“Wait. Let me make you some sweet orange tea.”I spent a relaxed afternoon in Sophie’s coffee shop. After making that decision, I felt much lighter.Previously, I had been forcing myself to fall for Hayden. Sometimes, pushing myself so hard was exhausting.Sophie had been busy all afternoon. As it was getting close to dinner, she asked what I wanted to eat.“I want something expensive, like black truffle pasta or foie gras.”“You always say foie gras is just fatty liver.”“Having it once in a while won’t hurt.”“Alright, I’ll change clothes, and then we’ll go eat foie gras.”After Sophie changed, we were about to leave the coffee shop when Lucy showed up.It was my first time seeing her. Although I could not see her clearly, I could tell she was dressed very fashionably. She even looked a little rebellious.She boldly reached out to Sophie and said, “Give me money.”Sophie snorted. “Go away. Why should I give you money?”“I need money for an abortion.”Sophie stopped in he
“Mr. Pepper, let’s go,” Sophie said.Mr. Pepper started the car, and we could not hear Lucy’s sharp voice anymore.I could not see Sophie’s expression clearly, but I knew it could not be good.I touched her face, and she pushed my hand away. “What are you doing?”“Feeling mad?”“Why would I care?”“Don’t lie to me. Maybe it wasn’t a huge shock, but it’s definitely bothering you.”Sophie stayed quiet with her head down. After a long time, she finally muttered, “D*mn it!”“Cursing won’t solve anything.”“Then what should I do?”“Well, you could ignore it. Like you said, it’s none of your business. Or you could take her to the hospital and get her checked to see if she’s actually pregnant. If she is, then you need to know who the father is, right?”“Didn’t she say it was Austin’s?”“Just because she said that, you believe her? Don’t you think it’s strange how confidently she’s sticking around you?”“She has no shame.”“Anyway, I don’t think Austin and Lucy have that kind of
I was eating happily, but Sophie could not eat at all.“Hey, is it really that bad? Did you lose your appetite?”“I’m so frustrated.”“Frustrated or not, it is what it is. That’s what liking someone secretly is like. It’s all trouble. And to Austin, you’re nothing yet.”“D*mn.” She cursed again. “We’ve got the looks, background, experience. We’re top tier. But here we are, stuck in an unrequited love. What did we do to deserve this?”“That’s why I told you not to wait too long. Talk to Austin and get it over with. If you need to move on to another guy, then move on.”“You think it’s like basketball, where you can switch players during the game?”“If you really want to, anything’s possible.”“Sigh.” She sighed loudly, and it made me almost lose my appetite.But the foie gras was still delicious. Sophie finished it quickly. “I’ll get another one.”“Your appetite and mood never match.”“Tsk. I’m going to the restroom. Are you coming?”“I’ll stay here.”“Then just sit tight. I
I knew what kind of a person Cecilia was, but I did not expect her to betray Zach so quickly.I wondered how Zach would react when he found out.He deserved it, but he really fell hard for Cecilia.Well, there was always something about people who seemed pitiful that made them hard to like.Because of Cecilia, Sophie kept going to the restroom.She went every few minutes. I said, “Don’t let her notice.”“She won’t. They’re sitting in a corner. Cecilia is fully focused on flirting with Fame. She won’t be paying attention to anything else.”After Sophie’s restroom trips, she would tell me what she saw. “Oh my God, they’re sitting together! The person she was hugging in the car was definitely Fame!“Oh my God, they kissed! That’s disgusting! Looks like Cecilia’s really going to dump Zach. I can’t believe they’re doing this in public.“Wow! I saw Fame’s hand on Cecilia’s thigh!”“Why don’t you sit across from them and watch?”“I’d like to, but I don’t want to be noticed.”Sophi
“It’s none of your business.” “It’s not my business, but it’s yours.”“It’s not my business either.”Cecilia and Fame finally got in the car. Mr. Pepper started driving and followed them.Actually, I was curious too. Last time, we were wondering if Cecilia was cheating, and today, we found out for sure.Mr. Pepper was a skilled driver, and we followed them without being noticed.Fame’s car drove into a fancy neighborhood. Sophie was excited. “Haha, you can tell this isn’t the first time.”We followed their car to a villa. The two of them got out. Sophie told me, “They were kissing all the way to the house. So disgusting.”“Alright. We know for sure now. Let’s go back.”“No way.” Sophie was busy typing on her phone: “I’m sending these photos to the private detective and having him send them to Zach from a phone he won’t trace. Then, we can wait for the drama to unfold.”“D*mn.” I forgot about not cursing in front of the babies. “You’re seriously mean.”“Mean? I’m just doing
I got home. After getting ready for bed, Sophie texted me. [Zach still hasn’t shown up. Do you think he’s too scared to go? Maybe he’s worried it’ll make things worse with Cecilia, and there’s no going back, so he’s avoiding it.]How would I know? I was not inside his head.[Go to sleep. Stop bothering with it.][Only now do I realize how deeply Zach loves Cecilia.]I just realized that too. Zach loved Cecilia so much that he was too scared to deal with it.Later, I texted Mr. Pepper and sent him some money. I told him not to wait anymore and to come back. If Zach was going to show up, he would have right away. People usually caught cheaters red-handed, not after it was already done.Zach was not going there tonight.The next morning, while having breakfast, I got a call from Mrs. Smith. She asked, “Haven’t you decided yet?”It had not even been a full day, and she was already in a hurry.I told her I had decided, but I was not sure how to tell Hayden.“Today’s my birthday.
“Tell your mom ‘Happy Birthday’ for me. I won’t be going.”“What’s wrong? Are you sick or something?”“I…” I held the phone to my ear and looked at my mom, who had almost stuck her face to mine. She moved away a little. I bit my lip. I really did not know how to break up with Hayden.When I broke up with Zach, it was because he had hurt me too much. But Hayden was really good to me. I did not know how to say it.“Cassia, what’s going on? Where are you? I’ll come find you.”“Uh, Hayden…” I stood up slowly while holding onto the couch for support. “I think we should… break up.”I finally said it. I was sweating.It was silent on the phone. Hayden did not respond.I knew he heard me clearly.After a long pause, he asked, “Did my mom talk to you?”“Is this a scene from a TV drama?” I laughed a little. “Hayden, I’m serious. I don’t think this is the right time for us. I agreed to be with you because I was going through a rough time, but I’m better now. Also, I’m about to have th
I did not even realize how I ended the call with Hayden. After hanging up, I felt completely wiped out. I sat down on the steps inside my house and felt cold beads of sweat form on my skin.My mom came over with a cup of hot water. I held it tightly and gulped it down quickly. Then, I handed the empty cup back. She sat down beside me and asked, “How are you feeling? Do you feel sorry for Hayden?”“Mom, am I being horrible? Am I going to end up miserable for this?”“Don’t overthink it.” She gave me a gentle tap. “Are you really thinking of going back to Zach? You broke up with Hayden for his own sake. And… Are you feeling a bit insecure?”I had not thought about that. But whenever I saw Yulia, I felt like I was not the best match for him.Somehow, Yulia just seemed like a better fit for Hayden, though I was not sure why.“Insecure? No, not really. I don’t feel less worthy just because I’m pregnant.”“That’s good. As long as you know what you want and don’t let others push y
He was clearly showing off his wealth, so why did I suddenly feel sad?Maybe my pregnancy hormones were acting up.Somehow, I ended up going to the police station. On the way, Rachel gave me a call. “Cassia, when are you picking me up?”I had completely forgotten about her because of Lucy. I could only ask Zach to take Rachel to my house.Zach said, “I’m still blacklisted by your security.”Oh, right. He could not get past my gate. “Just watch Rachel for now. I’ll pick her up later,” I replied.“Got it. Don’t worry about her.”He did not ask why, and I did not explain.We were not friends or a couple, so there was no need for details.When I arrived at the police station, I saw Austin staring out the window.I walked over and cleared my throat. He finally turned to look at me.Maybe it was because he was so pale, but his eyes were pitch black—they looked like an endless and starless night.“The value of your jewelry is too high. You’ll have to drop the charges for Lucy to b
“There are a few places.” He turned to look at me. “I’ll find out for you. What got stolen?”I showed him a photo. I knew what jewelry Mrs. Gibson had referred to. They were very expensive gifts from Mary, and you could not just buy them at any store. But if Lucy tried to sell them, she would only get a regular amount of money.Zach looked at the photo and nodded. “Got it. I’ll get them back for you.”“Bring me the thief too.”“Okay.”Zach acted quickly. After lunch, he took Rachel to his office, and I returned to mine. Before long, his assistant, Novan, brought Lucy in.She looked angry and acted as if she was not worried. She probably thought that I would not do anything to her.Anyway, Novan placed my diamond necklace and earrings on the table.Lucy was defiant, and she tried to sit in the chair in front of my desk. I gave Novan a look, and he quickly kicked it away. As a result, Lucy fell to the floor.“Ouch!” she complained as she got up. “Cassia, you—”Before she could
Zach helped Rachel with the Legos until Sophie came to get us for the pizza buffet. “What’s going on here?” she asked in surprise.“It’s exactly what it looks like.”“When did he get here?”“After 9 a.m., I think.”“Is Yonder Trading closed or something? Why is he so free?”I rolled my eyes and helped Rachel put on her jacket. “We’re going for lunch.”Rachel did not want to stop. “But I want to keep building.”“Have a break. You can continue later. Let’s eat first.”“Mr. Gordon.” She called me “Cassia” but called Zach “Mr. Gordon.” I wondered why.“Can you play with me this afternoon?”“Probably not. I have paperwork to do,” Zach said.“I knew it! You can only play with me for a little while. Adults only stay in my life for a short time.”Sophie laughed so hard that she could not stand up straight.“He only spent a couple of hours with you. That’s even less than a short time.” I tied her scarf around her and said, “I’ll play with you this afternoon.”“But your belly’s t
Benjamin was caught off guard. But then, he smiled and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Benjamin Lowe. You can call me Mr. Lowe.”I told him, “Can you buy some books and toys, like Legos, for her? She’ll be around quite frequently.”“Sure.” He then glanced awkwardly at the soup on the table. “Mr. Gordon brought this in early this morning.”“Drink it or toss it. Just don’t bring it in next time.” I took Rachel’s hand and walked into my office.There was a couch and a coffee table in the corner of my huge office. Benjamin quickly returned with the toys and books. He even got a playmat, so Rachel could sit on it and play. He piled everything on the table.Whenever I was not busy, I would play with her for a bit and tell her a story or two. Most of the time, she would play quietly by herself.Rachel was sharp but also so sweet that she tugged at my heartstrings. For example, when I said that I would spend more time with her, she told me, “You should work. Don’t waste time on
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