“Pathetic.” Kierra glared at her own reflection in the bathroom once she dried her face with a hand towel. The rocking and nausea have settled, but she could still taste the bitterness of her regrets. She allowed her mind to drift as she brushed her teeth.

Kierra giggled as Marco pulled her back into bed and gently kissed her neck. She tried to break free from his grip.

“You know I have to get ready. Your family will be here soon.”

”But you know it’s my birthday. Anything I say goes,” Marco responded as continued kissing her.

“Oh, really?” Kierra laughed as she slid out of his embrace. “I beg to differ. Plus the fun just began, babe.”

She wrapped herself in the sheet and walked to her closet. She picked up a black rectangle-shaped gift box and tossed it to Marco.

“Get ready Birthday Boy,” she smirked.

Marco opened the box and pulled out a light gray Giorgio Armani button-down shirt. He gave her a look.

“It’s another thrift store find,” Kierra said. “I figured you needed something nice. Don’t you like it?”

“Of course. Just didn’t expect something so fancy. Thanks,” Marco slightly smiled.

She knew she would receive this kind of reaction from him, but she brushed it off.

“Mhm. Plus there might be many fancy events in the near future.” she winked.

A few months later…

Kierra tapped her foot as she waited for Marco’s Uber to arrive. The evening breeze chilled her exposed skin in her new Kate Spade dress.

“Great,” she moaned when her publisher sent her a text with his eta. “Marco better be here before they arrive.”

The Uber pulled up a minute later. Kierra exhaled deeply and stopped fidgeting with the necklace. She had it hidden in the inner pocket of her clutch.

“You look beautiful.” Marco kissed her when he walked up.

“Hi. Tha… Seriously?!” Kierra scowled. “Ugh!”

“What?” Marco gave her a confused look. “What is it now?”

”Your shirt! It’s so wrinkled!” she said as she tried to smooth it out.

Marco chuckled as he stepped back.

“Of course. Let’s just get this over with…”

“Don’t do this to me,” she huffed “You fucking promise you’d…”

“Really?” he stopped her. “Don’t start that shit. When are you going to realize how ridiculous all of this is?”

Kierra narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

“You said you’d support my dreams no matter what.”

Marco threw his hands in the air.

“And I have kept that promise, haven’t I?”

Kierra was about to respond when she saw her publisher and soon-to-be publicist driving up.

“They are here… Can we…” she said.

“We’d just waste more time… I think we should take a break.” He hardened his face.

Kierra’s heart dropped to her stomach.

“Marco, please…”

“I am happy you got what you always wanted. I feel you would never feel satisfied though.”

He turned and walked away. She wanted to go follow him but she couldn’t. His words paralyzed her.

The buzzing of her cellphone snapped Kierra back into reality. She blinked and wiped the tears away. The buzzing became louder and louder as she followed the noise. There were over sixty notifications on the screen when she finally checked it. The very top one was a text message from Nora.

“I believed I was doing the right thing when I sent you the necklace. You have something that many Bryne women don’t have and that’s courage. I wasn’t strong enough to resist its power but you are. Don’t end up like the rest of us. Take back what’s yours. All you need to do is drop the damn necklace in the ocean as you say these words: Tá smacht agam ar mo chinniúint féin.

“I am in control of my own destiny.” Kierra translated the sentence.

She inhaled and walked over to the nightstand.

“I am in control of my own destiny,” Kierra repeated as she grabbed the necklace and walked out onto the deck. “I am in control of my own destiny. “

She turned to rail and looked down into the murky blue ocean. She let the necklace slide slowly out of her shaky hands.

“Tá smacht agam ar mo chinniúint féin.“

Featured image by StockSnap, courtesy of Pixabay