brains or something?"

"What?! Look i like to look at it as, brain exercise."

I couldnt hold it. For some reason, i felt the tingling in my color bone, and i threw my head back just to chuckle at his words.

"What? Brain Exercise? No they dont, thats like a full distraction from everything in the actual world."

"Oh please." he exclaimed "The only thing actual about this world, is that we don't regulate our own system, every other things just hanging. I mean, I've been taking allowance for the past five years and even I can't believe my eyes. Girl. Sometimes I go to my dad and literally ask him if he made mistake in the transfers."

"No way." I drank this funny statement in awe, finally letting full load of laughter flow through me.

"Its true." He said as my laughter began to die slowly,

"You do got that humor. Dont you? I mean first you looked like you could faint any minute, but now you look better, i guess , if this is how you always look."

"Yeah kinda."

I see his laugh slowly deem out as he twerls around the chair. With a graceful smile, he spoke, different.

"You see, what I did there, was to make you know that even if you feel like theres very little reason to smile, you're very wrong. There is always a big reason to shine, because no problem itself is too big. You see, mistakes people make after paying a whole bunch of money to my mum is show weekness, depression and anxiety, and with such expressions its ever very defficult for her to work that way, and they begin to complain, when they were the cause of their own problems." He narrated.

"Asaid sounding like my dad, let me tell you Ciara, your journey is just beginning. And trust me, you're gonna love it. So smile, be happy, and think positive."

"Thats okay Bryan, I'll take it from here." Her bold voice came through the room, and I see her standing by the door,leand onto it with one shoulder with her arms crossed. Grinning.

"Yes your honor."

"We've talked about that Bryan." I see him grin and walk out, smugged his arms into his pocket.

"Welcome Ciara, I see you've already met my son." she proposed with a sigh as she landed on the chair where Bryan was seated. "inconveniences?" She grinned and looked at me through her glasses.

"No ma, he....even made me realize, thaaat.."

"That everything will be fine?" she purposed with a sence of truth in what she was saying.

"Something like that ma."

"That's good Ciara." She paused and shrugged. I internally heaved a sigh and only I could hear and still understand why it sounded so nervous. my pevis was twisted and I could feel my tum sour by the minute she opened her mouth to speak. yes, I've wanted to know why they wanted their divorce since they told me about it.

Aside the fact about knowing about their divorce, there was also something that made me so emotionally apart and that was her way-too-rigid voice. she sounded so bold and courageous,her voice came with authority, and she seemed so show no emotions about their sudden breakup.

"There's no reason to be nervous Ciara, actually this is my first case called for a divorce. Most families cant afford the price I give them even your dad, and your mother on the other hand, doesn't have a lawyer. Infect, shes willing to face the court and loose the case, and you.You see, that is the case you're father brought to me, making me do it for free. That and, Mike and i have been friends for a long time. When he needed my help i had to help him."

"By tearing his family apart?" I didn't mean to sound rude to her, but the story I have registered in my head didn't interpret anything good. The fact that he has been friends with her for some time now, and he never mentioned her, to me, but to mum that's to find out was allot to take in without proper understanding.

"No Ciara, by making him understand why he should and shouldnt stay away from his family. I understand that making you choose at your age, and state was a terrible decision and step to take. I told your father, that letting your family go would cause some damages, epecially when they've been together for so long. He loved your mother."

"If you said all that then why does he still want a divorce?" I questioned and listened with open ears and an open heart to take in everything that she had to say, why they wanted a divorce, was mum in approval of dads decision and everything they failed to tell me. hearing such from a stranger is a bad way for me to find out, they should have told me as a family, and not let a complete stranger break my head with words i can barely understand...............

~•••
This is the first chapter, and I'm still to make some editing. It didn't reveal allot but I hope it does as you will read further.

My apologies if it didn't meet your expectations, and I promise to make it up in the next chapter.

Eagerly waiting for your comments and votes, I love you all💓

𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫;
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