T I M E - two weeks after the Golden Gala
L O C A T I O N - Zalia and Yasmine's apartment
Zalia came back to her apartment that night earlier than usual, when the sun was still faintly peeking over the horizon in a golden apricot glow. When she entered, Yasmine and Teresa greeted her from the dinner table, where they were happily chatting over dinner and wine.
"Hey Zalia, come join us," Teresa invited, gesturing to the chair beside them.
Zalia sat down, letting out a slow breath. Even though she usually wouldn't interrupt Yasmine and Teresa in the middle of their date, Zalia had barely eaten anything all day, all her focus and willpower directed towards Cassandra Ivanov's case and connecting it with the Lady Killer's other victims; so, she was fatigued with exhaustion and hunger.
"Oh, Zalia, before I forget," Yasmine said, standing up and grabbing something off the counter, "you have mail. Really, really fancy mail."
Zalia frowned as she handed her a gold adorned envelope with her name written in swirling cursive; not her usual mail from princes in Nigeria asking for her hand in marriage (and enough money to drop kick her into a canyon of debt), no. This was even more apparent when she ripped open the flap and pulled out the card inside, loud music suddenly blaring and confetti popping and raining down upon them in one chaotic mess. Teresa screamed in surprise, Zalia cowered back and protected her head with her arms, while Yasmine fell out of her chair.
After everything settled down, Yasmine popped her head out from under the table, spitting out a piece of stray confetti. "I'm not cleaning this up."
"Did your dentist win the lottery or something?" Teresa joked, picking some of the confetti from her hair.
Zalia slowly uncurled from the fetal position she was in and frowned, reading over the card.
Zalia,
You are hereby invited to Fabien and Amelia's wedding!
Date: August 27th, 2016
Location: Royal Yakamoz Palace, Antalya, Antalya Province, Turkey
"My mom's getting married!" Zalia groaned, leaning back in her chair. "Again."
Yasmine looked at her in confusion, scrunching her eyebrows. "When did your parents divorce?"
Zalia waved her card in dismissal. "Don't worry about it. They always pull this kind of stunt."
Although her parents were a power couple to be reckoned with in the business world, they were also the ones causing all the petty drama and press attention with their fights, flings, and more. This was one of them, which Zalia had experienced multiple times before. They would pay off officials to get their divorce papers immediately because of a little spat, then one of them would try to get married to a random influential figure and not invite the other to the wedding. Then the other crashed the wedding and objected, causing the one getting married to break down and confess that they never stopped loving them.
Confusing, Zalia knew. When she brought up to her mother how awfully dramatic it all was, she simply responded with how it kept their love 'alive'.
"You know, this will probably be the next place the Lady Killer strikes," Yasmine speculated.
"The Lady Killer? You shouldn't go then, Zalia," Teresa warned, concern written all over her features.
YOU ARE READING
Epilogue
Humor❝oh, but darling. what happens during the epilogue is only the start. ❞ what happens after high school? Zalia, the sweet girl who everyone knew was going to be successful one day, comes to her high school's ten-year reunion as the antisocial and sa...
