She had already made her oath, so it was too late.I sighed and left the hospital with her. Sophie was a woman of her word. Once she had made her decision, she would not regret it. I got Mr. Pepper to send her to the cafe. I asked her if she needed me to accompany her. She declined my offer. “I’m fine. It’s not a break-up. I already know how this one-sided love is going to end. It’s the same as you.”Why did she bring my past up when she was talking about herself? I sent her to the shop entrance, and Mr. Pepper walked her in. After a while, Mr. Pepper came out and told me, “Ms. Sophie’s looking okay.” “Alright.” Maybe it was like what she had said. She had already predicted the ending. A was just a matter of time before it happened, so she had mentally prepared herself for that. I went back home. My mood was low when I leaned my back against the car seat. I hoped Sophie could get together with Austin. Sophie had liked Austin for so many years, her efforts had to be rewa
Hayden’s hands were really cold. I shivered from the sensation. I was very relieved that I could not see clearly, so I did not have to see Hayden’s hurt expression. I took my hand out from Hayden’s palm and grabbed the cup again. The milk had cooled down. Sophie walked over to take our cooled drinks. She poked me with her elbow. “Say something. You should be more decisive if you want to cut it off. Don’t give him any false hope.” Sophie was right. I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, Hayden said, “Cassia, I will let you go. I know you’ve tried your best.”“Um, I’m not a doctor, and you’re not a patient.” “It’s difficult for you to forget Zach, and it’s hard for you to accept anyone else. I was too optimistic.” He looked down. The breeze ruffled his thick, dark locks. It was my fault, but he was apologizing instead. Actually, it had nothing to do with Zach anymore. I just wanted enough time to get myself back on my feet after giving birth to the babies
Hayden was not interested in arguing. “Cassia, I’m leaving. Your checkup with Dr. Walter is at 9 a.m. tomorrow,” he quickly said without looking at Zach.“Okay.”“She won’t forget. I’ll go with her,” Zach said.Hayden left, and I looked up at Zach. “Was he talking to you? Zach, I already told you. I don’t need you to tag along.”“I’ll come by your place to pick you up tomorrow morning.”“My dad will break your legs if he sees you.”“Perfect. We can both receive treatment at the hospital.” Was he joking? Did he think that was funny? It was not.I went inside, and Zach followed me. I turned to Sophie and said, “Close the door and let the dogs loose.”“I don’t have any dogs.”“Then, get some.”I walked into the coffee shop while Sophie blocked Zach from entering any further.“Zach, are you out of your mind? You and Cassia have nothing to do with each other anymore. When she had feelings for you, you ignored her. Now that you’ve broken up, you keep showing up. What’s going o
I stayed at Sophie’s coffee shop until it closed for the night. The chef there made amazing French food because he was French.While we headed to the parking lot, Sophie suddenly said, “Zach.”He was still around? It had been four or five hours. Did he have that much free time after he got kicked out of Gordon Corporation?He walked over to me and handed me something. “I made you soup. It’s still hot.”Oh, so he had not just been sitting around outside. He had gone back to make soup.I had never eaten Zach’s cooking. He had never even made instant noodles before. This would be the first time.I was surprised that he made soup for me.I opened the lid, and the delicious aroma instantly hit me.Sophie looked at it and said, “Poultry.”“Chicken soup,” Zach said. “I want to see you drink it.”The smell was overpowering, and I could tell that there were herbs in it.However, I was incredibly full, and the smell was making me feel sick.He was being all sweet, so I sweetly said,
“I can’t be happy with Zach right now. Is there no way to fix things between him and Tyler, Mary?”“That’s his problem,” Mary calmly replied.“Zach keeps coming to see me these days.”“He’s not stupid. He knows who’s good and who’s bad.”“Mary, the next time you see him, can you tell him that it’s too late even if he regrets it?”Mary fell silent. Then, she gave me a little more advice before ending the call.Zach’s behavior was confusing. He had proposed to Cecilia, but he was still bothering me.If it were not illegal, I would have cut his head in half to figure out what was going on inside.The next morning, I woke up on my own. I felt great as I changed and went downstairs.On the stairs, I overheard Mrs. Anderson talking to my mom. “Mrs. Freeman, Mr. Gordon is here. He’s outside, but security won’t let him in.”“Shh. Don’t let Cassia hear you.”“I already heard.” I held on to the handrail as I came downstairs. “What? Do you think I’ll get sad and faint from hearing Zach
The police tried to work things out. But if Zach did not move his car, they would have to take him to the station.While all of this was happening, I took the chance to slip away. I had planned for Sophie to pick me up, but she was not answering her phone. So, I kept walking instead.Eventually, I waited by the road for a cab. Just then, Mr. Pepper called to let me know that he was coming to get me; Zach had finally moved his car.Unfortunately, Zach showed up before Mr. Pepper.He tried to help me into his car, but I pushed his hand away. “Zach, the police just left. Do you want them back here?”“There’s no need for that.” He held on to my arm. “You’re heading to the hospital alone for your checkup. Who’s going to be there with you?”“My boyfriend works at the hospital. Didn’t you know?”“You’ve broken up with Hayden,” he replied calmly.A strong breeze was blowing my hair around, and I looked at his face through the wind. He seemed to know everything.At this moment, Mr. Pep
“Let’s forget for a moment whether I loved you back then. We grew up together, and that bond is still there. Besides, you’re carrying my babies.”“What if they’re not?” I asked with a smile.We were arguing at the door when Dr. Walter called out to me, “Ms. Freeman?”“Dr. Walter,” I greeted him. He was behind the screen. “I’m here.”“I won’t walk over there. I only want to hear their heartbeats.”I almost said, “Why does it matter to you?” However, I no longer had the energy to argue. If he wanted to hear them, fine.I went behind the screen, and Dr. Walter nodded at me. He then told me to lie down. “Let’s measure you and listen to their heartbeats.”After I lay down, Dr. Walter began to examine me. “Your belly’s pretty big. Having twins is tough. You’re in the later stages of pregnancy now. Since your eyesight is poor, be careful when going out.”“Okay,” I replied.“Is the man outside your husband?”“My husband is dead,” I said.Just then, Zach’s voice rang out. “I’m her
I had my phone on speaker, so Mr. Pepper heard everything. He sighed and said, “People these days are so focused on themselves. They’re always around when things are good, but nobody helps when you’re struggling. You can only hope that they don’t kick you when you’re down.”The business world was rough like that. Everyone knew that Zach and Tyler had cut ties and things were tense between them.Some people had distanced themselves from Zach to stay on Gordon Corporation’s good side. Meanwhile, others took this chance to push him down. Some, who used to be jealous of him and lived under his shadow, saw this as an opportunity to rise above him.I understood this well, hence I sold Yonder Trading. Business was exhausting and emotionally draining.If it had not been for Zach, I would not have even started Yonder Trading. I should have just been a free and wandering artist.Eventually, even Cameron called. He checked in on me and asked about Zach.“Should I end my partnership wi
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