THE DARKNESS WITHIN

Part 9: A heavy decision to make

The largeness of Rose's living room overwhelmed Sandy, even as the glittering opulence and impeccable, tasteful decor around her appealed to her eyes. The house was a desert miles away from what she grew up in. They could fit her whole house into the living room. Sandy modest family home is nothing compared to what is before her eyes, and she must confess to being slightly intimidated by everything.

She saw Rose's feminine touch all around her, revealing that Rose was the brain behind the living room's artistic beauty. She couldn't resist the allure of mystery posed by the living room, so she mildly explored the living room to satisfy her insatiable curiosity while remaining respectful.

She allowed herself to see only the visible things in the living room, like the excellent collections of artwork on the wall. The charcoal works looked like they cost a fortune. Another item that didn't escape her curious eyes was Rose and Stephan's wedding picture.

They looked so perfect that they invoked a feeling of insecurity inside Sandy. She suddenly felt dawdy compared to Stephan, who looked gorgeous and perfect, like a movie star. Sandy asked herself why Rose would spare a glance in her direction whenever she had such eye candy at home.

The realization that Rose was out of her league stared at her boldly in the face, filling her with sadness that she had no right to feel. Concluding that the best course of action for her heart would be to stay away from Rose, Sandy moved to the creamy-colored couch in the living room and sat down, her shoulders sagging from the weight of the disappointment brought on by her sad thoughts.

Her promise to wait until Rose woke up or her husband came back was the only thing that stuck her heels to the house when the only thing she wanted desperately was to run from her feelings and never look back.

She entertained herself with her phone as she fought her mind from drifting up to the woman sleeping soundly upstairs. She was so focused on the YouTube videos she watched on her phone that she didn't hear Stephan come in until she spoke.

His deep baritone voice spooked her, causing her to jump six feet in the air and then whirl around in the direction of the voice. Sandy's jaw hit the floor, even as her eyes grew double in size at Stephan standing stiffly a few feet away, scowling like a lion at her.

It was not only his sudden appearance but his incredible looks that denied Sandy the ability to speak. She couldn't believe he had the gall to look more handsome in reality than in his photos.

Who does that?

It is not enough that she is intimidated by his picture; viewing him, in reality, dashed every string of hope she entertained of something ever happening between her and Rose. Not that she ever entertained the idea.

Stephan is used to being gawked at by women for his good looks, but he isn't used to walking into his house, tired from the day's work, and finding a total stranger with the learning ability of a cow in his home. Since the young woman doesn't want to reveal who she is, he will let her tell that to the police.

He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed 101 on his phone. "Is this the police?" Stephan asked loudly when someone picked up his call, with a pointed look at Sandy.

The realization of what was happening was like a dash of cold water on Sandy, unfreezing her from the stillness imposed by Stephan's sudden presence. She acted quickly before the worst nightmare of being laid into a police car in cuffs became a reality. "Stop!" she yelled, staring at Stephan in disbelief. Even if he didn't know her, was that reason enough to call the police on her?

His abrasive attitude gave her an insight into the kind of man Stephan could be, and she didn't like it. They say first impression matters, and her first impression of Stephan is that he is an intimidating asshole.