Voices

Chapter 1

Tamra stared in the mirror with tear-filled eyes as she touched the area under her left eye that was pained and swollen. It had been three full years and was approaching the fourth as Valentine's Day drew close; three years ago, she had taken a vow. It was the happiest day of her life.

"For better or for worse", the words rang in her ear and she thought that it couldn't get any worse than how it was right now.

She reflected on the day she met Karl, he was charming and handsome, well-educated, and had a good job. It wasn't love at first sight but he had the most elegant smile she had ever seen. He was well-mannered, a real gentleman and he had a real sexy voice.

It was a Tuesday afternoon; she had just had lunch with her girlfriends and was heading back to her office. She remembered putting on fresh red lipstick through her rear-view mirror, brushing her long brown hair, and applying fresh powder to her face. She remembered answering a telephone call from her father who wanted her to come by when she left work that day. He had just gotten home from his yearly doctor's visit and had some important news. She urged him to tell her right away what was going on but he refused and she promised him that she would see him as soon as she was through at work despite the traffic she knew she would encounter.

She gathered her briefcase and her jacket, exited her car, clicked the alarm button then checked to ensure that the doors were closed. It was a typical day for her despite the disturbing phone call she'd received that made her a bit edgy and worried.

Every day after lunch, she brought back lunch for Mr. Jackson and that day was no different. Mr. Jackson was an elderly man who made sure that the car park was well kept and sometimes provided cleaning services for the persons who worked in her building by washing their cars for an extra change. He was a sweet old man and a real charmer as he reminded her of her father.

That day she remembered wearing a pair of red bottom heels matched with her black pencil skirt and a black and white striped blouse. She held her jacket and briefcase in one hand and the bag with the lunch for Mr. Jackson in the other. She walked briskly and confidently, shoulders thrown back and head held high. She knew she was beautiful and she was the kind of woman who had a very high self-esteem, making her somewhat 'full of herself' as some people would describe her. Nevertheless, she didn't care what people had to say as she thought there was nothing sexier to a man than a woman with money and confidence and she had both.

As she walked towards the shed where Mr. Jackson normally slept around that time her mind wandered off to her father and she wondered what news he had to share and she grew very concerned and anxious. She was worried because her mother had died of cancer a few years back and she couldn't handle going through the death of another parent. She wanted her father to be the one to walk her down the aisle when she got married and she wanted at least one of her parents to meet a grandchild because her mother never got the chance to. Tamra was distracted by her thoughts and wasn't paying any attention to where her feet were going when she accidentally stepped on a stone causing her to lose her balance and in the blink of an eye she fell to the ground.

In an instant, she felt someone trying to lift her as her right foot was crossed under the other and she was flat on her buttocks. Her initial thought was that it was Mr. Jackson who had seen what had happened and rushed over to assist her immediately but to her surprise it wasn't. That was the moment she met Karl Solomon.

He lifted her in his arms and brought her to where her car was parked. After putting her inside he introduced himself and she did the same, though she wished she had met him under different circumstances. He was so gentle to her, she didn't know that such men still existed. It was the most embarrassing moment of her life but it was also the most rewarding.

After that day he called her every day to check to see if she was well because it turned out that she had a sprained ankle and had gotten sick days from work to recuperate. It was only through phone calls that they communicated but it was oddly strange how quickly they developed a friendship that she rather enjoyed having and after weeks of just talking on the phone they decided to go out on a date.

A few dates passed and she knew she was falling in love with him, there was no other voice she wanted to hear when she woke up in the morning and no other voice she wanted to hear before she went to bed at night. One of the best things about Karl was that he had his own money, not only from his own business as a real estate developer but he also came from a rich family so she knew that he wasn't after her money like some of the men she had dated in the past. They had a real connection that sometimes seemed so surreal. Her life had turned into the kind of connection and love that a person only saw in movies or read about in books and she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She could talk to him about anything too, he was attentive, a really good listener and he gave great advice. The best thing that she loved about him was also the way he made her laugh.

It was confirmation that they were meant for each other the day he introduced her to his parents. That was one of the best days of her life. They accepted and welcomed her into their family immediately and it was as if she knew them for a long time and was a part of their family. Her father had great respect for Karl, he too admired the man he was and didn't hesitate to give his blessings when they announced that they were going to get married. And of course, her friends adored him and were too excited when they heard the news of their engagement.

It seemed like God was finally smiling down on her. She was so happy that sometimes she became terrified and wondered if things would always remain like it was. Everything was perfect, he was perfect, and they were even more perfect for each other.

Finally, their wedding day came, after months of planning, months of choosing flowers, venue, cake tasting, choosing colour schemes and decorations, finding the perfect wedding gown, sending out invitations to finding the perfect caterer and deciding on menus, rehearsals, it was the time she had been waiting for her whole life. She was overwhelmed with the preparations but the moment she walked down the aisle and saw Karl waiting for her at the altar it was worth it.

"You may now, kiss your bride".

Those words made her smile and when they locked lips in their first kiss as husband and wife that was when she noticed that something had changed instantly. After that, something in his eyes changed. She didn't put much thought into it at first. It was an overwhelming few months for them both but now that the wedding was behind them they could go back to enjoying each other's company and be happy and in love.

Little did she know that everything was about to change.