The Weight of Grief

Edith's POV:

People say death is the irresistible part of our lives, and we can't escape it no matter what.

The harsh reality truly sank in when we experienced the loss of a loved one. However, the cops marked my brother's death as cold-blood murder and began their investigation to identify the killer, who was undoubtedly merciless enough to kill the mayor's son in broad daylight.

Noah and I weren't particularly close as siblings, but he was always kind and considerate to me, unlike our parents. Perhaps that's why I can't shake this hollow feeling in my heart, watching a mahogany casket rest on a raised platform at the front of the church as I attended Noah's funeral.

The air inside the church was thick with the weight of shared grief. Wooden pews were filled with family, friends, and acquaintances, all dressed in dark attire. Next, the eulogies followed, with each speaker stepping up to the podium to share their memories. When it was my turn, I faltered in delivering my speech as my emotions got the best of me.

The sorrowful atmosphere didn't stop my mom from judging me as usual. She threw a disappointing glare in my direction. Dad was too lost in his grief to pay attention to my incomplete speech.

Finally, it was time for the last goodbye. One by one, mourners approached the casket, laying flowers, whispering final words, or giving their condolences to my parents and me as we stood there.

Mom murmured loud enough for me to hear, "Are you going to your blind date this evening or not?" I stared at her in disbelief, not knowing how she could consider me to go on a blind date at Noah's funeral. It's understandable that she might always view Noah as her foster son, in contrast to my father, who cherished him more than me.

"But mom..." She abruptly hugged me, pretending to console me.

"Don't act like you give a sh*t about Noah's death. You must be glad for the remaining heir to your father's wealth," she whispered near my ear, making my cheeks heat up in rage.

How dare she consider me to be as horrible as hers?

I tried to break free from her embrace, but she wasn't willing to let me go until she poisoned me with her toxic words. "Go back to your place and get ready for the date. I don't want you to remain unmarried, even at the age of twenty-five. I hope you will impress the guy; otherwise, there will be consequences." She let me go, sniffling like she was really saying something emotional.

As I stood there, processing her threat, Mom turned her attention back to the mourners. I clicked my black heels on the marble steps and walked away, knowing that if I stayed one more second there, I would lose my patience and end up yelling at my mom in front of the crowd, which she very much deserved.

Reaching the parking lot, I slid into the driver's seat of my midnight blue Porsche 911. I couldn't get myself to start my car as my body was still shaking due to anger.

Despite my efforts to live independently, I couldn't believe my mother was still controlling my life and treating me like a doll. Today she didn't only threaten but also challenged me, and I gladly accepted it. I wouldn't go on the blind date she set for me because I wanted to see what the consequences would be.

As I was about to start the engine of my car, I received a call from my cousin, Suzie. I frowned in confusion, not expecting her to call me after we saw each other during the funeral a while ago.

I answered anyway. "Hey, what's up?"

"Have you already left? I was waiting to talk to you."

"I need to go back to my shop since it's busy these days." I lied, concealing the true reason, as I didn't want her to know about the inconvenient date.

"What's the matter, Suzie?" I inquired after she fell silent and let out a sigh.

"Have you seen their post? They got married last night in France," she responded, and I failed to catch whom she was talking about.

"Whose post? I haven't checked..." Suzie interrupted me. "I'm talking about Xavier and Nancy."

Despite anticipating the news, I froze, unable to ignore its impact. Xavier Parker and I liked each other during our college days, and I was really into him. Even though we never had an official relationship, he did promise to marry me after graduation.

One day, I got to know he was seeing someone else. It turned out it was my best friend, Nancy Miller, who knew how much I liked Xavier from the beginning, but obviously, betrayal never came from your enemy.

I started to believe that these two individuals never existed in my life, so as not to disturb my peace of mind. However, I now understand that I couldn't completely erase the pain they inflicted, even though they were the people I trusted the most.

"Edith, are you okay?" Suzie asked me with concern, and I chuckled sadistically.

"Absolutely. They can go to hell, and I've got nothing to do with it," I firmly said before ending the call.

I leaned back on the soft leather seat as tears blurred my vision, even after forcing myself not to cry over these pathetic humans. However, I logged into my fake Instagram account to check out their wedding posts since I had already blocked them from my real account.

I scoffed at the caption they both used, "Forever Begins With You. #JustMarried." They were smiling so happily and innocently that no one could tell how much evilness ran through their veins.

Throwing my phone away on the passenger seat, I started my car. My mind was so clouded with sorrow, anger, and disgust that I couldn't think straight. I had already texted my assistant to look after the flower shop for today, as I had made up my mind to go on the blind date.

Earlier, I wanted to challenge my mom, but now I have changed my mind. From this point on, I became completely determined to move on and proved to those disgusting humans that their betrayal couldn't stop me from finding happiness, even if it meant losing my ego to my mother.

Arriving at my place, I put on a flattering deep navy dress that hugged my curves in all the right places, complemented by a light cardigan for the cool evening ahead, and let my blonde hair set free. Slipping on my comfortable heels, I took a final glance in the mirror before leaving for my date.

It was already evening when I arrived at the location about which my mother had texted me a week ago. It was a tall building that stood proudly on the city's bustling corner. I took the elevator to the fifth floor, where a cafe awaited my date.

As I stepped inside, I noticed only a handful of people present, none of whom I considered potential dates. I realized the guy might not be here yet, as he would obviously approach me because he knew me, according to my mom's account.

I sat at a table near the window and ordered a cappuccino while waiting for my date.

[Thank you for reading the story.

The story is a dark romance and will have explicit scenes through out the story with which some of you may feel uncomfortable, read at your own risk.]