JULIAThe party was in full swing, but my thoughts were a million miles away.Evan looked like he really meant it when he told me to leave. However, how could I when he didn’t even give me a chance to say what was on my mind? Still, I had a bad feeling about it. I had a hunch; it was about what his father had told him, but I had no clue what that was.I shook my head, forcing myself to focus on the present. Just then, the lights became brighter, focusing on the door of the house. The music changed into an RnB song that I heard endlessly on the radio. Gianna and Harper scrambled to film the entire thing, amazed at the scale of her entrance. Then, the door opened, revealing Heather. Gasps rippled through the crowd as she stepped forward, sweeping into the garden in a gown of deep, fiery red, just as Sarah had predicted. The color suited her—bold, attention-grabbing, and a little dangerous. I stifled a laugh, remembering how Sarah had teased me earlier.“She’ll show up in red,” Sarah
JULIA Silence. The party was just at its peak a few seconds ago, but now, silence reigned in the large garden. It didn’t help that the DJ stopped playing the music, too. Even the crickets had gone quiet. Come to think of it, I should have noticed how strange everything was. The curtains on the stage. The microphone in Evan’s hand. The set-up itself. It seemed like they were gearing up for a surprise. And then, I noticed it. His other hand was occupied. In his palm was a small velvet box. My breath got caught in the back of my throat. It didn’t take a genius to know it was a ring. It must have been the reason why Heather invited me, too. Well, she really had no reason in the first place. But, she must have wanted me to see this—his proposal—knowing it would tear me to pieces. Evan must have noticed my gaze, so he placed it inside his pocket. However, it was too late. I heard something drop from behind me. I abruptly turned around and saw Heather. She was now dressed in a shorte
JULIA “Get back here! Face me so I can show you where you should be!” Cindy Astor continued to scream at my back. “Mom, that’s enough,” Evan finally said, but it was over. I tuned them all out. I walked out of the estate, shivering as my clothes clung to me like a second skin. Wet. Humiliated. The whispers followed me like ghosts, echoing in my mind long after I left the garden. They didn't even bother to be subtle. I didn’t look back as I walked out of the estate, not at Gianna, not at Harper, not at the wide-eyed onlookers who had made no attempt to hide their stares.And definitely not at Heather or Evan. I didn’t need to see their faces to know what they thought. I sighed in relief when I saw the gate ahead. It sucked that I had to fall in the swimming pool, but it sucked more because the pathway to their gate was too freaking long! The guard gave me a pitiful stare as he opened the gate, making me feel even worse than before. It seemed like he wanted to offer me his ja
JULIA I stood there, staring at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test. My hands shook so badly that I almost dropped it. “Goodness,” I muttered, massaging the bridge of my nose. I knew I had been feeling off lately. The dizziness, the nausea—it all made sense now. I glanced at the clock and sighed. Evan would be home soon. My heart raced at the thought. Would he be happy? I bit my lip, trying to swallow down the nerves bubbling up inside me. “There’s no need to feel this way, Julia,” I muttered, smiling at my reflection in the mirror. Evan loved me. He’d called me the greatest gift in his life more times than I could count! He’d always chosen me, even when girls with prettier faces and wealthier families tried to steal his attention. He never even glanced at them!However, there was still a nagging doubt that made my fingers curl tighter around the pregnancy test. Evander Cassiel Astor—the heir to Astor Empires and my boyfriend of four years. We’d been together since our f
JULIA “Julia, wake up!” Someone violently shook my shoulders, causing my eyes to snap open. I was breathless as I faced my best friend, Sarah, who was looking at me with annoyance. “Finally,” she grumbled. “It’s so hard to wake you up.” I clicked my tongue and shook my head. “Do you have to wake me up so vigorously? I thought I was in real danger for a second!” “You might as well be,” Sarah said with a smile. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for ten minutes. Ten whole minutes! Are you dreaming about your first and greatest love again?” My cheeks instantly warmed up, and although I tried to deny it, Sarah had already caught on. She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “I knew it,” she said. “You’re still dreaming about him, huh?” “I’m not!” I denied. “I’m just—I was dreaming about…the end of the world!” “Well, when he left you, you did say that was the end of the world.” “Sarah!” I exclaimed. “You're rubbing salt on my wound.” “Oh, come on. You’ll cope. He already left yo
JULIA I paused at the thought of Evan coming back. Have I thought about it? Of course, I have. However, it was something I felt was impossible. Yet, here I was now—back to the city where we first met. The chances of seeing him had increased, and I didn’t know how to feel about it. After I found out I was pregnant, I told my parents right away. It was obvious that they couldn’t accept it at all. Their only daughter getting pregnant at a very young age wasn’t a part of their plans. And when I told them that Evan couldn’t seem to accept the child, they became even angrier. They had known Evan since he was young. Well, we have been best friends since we were little because my parents worked for his family—helpers of some sort. Our relationship wasn’t really perceived well in the Astor family. I could tell that they respected Evan’s decision to date their helper’s daughter. However, at the same time, I could also tell that they wanted someone better for him. So, as soon as I was out
JULIA “Heather Elodi Maison?” My head shot up as soon as I heard the familiar name. “Here,” a soft voice said, sounding as elegant as ever. My eyebrows raised in surprise as I caught a glimpse of the beautiful girl. Sarah and I were just talking about her a while ago! My gaze lingered longer, and I found myself unable to look away. “Pretty,” I muttered. She still looked pretty as ever. It seemed like the other students agreed as they started muttering to themselves about how pretty she was. “Isn’t she a model?” “Yeah! Her family’s very rich, too. They have a successful business.” “What is she doing in art school?” Heather remained composed through it all. I remembered her, of course. She was the only girl that made me feel threatened when it came to Evan. She wasn’t pushy, but she was determined. Aside from that, she came from a very reputable family—the Maison clan. Evan and her were a match made in heaven. Oftentimes, I would find myself getting jealous of the two of t
EVANDER I leaned over, fingers barely brushing the barbell as Carter pressed upward. His face was scrunched and red—making him look even more annoying than usual. He needed to learn his limits, but that’s why I was here, spotting his ass as always. “Come on, man. Push it,” I sighed, feeling impatient. “I’m…trying…,” he breathed heavily. I clicked my tongue and shook my head. “You should have picked the lighter weight.” He sucked in a breath, veins popping against his skin, but the weight stayed put. I watched, unbothered, letting him struggle a bit longer before intervening. It was part of the process, making them sweat it out. Helped build character.Just as I stepped in to lift the weight, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, glancing at the screen. Dad. I groaned and held in the urge to press the decline button. However, I knew better than to ignore it. I nodded at Carter, signaling that I had his back for a second, and answered.“Evander,” came the familiar v
JULIA “Get back here! Face me so I can show you where you should be!” Cindy Astor continued to scream at my back. “Mom, that’s enough,” Evan finally said, but it was over. I tuned them all out. I walked out of the estate, shivering as my clothes clung to me like a second skin. Wet. Humiliated. The whispers followed me like ghosts, echoing in my mind long after I left the garden. They didn't even bother to be subtle. I didn’t look back as I walked out of the estate, not at Gianna, not at Harper, not at the wide-eyed onlookers who had made no attempt to hide their stares.And definitely not at Heather or Evan. I didn’t need to see their faces to know what they thought. I sighed in relief when I saw the gate ahead. It sucked that I had to fall in the swimming pool, but it sucked more because the pathway to their gate was too freaking long! The guard gave me a pitiful stare as he opened the gate, making me feel even worse than before. It seemed like he wanted to offer me his ja
JULIA Silence. The party was just at its peak a few seconds ago, but now, silence reigned in the large garden. It didn’t help that the DJ stopped playing the music, too. Even the crickets had gone quiet. Come to think of it, I should have noticed how strange everything was. The curtains on the stage. The microphone in Evan’s hand. The set-up itself. It seemed like they were gearing up for a surprise. And then, I noticed it. His other hand was occupied. In his palm was a small velvet box. My breath got caught in the back of my throat. It didn’t take a genius to know it was a ring. It must have been the reason why Heather invited me, too. Well, she really had no reason in the first place. But, she must have wanted me to see this—his proposal—knowing it would tear me to pieces. Evan must have noticed my gaze, so he placed it inside his pocket. However, it was too late. I heard something drop from behind me. I abruptly turned around and saw Heather. She was now dressed in a shorte
JULIAThe party was in full swing, but my thoughts were a million miles away.Evan looked like he really meant it when he told me to leave. However, how could I when he didn’t even give me a chance to say what was on my mind? Still, I had a bad feeling about it. I had a hunch; it was about what his father had told him, but I had no clue what that was.I shook my head, forcing myself to focus on the present. Just then, the lights became brighter, focusing on the door of the house. The music changed into an RnB song that I heard endlessly on the radio. Gianna and Harper scrambled to film the entire thing, amazed at the scale of her entrance. Then, the door opened, revealing Heather. Gasps rippled through the crowd as she stepped forward, sweeping into the garden in a gown of deep, fiery red, just as Sarah had predicted. The color suited her—bold, attention-grabbing, and a little dangerous. I stifled a laugh, remembering how Sarah had teased me earlier.“She’ll show up in red,” Sarah
JULIA Evan’s eyes widened, and before I could even react, his hand clamped around my wrist.“What are you—”He didn’t answer. He pulled me quickly to the side, his movements prompt but not rough, and before I knew it, I was standing behind a heavy curtain. The fabric scratched against my arm as Evan stepped in front of me, shielding me from view.“Stay quiet,” he whispered, his voice barely audible from how thick their curtain was. His body was close—really close. I could feel his warmth from the thick cloth. I was sure he could feel my chest, too, the way it rose and fell, along with the tension on my shoulders. My heart thudded in my chest, not just from the sudden movement but from the way his hand lingered against mine. His touch wasn’t harsh. It was almost...protective. Well, he had always been protective of me when it came to his parents. Despite their blatant rejection of my presence in their family, I never felt its heaviness because of Evan. I tilted my head up to look
JULIA Heather really must have invited the entire city.I tightened my grip on the clutch in my hand, glancing over the group of people spilling across the mansion’s sprawling garden. It was amazing that someone knew so many people. I didn’t even have these many friends on my social media! However, what was more amazing was the space. The place should have been cramped, but the Astor’s estate was designed to fit crowds that could fill a stadium. Instead of chaos, the scene looked like a magazine spread. Fairy lights were strung between towering oaks, champagne flutes glinting in the golden light, and impeccably dressed guests mingling like they owned the world.Their laughter was also a familiar tune. It was the sound of rich people laughing—the borderline fake one that you hear in casinos, golf courses, or yachts. “Woah, is this Heather’s house?” Gianna whispered beside me, her jaw practically on the floor.I shook my head, still amazed at the scene before me. “No, it’s the Asto
JULIA“What?” Sarah exclaimed, chuckling. “I’m just telling the truth!” “Whatever,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m going to get changed.” “Julia,” she said in a scolding tone. “Look at yourself right now.” She directed my body to face the mirror, and there, I saw my entire look. “What am I supposed to look at?” I muttered. “A very beautiful, breeda—” “Don’t even finish that sentence,” I warned, glaring at her. She chuckled and shook her head. “You look perfect!” she said. “I know you don’t want to capture anybody’s attention, but you’re just a natural at that. I can make you wear a rag, and you’d still get their attention.” “Where are you going with this?” I asked. “What I’m saying is,” she smiled, placing her hands on my shoulders. “You’re going to be okay. You’re not overdressed. Silver and gold are the themes, and this fits right in it! Heather would be predictable and go with something red, but hey, what do I know about it?” “Anyway,” she continued. “Don’t feel out of plac
EVANDER "Rui, grab me a coffee," I said, not looking up from my laptop. It was already the end of the week, and I was tired out of my mind. Tomorrow, I still need to come to work before going to Heather's birthday. "You should place the coffee maker in your office at this point," another voice said, making me frown. I sighed and lifted my head, already dreading the conversation. "What are you doing here, Dad?" I asked, massaging the bridge of my nose. "Why?" he asked, sitting on the large leather couch. "Can't I visit my one and only son?" "Dad, please," I said. "I'm already tired as it is. Cut to the chase." He chuckled, making me shake my head. "You really know me so well. You know that Heather's party is coming up, right?" "Yes," I said. "You arranged it to be in our mansion and invited all of your friends and colleagues." "Well, yes," he said. "Our house is big enough to host the entire city! Your mom wants to make it extravagant, too, since she's turning 25." "Hmm," I hu
JULIA This week was shaping up to be one of the worst weeks of my life. First, I got drugged by a lunatic and was saved by my ex—who made me feel like his help was worth a million dollars. Second, I found out that Heather, my ex's current girlfriend, was born a day before my son. Not only that, but she invited me to the said party, which was going to be held at the Astor's mansion. And third, Mr. Matthews, the professor who used to adore all of my works, called my latest piece 'mediocre,' 'lacking feeling,' and 'should have never been passed.' He didn't even take my artwork and told me to pass him another one by the end of next week! I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. It was the middle of the week already, and I still hadn't made my decision regarding Heather's invitation. I also haven't been able to restart the artwork as Mr. Matthews has instructed. Even Sarah was on edge as she watched me, not knowing what to say. Just then, Andy came out of his room with a wide a
JULIA "Woah!" Harper exclaimed as soon as she saw me. "What happened to you?" I pursed my lips. It hadn't been long since I arrived at school, but I already looked like it was the end of day. I clutched the canvas to my side, silently thanking the universe that it dried on my way here. I had so much in my mind that I forgot to start the project for Mr. Matthews' subject. With that said, I started it just yesterday. Was I satisfied with the result? Not necessarily. However, I still needed to pass something somehow. Old me would have scolded my current self. "I didn't sleep," I said, slumping on the chair. It didn't help that Mr. Matthews was our first-morning subject. "I can see that," Harper chuckled. Gianna joined them, nudging Harper's side. "Even if Julia didn't get any sleep, she's still prettier than the majority of people people in this class." "Well, you're right about that," Harper said. "She still looks very beautiful." Just then, the door opened, and it seemed like