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
“I’m fine now, really. It’s nothing.”“You’re strong. If Brody treated me like that…” Nellie stopped, as her voice was breaking.Brody quickly said, “You always bring up the wrong things.”“Let’s not talk about the past,” I said.“Right, right, we won’t.” Brody poured me some tea. “We’ve ended our partnership with Yonder Trading. Even though he didn’t change the company name, it’s not the same anymore. Since he treated you badly, he can’t blame us for ending the partnership.”“Why pay the penalty? We just signed the contract earlier this year.”“We’d rather pay the penalty than continue working with him,” Nellie said angrily. “We saw how you treated him, but how did he repay you? We won’t work with a heartless man like him. It’s not because he got kicked out of Gordon Corporation. We already decided to end the partnership when you left Yonder Trading.”I did not know what to say. I realized that some of the people ending their contracts with Yonder Trading were close friends of
I went to the restroom and unexpectedly ran into Zach.When Nellie and I exited the restroom, we heard him call my name, “Cassia.”We stopped, and Nellie whispered, “Do you want to talk to him? Should I leave and let you two chat?”Nellie walked off, so Zach and I were left standing in the hallway.I licked my lips and said, “If I were you, I’d pretend not to see me.”“It’s fine. It’s just a dinner that no one showed up for.” He sounded calm. I was not sure if he was putting on a calm front. “That’s just how the world is.”“I’m not obligated to comfort you,” I said. “Brody and Yonder Trading ended their partnership—”“It’s not your problem.” He interrupted. “You’re not that kind of person.”“What kind of person?”He did not answer. “Let me walk you back. I’ll say hi to Brody too.”I did not think that Brody would want to say hi to him, so I stayed still.Zach smiled. “What? Are you worried that Brody’s going to be rude to me? I’m the bad guy everyone loves to criticize now.
Sophie knocked on my door the next day around 7 a.m.I only managed to fall asleep at about 2 a.m., so I had a bad headache. I sat on the bed as she ran over excitedly and asked, “Are you busy this morning?” “Go away.” I lay down again. “Come to the city hall with me. I’m getting married!”“Why do you need me there? Am I going to breastfeed you?”“You don’t have milk right now.” I was disgusted by our conversation. Rachel sat up from the bed and asked, “Why are you going to the city hall?”“To get married.”“Shouldn’t you be going to a church for that? There’s supposed to be a priest with a bible that asks if you’re willing to marry this person next to you regardless of… something?”“That’s a religious wedding. Besides, it has to be lawful. What we’re doing today is the legal side of things.” Sophie carried Rachel up from the bed. “Do you want to be a witness to our marriage?” “Yay, sure!” Rachel immediately beamed and agreed. “I want to be the priest who holds the bibl
Cecilia had no shame at all. I would be speechless if this worked on Zach. After a while, she walked out dejectedly with her flowers. It seemed like she did not even manage to enter his office. She stood there in annoyance for a while before she suddenly looked over in my direction. I could see her, but she might not be able to see me. I was on a high floor, and the sun was blinding. Right then, Hailey gave me a call. I knew that she wanted to rant about Cecilia. Sure enough, Hailey started to complain, “Ms. Freeman, Cecilia is really shameless. I’ve never seen such a shameless woman. When Mr. Gordon was cut off from Gordon Corporation, she abandoned him immediately. Now that she knows he’s going to be Gordon Corporation’s acting CEO, she instantly starts visiting him again. I really can’t stand her.” “Hasn’t she always been like this?” I was unfazed. “Fortunately, Mr. Gordon is not willing to see her.” Hailey sounded relieved. “Do you really think he won’t see her fo
I looked at Austin’s pale face, and I was at a loss for words. His argument was reasonable, and I had no way to refute it. I was upset, but I could not cry. I felt a heavy feeling in my chest, and I found it hard to breathe. He looked at me and suddenly smiled. “Look at your face. Have I ever said that I liked Sophie? I don’t like girls like her. I prefer girls like you who are smart, beautiful, and decisive. Why don’t you marry me after you give birth to your babies?”I did not want to joke around with him. It was not funny.After that, Lucy exited the bridal shop and got into the backseat of the car. I stood in front of the bridal shop and watched as his car disappeared into the corner. “Cassia,” Sophie called out to me. I turned around. “What?”“Whose side are you on? I realize you’ve been extra nice to Austin recently. Have you forgotten that he’s a jerk?”“Watch your mouth.”I got into my car unhappily. “I’ll make a move first.”“Aren’t we having dinner together to
I knew that he was looking at the photos of him and Sophie in her wedding gown. Perhaps this would be the only time in his entire life that he could stand next to Sophie while she was dressed in a wedding gown. I felt the waterworks coming. When I tried to look for tissue papers in my bag, Zach called me. He sounded a bit excited. “Cassia, there’s this person overseas who has the same blood type as Austin. He has ALS, which is a fatal motor neuron disease. His family has already signed an organ donation form for him, and his condition recently worsened. He may pass in a month’s time, so I got in contact with them. His family has agreed to donate his heart to Austin.” “Really?” It was good news, and I almost leaped in joy. I glanced at Austin excitedly. He was staring intently at his phone, so he did not notice me. “Does Austin have to leave immediately?”“It’s still early. We can leave when the donor’s condition worsens.” I estimated the time. Zach said that it would ta
Sophie could easily start a fight wherever she went. I immediately went over and saw that Austin’s forehead had turned red. It seemed to be getting swollen. I kicked Sophie in anger. “Is there something wrong with you? What are you doing?” “Why did you kick me? Didn’t you hear what he just said?”Austin bent down and picked up Sophie’s phone for her. “Luckily, your phone screen isn’t cracked. It’s fine if my skull is cracked; it can heal.” Sophie took her phone, and it immediately unlocked due to face ID. Her wallpaper was a photo of Kingston and her. She had just changed the wallpaper yesterday. It used to be a photo of me and her. Austin was the one who had taken that photo. Even though Austin was not directly in the photo, it felt like it was a photo of the three of us. He must have noticed it. He smiled and said, “I’ll make a move. Tell Lucy I’ll be waiting for her in the car.” Austin walked out of the bridal shop, and Sophie looked dispirited. “I was quite happy, bu
“You’re getting married too?”“I’ll be your best man or maid of honor. What? You’re too cheap to pay for the outfits?”“You, my best man?”“Look around you. Are there any single people left?”Sophie rolled her eyes. “Hah, I wasn’t planning on inviting you.”Kingston tried to shake Austin’s hand, but Austin ignored him. Sophie got mad and pulled Kingston away. “Don’t pay attention to him. He thinks he’s too good for anyone. He’s crazy.”“Sophie,” I warned.“What? He’s always acting crazy!” she yelled.I was not sure if Austin really wanted to be Sophie’s best man, or if it was just an excuse to come here.Anyway, Austin went to change too. I could not tell the difference between the best man’s and groom’s outfits. However, the difference between the bridesmaid and bride was clear.While Sophie was posing in front of the mirror in her wedding dress, Austin came out of the fitting room.Austin was very thin, and the suit hung loosely on him, but it still looked good.He had a
Sophie’s wedding preparations were progressing quickly. She limped to work in the mornings and dragged me along in the afternoons to buy wedding stuff.I felt like the wedding was just an excuse for her to go shopping.“This afternoon, Kingston and I are trying on our wedding outfits. You should come too.”“It’s your wedding. Why should I come?”“To help me choose! I look good in everything, so it’s hard to pick.”“If it’s that hard, just buy them all. Aren’t you rich?”“Why are you so grouchy?” She leaned closer and observed me. “Cassia, are your hormones off balance?”“I’m pregnant, so everything’s a mess right now.”After some thought, I called Austin and told him, “Sophie’s trying on wedding dresses this afternoon.”“Okay,” he replied in his usual lifeless tone.“Aren’t you going to say anything to her?”“Don’t eat too much. The wedding dress will be a pain to alter.”I was so angry that I hung up. He was so stubborn. I was sure that he would regret it and cry later.M
Austin was the weakest among us when we were kids. He could not climb trees, run, or do anything physically demanding. Instead, he would play board games and puzzles with us.Sophie always thought that he was smart, and she admired him.I never imagined that someone I grew up with might die so soon.“You should leave,” he said weakly. “She should be done by now.”“Austin.” I wanted to say something more, but he turned his back to me.He did not want to listen, so I had no choice but to leave.As I reached the door, I heard him say, “Actually, this is a good thing.”Was he saying that Sophie marrying Kingston was a good thing?What was good about it?I felt like grabbing Sophie over. I wanted to point at the dying man in bed and say, “This guy loves you more than you know. He helped you test Kingston’s character. He thinks about you all the time. He comes to see you every night using his half-sister as an excuse, but he’s dying. He doesn’t want you to be sad, so he plans to die
“I just went for a checkup.” Austin walked over to me. “Why are you sweating so much?”He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to me. Honestly, only Austin would still carry a handkerchief in his condition.I wiped my sweat. “I came with Sophie to get her cast off, and I thought I’d stop by to see you.”“Get her cast off? I thought that wasn’t until next month?”“She insisted on getting it off today. The doctor checked, and her bone is healing well, so it’s fine for her to take it off.”“When did she start caring so much about her looks?” Austin walked back to his room, and I followed him.He sat down and seemed a little out of breath. I had already asked the doctor about him. Austin could not engage in any physical activity; he could not even walk fast.I was about to pour him some water, but he waved me off. “Don’t bother. I’m not thirsty. How could I let you take care of me? I might be a patient, but you’re pregnant.”At least, he could still joke. If I were him