JULIA Evan and I sat at the corner, half-hidden from the bustling party. Andy looked visibly happier now, his laughter ringing out in the venue as he ran around with his classmates. “He seems like a great boy,” Evan muttered with a faint smile.“He is,” I said with conviction. “He truly is.” The two of us were silent for a moment before Evan cleared his throat. “I wasn’t sure what he likes,” he admitted. “So, I just brought this monster plushie.” My eyes widened. “Evander,” I said, not forgetting to call him by his government name. “These are designer plushies.” He pursed his lips. “I told Rui to get me what kids like.” I shook my head. “I swear, you really don’t know a thing about children. These are collectibles. Do you even know how much these cost?" I asked. He didn't answer. “Rui,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Funnily enough, he doesn’t like these things. He likes cars—as you can see by the theme of the party,” I glanced at him, noting how his brow furrowed slightly
JULIA The two of us froze after Andy said those words. The crowd was shocked for a moment before they began to tease Evan and me. Sarah shrugged. "Well, this is a game where the birthday boy gets what he wants." I pursed my lips and gave Sarah a sharp look. Then, I shook my head. "I think we should play a different game." "This is our last game," Sarah innocently said. "And Andy only wants one thing for this game. Right, Andy?" My little boy nodded, looking at both of us with wide eyes. I subtly glared at Sarah, but she just raised her hands in surrender, humor seen in her expression. She added fuel to the fire when she suddenly started chanting. "Kiss!" "Kiss!" My relatives, who swore Evan was out of my league, started joining in, too. I thought they said we didn't match together! Why can't they make up their minds? Gianna and Harper looked at me with amused expressions, cheering loudest among the rest. Andy wasn't helping with his almost-teary expression. I sighed and r
EVANDER I couldn’t help but smile as I drove to my office. The day was nearly over, but I reckoned I could get some work done before I headed home. I parked the car and got out, entering the elevator, still with a smile on my face. “Son,” I muttered, the word tasting foreign on my lips. I had a son now…and it was with Julia. For some reason, that didn’t dampen my smile. However, as the elevator rode up, I remembered the story she had told. The day I broke up with her was the day she wanted to tell me she was pregnant. I pursed my lips and felt a pang of guilt in my chest. Despite everything that went down in our relationship, I knew that what I did was wrong. I shook my head and walked out of the elevator to go to my office. I glanced at Rui’s office and found it empty. Well, it was beyond work hours, so he must have gone home. However, the lights inside were still on. I frowned. Did he forget to turn off the lights? I opened the door, expecting it to be empty. However, inste
JULIA The door creaked open, and I walked into the classroom. Somehow, I felt a little bit anxious. I knew this wasn’t high school anymore, and people didn't mind others' business as much…or it was probably the stress that didn’t allow them to even think of other people to that extent. However, I just felt that they would still react if they knew about what happened at the Astor residences. As I stepped inside, though, some lifted their heads but quickly went back to their personal conversations. I sighed in relief. No one seemed to know. Well, if word got out, then I bet Heather would also be affected, so it might have been put under the rug for that reason. “Good morning, Julia,” Gianna greeted. Harper looked up and smiled before going back to her mobile game. “Good morning,” I greeted back, sitting next to them and bringing out my materials. Just then, Heather walked into the classroom. As soon as she entered, her gaze caught mine. It felt like it was her first objective of
JULIA I walked out of the classroom while reading the contents of the envelope. A party at the Astoria Grande? One of the most prestigious hotels in the city? Oh, and of course, the hotel was owned by none other than Evan again. What was this all about? The main question was—why me, of all people? Was Mr. Matthews that excited to see my artwork? “Ah, whatever,” I said, tucking the envelope into my bag. As I rounded the corner toward the cafeteria, I spotted Heather leaning against the wall near the vending machine. I paused in my tracks, and it seemed like she noticed. Her gaze locked onto me immediately, and her lips pressed into a tight line. I looked around. It was only the two of us in the hallways. I hesitated for a moment but realized that this may be the best time to apologize—even if Harper and Gianna told me I hadn’t done anything wrong. I really didn’t want the misunderstanding to grow between us. As much as I wasn’t fond of her personality, she was still Evan’s gir
JULIA The bell had rang, but Mrs. White held her hand up. Normally, the students would have complained. However, this was Mrs. White we were talking about. Those who complained were punished. “As you all know, your projects are due this week,” she said, reminding everyone. “To be precise, the final deadline is on Wednesday. I expect them to be on my desk by then. No excuses. I’ve already received submissions from several early passers, and I appreciate the initiative.” “Another reminder that those who did not do their fair share of work in the project will receive a zero, and those who pass late will get a 50% deduction for each day.” I swear her eyes went to me briefly before moving on. My eyebrows raised in surprise. I hadn’t done anything in particular to piss her off, did I? As soon as she was out the door, I went to Heather. Despite our heated conversation a while ago, we were still partners for this forsaken project. “Heather,” I called, standing in front of her to preven
EVAN “Sir,” Rui said, peeking his head inside the room. He had a hopeful look in his eyes, causing me to smirk. I didn’t let him finish the question before I spoke. I nodded and waved him off. “Yeah, you could go.” He was silent for a while before he entered the room and straightened his posture. “Are you sure, sir? You still have a lot of work to do.” “I know,” I said, massaging the bridge of his nose. “I can’t even afford to miss one day because of this event,” he muttered. “So, should I stay?” he asked. “You’re going to be working overtime again.” I shook my head. “It’s your mom’s birthday, right? Go ahead and spend the rest of the day with her.” “Are you really sure?” I stopped what I was doing and faced him, a small smile playing on my lips. “Go now before I decided to deduct the remaining hours from your salary.” He smiled. “Thank you, sir. I’ll be here early tomorrow.” “Yeah, yeah,” I waved him off. “Oh, my gift is in the red car. Use it to go to your mom, too. I know
JULIA Time seemed to slow down as Evan held me. It felt like his presence could calm me down in the midst of my panic. My forehead rested against his chest, and for a moment, the loudness in my mind was replaced by the sound of his heartbeat. He kept muttering comforting words into my ears, so I relaxed even more in his arms. We stood there for a while, my eyes closed as I relished in his embrace. When I opened my eyes, I caught sight of Ellie standing a few feet away, her arms crossed and a fond smile playing on her lips. The sight of her brought me back to reality, and I pulled away from Evan, quickly wiping my tear-streaked cheeks.Evan frowned as he watched me move away. Ellie, on the other hand, continued looking at us with a teasing grin. I cleared my throat and looked down at the ground. “Thanks for coming here,” I muttered. “Are you alright now?” he asked. I pursed my lips before shaking my head. “I’m scared,” I admitted quietly, glancing at him. Evan nodded, his eyes
JULIA The day of my first art exhibition had finally come. After the successful launch of our clothing line with Mr. Miyagi, my name had begun circulating in the art world. A year had passed since then, and while I had worked on many projects, this was the first time I was putting my heart and soul on full display.I was a nervous wreck. It was the opening day, and although a lot of people had promised to show up, I felt like it would be an empty exhibition. I stood outside our house and waited for Sarah to pick me up. Evan said he had something to do at his office but would meet me at the exhibition before it opened to the public. After a few moments, Sarah arrived in her brand-new car. She whistled dramatically as she stepped out, running a hand over the hood. "Can you believe it?" she asked, shaking her head in amusement. "Just a year ago, my poor car was on its last breath. Now, look at this beauty. Rui really outdid himself."I chuckled, recalling how stubborn she had been a
MATURE CONTENT AHEADIf you are a minor or if you are not comfortable with this type of content, please skip.RUII had made up my mind.Sarah had been patient, and I could tell. She wanted to take the next step in our relationship. She wasn’t pushy about it, but I could feel it in the way she’d look at me sometimes. I wasn’t dumb. I knew shewanted to have sex. However, the problem was that I had absolutely no experience. So, naturally, I did what any sensible, inexperienced man in his late twenties would do. I overcompensated.I booked an expensive hotel. Well, I didn’t have to pay for anything because Evander gave it to me for free. It was even the penthouse suite. Such an expensive room was given to us for two whole days. I planned every detail. Dinner, room service, the perfect playlist, and condoms that were my size. I didn’t know what size I was, but Evander had given me large ones, saying I was blessed but not as blessed as he was. Sarah was ecstatic when she arrived.“Oh m
HEATHAmsterdam was different from the other places I had been to in the past year. It had a calmer feel that made me feel more grounded. It wasn’t another pit stop to my journey. Instead, it was going to be my new home. I had spent the last twelve months hopping from country to country, working as a marketing researcher while soaking in the culture and the sights of every place I landed in. I had walked through the bustling streets of Tokyo, tasted the spices of Marrakech, and felt the cool sea breeze in Santorini. But there was something about Amsterdam that pulled me in and made me want to stay. Maybe it was the relaxed pace of life or the charming canals. Or maybe it was just because this place offered me the most relaxed job. It was definitely that. In the end, I decided to stay here, knowing I couldn't travel so frequently all my life. Of course, I still thought about Julia from time to time, but not in the way I used to. There was no longing or regret—just the hope that she
RUI“Why did you have to call me?” I asked, gripping the steering wheel as I pulled into the parking lot of the car dealership.Sarah had a habit of calling me for the most trivial things now. Help with decorating her apartment. Help to pick a new phone case. Once, she even called me because she couldn't decide whether to get bananas in her fruit smoothie. It was never anything urgent or anything she truly needed me for. Yet, every single time, I went.I always went.She smirked at me from the passenger seat. “My car is dying, Rui. It makes a noise like a dying cat whenever I start the engine. I need a new one. Besides, I want to arrive at the launch of Ampersand’s new clothing line with Mr. Miyagi in style.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “You could’ve called someone else.”“But I wanted to call you.”Sarah said things like that so easily. She flirted like it was breathing. She was the complete opposite of me, someone who had no experience with women, and yet, she became
MATURE CONTENT AHEADIf you are a minor or if you are not comfortable with this type of content, please skip.EVANDER Julia led me to the bedroom, her hands still on my cock. I could feel her fingers tracing it lightly, and I groaned softly. "You're insatiable," she murmured, her eyes locked on my cock. “Didn’t you just come?” She took me in her hand, her fingers wrapping around my shaft as she stroked me slowly. I groaned, my hips bucking into her touch."I want to taste you," she said. She dropped to her knees, her tongue licking the tip of my cock. I cursed, my hands fisting in her hair as she took me deeper into her mouth. She sucked and licked, her head bobbing up and down as she took me all the way to the back of her throat."Fuck, Julia," I groaned, my hips thrusting into her mouth. She hummed in response which sent vibrations through my body.After a few minutes, she pulled back, her lips glistening with my precum. “I want to try something different. Is that okay?” she shyly
MATURE CONTENT AHEADIf you are a minor or if you are not comfortable with this type of content, please skip.JULIA The drive was quiet but comfortable. The sun was beginning to set, casting orange and pink lights along the horizon, making everything look dreamier. I leaned my head against the window, watching the scenery blur past.Evan’s hand rested on my thigh, caressing my skin every now and then. “Where are we going?” I asked, tilting my head toward him.“You’ll see,” he said, smirking slightly. “Patience, baby.”I huffed, crossing my arms. However, the smile on my lips stayed. After about half an hour, we turned onto a smaller road lined with palm trees, leading to a secluded area near the ocean. The moment I saw it, my eyes widened. The beach stretched endlessly before us. There wasn’t a single soul in sight.A villa stood just a little beyond the sand, its large windows reflecting the colors of the sky.“Evan…” I turned to him, my brows raised. “Just how rich are you?”He
JULIAThe moment I stepped outside into the garden, I felt a lump form in my throat. The soft rustling of leaves and the distant conversations faded into the background as I stood there, facing the two people who had given me life but had also, at one point, chosen to turn their backs on me when I needed them most.It had been so long since I last saw them. In fact, I felt like I still couldn’t meet their gazes eye to eye. Since that day—the day they tried to convince me to give Andy up to Garyn Astor—I had kept my distance. The pain of that moment still felt fresh, but now, standing here, I knew this conversation was inevitable.Evan must have sensed my unease because he leaned in. “We’ll be waiting in the car.”I turned to see him and the others all nodding in silent support before they left. I was grateful for them. Even in moments like this, when I was about to face my past head-on, I was never alone.Now, it was just the three of us.My mother clutched a small bouquet of flowe
JULIA The nerves settled in the pit of my stomach as I adjusted my graduation gown in front of the mirror. My hands trembled slightly as I fixed the collar, smoothing out any creases. After years of struggling... balancing motherhood, heartbreak, and redemption, I was finally here.A soft knock at the bedroom door made me turn. Before I could say anything, the door swung open, and standing there was Evan and Andy. Andy was wearing a tiny version of my graduation gown, the fabric draping over his small frame in the most adorable way. He even had a little cap on, tilted slightly to the side.My hands flew to my mouth. "Oh my goodness."Evan, standing tall beside our son, crossed his arms over his chest, satisfied. "You like it?""I love it," I said, blinking fast, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall."Don't," Evan warned, stepping closer and tilting my chin up with a finger. "You’ll smudge your makeup. You worked so hard on it."A laugh bubbled out of me as I
JULIA Moving day had arrived, and with it came the warmth of a new beginning. I stood in the driveway of Evan’s house—no, our house—watching as the last of the boxes were loaded inside. Sarah stood next to me, wearing a new, expensive blazer that showed her new position. Today was her first day officially taking over Heath’s former role in their company, and she looked every bit the confident professional she had worked so hard to become.“Are you sure about this?” I asked her, hesitating for a moment. “Is it really okay for me to live here?”Sarah chuckled, shaking her head as she handed me some of my belongings that she had packed. “You’re asking me that now? After everything?” Then, she winked. “Of course, it’s okay. More than okay. I can finally have sex in peace.” I rolled my eyes and pushed her away. Even now, she still has such a vulgar mouth. I exhaled, glancing toward the house as Andy came bounding outside, his little feet pattering against the pavement. Evan followed b