I had not noticed when Zach arrived, but he must have overheard Cecilia just now.At this moment, he should see her true colors, right? Would he feel ashamed for ever loving someone like her? Or… did he still love her? I did not know and did not want to know.I walked past Cecilia without a word, and Zach did not talk to her either. He held my arm as we made our way through the crowd. After the funeral, everyone was drained.My aunt got sick and could not attend the funeral. My mom planned to take her abroad for some time once she was discharged. My uncle seemed to age overnight. He had even more gray hair than my dad. A guest’s child even thought my uncle was my dad’s dad.As the guests left, Sophie suddenly said, “Cassia, my childhood is officially over.” She often jokes about being a big kid—carefree and clueless about life’s troubles. Losing a loved one made a person grow up fast.She told me she was going to help at Freeman Corporation’s branch. Freeman Corpor
Some time later, my aunt was finally discharged. My mom took her to Tibet for some peace and healing. But true healing was something you had to do for yourself. A beautiful place could not be a permanent escape. Eventually, you had to come back to reality.Sophie started working at the branch office as the deputy manager. It was the highest position she could get given her lack of experience. Bryce had been the general manager, and his position was still open.She left her coffee shop with the manager and her entertainment company with a friend. On her first day at the branch, I went with her to drop her off.I went to Sophie’s place. When I saw her come downstairs in a formal business suit, she looked almost like a stranger. She had always been a bit wild, and her style showed it. Even in the middle of winter, she would wear shorts and leather boots. My aunt used to say she dressed like a little rebel.But today, this “rebel” looked like a real businesswoman. We wished this toug
“Do your own thing. Don’t just watch them.”“I’ll share the live updates with you.”“No thanks. I’d rather watch soap operas. They’re more dramatic than this.”I lay back on my bed and watched a soap opera. The plot was so over the top it could not even be called dramatic anymore.The lead character was a man who went through a lot of struggles and then changed into a woman. Later, her father fell in love with her.My eyes were much better. With my glasses on, I could basically see the TV clearly.I watched in shock. Just as the lead character was being confessed to by her father, Sophie sent me a video.I opened the video while still watching the show. It showed Zach, Fame, and Cecilia.Fame said, “Mr. Gordon, come to my office at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow to sign the contract.”Zach asked, “Your office opens at 6:30 a.m.?”“No. I have two dogs at the office. You can walk them first. Hahaha.”I did not know where Sophie was hiding to record. I could only see Zach’s profile, not hi
The days passed by slowly. This year, we had the quietest New Year’s Eve. My mom and aunt went on a trip again and stayed in a warm, beautiful village. New Year’s Eve used to be a time when our whole family got together. But this year, there were fewer people. My mom and aunt were not around. Bryce and Luna would never come back either. The big dining table was usually full of people. This time, it could not be filled. My dad poured a drink and symbolically offered it to Bryce. Then, he raised his glass to my uncle and said, “Bryce and Luna will be fine up there.” My uncle raised his glass with shaky hands and drank it all. Even though there were not many of us this year, we were still together as a family. Two people were probably alone on this New Year’s Eve. One was Austin. Yesterday, he told me that his dad was in Kentucky with his new Mexican girlfriend, who was thirty years younger than him. I joked that his dad was still full of energy. Austin smiled and said
“Not good, but also not bad.”“Say hi to Sophie for me.”“Okay.”“I’ve heard about Zach,” Cameron suddenly said. I did not expect him to bring Zach up. So, I just looked at him in silence.“Are you going to get back with him?” he asked.“No,” I answered firmly.“Good. Cassia, I’m waiting for you.”Cameron’s words stressed me out. Was he serious?He had been single for a long time. In the past, there would always be women around him. He had been interested in me for the longest period.After hanging up, Sophie said, “Even if you don’t get back together with Zach, don’t choose Cameron.”“Why?”“He doesn’t love you. He’s just looking for a mom for Rachel.”“I don’t love him either. I won’t choose him, so don’t worry. But I won’t get back with Zach.”“You promise?”“Yes, I promise.”Janette was standing by the door, and she suddenly exclaimed, “Ms. Freeman, there are fireworks outside!”We looked out the windows, and fireworks were going off just outside our garden.They w
The next day, I went to the Gordon family’s mansion to wish Eloise a happy New Year. Sophie decided not to come since her family just held a funeral. So, Oliver tagged along instead.Eloise was in a great mood. She was thrilled to see Oliver, and she looked up at him. “What are the kids eating these days? You’re all so tall!”She handed Oliver some cash as a gift. It was such a thick wad that it could not even fit in his wallet. Mary laughed and said that only Eloise gave people cash as a gift. Eloise wanted us to stay for lunch. Since I had not seen her in a while, I told her we would stay for dinner too.She was delighted, and she asked the chef to make all my favorite dishes. “Oh, and bring out the salmon chowder too. Cassia loves it.”“Salmon chowder? Zach really enjoyed it yesterday, so we made extra and froze it. I can just heat it up,” the chef replied.Zach enjoyed it yesterday?Did that mean he spent New Year’s Eve with his family?I glanced at Mary and Eloise, but
It did not seem like Zach had cut ties with his family.Were they hanging out with him behind Tyler’s back since he was not around?I looked at Zach in surprise. But he just leaned over and studied my cards. “You have four aces. Were you saving them for a big win?”“Um.” I glanced at my cards. “I’m waiting for the right play.”“The right play? There are only four aces in the deck. Who are you trying to play against?” He chuckled.Zach took over for me, which I did not mind at all. After a while, I asked, “Why aren’t you drawing any more cards?”“You already have too many. Let’s play until you’re down to a normal hand.” A few rounds later, he suddenly said, “Royal flush.”He laid down the cards and took a new one.After a whole afternoon, I finally won a round—all thanks to Zach.Serena immediately praised him, “Zach, you’re amazing! You actually managed to win with Cassia’s extra cards! Look, you got a royal flush!”Mary watched us with a smile and told Zach, “Keep helping Ca
Tyler did not usually drink at home. But tonight, he had a few glasses and even toasted with me and Zach. Since I did not drink, I had some juice that Mrs. Yates made. It was both sweet and tart.“You two will be parents soon. That changes things,” Tyler said. “Zach, you know what you need to do now.”“I do.” Zach placed some meat on my plate. “Want some soup? The salmon chowder is great.”“Sure.” I took a bite of the meat. I still did not understand why Zach was on such good terms with his family.After dinner, Mrs. Yates brought us fruit to eat in the living room. Mary noticed that I was puzzled, and she gently patted my hand. “Some things will make sense later.”So, they were keeping something from me.Since it was not the right time, I did not question her. Tyler told Zach, “Come to the study for a bit.” Then, he turned to me. “Cassia, eat some fruit and watch TV. Zach will drive you home when he’s done.”“It’s okay. I’ll go back with Oliver.” “Oliver’s still a kid.” Tyl
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