Susan and Clyde had been married for ten years now. Today, on their 10th Wedding Anniversary, he gifted her, a gorgeous deep red gown. They had just finished drinking coffee, when he handed her a letter. It was a pretty letter, decorated with glitter and little red hearts.
Susan unfolded it, and began to read…
“My lovely Susan,
Its been wonderful being married to you for so long. You haven’t changed one bit. You’ve given me the perfect married life I always dreamed of. Every morning, I love to wake up to your beautiful face. You look like such an angel when you are asleep, and such a goddess with those strands of wet hair dancing across your face.
I’ve wished that I could make every moment spent with you, last an eternity. Joe and Merlyn must be a real handful, but you’ve never complained. I wish I could celebrate this day, and you, everyday of my life. You deserve so much more than I’ve managed to give you, or than I ever will. I know I should be giving you so much more time, but being assistant managing director really takes its toll.
That reminds me, I’ve been promoted to Managing Director now. I wanted to tell you this earlier, but I never got the chance. Do you know when I got the promotion? It was a month ago, when I had gone on the business tour to Japan. I returned a day early, around eleven in the night. The lights had been switched off, so I assumed you’ll were asleep. I unlocked the door and decided to give you a surprise, but when I reached our room, I saw you and Richard in each other’s arms – giggling, laughing away, with that special bottle of champagne your “Aunt Celine” gifted us, while I was away on business.
Believe me, I was devastated, but I decided not to create a scene at that moment. I wouldn’t want the kids to see you and Richard like that. What would we tell them? They adore you Susan, it would really crush them. So I left and spent the night in the hotel down the street. I kept trying to deny the truth that was staring me right in the eye, but I couldn’t. I’ve spent many sleepless nights thereafter. But seeing you and Richard together explained a lot – like why you used to wear that special expensive perfume to Richard’s grocery store, or why you took ages to open the front door when I came home early from work.
I dedicated ten years of my life to you. I know the smartest thing to do would be file for a divorce, but that would tell horribly on the kids. And I couldn’t let that happen.
So I called Richard over while you were away, and thought I could sort things out. I tried not to lose my mind, but it’s a little difficult after someone you love stabs you in the back, and the person she stabbed you for, is sitting right across the table. So I broke his head with the golf club, the one you gifted me last summer. Ironic isn’t it?! His body is lying in the basement, and I’ll figure something out about it later. Don’t worry darling, he didn’t suffer, and neither shall you. By the way, I poisoned your coffee. I’m sorry, but you’re too beautiful to bludgeon to death.
I love you,
Happy Anniversary Darling…”
The letter fell out of Susan’s hand. The room began to spin around her. She began to shiver. Blood trickled out her nose as she hit the floor.
Clyde got up and slipped a suicide note into her hand. He burned the letter on the gas stove. The clock stuck four. He left to pick up the kids from school.
Four Hundred and Seventeen Rose Petals…
Introduction
She looked at him. He looked handsome as ever. He always looked handsome. Her mind began to wander, back in time, to the first time she met him.
She looked at him. He looked handsome as ever. He always looked handsome. Her mind began to wander, back in time, to the first time she met him.
Chapter One
Simon ran up to her after the competition, “Congrats! You were great!”, he said, trying to catch his breath. After weeks of practice, his friends – Alfred, Joel, Carl and Fredrick – managed to convince Simon that Gina wouldn’t sever his head, if he spoke to her.
“I’m sure I was, that’s why I didn’t even manage to win a consolation prize,” she sighed. She didn’t realize that they had started walking down the corridor, together. Suddenly, she spun around and said, “Do I know you?”. He just stood there and stared at her for a second, “How foolish of me!,” he stretched out his right hand, “Simon Russo”. She shook his hand back, rather reluctantly, “Gina Marina”. He was cute, in a very ‘boy next door’ way, a simple cuteness most girls would have easily overlooked. They started walking again, “So you’re Italian”, she said. “Yeah, and you’re”, he seemed to search every corner of his brain to figure out where she came from, but her surname didn’t ring any bells, “very smart”, he said instead. She burst out laughing. He stuck his hands in his pocket and gave her a sheepish embarrassed smiled. He walked her home that day and they chatted all the way. They reached her doorstep. She wished the walk had lasted longer, and by the look on his face, she knew he wished the same.
“I’m sure I was, that’s why I didn’t even manage to win a consolation prize,” she sighed. She didn’t realize that they had started walking down the corridor, together. Suddenly, she spun around and said, “Do I know you?”. He just stood there and stared at her for a second, “How foolish of me!,” he stretched out his right hand, “Simon Russo”. She shook his hand back, rather reluctantly, “Gina Marina”. He was cute, in a very ‘boy next door’ way, a simple cuteness most girls would have easily overlooked. They started walking again, “So you’re Italian”, she said. “Yeah, and you’re”, he seemed to search every corner of his brain to figure out where she came from, but her surname didn’t ring any bells, “very smart”, he said instead. She burst out laughing. He stuck his hands in his pocket and gave her a sheepish embarrassed smiled. He walked her home that day and they chatted all the way. They reached her doorstep. She wished the walk had lasted longer, and by the look on his face, she knew he wished the same.
Chapter Two
“I guess I’ll be seeing you around then”, he said. “I guess you will”, she said and smiled, because she couldn’t think of anything smarter to do at that moment. He began to walk off the porch. She reached out for the doorbell. “You know,” he came running back up, “I’d really like you to have this”, saying so, he pulled out a little white rose. Gina was pleasantly surprised. “I’m sorry,” she looked the other way, to avoid looking into his eyes, “I don’t accept flowers”. Simon raised his eyebrows, “But this is a sad white rose… and if I take it back home, it will shrivel up and die on the way… so maybe you could give it a glass of water.. or something…”, he said and shrugged.
Simon knew he was blabbering rubbish, but the expression on her face encouraged him to continue, “...and it doesn’t bite..”. Gina could tell that he was praying with all his heart, that she accept his innocent little gift. She took it, but didn’t thank him. He waved her goodbye, and stepped back. He missed a step, and nearly rolled off the porch. “Are you alright?” Gina asked, more amused, than concerned. “Never been better”, he said, and danced off. Gina unlocked the door and walked in. “Now what do I do with you?” she asked the rose and walked towards the kitchen, giggling away.
Gina snapped back to reality, when Carl tapped her on her shoulder, “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”. She just nodded. She didn’t want to speak. She didn’t want to break the silence. The church was so quiet, with such pretty roses; “just the way Simon wanted it…” she thought to herself.
Simon knew he was blabbering rubbish, but the expression on her face encouraged him to continue, “...and it doesn’t bite..”. Gina could tell that he was praying with all his heart, that she accept his innocent little gift. She took it, but didn’t thank him. He waved her goodbye, and stepped back. He missed a step, and nearly rolled off the porch. “Are you alright?” Gina asked, more amused, than concerned. “Never been better”, he said, and danced off. Gina unlocked the door and walked in. “Now what do I do with you?” she asked the rose and walked towards the kitchen, giggling away.
Gina snapped back to reality, when Carl tapped her on her shoulder, “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”. She just nodded. She didn’t want to speak. She didn’t want to break the silence. The church was so quiet, with such pretty roses; “just the way Simon wanted it…” she thought to herself.
Chapter Three
Her palms were sweaty. The book she held began to slip. She looked at it. It was such a pretty book. The hard cardboard covered in velvet. The words ‘my love’ written artistically in gold. She had bought it just for him; for them. She remembered her 24th birthday party.
It was a private affair, unlike those disastrous college bashes kids throw these days. It was just close friends and family. Simon came over with a huge pink cake. She thought it was pretty gaudy, but she loved the pink roses on it. She poked him in the stomach playfully, with the cake knife, “And where’s my special rose?”, she was pretty sure he had forgotten. “Oh! Oh dear! I’m so sorry,” he said, and pulled out a lovely red rose. She gave him a tight warm hug. It had been 5 months since he had asked her out. They were terribly in love. Everyday he met her, he’d give her a rose. And everyday, she would keep one petal between the pages of the red velvet book. She wanted to remember every moment she spent with him, forever…
It was a private affair, unlike those disastrous college bashes kids throw these days. It was just close friends and family. Simon came over with a huge pink cake. She thought it was pretty gaudy, but she loved the pink roses on it. She poked him in the stomach playfully, with the cake knife, “And where’s my special rose?”, she was pretty sure he had forgotten. “Oh! Oh dear! I’m so sorry,” he said, and pulled out a lovely red rose. She gave him a tight warm hug. It had been 5 months since he had asked her out. They were terribly in love. Everyday he met her, he’d give her a rose. And everyday, she would keep one petal between the pages of the red velvet book. She wanted to remember every moment she spent with him, forever…
Chapter Four
A child cried somewhere in the back rows of the church, and she looked up at him again. He wasn’t looking at her today. It made her sad.
“Gina,” Joel whispered in her ear, “he’s here.” She looked up at a huge broad man, flanked by armed bodyguards. He looked at her and smiled, ever so slightly. Her eyes grew red with rage, “how could he” she cried in her heart, “the demon, the wretched demon”.
Ricardo Russo, Simon’s father, never approved of Gina. He never approved of anything Simon did or said or chose. Nobody knew why. Maybe he was over protective, maybe he thought his son was too young to make the right decision or maybe he was used to always having things done his way.
Ricardo cringed when he learned that Simon had joined the church choir. He was frustrated when he learned that Simon visited the Home for the Aged. He was disappointed when he learned that Simon was teaching the poor at night school. He was furious when he learned that Simon wanted to marry a small town girl, who refused to put her father’s name with her own, ‘just because’ he had left her and her mother to die on the cold streets for a younger woman. He nearly tore his hair off when he learned that Simon kept meeting Gina, against his strict orders, and the flame of their love still burned bright. That flame hurt Ricardo’s eyes, and he decided that something had to be done, to put it out forever.
Gina loved to walk along the river bank. Simon loved to do whatever made Gina happy. Simon managed to catch a very bad cold that winter. They were sitting on the park bench and singing “Rudolf the red nosed reindeer…” She was mimicking his nasal voice. He punched her playfully in her tummy, and she pretended to fall off the bench and roll in pain. But Simon had stopped laughing.
“Gina,” Joel whispered in her ear, “he’s here.” She looked up at a huge broad man, flanked by armed bodyguards. He looked at her and smiled, ever so slightly. Her eyes grew red with rage, “how could he” she cried in her heart, “the demon, the wretched demon”.
Ricardo Russo, Simon’s father, never approved of Gina. He never approved of anything Simon did or said or chose. Nobody knew why. Maybe he was over protective, maybe he thought his son was too young to make the right decision or maybe he was used to always having things done his way.
Ricardo cringed when he learned that Simon had joined the church choir. He was frustrated when he learned that Simon visited the Home for the Aged. He was disappointed when he learned that Simon was teaching the poor at night school. He was furious when he learned that Simon wanted to marry a small town girl, who refused to put her father’s name with her own, ‘just because’ he had left her and her mother to die on the cold streets for a younger woman. He nearly tore his hair off when he learned that Simon kept meeting Gina, against his strict orders, and the flame of their love still burned bright. That flame hurt Ricardo’s eyes, and he decided that something had to be done, to put it out forever.
Gina loved to walk along the river bank. Simon loved to do whatever made Gina happy. Simon managed to catch a very bad cold that winter. They were sitting on the park bench and singing “Rudolf the red nosed reindeer…” She was mimicking his nasal voice. He punched her playfully in her tummy, and she pretended to fall off the bench and roll in pain. But Simon had stopped laughing.
Chapter Five
The church bell rang. Gina let out a deep sigh and looked up to see Carl and Fredrick speaking to Reverend Edward. Reverend sighed and left through the right wing of the church. She turned around. Ricardo was standing near the door, with two of his bodyguards. Joel held her hand.
They rose. Alfred was standing behind Ricardo. Carl and Fredrick joined him. Gina walked towards the coffin, where Simon lay, fast asleep. She touched the red rose in her hand, to his. She tried in vain, to hold back her tears. The bullet had hit his throat; the bullet that was meant for her.
She stood there for a moment, took a deep breath and turned around. She saw his mother. She was still in shock.
She began to walk towards the door. Carl closed it without a sound. Fredrick and Alfred opened the bottles. One bodyguard spun around, when the contents of the bottle mixed with the air, but Alfred was too quick for him. Within moments Fredrick and Alfred had dealt with the bodyguards. They lay unconscious on the floor. Ricardo stood petrified, as he stared at death come to him. Gina held on to the book of four hundred and seventeen rose petals, as she pulled the trigger.
Simon paid the price for opposing his father.
Gina paid the price for loving a gangster’s son.
Ricardo paid the price for challenging their love.
THE END.
They rose. Alfred was standing behind Ricardo. Carl and Fredrick joined him. Gina walked towards the coffin, where Simon lay, fast asleep. She touched the red rose in her hand, to his. She tried in vain, to hold back her tears. The bullet had hit his throat; the bullet that was meant for her.
She stood there for a moment, took a deep breath and turned around. She saw his mother. She was still in shock.
She began to walk towards the door. Carl closed it without a sound. Fredrick and Alfred opened the bottles. One bodyguard spun around, when the contents of the bottle mixed with the air, but Alfred was too quick for him. Within moments Fredrick and Alfred had dealt with the bodyguards. They lay unconscious on the floor. Ricardo stood petrified, as he stared at death come to him. Gina held on to the book of four hundred and seventeen rose petals, as she pulled the trigger.
Simon paid the price for opposing his father.
Gina paid the price for loving a gangster’s son.
Ricardo paid the price for challenging their love.
THE END.