"Ms. Eulalia Clearwater, where’s your family? You came alone?”Eulalia Clearwater was baffled. She was just picking up some medical reports. Why would she need an entourage?And speaking of family… did she even have one?Her mom died giving birth to her, her dad saw her as a cash cow, and her brother blamed her for their mom’s death and couldn’t stand her. As for her lover… she practically fight tooth and nail for him. She almost forgot what the word “family” meant until the doc brought it up.Eulalia snapped out of her daze and shook her head. “Just me, myself, and I.”The doctor’s brows furrowed. He adjusted his glasses, let out a heavy sigh, and handed her a stack of lab reports with a look of pity and resignation."Ms. Clearwater, I’ve got bad news. You’ve got stomach cancer, and it’s pretty far along.”He seemed to feel sorry for her, a young woman dealt such a rotten hand. He was extra gentle, like he was walking on eggshells.Eulalia felt like the wind was knocked out of her. S
When Eulalia opened her eyes again, she found herself in a hospital room, all alone. Her phone was dead, and she had no clue how long she’d been out. She glanced out the window; it was still dark as pitch outside.Eulalia got up, slipped on her shoes, and grabbed her bag. As she walked past Evadne’s room, she noticed the door was slightly ajar. She couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.Inside was Evadne, and keeping her company was her husband in name only, Percival.Evadne had that innocent look, and even the hospital’s blue and white striped gown couldn’t hide her pure and elegant aura. Her fair skin made her almond-shaped eyes shine bright. Eulalia thought, maybe it’s that innocent charm that Percival is smitten with. Compared to Evadne, Eulalia felt like a villain who breaks up lovebirds.Seeing how sweet Percival was to Evadne made Eulalia’s teeth grind with jealousy.People who didn’t know Percival would think he was naturally cold as ice. But Eulalia knew the truth; he gave all
Eulalia was dragging her feet as she made her way back. What should have been a ten-minute walk stretched into twenty. The villa was as cold as a morgue; the heating was off and the vast rooms were freezing.She kicked off her heels and stumbled into the bathroom like she was drunk. She turned on the hot water in the bathtub and filled it halfway. One moment she was holding on, and the next she collapsed into the tub like a ragdoll. The hot water spread around her silent, motionless body. Her long, red dress spread out in the water, looking like a pool of blood, making her face as pale as sheet.She closed her eyes and let her face sink into the water. The water covered her head, muffling all her senses. The brief suffocation numbed her heart. Suddenly, she couldn’t hold back and gasped, hot water rushing into her mouth, and a wave of nausea hit her like a freight train.Eulalia’s eyes, bloodshot, emerged from the water. She was sprawled over the edge of the tub, her body limp. Her st
Percival was like a walking freezer, and as he stood just inches away, Eulalia felt a chill that snapped her awake. She didn’t know where to look as his dark, menacing eyes bore into her.Suddenly, a bony finger gripped her chin, forcing her to look up. Her eyes were wide with panic."Parcy, what are you doing back here?” she stammered.“I come and go as I please. Do I need to check in with you?” Percival retorted, climbing onto the bed. He pinned her down, not giving a damn about her struggles. His grip on her wrists was merciless.He could feel her body go from relaxed to stiff as she fought back, but he had her pinned.Eulalia was freaking out. She’d never seen this side of him before. He was like a rabid wolf ready to tear her apart. The gentle and refined Percival she remembered seemed like a distant memory.In desperation, she pleaded, ”Parcy, it hurts… please…”"Eulalia, you make me sick. Your face, your body… everything about you disgusts me,” he sneered. “You don’t deserve an
“Investment project?” Eulalia’s eyebrows knitted together. She thought, if her dad, Sawyer Clearwater, really had a knack for business, grandpa wouldn’t have handed the Clearwater Corporation over to her.“Just wire me the money, I need it ASAP,” he said.Eulalia retorted, “I can give you the money, but you gotta send me the deets on this investment project first.”Sawyerwas fuming. What kind of dad gets bossed around by his daughter? He cussed her out over the phone, calling her a waste of space and saying she should’ve never been born. After a few harsh words, he played the victim card.Eulalia was used to his hot-and-cold routine. She coolly replied, “Got anything else to say? I’m swamped. If not, I’m hanging up.”“Wait, wait! I’ll show you!” Sawyer hurriedly stopped her, afraid she might change her mind and his golden goose would fly away.After hanging up, Eulalia sat by her computer. Soon enough, she received the documents from Sawyer. She forwarded them to her assistant and ask
Eulalia had been waiting for almost half an hour and still no reply from Percival. She glanced at the clock. At this hour, he’s probably snuggled up with Evadne.The blood on her hands had dried up and it felt gross. She mustered the strength to get up and washed it off in the bathroom. The cold water made her shiver to the bone.Back in her room, she grabbed a cup of hot water like a pro, popped some painkillers and cancer meds. The heavy-duty painkillers Orion gave her had some numbing stuff in them. She only took them when the pain was too much to handle; didn’t want to get hooked or mess up her nerves.She dumped all the pills into a regular bottle and tossed it in a drawer. Percival? She was so over him. What was it? A crush for 16 years, together for 6, married for 4... Big deal....It was barely dawn when Eulalia woke up. She wasn’t one to laze around in bed. She called her lawyer to draft a divorce agreement.The lawyer, Mr. Windgate, was shocked. He had questions but didn’t
Eulalia had seen Percival pissed before, but he always seemed so cold and aloof, even when he was mad. But today, he was like a raging inferno, something she never even imagined.What set him off like this? Was it because of the divorce? Or did he think she was hiding someone, cheating just like him?Percival didn’t answer. He slumped on the couch, shooting her a sideways glance. His red eyes made him look somewhat pitiful, like a rabbit.“Why bring up divorce all of a sudden?”Given his tone, anyone would think she was the one cheating and being abusive.Eulalia almost burst into laughter. She sat up, clutching her neck, “Weren’t you dying to divorce me, Percival? To be with Evadne without sneaking around? I’m giving you what you want, and you look like I just kicked your puppy.”“I asked why YOU want a divorce!” Percival raised his voice.“What else? I’m sick of this marriage, I don’t like you anymore, and I don’t want to be Evadne’s blood bank. Is that enough?” Her eyes were bloods
Eulalia’s lips were ghostly pale. After rattling off a string of words, she seemed to be running on fumes. She robotically put her clothes on."Percival, we could’ve wrapped up this marriage without a fuss, but since you’re being a pain, I guess I’ll have to slap you with a domestic abuse charge. See you in court.”Eulalia was one tough cookie. Even when she got the short end of the stick, she’d shed a tear or two and bounce back like nothing happened. Percival was stumped for the first time; he didn’t know how to deal with her.You know what they say, once bitten, twice shy.Eulalia was now bold enough to stand up to him, probably because she had the Shen family as her safety net. But without them, she’d be lower than a snake’s belly in a wagon rut.He wasn’t keen on buying out the Shen family business, but now he thought, if he could make the Shen family go belly-up, Eulalia would have to dance to his tune and be his obedient little blood bank.Percival chalked up his twisted posses