Zach was in front of me, and I could tell where he was. I smiled and extended my hand. “Zach, it’s been a pleasure working with you these past three years. I’m sure Yonder Trading will do even better with you in charge.”I knew how to be diplomatic like that, and he shook my hand.His hand was freezing, like he had crawled out of a coffin. Was it because winter had started?It should have been a quick handshake, but he did not let go. I had to pull hard to retract my hand.What was Zach doing? Was he trying to get back together with me?It was over between us, and we should leave it that way.Hayden put his arm around me. “Are you alright?”“I’m fine. Let’s sign the contract. Is Mr. Graham here?”“He’s here.”We sat in Yonder Trading’s conference room, and Hayden handed me a pen. “Sign here.”I had not held a pen in a while, and my signature came out shaky.Then, it was Zach’s turn. The room went quiet as everyone waited for him to sign. Once he did that, we could end things
Zach must have lost his mind.If we were talking about what he owed me, it was not just a hug.It was my entire youth.So, why would I want just one hug from him?I stopped him from getting any closer. “Zach, from now on, we’re no longer spouses, business partners, or friends. In fact, it’s best if we just ignore each other.”I had been looking back all this time when I had my whole life ahead of me.What good did meeting him bring me?Bad fate was simply a curse. Since it was a curse, we should be even worse than strangers. If we ever ran into each other, I would pretend not to know him.Oh, wait. I was blind, so I could not see him.Being blind might really have its perks after all.“Do you hate me that much?” Zach asked softly.I wanted to slap him. He had spent too much time with Cecilia and picked up her sarcastic tone.“So, you think that no matter how much I’ve suffered because of you, I shouldn’t hate you? Or is it that I have no right to hate you?”“That’s wha
Recently, my dad had been skipping social events just to have dinner with me.At home, there would be certain words that we could not say. For example, we were not allowed to talk about watching TV or movies. Anything related to eyes was off-limits. If someone accidentally brought it up, someone else would clear their throat to remind them.There was also someone we could not talk about.It was Zach.Everyone was eager to talk to me, so they took turns. We chatted about all kinds of things, from places to current events.Sophie told me that my dad even read a whole book about mythical creatures just so that he would have something to discuss with me. This explained why he had been bringing up all these strange beings lately.While everyone chatted with me, they avoided mentioning Zach. It was like he had vanished from the world. Even Mary and Eloise never brought him up when they came to see me. It was as if he did not exist.They did not mention Zach because they thought th
Sophie jumped up and quickly ended the call.However, she was too late. I had heard all the things I should not have heard.Her face was right before me, and I could faintly see her features.I touched her face. “I’ve moved on from Zach. I don’t care whom he gets back together with.”Sophie suddenly pressed her ear against my chest, and I asked, “What are you doing?”“I want to hear what a broken heart sounds like.”Everyone assumed that I could not move on. Was I that horrible? Why would I date Hayden if I had not moved on from Zach?I pulled Sophie’s head away from my chest, and it was like pulling up a stubborn weed. “You can choose to believe it or not.”“Do you really not care about him anymore?”“More than ever.”She mumbled, “I’ve been trying not to talk about him, and it’s killing me. So, do you want to know what happened with Zach?”“I’ll listen if it’s gossip.”“Okay, here’s the scoop.” Sophie cleared her throat. “After you sold Yonder Trading to him, Cecilia star
After we got on the plane, Sophie kept sneaking glances at me. I actually felt pretty calm. I believed that I was handling the news better than she was.After the plane had been flying for a while, Sophie suddenly turned to me and said, “Is Zach completely blind? What does he love about Cecilia? She just wants to use him for support. If Zach was poor, would Cecilia still care about him?”“If you keep talking like this, I might think that you used to have a crush on Zach.”“Ugh, no way! You’re reading too much into it.”“By the way, hasn’t he had surgery on that eye yet?”“Nope. Isn’t that strange?”It was beyond strange.During the long flight, I kept falling asleep, and Sophie asked, “Why are you sleeping so much?”“Try being pregnant with twins and see how you feel.”“Who’s the father of your babies?”“Who do you think?”She fell silent.When we landed in Madrid, Cameron and Rachel came to pick us up. He did not know that I could not see. At this moment, I only saw a
I was not sure how long I would stay. Even though I was not in a hurry, Sophie had to go back. The future was uncertain, and I did not know what tomorrow would bring.I had never been to Cameron and Rachel’s house. The last time I visited Spain, I just had dinner with them and Zach.The car entered through the gate and traveled along the garden for a long time. Sophie leaned in and whispered, “Rich people are something else. This place is bigger than both our houses. The garden looks like a park, and there’s a fountain as well as a man-made lake. Isn’t that insane?”Sophie and I used to believe that rich people were all insane.Finally, the car stopped in front of the house. Sophie helped me get out and whispered, “This house looks like a church, with its Gothic style. I wonder if there are priests or nuns inside.”“Shut up.”Rachel took my hand and pulled me inside. She pointed around and said, “Cassia, look! That hallway leads to my piano room. Over there’s my game room, and
“Why do you ask?” I asked as I touched her face.“Dad said that something’s off about you.”Cameron was sensitive. He would probably notice that I was blind by the end of dinner tonight.In the evening, Cameron took us to a restaurant that served authentic Spanish food. I remembered that Spanish ham had a great taste and strong smoky flavor.After we sat down, Rachel said, “Cassia, I need to go to the bathroom.”Sophie immediately stood up. “I’ll go with you.”“I want Cassia to go with me.”Cameron gently said, “Rachel, be good and go with Sophie.”With that, Sophie took Rachel to the restroom, and I pretended to look at the menu. I could see some bright colors because the pictures were colorful.Cameron asked me, “What do you want to eat?”“This one.” I pointed randomly.“You want to get a drink?”“Oh.” I laughed and flipped to another page. “My Spanish isn’t good. I read it wrong.”“I gave you the Sommersettese menu.” Many restaurants in Spain had Sommersettese menus for
He had been away for a day, but a whole year had passed…This “whole year” had not been great to me.There was a slide at the back of the restaurant. Before our food arrived, Sophie took Rachel over there to play with it.Meanwhile, I was fiddling with a small bottle of sauce on the table. It was smooth and shaped like a little cat with a tail.Just then, I heard Cameron say, “I’m not surprised you broke up with Zach. What surprises me is that you’re with that doctor now.”“Do you think I would waste my life with Zach?”“When you rejected me at the airport, that’s what I thought you were going to do,” Cameron said gently.Even though my hearing was better, I could not tell how he felt.Was he sad or regretful? Cameron never showed his emotions on his face. He always seemed calm, no matter what.Even so, he was bringing up the past. To be honest, I did not take his confession at the airport seriously.I did not believe that Cameron loved me. He liked and admired me, but what
It was late at night, and everyone was too tired to do anything. I was heavily pregnant, and Sophie had no energy left. So, she stopped fighting back. She just collapsed onto the bed and pulled the blanket over her head.Lucy had already fallen asleep. She was young, and she could sleep through anything, including all our talking.Austin was as cold as ice while he sat on the couch. Since I could not convince him to budge, I gave him some water and went back to sleep.He could do whatever he wanted.When I closed the door, I saw him staring at the bed. The look in his eyes was soft and almost dreamy. I could sense love from where I stood.Did he really love Lucy? I could not believe it because I never thought he felt that way about her.I was exhausted, and my mind was all over the place. I went to sleep and had no idea when Austin left.The next morning, Sophie appeared at my door with a pillow.“If you didn’t sleep well last night, you can sleep a little longer. You’re
“I’m not scared. With Austin to protect me, what do I have to worry about? But I think you’re pretty pathetic, Sophie. I show up, and you just give me your room. Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Lucy shook her head. “So pathetic.”Sophie simply stared at her. Lucy was nervous, but she was trying to put on a tough front.Right after, Sophie wore an eerie and unsettling smile.“Fine. You want to sleep with me? Let’s do it. After all, I’m scared of you.” With that, she went back into the room. “It’s time for a shower. Who’s going first, you or me?”Since Lucy had won, she gave me a smug look. “Sophie’s so easy to deal with.”“I don’t think you’ll enjoy sleeping in the same room with her as much as you think,” I warned.The room next door became eerily quiet after I returned to my room.I knew that Sophie would not hurt Lucy. She was not one to go overboard.I texted her. [If you don’t want to share a room with her, come to mine.][It’s fine. The bed’s big enough,] Sophie replied.Alright, then.
As I approached Sophie’s room, the yelling got increasingly loud and made my ears hurt.I opened the door to see her dragging Lucy out by the ear. Lucy was screaming, “Sophie, let go! You’re a barbarian! Austin told me to stay here! Who are you to kick me out? This isn’t even your house!”“This is my house.” I stepped aside to avoid the chaos. “And I’m telling you to leave.”“Austin said I could stay!” “Austin isn’t the king of the world.” I sneered. “Why should I listen to him?”Before I could finish, Sophie had already dragged Lucy to the door. I opened it wide so that she could toss her out.Lucy clung to the doorframe like her life depended on it. “I’m not leaving! Sophie, if you kick me out, what will you do when Austin comes looking for me?”Sophie grabbed a feather duster that Mrs. Gibson had left behind and marched toward Lucy.She started screaming, “Sophie, what are you doing?! Don’t hit me! Sophie! Stop!”Sophie raised the feather duster up high. I knew that she wo
Sophie completely ruined a happy moment.I looked at her. “You’re not still hoping for something with Austin, are you?”“Of course not!” she raised her voice. “I’m not a masochist!”Just then, Mrs. Gibson knocked on the door. “Ms. Cassia Freeman, Ms. Sophie Freeman, someone’s here to see you.”Who could it be this late?We went downstairs and saw Lucy at the front door with a suitcase.She simply would not leave us alone.My head hurt when I saw her.Lucy saw us and walked right in without taking off her shoes. “I told you Cassia and Sophie know who I am! Cassia, your housekeeper’s so rude. She wouldn’t let me in.”“Hey, what are you doing?” Sophie blocked her path. “Take another step, and I’ll get security to throw you out.”“Starting today, I’ll be staying here.” Lucy sat on her suitcase and grinned.“What are you talking about? Are you sure you’re not crazy?”I did not want to argue with her. “Did Austin kick you out?”Lucy was like glue. Once she stuck to you, you coul
“Do you want to talk to Sophie?” I asked, even though I knew he would not say anything nice.As expected, he wore the usual mocking smile. “Talk to that idiot? No thanks.”He hung up, and the screen went black.I was so mad that I felt like my heart might stop. Austin never got angry or showed big emotions, but his calm sarcasm was enough to drive anyone crazy.Just then, Sophie ran over and held out her hand. She was sweating and out of breath. “Where’s Rachel’s water bottle? She’s thirsty.”I gave it to her, and she asked, “Who were you talking to?”“An idiot,” I replied.“Oh.” She ran off again without giving it a second thought.We ended up playing there until sundown. Rachel was all sweaty, so I helped her change in the car. Although it was already spring, it was still a little chilly without the sun.We headed home and invited Kingston to join us for dinner.He gave Sophie the mechanical kite. Our garden was big, so she could fly it anytime.We did not usually have gue
“Let Bob go. Tell Zach to hang the thermos on its neck.”“Isn’t that a bit much?”“He told me that if I didn’t drink his soup, Bob could have it. So, what’s the problem with letting Bob fetch it?”Mrs. Gibson walked away with a troubled expression, and I continued building the sandcastle.Rachel suddenly looked up and asked, “Cassia, don’t you like that guy anymore?”“I don’t like him anymore,” I said.“Is he bad?”“He’s not bad. I just don’t like him anymore.”“You can like my dad, then. He’s handsome, and he knows how to make cheese pizza.”Well, my standards were a little higher than someone who could make cheese pizza.I was not sure what happened to Zach’s soup because I never saw it. His cooking was not that great, and we already had good cooks at home. Mrs. Gibson, Mrs. Ziegler, and Mrs. Harrison made amazing soups. They were from different places, so I got to try food from all over.As such, Zach’s soup was not needed.I never thought there would come a day when I
“When did your head get so square?” I looked at the metal block for a while, but I could not see how it resembled Sophie.“This robot doesn’t have to look like me. The important part is its core. It can follow my commands, and Kingston said he’ll add my voice to it later.”“What can it do? A two-hundred-dollar smart box can already do things like turn lights on and off or flush the toilet.”“Tch, this is different. Apart from following my commands, it can also read my emotions. It’ll then play the appropriate music to improve my mood.”That sounded interesting. “It should be a mood helper instead of a robot.”“Kingston also mentioned that it has a special function if I get really upset.”“Will it explode into fireworks?”“Tch.” She rolled her eyes and hugged the robot. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”Sophie seemed to like the gift.However, Kingston did not really give it to her because she was fond of it. He just happened to study this stuff.I was incredibly tired, so I turn
“I think it’s great that he has his own principles. A lot of people today don’t have any,” Sophie interjected.It was time to change the subject. Everyone had their own views on such things anyway.“Let’s toast to those with principles,” I said to Rachel.She raised her juice cup in response. “Cheers!”“Alright, cheers.” Oscar and Ellie smiled as they clinked glasses with us.We finished eating, and Sophie had two glasses of wine. I did not allow her to have more. Kingston finally returned as well.He was not full, so he ate the leftovers.Sophie asked him how things went, and he looked up in confusion. “The head of the company whose tech was stolen came too. He claimed that it wasn’t their tech, but they’re working on something similar. He kept promoting it.”“What happened after that?”“Nothing. The police just let those two individuals go.” Kingston shook his head and went back to eating.The whole thing seemed strange. I thought about it, but I could not put my finger on
After a while, Kingston came downstairs. He looked upset, so Sophie asked, “What’s wrong?”“Two people visited the company today to discuss a deal. They offered a high price,” Kingston said.“Isn’t that good?”“At first, I thought so too. But as we talked, something felt off. They brought some tech for the collaboration, but I realized that another company had just created it. They might have stolen it.”“How can they steal someone else’s stuff?”“There are lots of ways.” Kingston peeled an orange and gave half to Sophie before eating the rest himself. “I turned them down, but they kept trying to rope me in.”“Would that tech be useful to you?” I asked.“Of course. It would save us at least a month of work.”Sophie’s eyes lit up as she looked at him. Just then, Ellie brought over a plate of fruit and teased, “Kingston’s too stubborn. If he were a bit more flexible, he’d be super successful by now.”“A gentleman earns money the right way.” Kingston’s stubbornness was somehow