Emery and Benitto, who had just arrived at the shop, had questioning looks on their faces when they saw the three female waitresses trying to calm the crying Amelie. Emery immediately approached them, concerned that Amelie had been harassed by men since working at her father's shop. "What happened to her?" asked Emery with a questioning and worried look. Benitto's arrival behind his daughter drew Julie and Anne's attention to give a reckoning to the shopkeeper, who had made their friend cry. "Mr. Jonathan Hayes has made her this way, sir," Julie said without Benitto asking. The man looked around with a frown on his forehead. Was it true that the son of a prominent Auckland figure who had recently become an informant on his wife's death had come to his humble shop?Benitto's gaze stopped as he caught sight of the figure the waitress had told him about. "You should try asking him what he's up to, Father; I'm worried about him bothering Amelie." A look of panic was evident on the f
Dusk was falling, the day would soon change, and the darkness of night would soon take over. At the end of his working hours, Gideon did what he secretly did without Amelie's knowledge, watching her leave the shop and stalking her on her way home to make sure she was okay when she arrived.It had been a habit ever since Amelie asked him not to appear in front of her anymore. Gideon started the engine of the red Mustang he had borrowed from a friend, as it would make Amelie suspicious if he used her car. She and Axel were very familiar with his car. The man drove the car at a low speed, matching the speed of Amelie and Axel, who were on foot. But surprisingly, a black shapphire metallic car suddenly approached Amelie and Axel. Gideon frowned. Who was the person driving the car in front? But Amelie seemed to respond with a cold look on her face. Is someone trying to get back at her?Amelie leered with a questioning look as a car approached her. Feeling a little suspicious, she raised
Jonathan rushed out of the crowd as soon as he saw that Amelie and Axel were no longer there. The man approached his car at a slight jog while looking around but did not find Amelie and her son among the pedestrians there. Wasting no time, the man got in and slammed the car door. He started the engine and hit the gas pedal at 40. His two blue beads did not stop combing the streets he traveled. He felt a sigh of disappointment when he arrived at an intersection. Amelie was nowhere to be found. The sound of other vehicles honking annoyed Jonathan as it interrupted his concentration on whether to turn right or left. "Shit!" he swore as he looked back through the rearview mirror. A man stopped his car right behind Jonathan's, poking his head out of the window."Hey, man, you're in my way." The man gave him a middle finger, which instantly annoyed Jonathan."Save your energy, Jo; you have important things to take care of! You'd better turn left," Jonathan monologued as he convinced him
That afternoon, Axel, who was in a group of other students, smiled broadly. Axel was unusually cheerful today. "Hey, Axel, throughout the lesson, I saw you keep smiling. You even followed the lesson happily," asked Lolita, who was walking on Axel's left. Nora, who had similar thoughts with Lolita, nodded in confirmation. "Yes, what Lolita said is true. You've been smiling all day. Look over there," Nora pointed to a spot where Amelie usually stood, waiting for Axel to get out of class. "Usually you'd be sad when your mom hadn't come to pick you up." "That's true. But this time, my dad picked me up." Axel replied proudly. Nora and the other kids were stunned and looked at each other. "Really?" asked Nora with a look of disbelief. "Yes, it is." Axel nodded in agreement. The children who were in the same group as Axel looked around for the male entity Axel was referring to, but they felt familiar with the faces they encountered."Which one is your father?" asked Nora impatiently.
How does it feel to survive in the shadow of regret? Can you still feel peace when the bitterness of regret seems to suffocate you and force you to end the day right then and there? Jonathan was stunned, with both hands in his pants pockets. His eyes gazed at the view of Auckland from the top of the company building. The weather was a little hot, and the sun was shining brightly enough to make him dazzle. He almost closed his eyes, but he was reluctant to go into his room. He needed time to be alone at the moment.An elderly man walked up to Jonathan with a proud smile on his face. He didn't think the decision to give Jonathan leave was the right one. The proof was that Jonathan was in better shape and as productive as ever."I'm proud of the walking target you achieved this month, Jo. I didn't expect you to rise so quickly." with both hands in his pants pockets, Edmund said. Staring straight at the young man, who did not even turn to look at him,."No need to overdo it, Father; it's
Sometimes, silence comes without the intention of torture. Silence comes to teach you that you have to savor every moment of togetherness before it brings regret for the moments of togetherness that you have neglected. Jonathan sat back in his oversized chair. The day seemed passionless. The man twirled the chair he was sitting in lazily; all the wheels on the chair's legs seemed to swing to give him comfort, obeying where the man's legs pushed them to roll.A month had passed by by the time Jonathan returned to Auckland. Not a single word had come from Axel and Amelie. He stared at the black phone screen on the table and reached for it. Not a single notification had come in, as if the silence was laughing at him. Jonathan opened the lock screen on his smartphone and searched for Amelie's name in the contacts. The man's thumb stopped scrolling when it came to Amelie's name. He wanted to call the number, but his heartbeat seemed to prevent him from having the courage to make a phone
"So, what are you going to do after this?" Marie asked while looking straight at Jonathan. He looked much calmer than when they first met. "I'll try to win she back, Gran." Jonathan's hands twisted together on his lap. "After winning my granddaughter's heart, what will you do if one day a much more beautiful woman comes to you?" Marie's eyelids, full of age wrinkles, narrowed, staring intently at the man in front of her as if interrogating. "I promise I will ignore that woman. Parting with Amelie made me lose half my life." hyperbole in Jonathan's parable. "If I knew she would fight that hard and choose to keep our child, maybe I would have chosen to go with her from the beginning. Regardless of my mother's decision not to consider me as her child after that," "Even if you live in hardship with Amelie after that? What if you were living on the streets after that?""Yes. It's much better than losing her and Axel." Jonathan replied without hesitation. His earnestness was so visible
Amelie woke up and was surprised to find that her body position had changed. Amelie and Jonathan had their arms around each other. She immediately threw off Jonathan's burly arms that were hugging her body. "How can you hug me that easily? You pervert," Amelie grumbled as she walked to the toilet. The sound of the water tap and the cold temperature of the water touching her skin instantly brought her full consciousness back. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Amelie patted her face and instantly groaned as the pats stung."Aw!" The pain she felt made her realize that the night she had spent with Jonathan was not a dream; it was a reality. Even the slap on her cheek left a red mark. Amelie's eyes were closed, with both hands supporting her body on the edge of the sink. A question that niggled at her heart arose. Was meeting Jonathan again a destiny?Amelie sighed as she walked back to her room. But when she arrived at the door, she heard Jonathan talking to someone on the
Amelie's heart didn't stop beating when the morning came. She barely even slept last night, images of the thrilling moment running through her head. She was going to be a bride that day."Oh my, Miss, your hands are so cold," said the MUA, who had just shaken Amelie's hand to congratulate her on the upcoming wedding. There was nothing Amélie could do but smile blandly. She was so nervous that she was about to say her vows to Jonathan in front of the audience. "Ah, I'm just nervous." Amelie replied while squeezing the white dress she was wearing. "Hahaha, I know how that feels. I also experienced the same thing with you when the seconds of my wedding began," Linda recalled while putting the makeup equipment that was no longer in use into the makeup bag. "Believe me, it's only at the beginning. Once the vows are done, your heart will feel so relieved. You'll even cry tears of joy afterward." Linda nodded confidently; she too had experienced being in the position of the woman she had
The night was getting late. The night breeze was so cold that the thick blanket covering her body couldn't beat the chill of the night air, waking Irene up to check the heating.Irene's eyes blinked several times when she found the bed next to her empty without Robert, so the brunette woman walked out to find out where her husband was. When the door opened, Irene squinted to find her husband sitting on the steps of the servants' quarters terrace with his face turned up to the sky, leaning against a pillar made of natural stone with a melancholy look.Slowly, the woman walked over."Robert?" she called in a soft tone typical of a woman that instantly made the owner of the name turn his head. "Why are you outside? Is it cold, darling?" Irene touched her husband's shoulder and took a seat next to Robert, enduring the cold night air to keep the man she loved so much company."Irene, why are you awake?" asked Robert in a flat tone, masking the disappointment that was currently enveloping
Jonathan walked back to his room with a smile on his face. It made a few pairs of eyes look at him with a quizzical look, but they soon settled into their usual expressions when they bumped into Jonathan. When he walked into his office, a girl was already sitting there waiting for him. "I see you're happy today, sir," Krista Valerie said, smacking her lips as she watched him walk into the room. "Not just being; I'm very, very happy today." Jonathan sat down in his oversized chair. Not wanting to find out more about her superior's happy feelings, the girl cleared her throat and asked why she had been summoned to come to the room of the man who kept smiling like a mental patient. "Excuse me, sir, what need did you call me here?" Not immediately responding to his secretary's question, the man took a few folders from the pile of documents and handed them to the pretty girl."I will be leaving. During my absence, please take care of this work." With her eyebrows knitted, the girl sl
Amelie felt weak after seeing three pregnancy test kits showing the same result, with two red lines lined up. She didn't know what to do now. Was telling Jonathan about her pregnancy the right choice? She was so worried that the same thing would happen again. Jonathan would tell his family, and Theresia would ask her to abort the innocent fetus that Jonathan had planted in her womb. Instantly, the tears that had been receding fell down her cheeks. She would not be able to repeat the same story, bearing the pregnancy alone and raising the baby alone. Truly, it was a heavy responsibility. Amelie's reverie was interrupted by a knock on the door from outside. She quickly wiped away the tears until there were none left. Although her puffy face could not be hidden at all,. "Amelie, open the door." Marie anxiously knocked on the door and turned the knob repeatedly. Since her return from work, Amelie hasn't come out of her room; even now, the door is locked. Marie was worried that somethi
Amelie blinked as sleepiness still lingered in her eyes. She had to get up to get ready for work and take Axel to school, but her body seemed reluctant to get up, as if it were stuck to the bed she was currently on. She closed her eyes for a moment to remember what she had been feeling lately. Amelie had not been feeling well lately. Headaches often came and went, and her breasts were pain. Her sense of smell had become sensitive. Amelie's eyebrows knitted together, and then she got up from the bed with a little haste and grabbed the cell phone on the nightstand to open the period app and see when her last period was. For some reason, when she was about to open the period app on her phone, her heart suddenly started pounding. It was as if she was already sure that the answer she got was something that would disappoint her and shake her sanity. The woman, who was still wrapped in navy pajamas, then took a deep breath before finally exhaling slowly. "Calm down, Amelie, calm down. Ev
The sun is inching its way to the sunset, leaving an orange color on the horizon. The shop began to be quiet from visitors; one by one, among Demiurge visitors, they began to leave the shop after finishing with the activity of filling the stomach. Amelie wiped the table with a cloth as a closing activity in the tavern in the late afternoon. At the same time, Emery, who had just come out of Benitto's room, approached the woman with a rag, doing the same activity next to the table that Amelie was cleaning. Emery cleared her throat to make Amelie realize her presence. Instantly, the elegant woman turned her head and greeted Emery with a friendly face."Hey," greeted Amelie, who then returned her gaze to the shiny table, where she could see the reflection of her face on the lacquered table. Emery couldn't help but be curious about her best friend's encounter with the man Axel had told her about this afternoon."Sorry, Amelie, I hope you won't be offended if I ask." Emery said, which ma
Amelie's heart skipped a beat as she pulled back the blanket covering her body. Not a single piece of clothing clung to her body. She hurriedly cleaned herself up after her struggle with Jonathan last night.Under the shower that splashed her body with water, Amelie closed her eyes. She recalled the events of last night and cursed herself for easily letting Jonathan enjoy her body. 'Stupid, stupid Amelie, what if he leaves you again after this? Why didn't I ask him to wear protection last night?' Amelie's mind began to worry. Her hands slowly squeezed her wet hair until the pain of the tugging was felt.She shook her head, trying to dismiss all possibilities and prejudices against Jonathan. But the more she tried to dismiss them, the more brutally those prejudices attacked her head. ....................."Amelie, are you up early?" Jonathan blinked his eyes as he found Amelie just coming out of the bathroom with wet hair. The time was 04:35. Why was she taking a shower this early?
It was a very happy day for Axel. He could spend the weekend with his parents in the places he loved, something that had always been a dream of his since he often questioned his father's whereabouts."Dad, do you know? Today I'm so happy to be able to go on an excursion with my parents." Axel muttered on the way home. A moment after that, Axel yawned, and slowly his eyes closed.Jonathan stroked Axel's head as he sat on Amelie's lap, with one hand on the steering wheel. "I'm very happy too, sweetheart. We can have a three-day weekend after such a long day." Amelie smiled. She silently agreed that she felt the same way."He's asleep, Jo," Amelie whispered as she stroked Axel's head. The hair she was holding had grown longer; as Amelie recalled, it was only two months ago that she took Axel to the barbershop.The wheels continued to roll, and as Amelie looked out the window, she realized that it wasn't the way home. She refrained from asking; perhaps Jonathan wanted to buy something b
Amelie woke up and was surprised to find that her body position had changed. Amelie and Jonathan had their arms around each other. She immediately threw off Jonathan's burly arms that were hugging her body. "How can you hug me that easily? You pervert," Amelie grumbled as she walked to the toilet. The sound of the water tap and the cold temperature of the water touching her skin instantly brought her full consciousness back. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Amelie patted her face and instantly groaned as the pats stung."Aw!" The pain she felt made her realize that the night she had spent with Jonathan was not a dream; it was a reality. Even the slap on her cheek left a red mark. Amelie's eyes were closed, with both hands supporting her body on the edge of the sink. A question that niggled at her heart arose. Was meeting Jonathan again a destiny?Amelie sighed as she walked back to her room. But when she arrived at the door, she heard Jonathan talking to someone on the