Dark and Light

Chapter 1

                  

                        I awoke, my eyes not wanting to open. The sound of thunder and rain outside the window. I laugh to myself, how appropriate with the company that is coming today. The thought of seeing my friends for almost a whole week made me smile. Remembering all I had left to do before my bestie and her husband came to visit, I jump out of bed. My golden retriever Lauren (or as I call her Lolo) does a doggy grumble. She didn't like being awaken so early especially when she was snuggling with mama. "Oh Lolo stop that!" I tell her lovingly "You know very well that two of your favorite people are coming today! Don't you want to see Auntie Elsa and Uncle Chris?" Her ears perk up. She loves them as much as I do. Adoringly, I pet her head telling her what a pretty girl she is. "Let's call Chloe and Memere! I wonder how their vacation is going?" I call my mom and daughter to check in. Chloe is kind of upset that she is missing a visit with her favorite adopted Aunt and Uncle. However, she has a very full first day at Disney World coming with her grandmother. Plus, it will be nice to have some time with my friends just as adults. We usually do the Disney trip together the three girls. This year I didn't join them for the first time in over thirteen years. With everything that has happened in the last year, I just couldn't. I wouldn't be the fun self they deserved on this trip. I used the excuse of the annual gala I do for the nonprofit I started about a year ago and my business was growing even bigger. Chloe's team was my passion. My daughter and I had been through so much with her epilepsy that I want to help families like us. She has or should I say had, a complex form that medications don't work. Our only choice was brain surgery. It worked though and it been almost one year without a seizure. Not all families have that opportunity, we were lucky. I try now to give that to as many families as I can. My mom and daughter seem to have bought it but, I have a feeling they know better. If it wasn't for the two of them, Chloe's team, my business, and my small group of friends I probably wouldn't have made it through the last year.

                 After the phone call with my two girls, making sure I told them a million times how much I missed and loved them, I walk out of my room. Looking back closing my bedroom door memories flash through my mind. We had this house built together. It was supposed to be our forever. After my business took off life has been very comfortable for me. I still work hard but I can step back and be at home more now. I am fortunate to have a sustainable bank account to enjoy life. Two hundred and forty-eight million to be exact. All my dreams were supposed to come true when this happened. My happy fairy tale ending. We were together for almost seven years before that. We were so in love. My daughter adores Jon, and his two boys love me. We were a happy family. We all were going to have this amazing life together. What happened later would erase all of that. In the end, it was just that a fantasy. A girl's dream. Not for adults. Not for me. I lost everything in the last year. I am still trying to get past it all. Money doesn't give you happiness. Money changes people. Suddenly only just me wasn't enough for Jon. He wanted me still but, not for love or lust like he always had. For stability and what I had always given him. He had his other women for love and passion. I hadn't seen that for a year before we broke up. I tried still to love him and be loved by him. I was always turned down. One or excuse or another. He was older than me, so I assumed he was having issues he didn't want to discuss. Coming home from a board meeting for Chloe's Team over a year ago I found them. In my bed, that I paid for. I had no clue he was cheating. Little things popped up here and there that made me wonder but, he had always been faithful for all our relationship. I also, tend to over think things. As devastating as it was what he was doing. It was worse when I saw her face. My whole world shattered then. It was the face of my best friend. Not just a best friend, my oldest best friend. We had been close since childhood. I always thought of us as sisters not just friends. At forty I thought I was lucky to be one of the few to have that kind of friendship. The utter heartbreak in that moment is indescribable. Two of the people I loved and trusted above all others betraying me. The scene that followed was not pretty. However, she deserved it. After all I did for them. Thank God, I didn't actually marry him as planned. That b*tch was supposed to be my maid of honor too. I got everything. This house, the ones in Florida and California, all the cars, money everything. He tried in court for half. When the judge saw the pictures I had snapped without him knowing that was that. He walked away with the clothes on his back. I make sure the boys were taken care of. I also, make sure to see them as much as possible. They are still mine no matter what. And wouldn't you know when Jon no longer money all those women disappeared. What a shock huh?