Page 1 of Howling for Cupcakes

ONE

Mari sat amidst a sea of boxes in the echoing vastness of the mansion she once shared with her ex-husband, Victor. The remnants of her past life surrounded her, a constant reminder of the bitter divorce that had turned her world upside down.

Victor had long since moved into one of his family’s many properties, leaving Mari alone in the house that no longer felt like home. She couldn’t wait to escape this gilded cage and start anew.

He’d told her he was done with her. That she was ugly, boring, and stupid. The words didn’t hurt her any longer. She’d been hearing them for over two decades. She’d learned to tune him out. But when he finally said he didn’t want her, hope had grown in her chest. Could it be true? Could she finally have her freedom?

As she sorted through the endless piles of possessions, memories of their tumultuous marriage flooded her mind. She recalled the countless arguments that had echoed through these halls, each more vicious than the last.

“You’re suffocating me, Victor!” Mari had screamed, her voice raw with frustration. “I can’t live like this anymore. Get out of my head!”

Victor laughed, a cold, cruel sound that sent shivers down her spine. “Suffocating you? I’ve given you everything, Marigold. A life of luxury, a place in society. And this is how you repay me? You’re nothing without me.”

“I don’t want your money or your status,” Mari spat back, her eyes blazing with defiance. “I want my freedom, my autonomy. I want to stop hearing you tell me how pathetic I am. I want to be alone without your voice constantly mocking me and making fun of me.”

The words had hung in the air between them, heavy with the weight of years of resentment and bitterness. Victor’s face twisted into a sneer, his eyes narrowing with contempt.

“You are nothing. Nothing. You’ll never be more than what I’ve made you,” he hissed, his voice dripping with venom. “Without me, you’re trash. Just remember that. And remember this, you pathetic little witch, your family handed you over to me. They practically begged me to marry you.”

“They didn’t!” she argued, but he was right. Her parents had signed a marriage contract for her with Victor when she was only a teenager. She’d agreed to it because they told her this was what good daughters did. They’d brainwashed her for years into believing she was bad if she didn’t do what they said.

Mari shook her head, trying to dispel the painful memories. She refused to let Victor’s cruel words define her any longer. She was more than his prized possession, more than a pawn in his games of power and control.

Her eyes fell on a framed photograph, a relic from their wedding day when she was twenty years old. In the picture, Mari looked hopeful. She remembered how nice Victor had been and how much that eased her fears. Until she saw the man behind the mask. Until she saw the monster.

She remembered the moment she had walked down the aisle, her heart heavy with trepidation. She had known that marrying Victor was a mistake. But she had been young and naïve and she’d guilted her into the marriage by her parents and then by Victor himself. Always telling her he needed her. Always pushing his issues on her and then switching things to make it seem like she was the bad guy. At the time, she had convinced herself that she could make it all work out.

How wrong she had been.

With a sigh, Mari picked up the photograph, her fingers tracing the delicate silver frame. She’d held onto this memento far too long, clinging to the fading hope that things could be different. It was time to let go, to leave the past where it belonged. She was done. She was free.

A hope unlike she’d ever felt grew in her chest. Had she really allowed herself to become someone else’s doormat by wanting to be a good daughter? Why? She didn’t really have the answer to it, she just knew she was glad it was finally over. Victor was finally tired of her. She’d been asking for a divorce for over twenty years and he’d always laughed in her face. Always reminding her that he owned her. That she owed him.

She strode to the fireplace, the click of her heels echoing in the empty room. With a determined flick of her wrist, she tossed the photograph into the flames, watching as the fire consumed the image of her former self.

As the photograph crumbled to ash, Mari felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She was no longer the submissive twenty year old woman Victor had tried to force her into. She was forty-five and she no longer answered to anyone but herself. She was strong, resilient, and capable of forging her own path. She’d be damned if she ever let anyone try to control her again.

She turned back to the sea of boxes, her resolve strengthened. Each item she packed away was a step closer to her new life, a life free from Victor’s suffocating control. She would leave this prison behind and spread her wings, ready to soar into a future of her own making.

The shrill ring of her phone pierced the silence, startling Mari from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen, her sister Molly’s name flashing insistently. With a sigh, she answered the call, instantly greeted by Molly’s cheerful voice.

“Mari, my favorite sister, how are you?”

Mari shook her head. “I’m your only sister.”

“Exactly. How’s the packing going? I can’t wait for you to join me in Whispering Pines!” Molly’s enthusiasm was infectious, bringing a small smile to Mari’s face.

“It’s... overwhelming,” Mari admitted, surveying the daunting task before her. “But I’m looking forward to the change. A fresh start is exactly what I need. A fresh…everything.”

“You’re going to love it here,” Molly assured her. “The town is so charming, and the people are wonderful. You’ll fit right in.” There was a pause, and Mari could practically hear the gears turning in her sister’s head. “What are you doing? You know what you should do tonight? Celebrate your newfound freedom.”

Mari hesitated. “I don’t know, Molly. I have so much packing to do, and I’m not really in the mood for going out.” Secretly, though, she wished she could be on top of a bar screaming to the world she was a free woman and taking shots with strangers. She wanted to have that life even if for one day.

“Nonsense,” Molly insisted. “A night out is exactly what you need to shake off the past and embrace your fresh start. You deserve happiness, Mari. Is there anyone you might want to spend some time with?”

Mari’s thoughts drifted to Emily, a co-worker from the academy who had been persistently inviting her out. “Well, there’s this woman I used to work with. She’s always asking me to go out with her.”

“Perfect. Call her up and paint the town red,” Molly encouraged. “You’ve got this, sis. It’s time to let your hair down and have some fun.”

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