The Shadow of Love

Copyright [2024] [Annie White]. All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems - without the prior written permission of the publisher." Emily, despite her suspicions of Ethan and his vibrant grandiose life, leapt into a cab and headed toward the love of her life. Ethan, Ethan, oh Ethan, she thought. Emily had missed him so much, and the thought of seeing him again gave her warm feelings at heart. He’d successfully and charmingly gotten a hold and a place in her heart, and she wasn’t about to give that up. She recalled the first time they met, and it was magical. “Anyway, I’m not about to fall deeper in love”, she thought and snapped herself back to reality. It was a long journey to Ethan’s admirable and impressive mansion. She always wondered and thought to herself how a young man like Ethan had acquired so much wealth. It wasn’t her worry. What mattered to Emily was the love they shared and the future of hope to endless positive possibilities. Ethan was unaware of Emily’s coming. Emily, full of spontaneity, thought she’d give Ethan a surprise visit. Emily admired the environment's serenity, the trees, the houses, the sky, the clouds, the drive, and she loved it all. Within a short period, she arrived at Ethan’s grandiose mansion and dropped off. She must’ve dozed off. Everything about Ethan was extraordinarily beautiful to her. She had a hard time soaking in all of Ethan, his personality, his achievements, and so much more. He was very impressive and had been a strong rock in her career. From supporting her to encouraging her, she was grateful. Building a successful career as a writer had been challenging for her. That reminded her of her best friend, Sarah Taylor, a very supportive friend. No friend could compare to her. They met in college sharing a love for literature and writing. Sarah was priceless. A friend who always has her time and would always listen to her. She had her quirks, too. But Emily loved her regardless. Emily had a sense of dress style. She always had. More minimalistic and simple, she looked elegant regardless. She had arrived at the door. “Miss Emily Wilson!” Mrs Jerkins screamed with excitement showing on her face. “ You look beautiful. You’re welcome. How are you doing?” Mrs Jerkins was an important personality in Ethan’s life. She’d helped keep the house immaculate and elegant, always. She was always fond of Emily. Emily smiled uncomfortably, “ Hi Mrs Jerkins”, she gave her a small hug and answered. “I’m doing great, and you? I’m happy to see you as well”. Mrs. Jerkins led her inside the mansion Emily thought and knew would take her years, a lot of years to build or remake. Mrs Jerkins pointed her a seat as Emily sophisticatedly sat down. The plush chair with deep cushioning enveloped Emily in pure comfort. “How’d you get in, by the way”, Mrs Jerkins enquired. Emily sitting upright mentioned, “ The security let me in” “Oh, I thought he was on an errand. Probably with Mr. Ethan. We weren’t expecting you, Miss Emily. Mr. Ethan isn’t around anyway” “I had wanted to give a surprise visit. It’s unfortunate Ethan isn’t around.”, Emily said, sounding disappointed. “ Hope you’d like to stay a bit longer”, Mrs. Jerkins asked hopefully. “I think I could wait a little bit longer or a while” “Is there anything you’d like to drink?”, Mrs Jerkins questioned “I’d be fine with some water”, Emily replied. “Oh, Miss Emily! You make it hard to understand you. I’d get you the water right away. There’s food available - “ “Don't worry, Mrs Jerkins, I'll take some water and let you know if I need anything else. I appreciate your kindness” Emily humbly replied. Emily thought of her family. It had been a while since she last heard from them. Her father, John Wilson, 58 years of age, was very practical and valued hard work and stability. For this reason, he had difficulty understanding Emily Wilson’s wild and abnormal aspirations, especially when she could just have a stable and secure career. He'd paved the way for her, giving her a comfortable life and a great education, which to him was very priceless and more than enough. Her dad, a very loving man, showed her the true essence of manhood. Always supporting him along the way, in and through the ups and downs, he was there. Why, then? Was he against her desired aspiration? Emily always felt down and sad whenever she thought of this. She always wondered.., “Am I good enough for this project? Am I good enough for it?” Despite her lack of belief in herself, her passion kept her moving and aiming for the sky. Her dad was a stumbling block in her aspirations and desires, and she was going to overcome it at all cost. Mrs Jerkins approached her with a bottle of water and a glass set on a tray. Emily could literally see her reflection in the glass. She giggled at the thought. “And what's making my sweetheart so happy this awfully special day”, Mrs Jerkins enquired. “Nothing too important, Mrs Jerkins. Was probably lost in my thoughts.” “Alright”, Mrs. Jerkins smiled warmly. “Do let me know if you need anything else. We're always ready to serve you.” Emily looked up after taking a sip of the chilled water, “ Thank you. I will” “ I'll leave you alone now, there's a swimming pool, library, movie theatre, art gallery and many more. Feel free to explore and feel at home. You're home. Mr Ethan is lucky to have a beautiful gem like you by his side. Hahaha” “ Oh, Mrs Jerkins. Thanks so much for the offer. I'm lucky to have Ethan as well. He's a blessing to my life.” “Your humility is so admirable and will take you far, Miss Emily”, Mrs. Jerkins intuitively said as Emily slightly smiled, bowing her head to the side slightly. Mrs Jerkins headed away. Emily calmly remained in her seat, slightly fidgeting. She thought of her parents. Emily wondered where Ethan must have gone. Was he truly where mrs. Jerkins had said he had gone or he was making a fool out of her. Anyways, she must be overthinking, she thought and must have been just panicking. Emily had a love for books. As a writer, it wasn’t surprising. Her thoughts redirected to the mention of the library by Mrs Jerkins. She was grateful to have come across a genuine, sweet, and loving woman as her. Mrs Jerkins was always ready to help, and that to Emily was beyond special. Scrutinizing the place, Emily wondered if it was a good idea to get up and explore the mansion. She’d only been to a few corners, and today, her curiosity was piqued. Brushing her legs against each other, she sat calmly and took one more sip of her water. Like a lady, she slowly and gracefully got up, feeling the texture of the seat. Walking slowly, her footsteps echoed into the air, the silence of the mysterious mansion being a wonder. She could the swimming pool from across the room and weighed her options. “I have the full day to my self”, she thought. “I will make the most and best out of it”. Emily wondered back to Ethan as she took brief steps towards and in search of the library. “Yes, the library.. I’ll go do some reading and have some fun”. Emily’s curiosity piqued as she headed towards in search of the library. She wondered more about the books that Ethan read. The door ahead seemed to lead towards the library till a sudden bump led to her downfall. “Ouch”, Emily bumped. She held her knee tightly, trying to silence her pain. The floor was immaculate. However, that didn’t prevent her from feeling the pain. Emily looked up, pondering over who or what she must’ve bumped into. “Miss Emily..my apologies”, Mrs White said, sounding disturbed. Mrs White was on her way towards serving the security personnel in the household. As a skilled culinary artist, her dishes, meals, and food were impeccable. Emily looked up, wallowing in pain. Emily’s mind was focused on her fall such that she hadn’t noticed the discard of the dishes and meal on the floor. Not to mention the broken glasses. “Oh”, she muttered, her hand finding place on her lips to cover. She tried standing upright with her lower body up in the air, her feet on the ground, and one hand on the floor. She fell once again. “Today isn’t a good day”, Emily thought. Looking up, Mrs White left a little chuckle and offered one hand to Emily to help raise her up. “You’re so gullible, Miss Emily,” Mrs White muttered. Emily stood firmly with the help of mrs. White and patted her dress. “I’m so sorry”, she spoke softly and worriedly. “It’s okay, miss Emily. I’ll clean this up right away. Be careful on your next steps” Emily bowed in thanks. Limping, she saw an array of books with the door slightly open. “That must be the library”, she thought. Thankfully, she hadn’t been massively hurt. She only felt pain in her knee, which in a short period, she had arrived at the library. Emily looked back behind her. No one was there. One could hear the sound and echoes of the silence. “Mysterious”, she thought and closed the dark library door behind her. Copyright © 2024 Shadow of Love