White House, Westmoreland.

Cullayne POV

A few days later.

I was home but to say I was happy and relieved was a lie. I wish I could turn back the hands of time and erase that moment that spun my life into a black hole.

However, reality was black and white and I had to face my current situation. There is no hiding, pretending or ignoring my present circumstance.

I had hightailed it to Canada the first opportunity I got thinking there I would be able to live my life the way I see fit and not by the constraints of a legacy I did not ask for. How silly of me. My foolish desire only lasted as long as my equally foolish love affair.

I closed my eyes and fought the tears that burned to break free but I was tired of crying and feeling stupid for allowing Taylon to make an ass out of me and me of myself more so.

I sighed and pulled myself from the bed on which I lay curled up feeling sorry for myself. I walk over to the dresser mirror and look at my puffy face, red eyes and dejected appearance.

Why was I doing this to myself? Surely Malika and Taylon were not beating up themselves about what they did to me.

Without wanting to my mind rushed to that unfortunate evening that no matter how I tried to bury it it resurfaced like a tidal wave to crash me under its brutal stifling depths.

Flash Back:

The sounds coming from my fiance's office had my steps faltering as my ears latched onto them. My mind tried to fathom the odd familiarity of the muffled sounds that would be too uncanny in a place such as the lay pastor's office.

I tried not to overthink it but worry engulfed me my pursuit as to why guttural sounds would be emanating from within his office urged me forward.

As I got closer my mind convinced me that he was having a heart attack. My fingers gripped the paper bags that I had with takeout from his favourite restaurant and my steps became long fervent strides as my heart raced with panic.

For a brief moment, it crossed my mind that Taylon was a very healthy thirty-two-year-old who was a health fanatic whose regime never wavered. But knowing life you could never be too sure. It sure knew how to throw you some curve balls.

Lord please I started to pray but my prayer became a gasp of shock as I pushed open the partially closed door.

Was I seeing right?

Was that my fiance's face deep between another woman's legs?

I felt bile rise in my throat and the bitter taste caused me to gag. It was the retching sounds and my need to take deep audible breaths to calm my sudden bout of hyperventilating that my presence was made known.

I felt hysteria threaten to sink me further into agonizing depths of dismay as the woman who was in the trios of pleasure- (the revelation of the sounds I heard earlier) -from Taylon's oral administration eyes and mine made four.

"Jesus Christ Cullayne what are you doing here!" Taylon gasped when he turned to see me standing there.

I made to speak but it seemed like a million words were playing in my head. I wanted to scream words of anger, shout my disappointment, and curse them for breaking my trust but I could not voice any of these desires.

I could only stand there my fingers holding tight to the paper bags they clutched as I watched Taylon shield the woman I considered my best friend with his body.

There it was that one act that stood as a testament that my fiance cared for and valued Malika more than he respected my feelings. I swallowed my emotions bottled them deep inside me and turned on my heels.

Flashback ends.

If I truly am the reader woman my mother claimed I was and who was to carry on my great-grandmother's legacy like my mother was effectively doing I should have seen this.

For the past five years, I have been at peace since my gift of reading fully manifested itself. I have been working as the P. A for a prominent lawyer and I became a member of Taylon my college sweetheart's father's church.

My love of serving and working for the Lord and not using my gift of reading to aid in the betterment of my new church family was a blessing.

The ridicule, I got back home when my High School friends found out about me being a reader had tarnished my self-worth and confidence.

But now I have been truly happy. I was holding my own and far away from the stigma associated itself with my reader ability in Jamaica.

It was a pleasure serving as the Youth Leader and First Overseer for the young missionary team for the Sungrove Pentecostal Missionary Church and watching the church that Taylon would one day oversee grow and prosper.

Yet in all the splendour of being my own person, it was clear that I was oblivious to my fiancé and my best friend's affair.

How ironic when just the night before I had told him after our weekly Prayer Meeting that Brother Davies was fooling around with Sister Noble and he had frowned saying I was letting my abilities thread where they should not and that we too were also hot and heavy in fooling around.

To think that I had felt guilty for casting stones when on occasions it had taken Taylon to prevent us from crossing the boundary when I got too wanton when we made out.

Yet he was doing to my ex-best friend something he frowned on within our relationship. The thought of it fueled me with anger when I thought of that night we celebrated our first anniversary and I did my first and only BJ.

I needed to get away from my thoughts. My parents were off to Mobay and I was finally alone no need to hide away from them in my room feeling sorry for myself.

A shower, combing my hair, and visiting the star apple tree at the back of the church should probably give me a start at getting my old self back.

Half an hour later I appraised my reflection. I had put on makeup in case I met anyone which I hope I did not. The last thing I needed was to be seen the worse for wear. I did not need the speculation or blatant confrontation for being despondent.

Satisfied with what I saw I made my way downstairs and out the door of the kitchen. I was not looking forward to meeting my cousin Seana whose interest in my life went beyond concern.

I hurried through the backyard as it was my best resort but before I could make it to the path that led to the church I was met with a hard-moving obstacle.

I gasped as I stumbled. I automatically reach out to steady myself by reaching to hold onto the solid outline before me just as I did so I was pulled into a hard firm frame as strong arms wrapped around my waist to prevent me from crashing to the ground.

"Laynie."

I knew from the familiar earthy scent mingled with the distinctive redolence of Irish Spring who it was before the familiar deep voice filled my ears.