Radiant Love

Chapter1

Avery, now a teenager, is sitting in the restaurant, staring at a photo of her mother. Her father, Mr. William, enters and notices her tears.

Full of concern he asks. Avery, what's wrong? Why are you crying?

It's nothing, Dad. Just thinking about Mom.

Sitting beside her Oh, sweetie, I know it's hard. But you can't blame yourself for your mother's actions.

Anger in her eyes but why did she leave us, Dad? Didn't she love us enough?

Mr. Williams said calmly. Avery, your mother's decision had nothing to do with you or me. She had her struggles and demons. It wasn't about our worth or how much she loved us.

But how can you say that? She left us! She didn't even say goodbye.

I know it hurts, But your mother's actions were not a reflection of your worth or lovability. You are an amazing young woman, and I'm so proud of you. I was skeptical. Proud of me? You should be angry with me! If I wasn't so bad, maybe she would have stayed.

Avery stop this. You are not responsible for your mother's choices. We both know that. You are loved, deserving of love, and worthy of happiness. Don't let your mother's actions define your self-worth.

I looked up, my eyes searching for reassurance.

He wraps his arms around me, holding me close.

I'm here for you, Avery. Always. We'll face this together.

Avery nods, slowly, as tears continue to fall.

Avery slumped over the bar as she remembered him, her glassy eyes staring at the rejected business proposal in front of her. Another round of investors had dismissed her dream, and the frustration was suffocating her. She gave the bartender a sign for another drink, not caring about the numbness spreading through her body. Since he left everything wasn’t working out anymore. It was four years ago since he died in that terrible accident. She had spent four years without his words of encouragement. His burnt banana cakes and his smile. if not Grace and Sam she wouldn’t be happy.

My grandmother, Grace, had always been my rock. After my father's passing, Grace had worked tirelessly to keep the restaurant afloat, but it was a struggle. Avery knew that her business idea - a food truck that served their restaurant's signature dishes - could be the key to their financial stability. The only way the restaurant could be saved was if I took the card.

Samantha, Avery's best friend since childhood, understood the importance of this opportunity. "Avery, please take the invitation!" she urged. "It's a chance to network with potential investors. You can't pass this up!"

I hesitated, feeling a mix of guilt and desperation. She didn't want to take advantage of Samantha's generosity, but the prospect of securing funding for her business was too enticing to resist.

Finally, she relented, accepting the invitation card from Samantha. "Thank you, Sam. I promise to make the most of this opportunity."

With renewed determination, Avery spent the next few days perfecting her business proposal and rehearsing her pitch.” I knew that this was my chance to showcase my ideas and secure the funding I and grandmother so desperately needed”. Sam gave me a blue gown with little white designs on them. It matched my blue eyes and brown hair said, Sam. I wanted to go simple but Sam offered to get me ready. My style was way different from hers but I didn’t mind because my delicate skin barely showed.

Avery’s POV

After 2 weeks of preparing the business proposal. I was finally ready.

On the night of the party, I arrived at the Grand Hotel Saint Lucious, my heart racing with excitement and nerves. When I took a deep breath, straightened my shoulders, and walked into the elegant ballroom…

I was starstruck. It had a fancy chandelier and its rays were beautiful. The diamonds on it made it shine so bright the whole room wasn’t dim.

I saw clothes I had never imagined. This was all too much and I couldn’t possibly fit in.

After a lot of dancing, I finally met the investor. I told him I’d like a word with him and he came almost immediately. We spoke for about half an hour. I told him about my ideas and he just nodded. He told me it was a great start, but he couldn’t possibly invest in it. He described my restaurant as not worth a dime and time. It wasn’t the end of the world but it sure felt like it. I got up and intended to go to my hotel room. I took my room card and walked up to the center of the ballroom. In my blue ball gown with falling strands which made it look more unique, I saw many eyes on me. Although I was drunk I still felt the lewd attractions of various suitors my age. I lurked around the corridor to receive the fresh air that came, looking at the stars and wondering when my grandmother and I would ever be financially free. Can we be able to get all the food trucks in Ontario? serving our special homemade burritos. I wanted Grandma Grace to be happy. To not have to worry about the bills, To be financially free, and not have to worry about working as a cleaner in any hotel or company. I wished a good life for my grandmother. I wasn’t ready to do all the worst things in the world. Dad and grandma wouldn’t have wanted that. I just had to be happy while trying to make ends meet. I never wanted to do those things that made my Dad and Grandma so sad often. Falling in love, I didn’t want that for myself.

I never thought of having a suitor. I never fantasized about falling in love. I never believed love was real. After all, my grandmother’s only love left her and also my Dad’s. I would have never imagined falling in love. It was the worst thing cause they were always going to leave you in the end. They were going to leave you broken and unable to be mended. They were going to shatter you just like a glass unable to be glued back. They were going to leave you at your door post waiting on them, wishing on the stars for their return. They were all going to leave you in the end. They were going to make you blame yourself to death and lastly, the memories you had with them were always going to stay with you. The memories were never going to leave you but they made those memories only for them to leave you with it.

As the night blurred, I found myself in a dimly lit room, my senses disoriented. A stranger's gentle touch and soothing whispers were my only anchors to reality. His eyes locked onto mine, filled with a deep intensity that made my heart race. I gazed into his eyes I wanted to be wrapped in his arms. He knelt down and slowly pulled my pants. He touched my inner thighs slowly before playing with my c******s…