"I'm sorry," Helen said, "I don't think I can be of any help with the matter you've raised. As you know, I'm just an ordinary employee."The smile carved on Jeremy's face slowly faded. His hands clenched into fists on his thighs. The eyes that painted hope suddenly vanished. " Can you work it out for us?"Helen turned her head toward the doorway, then let out a long breath. She thought for a moment, then said, "But I think I can arrange for you to meet with Miss Caraline in person. I hope that will help."Jeremy and Jonathan smiled instantly. The two exchanged glances, sharing their happiness."That was more than helpful. We were helped," Jeremy responded, "so when can we discuss this with Miss Caraline?"Helen pulled her cell phone out of her blazer pocket and started scrolling through the screen. While she was busy finding an empty schedule, her eyes accidentally caught the figure of Deric, who was pushing a wheelchair into the courtyard."Mr. Jacob." Helen stood up suddenly and rus
Caraline let out a long breath as she leaned back against the chair. Checking several reports at once was draining her energy. She had to set a high level of concentration to understand the data presentation.Shaking off the fatigue and boredom, Caraline began to search the internet. She typed her name into the search bar, and soon there were a lot of article titles from various sources. She reads the headlines one by one and then examines the content thoroughly."Those journalists should go back to school," Caraline grumbled when comparing the content of the story with the headline. Despite Diego's clarification to the journalists in the lobby of the building yesterday, the reality was that the media's assumptions and personal opinions have been added to make the story more palatable to readers.Caraline realized that not all the blame should be placed on the news writers. There was also a share of media leaders who impose their ideas and ideologies on them. Inevitably, the need for
The hubbub inside the outlet grew when the patrons heard James' confession. Like raging waves, insulting words and stares continued to be directed at Deric. Even so, he still put on a calm face."Scram!" shooted the woman in the short white dress, "You're not only an ignorant beggar, but you're also a liar! This outlet needs to improve its quality in many ways for letting a beggar like you pollute the place."James just chuckled as he watched the bullying escalate. He was glad that Deric had been rewarded for his arrogant behavior at home. How could a handicapped man threaten him and be so insolent at the same time?"Whoever brought this crippled man must be smart," James said heatedly, "by bringing this sick man to a fancy place, he must think people will feel sorry for him and give him a lot of money.""That sounds reasonable," responded one of the male visitors."I'd rather throw my money into a piggy bank than give it to this handicapped man," said a young woman."I didn't think b
All the visitors who had bullied Deric eventually looked down in shame. Even so, their minds were busy with various questions about the man in the wheelchair. Was his relationship with Helen just an acquaintance? How could Caraline's assistant know this man?"This outlet needs to improve its quality in many ways," says Deric.The woman in the short white dress instantly looked down in fear. Deric repeated what the woman said a few minutes ago."Really?" asked Helen.The manager and the rest of the staff were drowning in fear. They knew how their careers would end if the head office found out about this. Mimiline Group was a company that was very strict on discipline and service quality. Disappointing a customer was a serious case that could result in dismissal.In this case, it was clear that all employees were in the wrong. Consciously, they had bullied a customer with special needs, especially since the victim was close to the assistant owner of the company where they worked. This w
Caraline looked up when her phone rang. Her tired face brightened when she realized that Diego had sent her another message. However, the news came from someone she hated, her cousin.[Come with your husband to the Wattson family gathering on weekends. The rest of your family and I would like to get to know your husband as a new family member. I'll send you the details of the event later.]Caraline reflexively threw her phone as soon as she finished reading the message. She made a scowl on her face with her arms crossed over her chest. This was really bad news. The long-haired woman couldn't imagine what would happen during the meeting, especially if they knew Deric's condition.Caraline rushed to the lakeside as soon as the car pulled up to the residence. She sat on a wooden chair under a tree. The woman vented her frustration by throwing rocks into the water, hoping that it would make her feel better."What should I do?"Caraline massaged her head, which suddenly felt heavy. Her fac
Deric did not immediately respond to Caraline's words. He remained silent for a while before finally saying, "I think that's a good idea."Caraline instantly looked up, studied Deric for a moment, then turned her head toward the lake. "Do you think that's a really good idea?" "Would you mind attending?" Deric moved closer to Caraline. "I can hear the dislike in the way you speak."Caraline adjusted her hair a few times, walking towards the edge of the lake. "What do I have to fear from a family gathering?" "I never said that you were scared."Caraline closed her eyes, letting out a long breath. "You must have heard wrong.""My ears are still functioning properly. It doesn't matter if you're scared. I'm not going to laugh at something that happens to everyone."Caraline instantly twisted her body. "You should look in the mirror first if you want to laugh at me!""Alright," Deric said as he pushed the wheelchair to the edge of the lake. He stopped right beside Caraline. The man obser
Caraline landed on a chair under the tree. Her mood had suddenly gone haywire after receiving a follow-up message from her cousin about the Wattson family meeting. Because of this, she couldn't concentrate on her work at all."That woman pisses me off!" Caraline punched the space on the chair.Caraline let out a long breath, massaging her forehead slowly. Her face looked up to the orange sky. Amid her mounting frustration, time was ticking towards tomorrow. If only she had the power to control time, she would have completely erased tomorrow from the Earth. However, she was simply not ready. "Are you scared?" asked Deric, camera in hand. When he managed to capture two swans mingling, he immediately took a look at his shot.At the sudden sound, Caraline's reverie was instantly broken. She turned her head while holding her heart in shock. She hit the space on the side again when she found Deric not far from where she was sitting."What did you just do?" screeched Caraline, sending two s
At nine in the morning, Caraline was getting ready in a navy blue knee-length dress. Her hair was left down with the ends made slightly wavy. As she descended the stairs, she took a few deep breaths as she closed her eyes.Caraline did not sleep well at all last night. Every few hours, she would wake up sweating. Afterward, she would daydream in bed until sleepiness returned."You lazy bastard!" cursed Caraline when she realized that Deric was not yet at the edge of the lake.Caraline shook her hair when her cell phone rang. Her lips immediately brought a smile when Diego sent a message.[How are you today?]Caraline rolled her eyes. She shook her head a few times because she felt Diego was terrible at opening up a conversation. Nevertheless, she replied to his message.[Am I reading a message from a man who is reportedly very good at attracting women? You found the right topic.]Caraline glanced around. The cool morning air relaxed her mind. When her cell phone rang again and display
Jeremy, Jonathan, and James looked tense as they followed a bodyguard to the edge of the park. The crashing of the waves was a musical accompaniment to their racing hearts. The three men suddenly fell silent when they saw Deric with his back to them near the fence. Shortly afterward, the bodyguard chose to excuse himself. For a few seconds, there was only silence between the four men. Jeremy, Jonathan, and James exchanged glances with each other, confused as to what action they should take at this point. Should they say goodbye? Deric slowly turned around, smiling to greet his three half-brothers. He walked over, but Jeremy, Jonathan, and James did not move from their places or even turn their heads towards him. "I've been waiting for your arrival," Deric said. Jeremy, Jonathan, and James had not paid any attention to Deric's words. Their faces had not completely lifted either. "Didn't you miss me a lot, James?" asked Deric, "you even called me and sent me messages almost every da
Six months later The news of the Universe Corporation President's marriage sent the country into a frenzy. Many of the women who dreamed of becoming his wife suddenly felt heartbreak and deep sadness.Rumors circulated like mushrooms in the rainy season about who the lucky woman who would become Jacob Balderic's partner would be. Six months after the Universe Corporation President appeared in public and introduced himself, the man never appeared in front of the media again. However, the news about him continued to fill news lines and television shows.A week after the news of the wedding broke, the media managed to uncover the lucky woman, who was none other than Caraline. Many people agreed with this because they felt that the two were a good match. However, some sneered and bullied Caraline on social media. Even so, the wedding was held in a private location in the city of Summertown.The news of the wedding became the top and hottest topic ever, and even the news of Caraline and D
All eyes were on Deric who had just recognized himself as the presiden of the number one company in the country. The atmosphere of the event was instantly silent, as were the people watching the news on television channels and the internet. Shortly afterward, the adoring admiration was met with thunderous applause."Oh my," said Helen, "isn't that Mr. Deric? How could this be possible? He can walk on both feet and right now he's in front of us."Helen turned to Caraline who was looking down with a smile on her face. When she realized something, Helen quickly controlled herself. She knew the reason behind Caraline's change over the past two weeks."Miss Caraline," Helen called with a bright smile. Despite the crack in her heart, she was happy to see Caraline now.Caraline was silent and didn't dare to raise her head at the moment. The praise and admiration directed at Deric made her even more terrified of losing him.On the other side, Diego and Wilson were watching the show on the scr
A week passed after Caraline met with Deric on the rooftop of the building. However, her happy smile never faded. Helen, Stevan, and the rest of the maids and guards couldn't understand her attitude. While Caraline had been saddened a few months ago, for the past week, she had been overwhelmed with happiness.Caraline visited an event organized by one of Universe Coporation's subsidiaries in a large park. Many famous officials and businessmen attended the event, including Henry Hulbert.Caraline couldn't sit still while watching Henry Hulbert perform on stage. Her eyes were often drawn to the surroundings. There was a good chance that Deric was also at this event, she thought.Caraline hadn't received any messages from Deric all week. She also deliberately did not contact him. If longing had been excruciating in the past, this longing had only intensified the love."Do you need something?" asked Helen, who was sitting next to Caraline's chair."Nothing." Caraline shook her head, turni
Caraline and Deric looked at each other for some time, lost in their feelings. The lights around the rooftop seemed to change color as time passed."I'm just afraid that you'll lose consciousness like last time," Deric said suddenly."What do you mean?" asked Caraline with flushed cheeks."You know, you suddenly passed out when we were about to do... 'it' in your room." Deric laughed, gently stroking Caraline's hair."Passed out?" Caraline raised one eyebrow. "Didn't we ever do that?""Not at all," Deric said, "you seemed to be so nervous that you passed out, especially since you didn't stop smiling during your sleep."Caraline suddenly turned her back on Deric, closing her eyes with a very red face. She was embarrassed when she heard that. So, all this time she had only dreamed about doing 'that' with Deric. "Don't talk to me anymore. I hate you.""I know if your heart says otherwise." Deric stood beside Caraline."No, I'm serious." Caraline turned her gaze to the other side. "You ar
Caraline's whole body shook even more when she saw Deric standing in front of her. She dropped her cell phone because she couldn't contain her shock. For a few moments, she could only hold her breath with an unblinking gaze.Caraline felt shocked on top of the shock. She had wanted Deric to walk again, but when she saw it firsthand, Caraline was left stunned and unable to do anything. Her lips half opened, but quickly closed again.Didn't Deric look perfect with his current appearance?Caraline pinched her left arm hard. She felt a great pain there. It signaled that she was in the real world. However, Caraline still felt lost in dreamland. Deric, who she thought was a man who had lost his dreams, was the mysterious figure that people wanted to know about. Deric was none other than the richest man in the country.Doesn't Deric look perfect in his current position?Caraline looked back as her feet hit the rooftop barrier. She was at the edge of the room and there was no turning back. Fo
"Deric."Caraline could only remain silent with wide-rounded eyes for some time. Her mouth was half open with a look of disbelief. All the images of her time with Deric instantly faded away, making her body almost collapse on the floor. Tears were rolling down her cheeks relentlessly.Caraline knew that she missed Deric more than anything. However, when he was in front of her right now, she could only stand still without being able to get closer or even hug him tightly.Time seemed to stop for Caraline. All the scenery around her suddenly turned black and white, except for Deric alone. At the same time, the world became eerily silent.Could this all be a delusion?Could it be that he was in a dream?Could it be that God had answered all her prayers and hopes?Caraline still couldn't quite believe what was happening. For months she had searched for Deric's whereabouts with everything she had, but nothing good had come of it. However, at this moment, Deric came to him alone on this roof
Two months laterA talent show organized by one of Universe Corporation's subsidiaries received an overwhelming response from the public. The show had the highest ratings for several weeks. It culminated in the finale that aired last night. The participants put on an incredible show of entertainment and performance. The show was even aired in several neighboring countries. The enthusiasm of the public and netizens for the program was so high that the organizers intended to re-organize a similar event with a fresh and new concept.As a token of appreciation for the achievement and success, a lavish banquet was held for all partners who joined the program. Several Universe Corporation officials were present, one of whom was Henry Hulbert.Caraline was still in the room, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She put on the earrings Deric had given her to complete her look tonight. The search for the man had been ongoing until now, but his whereabouts had yet to be discovered."Wherev
One month passed quickly. Caraline reorganized her life. Diego was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for the crimes he had committed. Although it wasn't worth it, it was enough to make her feel relieved. On the other hand, Wilson was also put behind bars. Although the Wattson family tried to get him released, he was sentenced to eight years in prison.Caraline's life gradually returned to the way it was before knowing Deric. She was busy with office work. However, her longing and love for him became even more unstoppable.Caraline has a new habit now. When she missed Deric the most, she would go to his former residence and spend the night there. Caraline would smile at the pictures on the wall and cry shortly after.The search for Deric, Lucy, and Thomas was still ongoing. However, there was no sign that they will be found. Caraline felt that this was her punishment for hurting and wasting Deric's presence all this time. This longing and regret tormented her.On the other hand, Cat