Chris' POVI finally arrived at Nicole's grave, which I visited for the first time. Eight years ago, I wasn't present when her funeral was held, but I knew the location of her grave from the invitation that the Martinez Family had distributed to some influential families and my family as their son-in-law.I looked at the tomb in front of me and noticed its unworthy state. "The tomb is so unkempt."I could see that there were a lot of weeds around the grave, and the wooden carving for the head of the grave was already looking weathered and starting to crumble. The name Nicole Martinez that was written there was already starting to fade—not at all what it looked like in the first news report.Now, dried flower stalks are seen mixed with fallen leaves, never cleaned up since who knows when with so much organic waste piled up on the grave. The stones around the grave are also mossy and almost fused with the ground.After seeing this and thinking about the woman and her family while she wa
Chris's POVI didn't want to go with Adeline when I went to my mom's house, but I couldn't possibly let her go alone when she had shown up at the office and was with me all day without making any trouble.That woman just stayed in my room and looked at her cell phone while I worked, not saying a word when I asked her to be quiet and obediently waiting in the office while I was in a meeting. I didn't get any chaos reports from the guard staff, so that woman actually kept her promise not to make trouble."Shall we go?" The woman buckled her seat belt after we entered my car, smiling at me, but I didn't answer and just went straight for it.I didn't know what my mother was planning to do by taking us out to dinner without anything in particular that I could figure out. Today wasn't a birthday, wedding anniversary, or anything else that I wouldn't normally pay special attention to.It was Evan who told me indirectly about his suspicions by questioning me, but I didn't answer either becaus
Adeline's POVI stopped crying when I heard Chris's words about considering our divorce. I couldn't let that happen and pretended to be confused, not understanding his obvious words."What do you mean, Chris?" I asked, wiping my tears with the nearest cloth and looking up at him. "You know that divorce is out of the question in our long marriage."I didn't know what Nova would do to get her son to willingly follow her wishes, but I knew that the relationship between the two of them wasn't very good either. Not much different from me, the man who had been my husband for eight years had always been cold to his mother.Persuading Nova was not the way to go for this matter, but Chris had always been the main decision-maker in our marital relationship. He wouldn't do anything against his will.As a result of the marriage not being what I had imagined it to be, I came to know some of Chris's attitudes that became more obvious as we lived together. It was much better when I didn't know him a
Adeline's POVI've been feeling terrible for the past few days. I never got out of my room and just spent the day drinking to the limit of what I could handle. I didn't want to go out and look my best as usual, only to be ignored by Chris.You see, it's been more than two days since I've left my room, but he hasn't even bothered to find out how I'm feeling. I had already finished more than three bottles of wine by myself, and my stomach was filled with nothing but last night's dinner.I tried not to think about the worst possibilities that Nova talked about and how he looked at me when discussing the divorce, but they kept coming up unbidden. They seemed to be a nightmare that haunted me into this state of restlessness."I told you, leave me alone!" I cried out in anger when a servant attempted to take away the wine glass I was using, and it ended up shattering when I failed to hold it properly.The servant looked scared when she saw my angry gaze and accepted my slap. I vented my fru
Adeline's POVI just want to have fun tonight. Although the party was held in a nightclub, this club was different from the cheap clubs scattered around the city. Not just anyone could enter and participate in this party except an official member or trusted acquaintance of the guest.All of the guests were not random people but people who took influential places in conglomerate families, companies, and even a city without employment ties and were already at the stage of high society whose level was no longer playing games.I don't think Nicole is fit to attend this party at all. "She shouldn't be here," I grumbled under my breath, glaring at the woman who was confidently standing next to the leader of our socialite group.That woman should be somewhere else, a place where no one would hear her presence and would have absolutely no effect. Besides, this place was not at all suitable for her, who was in the lower class, like when she was a servant in the Martinez Family's house.Nicole,
Adeline's POVI immediately hugged myself, making sure to get my arms around my dress, which had already separated from the straps around my shoulders, revealing my bra and stomach so that I might as well expose myself in front of the other women.Feelings of embarrassment and shock all rolled into one. I had no idea what I was in for. I hadn't even done anything but stand up from my seat. There were no sharp objects around me, which was the main cause of my dress ending up like this when it was fine before.In my moment of confusion, I could see Nicole grinning at me. My thoughts stopped for an instant, then turned to anger at knowing what was really happening to me. All of this must be the work of that woman who somehow managed to take the first step to humiliate me."Are you alright, Adeline? How did your dress end up like this?" The woman who invited me to the party asked, looking concerned about the sorry state of my dress. I couldn't even let go of the handle of my dress if I di
Nicole's POVI became more relaxed after Adeline left the party. I could see her going in a hurry while clutching her ruined dress without any company, and I felt a smile that had not completely disappeared from my lips.Although it was a minor accident, I was glad that she experienced such an unexpected situation after humiliating me. I could remember her surprised expression that quickly turned into anger when she saw me smiling. Still, after that, I deliberately ignored her because other people were more important than her."What are you looking at, Nicole?" Selena asked, touching my arm lightly to get my attention. "I've called you several times, but it seems like you couldn't hear me earlier."I blinked my eyes, not remembering when she called out to me. "Really? Sorry, Selena, I had something on my mind.""It's alright. Ah, this is Mrs. Pamela. She's my uncle's wife." Selena introduced me to a middle-aged woman who still looked beautiful. We greeted each other and then exchanged
Nicole's POVBright morning, I got ready in my room and quickly walked towards my son's room to wake him up. We had some things to do together, so she had to get ready to leave as well.In the room, Richard still looked asleep. I walked slowly and opened the curtains on his bedroom window so that the morning sun immediately touched my son's face, who was now frowning with his eyes still closed. I tapped him lightly on the shoulder to keep him from falling back asleep."Come on, wake up, son," I said softly, making my son open his eyes slowly and blink before I blocked his face from the sunlight momentarily.Richard squirmed and stretched his body on the bed. He looked at me with a still sleepy look but also sweet as he spoke. "Mom, good morning.""Good morning to you too, Richard." I smiled as I watched him shift to sit on his bed while my hand reached out to smooth the back of my son's slightly messy hair. "I got a wonderful gift from you last night. Thank you."My son, who had looke
Catherine's POVAfter receiving the gift from Edwin, I was now only with Benny and his personal driver driving. The man sat down with me and then noticed something was different about my attitude.He rested his chin on one of my hands, which was still clasped tightly. "What are you holding on to? You didn't let go at all....""This." I showed him the bracelet.His eyes look wide. "Isn't that the jewelry you saw earlier? I thought you didn't buy it.""I didn't buy it."Considering Benny was also aware of what I was doing while looking at the jewelry, perhaps my liking for this bracelet was too obvious.My gaze was fixed on the bracelet, and I thought about how the man who had left the festival first had unhesitatingly bought me this jewelry and given it to me without anyone knowing. I don't know what that man was thinking when he bought me this, but the pounding of my heart was starting to feel too clear in my chest.The car stopped. I blinked, realizing that I had arrived in front of
Catherine's POV"Thank you for buying me a drink, Duncan." I smiled, accepting the glass with a lid made of solid cardboard from his hand, and I immediately held the glass with both hands.He just nodded and passed the other glass to Benny.I took a sip of the relatively warm drink. It turned out to be a delicious chocolate drink. I felt relieved and happy. My legs even wiggled without me fully realizing it.Night had almost fallen, so it was starting to get cold. I remembered the embarrassing incident a few days ago when my skirt got caught, but in the end, the man came back to help me by giving me a warm drink after we had walked quite a distance.A loud snort was heard from Benny. "Why are you buying me a fruity and cold drink? I also want a warm chocolate drink like you guys." He protested.I looked at the two men who stood facing each other with glasses in their hands. Still, a noticeable smoke could be seen from Benny's slightly open mouth, probably the effect of the drink he ha
Catherine's POVI was mesmerized by the festival atmosphere surrounding me. I've always liked things like this: simple and fun stuff without having to always care about manners or conversations that are always serious and filled with business or politics.Many booths were arranged according to their types, ranging from games, shops selling various things, and other equally entertaining booths. My gaze stopped at one of the nearby stands for jewelry of sale.My steps halted when I arrived in front of it. I looked at the various kinds of jewelry displayed and touched a few that I wanted to take a closer look at. They all looked pretty, but I didn't really want to buy them either; I just wanted to look around.I didn't have much jewelry, but my mother added to it according to my needs, so I didn't feel the need to do the same.A person who seemed to be the salesgirl watched me without saying much but then said to me after a while."Don't you intend to buy the jewelry, Miss? I think the b
Catherine's POVI was always with Benny and Edwin. I felt happy because I was finally able to make a new friend again, and it was a guy I initially thought was quiet and cold.At first, Benny and Edwin always argued for whatever reason, but in the end, they always accompanied me wherever I went. We were like a unique combination, from three different majors and different personalities.I heard rumors about us hanging out, going to our respective classes or the cafeteria."Look, she can get two handsome guys simultaneously," whispered one of the students.His friend replied. "She's so lucky. I never even managed to get close to Edwin Duncan....""She's luckier because she's close to Benny Thompson. That guy is really nice and friendly."They said that and then talked about one of the guys I was with, who was probably my boyfriend.One of them spoke up again. "Isn't that obvious? His girlfriend must be Benny. They've been in a relationship for a long time.""Hm, I agree."There were som
Catherine's POVI still felt uncomfortable walking on campus. Aside from my aching feet, my father's words before I was allowed to leave for the campus with our family's private driver also bothered me.I was happy with my friendship with Edwin and my friendship with Benny, which lasted longer than that. Both of them were friends to me, but my father always made our relationship seem like a transaction, trying to talk to them for the benefit of our family.He said that each of them would greatly help me prove myself in the Varma Family. Our relationship would make me valuable and not the only useless woman in our family, while all the things I had done before were meaningless in my father's eyes.I felt annoyed that my father shouldn't be behaving like that towards me, but also unable to do anything to stop it. As Edwin said, I was still not strong and had to extricate myself with the help of the allies that had just started from the man himself.My sigh escaped on its own, but after
Catherine's POVI had come out of the toilet and looked around the party room for Edwin and Benny, but they were nowhere to be seen.I could find my father easily, still chatting with some important people intimately, but the two men were nowhere to be seen. It was as if they had disappeared or were hiding very well so as not to be found by me.I recalled Benny's face, which didn't look too good before they left together, curling my lip and mumbling, "What is that guy going to do? That's not what I'm thinking about, is it?"Before going to the restroom, I heard the man wanted to talk to Edwin, but I wasn't sure. I'm currently feeling uncomfortable as I'm still searching for them among the crowd. That man might have misunderstood my relationship with Edwin.He was a very close friend, a really good friend who had been with me for so long that we were like brothers, but he didn't feel that way. He liked me, and I always pushed him away so our friendship wouldn't end.He always helped an
Benny's POVI faced Edwin. We were now on the veranda where I had previously seen him and Catherine take turns appearing.I don't know when they got this close. Still, I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw them enter the party room from the same veranda and then talk to the woman's father as usual.The man spoke to me first, bringing me back to reality. "What's wrong? Is there a business matter you want to talk about?"I looked at the man, knowing that he was asking me about our conversation when we first met. I also remembered that my father knew about it first, about Edwin attending the same university I was going to with Catherine.My father and that man's family had an inter-company partnership. I don't know when exactly such a thing happened, but it seemed quite a while ago from what my father said about the man I knew even by name."You must respect Edwin Duncan, Benny, " my father said. You're the same age, but his achievements are countless over the past few years, not to
Catherine's POVEdwin was still next to me. He exhaled while his face looked unfriendly and cold as usual. Still, even with all that, the man did not immediately deny my words aloud or dismiss them with ridicule.He didn't look at me but clearly spoke to me when he finally opened his mouth and spoke with his friend. "So you consider me an ally."I nodded.All this time, I had only thought of him as an annoying guy. He knows his position well and sometimes puts obvious boundaries on others. I didn't think he could make himself any friendlier than the people at the party or the students on campus, but he wasn't as cold as I thought.He had done me a favour, and I also felt quite comfortable when talking to the man who was always straightforward. Nothing felt fake in our friendship, which he had yet to fully acknowledge, so I felt he could be my ally."I feel that we are getting closer. So, Duncan, if there's anything I need, you should do me a favour." I smiled. "Whatever it is."The ma
Catherine's POVI was at the party. This party was tedious, like the official high society events I'd been attending. I felt uncomfortable among many people I didn't know well. Still, everyone who greeted me acted as if we had known each other for a long time.I knew they were just acting politely, following every action everyone in high society should follow. Still, I also felt that their actions were fake. I never knew what they talked about other than greeting me because I belonged to something other than the inner circle of the supposed upper class.My father might know, but I also had no interest and chose to remain in the outer circle that could only see whatever could be seen.I held my wrist as I exhaled. No one else had any intention of greeting me again, and neither did I. I already felt bloated from drinking wine in between events, so I didn't know what else to do while waiting for the event to end.My gaze shifted, spotting one of the empty verandas and finally heading the