No many men could have endured what she did.When they were sophomores, Duncan confessed his feelings to her. She had been wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans—youthful and full of energy, like a ray of spring sunshine."Audrey, I like you. Can you be my girlfriend?" he said.Back then, his only thought was to win her over and be with her."I’m sorry, I..." Audrey’s face turned bright red as she lowered her head.Fearing rejection, Duncan quickly cut her off before she could finish. "Audrey, take your time. You don’t have to answer right away."For a month after that, he was on edge, constantly worried that her eventual answer would be a rejection.Then one day after class, he followed her to the library. She was trying to reach for a poetry book on a shelf that was too high for her. She stood on her tiptoes and tried several times but couldn’t get it. In her effort, she accidentally knocked over the entire shelf of books.Duncan rushed over and held her tightly in his arms
As Duncan stepped out of the house, he realized he'd forgotten his phone. Desperate, he approached a store assistant at the supermarket and asked to borrow her phone. The elderly woman, seeing his youthful face contrasted with his snow-white hair, teared up."Son, don't worry, take my phone and make your call," she said gently.Duncan dialed Audrey's number, but it came up as an invalid number. Frustrated, he tried dialing again, changing a few digits, convinced that he had simply remembered it incorrectly.This time, the phone connected, but a man's voice answered, informing him that he'd dialed the wrong number.Panic gripped him, and Duncan started pacing in circles, unsure of what to do next. At that moment, a woman approached him."Excuse me, sir, could you please step aside?" Her voice was soft and pleasant, and as Duncan turned to look at her, his heart nearly stopped—she looked exactly like his Audrey.Overcome with emotion, Duncan pulled her into his arms, tears of joy s
That night, Duncan led Lucy upstairs, and she willingly followed. After spending the day with him, Lucy felt as though she had hit the jackpot. Despite Duncan's prematurely white hair, it did not detract from his good looks. In fact, she couldn't think of a single man in the city who could match Duncan's combination of handsomeness and wealth.Audrey had been truly lucky. To have Duncan's love, even in death, was more than anyone could ask for.As Lucy lay beside Duncan, she listened to him recount memories of a past she didn't know. Duncan had completely convinced himself that she was Audrey.Lucy had seen photos of Audrey before. They did look somewhat alike, but Audrey possessed a beauty that was both elegant and playful—an intriguing contradiction that was undeniably stunning. Lucy knew she couldn't compete with Audrey's natural grace, but she also knew how to play her cards right.If possible, Lucy hoped this man would never wake up from his delusion. If she could stay in Audr
Duncan wanted to imprint her image deep into his mind, as if afraid he might one day forget her. Lucy felt his gaze and fluttered her eyelashes as she woke up. She wrapped her arms around Duncan's neck and planted a kiss on his lips. "Up so early?""Yeah," Duncan smiled warmly and playfully pinched her cheek. "Go wash up. I made something delicious for you.""Alright, I'll go freshen up," Lucy pouted playfully as she got up.As Duncan watched Lucy head to the bathroom, his expression darkened. Audrey seemed… different somehow. But he couldn't quite pinpoint what had changed.When Duncan went downstairs, he found Seamus sitting on the couch. "Dad, you're up early. What's going on?"Seamus studied his son carefully. He noticed a shift in Duncan—something had changed. The overwhelming sadness that used to cling to him like a shadow seemed to have lifted. There was life in his son's eyes again.This was a good sign."Duncan, it's time for you to get back to work. The company can't r
"Audrey, come here. I have something to discuss with you." Seamus's face was calm, showing no trace of anger. In fact, there was a gentle, almost pleading smile on his lips.Lucy had no choice but to steel herself and walk over. Seamus headed toward the door, clearly wanting to talk away from Duncan.But Duncan grabbed Lucy's hand. "Audrey," he called, his voice trembling. His hand shook slightly—he was afraid. He didn't even trust his own father to be alone with her.Lucy smiled at him, trying to reassure him. "It's okay. I'll be right back."Duncan hesitated but finally released her hand, though his gaze remained fixed on her, as if terrified she would vanish the moment he blinked.Outside, Seamus had already been waiting for a moment. Although he hadn’t spent his life in the cutthroat world of business, he was a man in his fifties, and it was easy for him to see through Lucy's intentions. He knew she wanted something from Duncan. But for now, as long as she could make his son f
"When we were in high school, we were lucky enough to be placed in the same class. One time, the class organized a hiking trip, and someone suggested we climb a mountain. About seven or eight of us decided to go. We ended up walking quite far without realizing it, and eventually, we got lost. As the sun began to set, some of the girls started crying in fear. But you—it was remarkable—you didn’t cry. You calmly suggested that we follow the North Star, and your composure in that moment put us boys to shame. By the next morning, we found our way back to school. All the parents had shown up, crying with relief as they embraced their kids. But you stood alone in the corner, with no one to comfort you. It was then I realized that your strength, your calmness, your ability to face challenges without flinching—was the very thing that made you so heart-wrenchingly fragile. You had no parents, just your aunt and uncle who raised you. You understood that you were different from the other ki
Audrey had forgotten that he was allergic to eggs.She had also forgotten that he never drank milk.A bitter smile appeared on Duncan's face. Was this a sign that her illness had worsened? Her memory was beginning to fade. Soon, Audrey might forget all the little things he loved, and eventually, she might even forget him.Meanwhile, Lucy continued eating her breakfast without a care, reminding Duncan to eat as well.After they finished breakfast, Duncan finally mentioned taking Lucy to the doctor. Lucy had thought she might get through the day without him bringing it up, but there it was—unavoidable.She couldn’t escape it. All she could do now was face it.Pushing her empty plate toward Duncan, Lucy said cheerfully, "Duncan, look, I finished everything! I can eat, drink, and sleep just fine. I’m all better. I don’t need to go to the hospital."Duncan pushed the plate aside, his eyes fixed on her. Her face did look healthy, but her memory was slipping. That was why he had to tak
Peter, even after being kicked, wasn't angry. Instead, he grinned slyly and said, "Fine, if you don't want to give me the money, I'll go tell him that Lucy Clark is an escort and has been far from innocent for a long time. Let's see if he'll still want you after that."Lucy was so furious she almost strangled Peter. She had met him through her line of work, and Peter had known all along what she did for a living. He also knew that she had stayed with him because she thought he had money. What she hadn't realized at the time was that Peter not only didn't have any money but was also in deep debt.Peter used this to blackmail her, saying that if she didn't give him money, he would tell everyone, including her family, about her work. Left with no other choice, Lucy had given in.But she hadn't expected Peter to demand half a million dollars today.She didn't have that kind of money, and she certainly couldn't ask Duncan for it right away—he would get suspicious.Seeing Lucy's trouble