Storm: A Monsoon Island Novel

By Itu Menthonia

Vanessa was never a woman who longed for a career outside the home, a commonality she shared with Hillary. Straight after high school, she met Ben and settled on the island. After four years of marriage, nothing about her life had changed.
But when her independent sister began to point out her talent were not being put to good use, she began to wonder if she was selling herself too short by reducing herself to a mere mother and homemaker. When she received an opportunity to be something more, she took the chance and allowed fate to do the rest. What came next was a life changing experience that took her from dull young island wife to a successful life that had her becoming the envy of women worldwide.
Book 2 of Monsoon Island novel takes the reader back into the life of the Mora family and picks ups where the first ended, fast-forwarding three years later.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Itu Menthonia
• Release date: Oct 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9780992174118

Itu Menthonia

Itu Menthonia is a writer who enjoys writing about romance, love, success, and all the other things that inspire each of us to wake up in the morning.

Book preview

(Book2)

by

Itu Menthonia

Copyright © 2016

All Rights Reserved by Itu Menthonia

Published by: Itu Menthonia

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination, or have been used fictitiously, and the events are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locations, or organizations is entirely coincidental. All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author or, upon her incapacity or death, the author’s authorized representative such as her publishing rights holder.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

About Itu Menthonia

Connect With Itu Menthonia Online

Itu Menthonia’s Library

Sunny days will not forever last. But it’s how you weather the storm that matters –

Itu Menthonia

Prologue

It had been three years since Reece moved to Monsoon Island, and she’d yet to look back. In that time, a lot happened within the Mora family and things were bound to get even more interesting.

Now at age four, sweet, pudgy-cheeked Kelley was no longer nursing. She spent her weekdays at kindergarten and on the weekends indulged in play dates with her equally good pedigreed toddler peers. Intriguing questions often escaped her lips but her innocence prevailed nonetheless.

After working at the hotel for more than four decades, and taking over the family’s entire property portfolio for more than twenty years, Dutch had more than surpassed retirement age and was expected to pass the baton to his eldest son, Ben, as per their family tradition.

King and Queen of filth, Jason and Reece, were happy with their new life together, an exciting life full of promise. However, they were yet to set a wedding date despite a long three-year courtship. They’d moved out of the family home within a few months of Reece agreeing to stay on the island and were living in their new home, a mansion half the size of the family beach house and a tat more glamorous.

No one expected anything less than glamour, and top-notch style from homes built on Millionaires’ Row.

Jason teased she was presumptuous at the title she chose to name her PR and Marketing firm when she aptly called it ‘Reece Mora PR’. The company was three years old and thriving, with a permanent staff of five loyal employees.

Jason was literally bigger and better. Despite his bulging weight, he seemed happier and looked forward to marital bliss. With Ben’s looming promotion, naturally Jason would take over Ben’s old job and begin to have more responsibilities at work. As exciting as that upgrade seemed, what he really wanted more than anything was to marry Reece and start a family.

Ben remained focused on the Palm Beach Grand Hotel. More than anything, he looked forward to taking over their family business when Dutch retired. He’d taken over much of Dutch’s workload, and was now head of the empire without having been bestowed the title.

However, with more responsibilities came less time to spend with Vanessa and Kelley. Realizing how this tore his marriage apart, Dutch felt a need to take drastic actions to help Ben’s private life stay intact.

Hilary was happy. Not even her looks had changed much. When she was not in the gym or out showing off her adorable grandchild, Kelley, she spent her time cavorting the island’s best spas and Plastic Surgeons where she indulged in facials and new age-defying solutions.

The hard work was paying off because she looked young and radiant. Many whispered that her recent need to hold on to her looks may have had a lot to do with the much younger female business executive Dutch had recently employed who garnered rumors of a possible affair.

Rumors aside, she remained the same stalwart matriarch. If the Mora family were a ship, she was the Captain who steered it in the right direction. She did her best to keep her ship afloat, away from heavy tides that would cause it to capsize. She was willing to do whatever it took to keep her ship from colliding with icebergs. She took no credit for the heavy lifting no one saw her do, but silently took pride in the results.

But no matter how good the Captain, there’s always a shark or pirate lurking in the shadows of the waters.

Dutch and Hillary together remained the pillars of their family, the couple who exemplified commitment, long-lasting marriage, endurance, patience, and love.

Save for the two women at the beach house, all the other Mora family members had grown and evolved. Though Hillary was satisfied with her unchanged life, Vanessa’s life relatively remained the same. Although, she did not foresee her life ending up the way Hilary’s had panned out. Secretly, she craved for adventure, wanted far more out of her life than to sit around all day, breed continuously, and ultimately have no career prospects outside her domestic life.

For the past three years, Reece had been encouraging Vanessa to pursue a viable career in something she enjoyed. Several times, she hinted at her sister dabbling in a culinary career. It was a defining moment when Vanessa joked about starting a catering company that the idea stuck. Now more than ever, Reece’s words continued to replay in Vanessa’s ear, urging her to pursue the goals, passions, and dreams her marriage had required her to abandon.

All three couples were enjoying blissful love lives, unaware of the storm that was heading in the direction of their lives.

Chapter 1

Palm Beach was ordinarily alive with beach bums and water enthusiasts. While many preferred to lounge, sunbathe and picnic on the sandy beach and frolicked up and down the shorelines, some challenged the waters by swimming and surfing the tides.

With winter looming, Monsoon Island’s sandy beaches now boasted only a handful of people. Because of the bitterly cold climate, the usually highly congregated Palm Beach was devoid of its usual crowd. Not altogether deserted, a man and woman jogged on the beach in opposite directions while a couple strolled handheld as they headed toward a bar.

There were no bikini-clad women strutting around parading their beautiful curves. No shirtless men flaunting their ripped torsos showing off the hours spent in the gym. And no sounds of happy children playing, and giggling delightfully.

It was a sign that winter was beckoning, bringing with it a chilly breeze that confined people inside their homes. With the island’s cold season unfrequented by beach enthusiasts, tourism was slower than a tortoise.

A short walking distance away from Palm Beach, the Mora beach house stood out amongst its neighboring houses due to its giant yard and massive size. The interior remained homely, from the welcoming atmosphere one felt from the entrance hall.

The fireplace in the lounge warmed the room with comforting heat. Vanessa and Reece were snuggling on the sofas with throws covering their feet. Each chewed on the last piece of scone, and sipped hot chocolate while sharing gossip and discussing their lives.

Vanessa put her hand out. Hand it over, I’ll get you a refill.

At the risk of you putting a roofie in my drink, I’d rather come with, Reece joked, playfully clutching her mug closer.

They slipped out of their warm throws, revealing their slim bodies as they stretched. With socks on their feet, they headed toward the kitchen, Vanessa leading the way.

You were saying?

Reece’s phone sounded with a loud ringtone. Halfway towards the kitchen, she returned to the lounge to answer it while Vanessa put on an apron and oven gloves before getting back to her baking. As she opened the oven, hot air spewed out to warm the cold temperature. She removed the oven pan and placed it on the granite counter top, wafting the steam seeping out of the scones as she relished the divine smell of the new batch.

Vanessa was on her knees by the bottom cabinet searching for a container when Reece returned with a more enthusiastic attitude.

Where was I? she asked as she settled on the barstool. The air lingering smelled divine due to the fresh bakes, she noted. Salivating, she licked her lips in anticipation of the taste. She was about to grab a scone from the tray but it was so hot her fingertips had to abandon it.

Vanessa slapped Reece’s hand. Serves you right for taking things without asking, she chastised playfully. She grabbed a knife and cut a scone in half. More steam seeped out, quickly replaced by the cool kitchen temperature. She put the scone on a side plate and handed it to Reece. If you eat it fresh from the oven, you’ll have a stomach ache. It’s best to wait for it to cool, Vanessa advised.

Reece sunk her teeth into the warm scone, taking one big bite of the soft cookie. She closed her eyes as she chewed, relishing the mouth watering taste.

So good, she said after swallowing. The last piece went in her mouth, and she shoved her side plate toward Vanessa. One more, please.

You’re a bit of a glutton these days, Vanessa noted while adding two more scones on the side plate. A moment later, she gasped with excitement, gushing at her thoughts. You’re not pregnant, are you?

Reece grimaced, shaking her head. She pondered for a moment. I don’t think so.

Vanessa raised a brow. You sure eat like you are. I’d visit the doctor to make sure if I were you.

Reece waived off her sister’s assumption. With the taste of the scones highlighting her sister’s talent, she remembered the point she was trying to make before the phone call.

As I was saying, what you do with food is nothing short of magic.

Vanessa smiled softly.

She always looked forward to receiving the reward of positive feedback from the people she fed. Seeing them relishing her meals brought her joy, and hearing their genuine compliments made her completely settled and content. However, content was merely a warm feeling that couldn’t compete with happy. What she wanted was to do something that gave her the satisfaction she craved.

Reece was convinced her sister could be much more than what she already was. Being a housewife was not the life she remembered her sister envisioning for herself when they were younger.

"I don’t see how you’re happy with your life doing just this, Reece sneered, gesturing to the immaculately cleaned kitchen. Feeding and picking after people, you’re far better than that."

Dismissing Reece’s rant and refusing to entertain her, Vanessa shut the oven door, ripped off her oven gloves, and disrobed her apron.

Intending to make her point, Reece didn’t stop there. I remember when we were younger, you had dreams of becoming something either than someone’s mother, Reece spat. She knew her low blow comments were hurtful but was adamant they were effective. She needed to paint Vanessa a picture of her current life – that of a beautiful talented woman wasting away as a mere housewife – before offering her an alternative.

Parenting well and taking care of a household is one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs in the world. And, I’m good at it, Vanessa barked. She’d had enough of Reece berating her and making it seem as if her life was meaningless.

She was a phenomenal homemaker, but that was not the point Reece was trying to make. She wanted her to dig deep and remember how much more she wanted to accomplish.

It was not the first time Reece was massaging those thoughts into Vanessa’s mind, knocking her down in hopes to build her up later. This very conversation was becoming a norm for Reece and Vanessa ever since Reece started living on the island.

For the past three years, she would take Vanessa out to restaurants almost bi-weekly for the fun of watching her react unpleasantly to the good food served by the island’s best Chefs. Like clockwork, Vanessa would usually have a complaint and mention a certain ingredient her meal lacked.

Days later, Reece would visit the beach house to find that Vanessa had prepared the very same meal, which tasted far better than the meal the restaurant served them.

It baffled her that her sister failed to identify her goldmine potential. With skills of a professional Chef, she saw her as someone who could carve a successful culinary career.

Because her cooking and baking skills were on such a high level, guests always asked for seconds and begged for her closely guarded secret recipes.

Ever the Capitalist, Reece believed in her abilities, and finally figured how her sister could profit from her talent.

You didn’t come all the way here just to make me feel bad about my life. What do you want? Vanessa barked.

Reece released a smile. Remember the cake you baked for Liza’s birthday party?

Vanessa nodded. How can I forget? You called begging me to rescue your friend because her cake fell. She raised her eyebrow. I never forget when you bully me into doing things. In truth, she was not one to keep scores.

Reece waived off her sister’s complaint and continued gushing with excitement at the news she was about to reveal. Well, Liza’s best friend’s husband’s brother… Reece snapped her fingers, trying in vain to recollect the man’s name.

Vanessa shook her head at the extent of the connection. You mean Paul. It was a small island where everyone who was anyone important knew of each other.

Right, Paul. He was at the party and tasted your cake. Loved it, by the way. She thought about the way she phrased her sentence, amused at her own filthy mind. That sounded dirty, didn’t it?

Everything sounded dirty to Reece. It was partly why she and Jason made such a great couple.

Usually patient, Vanessa was eager to hear the news. She sighed with anticipation. Get to the point.

Reece shifted in her seat, leaned forward before making her announcement. He wants you to cater an event his company’s hosting. Of course he’ll pay you for the job. She shrieked with joy. Feel free to show me how excited you are.

Vanessa should have known a motive lingered in Reece’s hazing opening statement. She released a broad smile before replying. Sounds doable, when?

Friday night, Reece announced.

Friday was four days from then. I change my mind, not doable.

Please, do it for me, Reece begged.

After all, if anyone could pull off a party for a big company in four days, Vanessa would be the perfect person to do it. She had the time and expertise, and could always employ part-time labor.

I can’t do it. It’ll require planning, and I’ll need to find help. She shook her head. It’s too short notice.

You can do this, V, she pressed. Speaking in that low octave voice she knew Vanessa found annoying, Reece begged and pleaded multiple times.

Vanessa grunted. Why are you pushing this? She knew her sister well enough to know she wouldn’t be pushing unless there was something in it for her. She needed to find out how deeply invested she was.

Reece bit her lip. Because I’ve already told him you’d be interested.

Why would you tell him that?

Reece grimaced. When I heard him rave about your culinary abilities, something came over me and soon I was claiming you as one of my clients.

Vanessa released a sarcastic chuckle. The mere thought of being Reece’s client was unfathomable to her. After all, Reece’s roster boasted well-known professionals whereas she thought of herself as being no one important.

You can’t go around pimping me out to people as if I’m a whore.

"But you are a food whore, the best on the island." She was the best cook, period, on or off the island. It was a shame not many people knew of her talent.

The halfback compliment had the girls roaring with laughter.

Their back and forth banter and their ability to push one another was just one of the things that made them such an incredible team when they chose to be.

Vanessa pondered for a moment and sat back before announcing. Sounds like fun, I’ll do it.

Reece’s excitement was evident in her loud scream. She rushed to V’s side and embraced her. Thank you for agreeing to be my client. She held on to her tighter.

I’m not a client, Vanessa maintained. I’m only doing this once, so don’t get excited, she further assured.

Reece kissed her sister goodbye and left the house to sort out paperwork with the client Vanessa would be catering for. As she drove off the property, she smiled at the thought of how Vanessa was the perfect client to have. She was passionate about what she did for a living, and this time her passion showed in that she didn’t even ask how much she’d receive.

With that thought, Reece vowed to turn Vanessa into the best thing in the culinary business. Confident of her abilities, she got in her car and sped off.

###

Ben suspected something was amiss with his wife. From the salacious text message she sent him that afternoon urging him to hurry home for a special treat, to the mouthwatering gourmet dinner he found in the microwave when he came home, she had an agenda. He was adamant she was softening him to agree to something she wanted.

He abandoned the meal halfway through in anticipation of the final surprise and mounted the stairs, taking them by two. His usual stroll down the corridor was now a stride, his heart rate pumping faster with