Seven Days in a Worried Woman’s Life – Monday

It’s the first day of the week. They all start the exact same way. Kayla goes home exhausted after a long day at work, managing several tasks with all teams for an upcoming event. Although she claims to love her job, working with educated people who help her grow her knowledge, she has to admit it’s overwhelming. Adding to the stress at work, she feels more anxious about her relationship. She’s at the edge of burnout but stays strong nonetheless.

That night was one of those days when Kayla happily finished cooking dinner. She loves making the most straightforward things look extravagant. For instance, she decorated the living room with different types of colourful flowers matching the wallpaper on the wall and laid trays brought by her parents from their holiday abroad. She replaced the chairs with crystal-like ones, sparkling through the light of the candles placed here and there to create a romantic atmosphere.

To match her hard work, Kayla changed her outfit as soon as dinner was ready. Everyone who knows her will say she likes taking good care of herself. When she wakes up in the morning, the first thing she does is look at her wardrobe and select the right outfit to match her mood.

Illustration by CindyMBK, featuring Killian Sifa and Kayla Ilunga from  A Day in a Worried Woman’s Life

As she wears the “Queen of Mylerna” surname, Kayla looks on top no matter the day. And tonight isn’t an exception, though she’ll stay at home. She’s decided to wear a low-cut neckline top and a high waist – they’re her favourite – trousers with orange high heels, matching her nail polish and tribal head scarf brought by her mother last month. She’s on top for that special dinner in the company of her fiancé.

Kayla is waiting on a seat, texting with her little sister, Cherry, who’s staying the night at her friend’s place. She didn’t give her many alternatives. Cherry didn’t complain, which isn’t expected if you knew the teenager. But knowing she will stay one night away from her older sister is what made the teenager so obedient.

“You should invite ya Killian more often,” Cherry says, her mouth full of chocolate.

“Who told you I’m inviting someone?” Kayla asks.

“No one has to; you betrayed yourself, Yaya!” Cherry happily answers. “I mean, you never allow me to stay a night out of home except if I stayed at ya Killian’s home. Considering I’m at Alice’s house, it only means your beloved fiancé is coming. I’m not a kid, you know that?”

“Stop stuffing yourself with chocolate and be ready to go to bed!” Kayla orders, annoyed by her sister’s confidence. An hour’s talk is enough to exhaust her. The teenage life doesn’t do her any good. “How many times should I repeat myself?”

“Ya Killian bought them for me!” Cherry admits with an innocent voice. She always uses the trump card whenever her sister starts blaming her. “I missed sugar and needed it to focus on school.”

“I warned you to eat chocolate again only if you improve your grades. I’ll talk to Killian about this.”

“Don’t be too severe with him!” Cherry whispers, feeling guilt if Killian gets – once again – scolded because of her. “You know he can’t resist these puppy’s eyes— Alright, love you Yaya, but I have to go! ‘Night!”

“This girl!”

Kayla doesn’t have time to scold her sister when she receives a notification. She’s sure Cherry wrote a long apology to justify her rudeness of hanging up on her. But before she thought of what to reply to, she realised the notification had come from her fiancé. After reading the first three words, Kayla’s face darkens, and her rage proliferates.

“I’m sorry, but I won’t make it on time for dinner. I must review some exercises with my teacher to be on point for the upcoming assessments. I’ll text you when I’m done!

I’m sorry about that! Luv ya <3“

Kayla stays still. Her brain tries to proceed with what her fiancé wrote down, but she wonders if she really wants to. Denying reality, Kayla reads the text for a second, third, fourth, and fifth time, but it looks like a terrible dream. That’s what she’s wished for the past couple of months. Unfortunately, she can’t hide behind a curtain of lies eternally. And finally accepting the painful truth that her partner will come late again, she sighs heavily, disappointed.

Kayla looks at the table well prepared, all her efforts to create a romantic atmosphere falling apart. She isn’t in the mood to enjoy dinner alone. She doesn’t recall ever liking that. All of a sudden, she loses her appetite as well as her intention to scold Cherry. It’s been months since Killian’s odd behaviour has caught his fiancée’s attention. At first, Kayla thought it was nothing serious as she knew he studied hard, but her suspicions grew when he left the table to answer calls. They could last 3 minutes or more, after which Killian acted as if nothing happened; when Kayla asked about the caller’s identity, he always came up with a different excuse. Does she look dumb?

Get your Ultimate Guide now and learn how to complete your manga-style comic.

Despite the suspicions, Kayla tries to stay positive and says there’s nothing to worry about. After all, people around her always repeat that she tends to be overdramatic. They might be right. Lots of things are coming simultaneously, which makes her stressed even more, including the pressure at work, taking care of her two siblings and managing her wedding.

Wearing a smile, Kayla heads to the living room and thinks about watching the romantic film that won more than three prizes—The Beggar and Baker. All her friends admitted the film was a must-see, and the story was filled with emotional moments that would turn the less sensitive man into a crybaby.

“I’m not really into romantic films, but I might be surprised. Brittany isn’t into them either, but she swore The Beggar and Baker is worth watching. If I’m not wrong, she had a thing for the lead character, Karl. I guess we can’t get away with bad boys. Let’s go, The Beggar and Baker. Wash out my sorrow!”

On that note, Kayla messages Brittany, waiting for her best friend to tell her which platform to watch: The Beggar and Baker. She’s subscribed to so many online platforms—indeed all of them—that it’s impossible to remember which the desired film or series is available. As expected from Brittany, Kayla received a reply within a few seconds.

Connecting to the right platform, Kayla doesn’t have to type the film title so that it shows up as one of her recommendations. And pressing the start button, Kayla expects the film to be as fantastic as everyone claims.

Seven Days in a Worried Woman’s Life features Kayla Ilunga – one of The Sinful Child‘s main characters – worried about her fiancé‘s behaviour. The story is non-canonical and only serves to appreciate the characters in a different context. Seven Days in a Worried Woman’s Life will soon be available in novella format. Stay tuned for its releases.