The Secret (Watty Award Winner) | ✔️

Six - Ms. Wilson

Ch6 - Enid Wilson

Enid Wilson was a very strong and capable woman. She'd had no choice. Charles, her loving husband of nearly fifteen years, had run off suddenly with his floozy of a mistress, leaving Enid to raise a rambunctious teenage boy on her own.

She was neither expecting the separation, nor prepared for it. Why would she be? She had foolishly believed they were happily married.

By the grace of God, she had ended up with The Ivy House in the divorce settlement. It had originally been their dream to run the small bed & breakfast together, or so she had thought. It was the only establishment of it's kind in the area, and business was always booming. Thank goodness for that! Having married Charles right out of high school, Enid had forsaken a college degree in order to live out their dream - and that dream consisted of getting married and raising babies. Sadly, Charlie was her only child. After a series of miscarriages, the doctors finally revealed she would be unable to have more children.

Enid had become severely depressed after learning the heartbreaking news. All she had ever wanted growing up was to enjoy raising a big, happy family of her own. She envisioned living in a comfortable home with a white picket fence in their charming Florida town. But life doesn't always turn out the way you plan. And after many nights spent crying herself to sleep, she had finally come to a conclusion ... she could either spend her life mourning something she would never have, or she could take advantage of what she did have and enjoy it to the fullest. She decided on the latter, and preceded to make Charlie her whole world.

When her beloved Charles left the picture, he never looked back. Just as well. Once a cheat always a cheat, she had been known to say. Still, she worried she wouldn't be enough parent for young Charlie. A boy needed his father, after all. However, she had to admit, in spite of herself, she'd done a pretty good job.

Charlie was her pride and joy. After suffering through the typical turbulent, early teenage years, he had grown into a good man. Handsome, strong, responsible and caring. What more could a mother ask for? He had become the man of the house at an early age, and without too much complaint, had stepped up to the plate.

After graduating from high school, he had made his mother proud by winning a football scholarship to Florida State University. He enrolled in the FSU School of Architecture, and had graduated top of his class. Upon receiving his degree, he followed his college sweetheart to Atlanta and promptly married her.

Enid smiled at the memory of beautiful, soft spoken Emily. She was such a sweet girl, and she absolutely adored Charlie - you could see it in her eyes. Graduating from FSU with an education degree, she accepted a job as a kindergarten teacher in Georgia and began working that fall. Emily and Charlie had married the following year at Emily's parents home just outside of Atlanta, and spent their first two years of matrimony in wedded bliss.

Life can be so cruel, Enid thought, shaking her head sadly. She vividly remembered receiving the late night phone call from a distraught Charlie, informing her of the unexpected news.

He quit his job at a large architectural firm soon thereafter and moved from Georgia back to Florida to be closer to his mother. Working for himself as a handyman - and using his savings to purchase a few rental properties - he was doing extremely well, even though he was no longer putting his college degree to use.

Whatever makes him happy, Enid thought ruefully. She knew her son was still hurting, and nearly two years later it was obvious he had not moved on. She didn't even think he had dated. There had been plenty of nights she lay awake worrying about her only child. Just one look into his pensive eyes and you could tell he was a tortured soul.

She recognized that same look in her new house guest.

Yes, the mysterious Talia's blue eyes revealed an afflicted past, as well. She was running away from something, or someone, there was no doubt in her mind. The trouble with running is that your past normally catches up to you.

Enid sighed heavily and went about cleaning the kitchen. Dinnertime always produced the biggest mess at her cozy inn, but she didn't mind. Running The Ivy House was a great joy, albeit a lot of work, but she wouldn't trade it for the world. Reluctantly, she realized that the time was drawing closer for her to find someone to help manage the B&B. It was getting to be a little too much for her to handle on her own, but her own stubborn pride had prevented her from admitting it out loud. Charlie was much too busy with his own affairs for her to trouble him with her business, which presented a dilemma of sorts for her. She would have to venture outside of the family to find the assistance she needed.

Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine, forcing her to wrap her lightweight sweater closer around her body. She walked across the kitchen and closed the window. There was something in the air tonight that didn't feel right, almost unsettling.

You know what they say about a midsummer's chill. It means danger is near, Enid thought to herself, and then chuckled. Silly as it was, she had always been a superstitious person.

You've been watching too many Alfred Hitchcock movies, Enid Wilson!

She hung her towel to dry and turned off the kitchen light, leaving the room in total darkness.

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I want to thank you for reading The Secret! I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about Charlie and Mrs. Wilson. Please remember to vote or comment if you liked this chapter!

I am dedicating this chapter to my friend, @Azullily. She is a talented writer new to Wattpad. Unfortunately, she has had to take a break before she's even had a chance to become acquainted with this site to deal with some medical issues. I wish her the very best and want to thank her for all of her help!