Chapter 5 50th Anniversary

Venice hugged her brother Harry tightly, tears streaming down her face. She had been holding back her emotions for so long and now that she was finally able to let it all out in front of her brother, she couldn't help but let her sobs consume her. She didn't realize that the hallway was filled with people, her family included who were eavesdropping on her conversation with her brother. When she finally broke away from her brother's embrace, Venice noticed the eyes of her family on her.

Her father was looking at her with pity, her mom was teary-eyed, and her sister Keke was looking at her with amusement. The one person who seemed unaffected was Bryan, Keke's boyfriend. He had a look of indifference on his face. Venice's heart sank as she realized that the whole family had heard her confession of having Mike pretend to be her boyfriend to impress them. She was humiliated and embarrassed. She had to get out of there, so she rushed to her hotel room, locking the door behind her. In her room, she curled up in a ball and cried until she couldn't cry anymore, as she shed tears, she remembered all the unpleasant experiences she had had with men. She felt so embarrassed and exposed. She had never wanted her family to know that she struggled to find love, and now she had to face the consequences of her actions.

Just then, Venice heard a knock on her door. She reluctantly opened it and was shocked to see her parents standing outside her door. Her dad stepped forward and said, "Venice, we heard everything, and we just want you to know that we love you no matter what. We don't care if you have a real boyfriend or not, we just want you to be happy. We're here for you."

Venice was overwhelmed with emotion. She looked at her parents and said, "I'm so sorry for lying to you all. I just wanted you guys to be proud of me."

Her dad hugged her and said, "We are proud of you, Venice. We love you without conditions."

Her mom added, "And we want you to know that it's okay to be honest with us and to express your feelings. We're here for you no matter what." Venice hugged her parents and cried tears of joy. She had finally let go of her shame and guilt and she was now surrounded by love and support. She felt a heavy weight fall off her shoulders.

The preparations for her parents' 50th anniversary had consumed Venice's family's staff for days, and now, as the day drew closer, the island was buzzing with activities and bustling with staff. Important guests, friends, and well-wishers had flown in from all corners of the world.

Venice's parents were deeply entrenched in their elite social circle, a group known for its high expectations and disdain for anything less than perfection. Venice's relief was palpable when she remembered that Mike, the "pretend boyfriend" who had unintentionally sparked the family drama, had left the island before the arrival of these important guests. It was a small consolation in the midst of chaos. To mark the eve of the grand celebration, her parents hosted a lavish dinner for their elite circle. The evening was filled with laughter, clinking glasses, and polite conversation. Venice watched as her parents effortlessly charmed their guests, a stark contrast to the turmoil that had unfolded earlier with Mike's presence.

After the dinner, the guests retired to their respective rooms, and Venice had a moment to herself in her room. She had made a conscious decision not to call her best friend, Nina, to inform her about the family drama. Instead, she planned to tell her everything face to face when she returned home. She was not mad at Nina as Nina wasn't the actual cause of the problems she had experienced. Her anger was channeled towards Richard Harmony, the thought of him irked her.

Just as Venice was about to retire to her bed for the night, a gentle knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. She approached the door and opened it, surprised to find her younger sister, Keke, standing in the hallway.

"Keke, what are you doing here?" Venice asked with a frown on her face. After the drama that had ensued earlier in the day, her sister was the last person she wanted to see.

Keke's usually mischievous expression was replaced by a more sober one. "Can I come in, sis, please? I need to talk to you."

Venice stepped aside to allow Keke into her room and closed the door behind her. She noticed that Keke seemed unusually serious and she wondered why. Once Keke stepped into Venice's hotel room, she took a deep breath and began to apologize for her behavior earlier.

"I'm really sorry, Venice," Keke said. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, but I couldn't stand seeing you around that guy. He's an embarrassment to our family, and I noticed something was off from the start. That's why I kept questioning him." Venice was still not convinced, her gaze fixed on Keke. "Did Mom and Dad make you apologize?"

Keke smiled, her cheeks turning pink. "Well, yes, they did. But I'm still sorry for how I behaved."

Venice sighed and shook her head. "Fine, I'll accept your apology. Unfortunately for me, you're still my sister." She gestured towards the door. "Now get out of here."

Keke chuckled and stepped out of the room. But before she closed the door, she turned back to her sister. "Hey, Venice, can we hug, you know kiss and make up?"

Venice was trying hard to resist the urge to laugh, she smiled as she responded. "Don't push it."

The day had finally arrived and Venice was filled with excitement. It was her parent's 50th anniversary and they had planned a big surprise for them. Venice's siblings, Harry and Keke, along with their plus ones, and other important guests had flown in from all around the world to join in on the celebration. They had planned different surprises throughout the day, but Venice knew that her surprise was going to be the best.

As everyone gathered in the hall, Venice's heart was pounding with anticipation. She had spent weeks putting together a surprise video montage for her parents, showcasing their incredible journey together over the past 50 years. As her parents were ushered into the well-decorated venue, which was a beautiful open-air space by the ocean, everyone shouted "Happy Anniversary!" Tears immediately began to stream down Tia's face as she was overwhelmed with emotion. Mr Wilson held her close, gently wiping her tears away.

Venice hit play on the video and images of her parent's first date, their wedding, and vow renewals over the years began to flash on the screen. Tia and Mr Wilson couldn't believe all of the beautiful moments that they had shared over the years. They were both emotional as their eyes welled up with tears, they held each other close and gently exchanged kisses. At the end of the video, Tia and Mr. Wilson were serenaded by a traditional Balinese dance troupe. The dancers moved gracefully and elegantly, filling the room with their energy. As the day went on, the family enjoyed delicious food and drinks and reminisced about all of the wonderful memories that they had shared over the years. Venice's siblings shared their own special surprises with their parents, but Venice knew that her video had truly touched their hearts. Venice was inspired by her parents' love for each other, as she watched them hold on to each other, she silently made a wish, she wished for a beautiful love story that would never end, she wished for an end to all the unpleasant experiences she had with men, she was tired of kissing frogs, she needed to find her prince.

In the evening, the main ceremony was held on a ship. Venice's father had bought the ship and had named it after his wife, Tia. As they sailed across the sea, they were surrounded by the beautiful view of the sunset.

"Happy anniversary, my love," said Mr Wilson, looking into his wife's eyes with love.

"Happy anniversary, my dear," replied Tia, taking his hand in hers.

The evening was spent with family, friends, well-wishers, and business associates sharing stories and memories of the past fifty years. They laughed, they cried, they celebrated.

It was a night that none of them would ever forget. It was a night of love, joy and celebration. A night that signified the strong bond between Venice's parents. A bond that had grown stronger with each passing year.

As they enjoyed a delicious meal together, Mr Wilson took Tia's hand and looked into her eyes. "Tia, my love, I made a vow to you 50 years ago, and I promise to continue to love you and cherish you until the end of time." Tia's eyes brimmed with tears once again as Mr Wilson brought her hand to his lips. "You have been the light of my life, and the best decision I ever made was marrying you."

Venice's heart swelled with joy as she watched her parents profess their love for one another. They had been through so much together, and their love had only grown stronger over time. At that moment, they were startled by the fireworks that exploded beautifully in the air, creating a magical moment. Their kids continued to surprise them, this made their hearts melt.

As the night came to a close, Tia and Mr Wilson shared one final dance on the deck of the ship, taking in the beautiful dazzling ocean. Venice knew that her parents would cherish this day for the rest of their lives, and she was grateful to have been able to play a small part in their celebration.

As she hugged her parents goodnight at the end of the night, Tia whispered in Venice's ear, "Thank you my dear for everything, this was the best anniversary we've ever had. We love you so much."

Venice smiled, feeling so happy and fulfilled. "I love you too Mom and Dad, Happy anniversary.

That night as Venice lay in her hotel room, she had forgotten that her room shared the same wall with her sister Keke. But she was quickly reminded when loud moans and clinks of the bed came from her sister's bedroom. Venice heard her sister screaming "Oh yea, yes baby, harder, faster, ride me like a horse." The noise became more and more annoying to the point where Venice had no choice but to press her pillow against her ears. Despite this, she still heard her sister's voice.

Venice sighed as loneliness hit her really hard and she was reminded of her single life. She couldn't sleep, so she decided to take a stroll outside. Venice found herself in front of the ocean, the waves crashing against the shore. She was captivated by the beauty of it all and allowed her mind to wander away.

Suddenly, a voice from behind her broke the silence. "A beautiful lady like you shouldn't be standing all by herself at this time of the night," a deep voice said.

Venice turned around and saw a tall, dark, and handsome young man smiling at her. He looked like a glass of chocolate; his shirt was wet with water from the ocean, carefully displaying the curves and outlines on his chest. He was well-built with six-packs. For a moment, her imagination ran wild, she was captivated by his build, and she stood there lost, staring at his chest. This was a dream he didn't want to wake up from.

Noticing her silence, he walked forward and said "Hello, can you hear me?"

He paused for a moment and continued.

"My name is Jake. I saw you standing here alone and thought I should come over and say hi. Are you okay?"

She finally regained her voice. "H-hello, I'm Venice," she stuttered.

Jake took a step closer and extended his hands for a handshake.