With her world shattered after the loss of her loving parents and her relationship; Calixte, a former event planner, runs into debt and settles into a contract marriage with a man, Bastien, who is beautiful, brilliant and intimidating, in a bid to escape her financial struggles. Calixte is startled to realize that she is unusually drawn to the man she married, despite his enigmatic reserve. But she must come to terms with the conditions associated with the marriage. For all the trappings of success - his multinational businesses, his vast wealth , his loving family - Bastien is a man tormented by his dark past and his need to protect the thing he loves most. When the couple embarks on a passionate physical affair, Calixte discovers Bastien's own dark secret and explores her own innermost desires. Entangled in truths and revelations, they both find themselves constantly drowning in their emotional conflicts. Will she be able to forgive Bastien and create a new future with him or will the truth tear them apart? Are there other truths the past yet holds ? Would love eventually prevail? Read on to find out!!!
Chapter 1 Shattered foundations
Chapter ~ 1
I stared at my phone vibrating nonstop on the disorganized desk. I woke up that morning feeling very much different, this odd feeling when you know something is wrong but you just can't pinpoint the problem. I felt this unusual emptiness and it has been ages since I last felt this way. My eyes fell on the mini family portrait that occupied the free edge of my work desk. It was taken four years ago at my college graduation and since then I had carried it along when I moved from home.
"Calixte, I think you have a call from the work landline" the voice of the new intern interrupted my thoughts.
I raised my head to respond but my gaze fell on her outstretched hand holding out the telephone to me. If there is anything I am awful at, it is recalling names. It's been two weeks since the new intern resumed and I couldn't even remember her name.
"Thank you" I murmured inaudibly. I answered the call expecting it to be a routine work- related query. But it wasn't.
"Hello, good morning this is Calixte Gaillard on the line. How can I help you?" I spoke first while waiting for a response.
"Good morning Calixte," the voice on the other end was calm but too precise, each word carved like stone.
I was pretty sure I couldn't recognize the voice. Most times, clients prefer to contact their planners directly when they want to review minor changes related to their proposed events.
" I'm officer Johnson from the police department. I'm calling from a hospital in Bellevue. We've had issues trying to contact you since last night. But we managed to contact your office this morning" the male voice continued.
I wondered what happened. Why would an officer call me from the hospital? "Okay...is there something I need to know?" I queried.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your parents have been involved in a fatal car accident. I'm so-."
I don't remember much after that. My world came crashing down around me. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, unable to breathe. My mother's laughter, warm and unrestrained, echoed in my ears. My father's deep reassuring voice calling me "Cal". Those sounds evaporated as the officer's words sank in : car accident, immediate, no survivors. My parents, my rock, my everything ā gone.
I numbly muttered a thank you ā what else was there to say? ā and hung up. My hands trembled as I clutched the phone, it's edges digging into my palm, and the brown earthy carpet below seemed to ripple, as though the world itself had begun to crumble underneath me.
Everything around me went blurry . I fumbled with my phone and keys trying to pack my stuff into my brown handbag.
"Miss. You don't seem alright" the feminine voice of the new intern pulled me out into reality.
"I have a slight headache. I have to leave now. Could you please fill in for me?" I responded, standing up quickly with my bag. I walked out of the door without waiting for any response.
I left the office without a word. The January air outside bit at my cheeks, harsh and unrelenting, as if the universe itself refused to grant me even a moment of warmth. My reflection in the office building's glass door startled me-wide eyes ringed with smudged mascara, pale skin that seemed almost translucent under the sharp afternoon sun, and dark curls disheveled from my frantic tugging. I looked like a ghost
Like a dam breaking, the tears came. I sobbed, great racking sobs that shook my entire body. The drive to my apartment was a haze, my vision blurred as tears continuously streamed down my cheeks. I guess this was it ā all that feeling of emptiness. I needed comfort, I needed solace and I needed it now. I knew I couldn't drive to Bellevue, not in this condition. I just needed to get home to Louis.
As I pulled into my driveway, I was holding onto the hope that Louis, my fiancƩ, would be there to anchor me. Louis, with his steady deep blue eyes and easy smile that always seemed to chase away the shadows of the world. I thought of the way his hands would cradle my face, grounding me when life felt overwhelming.
The apartment was silent when I unlocked the door. Silent, but not still. The faint sound of laughter floated from the bedroom, muffled yet unmistakable. My heart clenched, a small warning, but I pushed the thought aside. It's the TV, I told myself. Louis often watched comedies to unwind.
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me with a soft click. The living room, usually a sanctuary of warm tones and mismatched furniture that Louis and I had picked out together, suddenly felt oppressive. The air was thick with a scent I couldn't place at first-something floral, faintly sweet. It wasn't mine.
The laughter came again, louder this time. My stomach twisted as I made my way to the bedroom, my heels sinking into the plush rug Louis insisted we needed, the one I used to tease him about.
I opened the door.
Louis was there, but not as I had hoped. He was tangled in the sheets, his broad shoulders bare, his sandy blond hair disheveled in a way that wasn't from sleep. Next to him was a red lacy panties which I knew wasn't mine and clothes sprawling on the floor. The sight made my blood run cold.
"Calixte." Louis began, his voice rough with panic, but I couldn't bear to hear the excuses forming on his lips.
"You-" My voice broke, cracking like glass under pressure. I swallowed, trying again, but the words tangled in my throat. My heart pounded, each beat reverberating in my ears like a war drum.
"I'm sorry Calixte. It's not what you think," he stammered.
Sorry. Sorry just wasn't enough. Sorry wouldn't bring my parents back. Sorry wouldn't mend my shattered heart. I could barely think straight, even the clock seemed to have paused for a split second. I walked turned towards the sitting room, the air seemed stuffy and I felt like I would choke any moment.
The door of the bathroom creaked open. I turned, there she stood buttoned halfway in Louis's cream coloured shirt. Her long auburn hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, and her bright green eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. She was beautiful, I'd always known that, but I never thought she'd stoop so low.
I stared at her, at the perfect features I had once admired, and then at Louis, whose deep blue eyes now looked anywhere but at me. He had always seemed so solid, so reliable. Now, he was a stranger.
"Sally !" I gasped.