“What was I thinking, huh?”
“Y-you heard me say something in front of the mirror?”
"What did you just say? I just got a call from Brenda. Mr. Angelo’s class is canceled today because Mr. Angelo is sick. We are free today because Mr. Angelo didn't give us a task. We're going to have fun, Shanon!” Sarah shook her shoulders hard and made Shanon even more nauseous.
Shanon then pushed Sarah away and tried to calm her heart, which was beating very fast in her chest cavity.
“O-oh, I'm sorry, Shanon. I was just too excited about the great news. Let's go to the cafeteria and get something for your stomach.”
"I didn't have breakfast this morning."
"You're vomiting because you haven't had breakfast. Come on, I'll take you to the cafeteria."
Sarah dragged her out of the bathroom excitedly. Shanon just resigned herself to following Sarah's very fast footsteps. They walked past the basketball court an
"Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you inside?"“Nope. Thank you for worrying about me, but I'm fine. See you tomorrow on campus."Shanon waved gently at Sarah and got out of her car. She walked straight towards the glass door, which opened automatically as she approached. The smell of carbolic acid and sterile objects greeted her. Shanon had to get used to everything about the hospital while Avery was still lying in a coma in her treatment room."Excuse me, I want to pay Avery Wilson's bill.""Okay, wait a minute. I'll print the receipt."She clutched Anthony's black credit card tightly in her hand. That would be her first payment with Anthony's credit card. She would try to be frugal with other expenses and use her savings for personal needs. He wouldn't make Anthony suspicious about his credit card bill, which kept increasing every month."Your card, Ms?"“Here.”The administrative officer d
Shanon propped her chin up in front of her bedroom window boredly. She had been sitting there for hours, playing with her wedding ring. The weekend was a boring day. Especially after she married Anthony. There were no fun things she could do. She had finished doing all her homework on Friday. She had also cleaned the house. And a house that big never really had a very dirty room. She only needed to clean the kitchen after cooking, sweep dry leaves in the yard, mop every three days, mop the bathroom floor, and there was nothing else she could do after she finished all that work.Her eyes accidentally caught Anthony's figure in the backyard. Anthony was walking towards the swimming pool in a bathrobe. It was indeed a suitable time for swimming. Clear skies, warm air, and the weekend.“Perfect.”Shanon propped her chin up while watching Anthony take off his bathrobe and reveal the beautiful view of his athletic body. Tanned skin, broad chest full of mus
Anthony arrived at the bus stop in more than fifteen minutes. Shanon waited for almost thirty minutes under the scorching heat of the sun. Her blouse was soaked with sweat as Anthony's metallic blue car stopped in front of her.“Hurry up and get in the car.”Shanon snorted as the window rolled down. Anthony, with his sunglasses perched on his nose and strong arms wrapped around the steering wheel, looked like a hot model in an automotive magazine. She hated why Anthony had to look that good, when she was so worn and sweaty."You said fifteen minutes," Shanon grumbled as she pulled the strap of the seat belt around her body.“The dean from the health department came to discuss some things.”"I don't mind if you have visitors in your office, but at least say sorry for making me wait too long in the very hot and dusty open air."“It wasn't my fault. It was Garreth Wilson who kept me in my room for too long.”
Shanon knocked on Anthony's study carrying a cup of coffee and several chocolate cupcakes on a tray. She wanted to cheer up Anthony, who was angry with the cake she made. Anthony immediately locked himself in his study since they returned from Jeff's house three hours ago. The lunch didn't end well. Shanon heard Anthony screaming at his grandfather in his grandfather's study. She didn't know what was really going on in Jeff's study. But Anthony immediately grabbed her hand roughly as soon as she ran out of Jeff's office and stuffed her into the car before she could say goodbye to Jeff.During the drive home, Shanon felt intense tension because of Anthony's anger. He was driving at full speed on the busy streets of Boston. The car was moving more than the speed limit. God only knows why Anthony didn't get a ticket from the police. Shanon continued to pray on the way home and clenched her hands in her lap every time the car almost hit the car in front of them. When they managed
“This is shit!”Sarah slammed her bag on the table then sat roughly next to Shanon."How is the result?" Shanon pretended to be busy scrolling on her cellphone even though she already knew what happened to Sarah.“I still got an F and had to write a hundred thousand word paper based on his material. Business strategy in the modern era. Gosh, isn't that cruel? One hundred thousand words! Imagine that, Shanon!”“Yeah, that was cruel. But it was a fair punishment.”“No, that's not fair at all. Why does a man as handsome and sexy as Anthony Bruce have to have such cruelty in him?!”“I warned you to get to class before he came, but you went with Stevan and didn't come back."“I explained to Anthony that I went to class a few minutes after he came into class. I saw him standing by your table.”Suddenly Shanon's heart was pounding very hard. Yesterday, they secretly sto
The craziest thing in Anthony's life was when he couldn't concentrate on teaching because he kept thinking about Shanon's face, who was holding back tears because her cell phone was broken. Anthony didn't know why he should feel sorry to see her lying pathetically on the ground after wrestling with her best friend. He thought it was stupid and childish. But strangely, he couldn't stop thinking about Shanon.After ending his class five minutes early, Anthony dashed to his room and called Ben to buy him a new cell phone.“Just buy any good brand. I don't care about the price.”“What about the color, sir?”Anthony thought about the color of Shanon's phone for a moment, then answered directly and steadily, “White. I want you to put it in my study this afternoon before I come back from campus."“Yes, sir.”As evening came, Anthony sat in his study after having dinner alone without Shanon. He didn't know w
“Professor Bruce! What are you doing here?"Anthony turned his head and cursed under his breath because it didn't seem like his lucky day."I'm shopping.""Here? In the special aisle for sanitary napkins?”Double shit! I hate this damn girl.“Is there a rule I can't be here, Ms. Johnson?”Sarah smiled slowly and shook her head. Anthony was increasingly annoyed because the girl approached him, instead of allowing him to calm down to look for the things he needed.“You're buying tampons for your girlfriend?”"That is none of your business."“I just wanted to offer some help since you seemed confused.”Since when has this damn girl been observing me? Anthony thought angrily."How is her condition?""What?"“Your lover. How is her condition?”“She said she was getting her
That evening, the campus student council held a dance party in the hall to celebrate the campus's fifty-eighth anniversary. Like anniversary celebrations in previous years, the party was held luxuriously and lively. The university had unlimited funds for the party because they wanted to provide the best for students and campus staff.Sarah had been talking about the party since a week before the party was held. She was fussing around Shanon about the dress they should wear and a partner they should take to the party. Shanon actually didn't care that much. During her almost two years studying at the university, she always skipped campus parties. She preferred to stay at home watching her favorite movies. But this time, she couldn't just stay home and watch a movie because Sarah threatened to hate her for the rest of her life if she didn't show up. Another reason was that they only had about one year left before graduating. Sarah really wanted Shanon to make the best use of her
Shanon didn't linger in the bathroom. She took a shower just to warm her body and make her fresh again. She took a sandwich from her special lunch box. The sandwich was still warm even though she had packed it this morning.Sitting cross-legged on the bed in a bathrobe with a can of orange juice and a very tempting sandwich, Shanon was ready to call Anthony. She used a pile of pillows to keep her phone standing facing her.While she waited for Anthony to answer the call, Shanon started devouring her delicious tuna sandwich.“Professor Bruce.”“Where have you been, Shanon?”Being angry was Anthony's habit. Shanon rarely even heard Anthony call her lovingly after they got married.“I'm not from anywhere. I'm here.""Where are you?" Anthony narrowed his eyes, trying to scan the room behind Shanon's body.“Have you arrived at the villa?”“No. We're staying in a motel tonight be
Like déjà vu. They seemed to be repeating the moment they went camping in Savoy Mountain State Forest two years ago. But the difference was that there was no Jordyn among them. Jordyn couldn't join them because he had a basketball tournament coming up soon. The second difference, Stevan and Sarah were in the front seat, while Shanon was crammed with all their belongings in the back seat. The luxury van felt cramped for Shanon with all the party items and suitcases for their one-week stay at Stevan's parents' villa.“Are you okay, Shanon?”“Yeah, I'm still alive if that's what you're worried about,” Shanon raised her thumb lazily.A box containing paper plates and paper cups had just rolled over and hit Shanon's head because Stevan failed to step on the brakes when going through a pothole.“Oh! Can you drive slower?”"Excuse me. I didn't see the potholes.""Honey, you made Shanon get crushed b
Sunday, second week of December, one week before Christmas. Sarah and Shanon curled up in a warm corner of Jerry's café with two cups of lattes and two of Jerry's famously delicious triple chocolate cupcakes. The aroma of coffee wafts everywhere throughout the café. Shanon occasionally rubbed her frozen palms from running through the snow from the supermarket parking lot one hundred and fifty meters away, in order to enjoy Jerry's best latte and his legendary cupcakes.“They should provide a bigger parking lot than a plot of land that can only fit five cars.”“I told you to come here by taxi because you definitely won't get a parking space here. This is their rush hour. Many students hang out here before they spend the Christmas holidays with their respective families."While sipping her latte, Sarah raised her index finger to interrupt Shanon, who was just about to say something to her.“Plus, this week they just fin
Shanon grabbed Anthony's cellphone, while Anthony took Charlie from Shanon's arms."Hi newlyweds,” Shanon greeted crisply. Her tiredness eased a little when she heard Sarah's giggling voice on the other side."Tsk, why can't I call your cell phone? Did you throw it into the sea, huh?"Shanon laughed. She followed Anthony to his car while still holding the cell phone to her ear."Sorry, lowbatt. You won't believe that I just went on an adventure like Dora. My phone was on for hours because I needed it to open the map application.""Wow, I'm really tempted to hear about the excitement of your adventure, but I don't have much time. Yeah, Stevan has been waiting for me for dinner. We should have talked an hour ago, but your cell phone died.""Sorry about that. What makes you want to talk to me so badly right now?""Actually I prefer to discuss it face to face with you. Next week I want to meet you.""I have exams. I will be i
“Charlie!”Shanon ran hastily up the steps in front of her house. She opened the door to her house with her spare key. She didn't see Anthony's car parked in the garage, but she was sure Charlie was home. Anthony couldn't possibly take his son to campus. Anthony always had a few minions he would tell to watch Charlie at home, instead of taking his son to college, which would risk messing up his perfect schedule."Charlie... Where are you, kid?"Shanon was greeted with an odd silence in her house. Though, she hoped to meet Ben. Ben was the only one who could take care of Charlie when Avery and Sarah were not there.Shanon went to the kitchen. Her breath caught in her throat, finding all the mess Anthony had left behind. Froot Loops were scattered on the floor, milk was spilled, and Charlie's baby chair was left on its side next to the bar counter. Shanon couldn't stop the bad thoughts from cramming into her brain.But when she turned tow
The first class finished smoothly. The drool-filled teddy throw did not develop into any disaster. For the first thirty minutes, Charlie listened to Anthony's lecture as his students did. An hour and a half later, Charlie was sleeping peacefully in his stroller. He was probably full after finishing a bottle of milk and some fruit.Anthony pushed Charlie's stroller towards his office. The stares of everyone who saw him walking with a stroller were no longer a big problem. It wasn't as scary as he initially thought. In fact, he no longer cared what was in the heads of his students or staff who saw him with a baby.So fucking what?!Charlie was his son. And he was a proud father.“Daddy...”“Hey, little boy. Sleep well, huh?”Anthony got Charlie out of his stroller and carried him to the couch. Charlie was still a little lazy after waking up. He curled up in Anthony's arms, who was sitting back on the sofa.
Shanon knocked softly on Simmon Kendrick's door. She became even more nervous when Kendrick's deep, raspy voice allowed her to enter his office. She had hoped Kendrick wouldn't be available this afternoon and that would give her time to calm her fears.After Scott left to meet his professor, fear crept into her heart again until Shanon almost went home and canceled her intention to meet Simmon Kendrick.But there was no turning back for her. Like it or not, Shanon had to go into Simmon’s office and meet the killer lecturer.“Ms. Wilson. An unexpected visit.”“Good afternoon, Mr. Kendrick. Sorry to disturb your time.”Shanon pulled up a chair in front of Kendrick's desk which was covered in many student assessment sheets. She slid her body into the chair very slowly before her butt landed smoothly on the wooden chair.“What can I do for you, Ms. Wilson?”“Umm...”Shanon just
He thought he only slept five minutes, not five hours. Anthony sat up in surprise while glancing at the clock. It showed seven."Damn, I'm late!"Frantically, Anthony walked to the bathroom, ready to shower and leave for campus. But suddenly he remembered that last night Charlie came home with him, and he had full responsibility for his baby.Anthony hurriedly left his room. He tripped over his blanket which was hanging down to the floor and cursed softly because of his carelessness. He had never been so careless before. He was also never late. Usually his brain always had an alarm to wake him up at exactly five o'clock. But it was clear that the alarm in his head refused to wake him up because he needed quality sleep after several days of not getting quality sleep because he was too busy with the very tiring duty board."Morning, boy."Hearing Anthony's voice, Charlie automatically looked up from the Legos and various toys scattered on the floor.
“I still can't believe you kept those facts from me all this time.”“I never hide anything from you.”"It seems you don't intend to tell me who your husband is if I accidentally met him yesterday."Shanon sighed softly next to Scott. She wasn't in a good mood this morning. Everything was very chaotic. She woke up with heavy, swollen, and very red eyes from crying all night. Her morning was very chaotic and bad. When she came out of her room, the atmosphere in the condo was very quiet. She was pretty sure Anthony had taken Charlie home to Boston.Last night, before she finally fell asleep because she was tired of crying, she heard the noise of Charlie's stroller wheels rubbing and the sound of Anthony's footsteps stomping very loudly. She didn't know whether Anthony was stomping his foot hard on purpose to tell her he was going home to Boston, or whether Anthony was angry. They were both very messy last night.“I admire