Mary paced back-and-forth in Serene’s living room. “What do you plan to do now?” She looked at Serene, who sat at the couch. “I don’t know yet. I might just go back home and start over.”
“Have you told auntie and uncle already?” Serene never gave her family details on the reason she and Bryan broke up. They adored him and actually treated him as their son-in-law. It devastated them when they learned about their breakup.
She did not want to hurt her parents, and she was not sure how they would take the reason for their breakup considering that they hold very conservative perspectives. She just shook her head to answer Mary’s question, looking very dejected.
Mary let out a deep sigh and sat beside Serene. She hugged Serene from her back and said, “Why do these things happen to you?”
Serene simply bowed her head. She asked the same question herself. Why do these things happen to her? Did she d
Had Serene known that her life would be peaceful once she returned to Coast City, she would have flown back home immediately after graduation. It would probably have saved her countless days of loneliness and homesickness.However, she had a stubborn streak and was hungry to prove something for herself, not to mention there were few opportunities available for a newcomer like her.Thankfully, Mary had taken her under her wings. As always, she had been her savior. This time, she recommended her to her brother Albert who just started a small IT company which focused on expense management. Having had previous exposure to project implementation, she got assigned to the Implementation Department.How she loved this job. She gets to focus on working on a specific project, helping their clients in customizing their softwar
Serene’s eyes were as round as the moon as he stared at Justin. She kept blinking her eyes in disbelief. One second… two seconds… ten seconds…Serene still cannot believe her ears. She continued to stare at the man who was calmly bringing his coffee cup to his upturned mouth.“Say that again.” Her voice hitched up, sounding unconvinced that she heard him right.He gently placed the cup that kissed his mouth back on the table. He leaned forward and cupped his face in his right hand. Looking at her straight in the eyes, he uttered, “Come back to Hyacinth Bay with me.”So I heard him right, Serene mumbled. She stared at him as she digested his words, then responded flatly, “No.”
Serene was seething in anger. She puffed her cheeks and took deep breaths as she tried to control herself. The warmth on her face was unmistakable; so she knew she must be as red as a tomato, but she did not care about that now.She stood up from her chair and looked down at him. She took advantage of the temporary position of power she had over him. Glaring angrily, her voice shaking, she pointed at his face, “If you think you can bribe me with your compensation, Mr. Rain, think again! I will never give my eggs to you!”She did not bother waiting for his response. She stormed out of the cafe in her angry strides, not even bothering to look back.Serene left Justin stunned and puzzled. She was long gone, but he remained in his seat, looking in the direction she stormed out of. What just happened?The more he thought about the words she said, the more painful his head became. He shook his head and massaged his temples to ease the growing headache he felt. She
Serene had a scheduled meeting with Innovative Data in the afternoon. They will personalize their software and enter all the rules that they’d like added in Lewis Tech’s system. This is where the bulk of the work happens. So, she wanted to make sure that everything was prepared before she went to her client’s office.She was deep in her work with what she was doing; she did not care at all about her surroundings. The sound of somebody clearing his throat caught her attention. Her hands stopped tapping her keyboard, her head snapped up to see the person who broke her concentration.Albert’s warm eyes greeted her. He was smiling at her and his eyes looked like two crescents. He and Mary shared the same eyes. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” Serene looked at Albert with bright eyes and thought that Albert perhaps had some
The Rain International Building looked very imposing. Its 80 floors towered over Hyacinth Bay’s Central Business District. Serene recalled that she looked at this same building with excitement and enthusiasm after she had graduated. On her first day of work, she felt nothing but pride when her high-heeled feet first set on its premise.How ironic, now here she is, craning her neck as she tries to look at the skyscraper’s expanse. She no longer felt the same amount of excitement, pride and elation she felt almost three years ago. The feeling of dread now replaced those emotions. She dreaded to see those three men.Taking a deep breath, Serene lifted her foot and entered the building. She approached the lobby receptionist, whom she no longer recognized. She informed her of her name and purpose; the receptionist gave her her ID pass.
Serene felt powerless when Dylan kindly requested to make Justin his plus one. She was famished, and all she wanted was to have a steaming bowl of miso ramen. She no longer protested Dylan's request.They took Justin’s Maybach. She sat in the back passenger seat while Dylan sat shotgun with Justin, who drove.As the car was getting out of the basement parking, Dylan, in his signature energetic voice asked, “What do you want to eat, Shen?”She no longer had to think about this question. Serene immediately blurted, “Japanese.”“Excuse me, what?” Of course Dylan knew what she meant, but he wanted to tease her.“Japanese. Japanese food, ramen to be exact.” Serene rolled her eyes at him, to which Dylan just gave a crisp, jovial laugh.Throughout this exchange, one person’s hand was tightly gripping the steering wheel. It was too tight that veins popped at the back of hi
Because Justin was driving, Serene had no choice but to take the front passenger seat. She felt uneasy and kept shifting in her seat. She did not know where to place her hands. She placed them in her lap, then crossed her arms across her chest, then placed her interlaced fingers on her lap and twiddled her thumbs. Justin missed none of these. He’s in a good mood and could not help but have a tiny smirk on his lips. His fascination with her kept growing as he observed her. Serene could feel Justin’s eyes on her. She stole a quick glance in his direction and saw that indeed his eyes were on her. Was that a smirk on his face? She wanted to roll her eyes at him, but his gaze met hers. The longer their eyes stayed locked, the more she felt uncomfortable. After a while, she saw Justin leaning forward, his face moving closer and closer to her.
Start over. The phrase rang in Serene’s ears and tugged on her heart. Yes, Justin was an asshole for not correcting her misunderstanding of his relationship with Bryan. Apart from that, he has not really done anything to her. “OK” was all she could muster. When Justin heard this, she felt a huge thorn pulled out of her chest, making it lighter. He smiled. “Thank you.” He spoke so softly and sincerely. Serene felt the warmth in her heart when she heard him speak. Such simple words, yet he said it like she saved her life. Their call already ended for a while, but Serene still continued to stare at the phone she held in her hand. Start over. Such simple words, yet it carried a heavy meaning for her. Indeed, things between her and Justin started a
Serene stood in front of a closed door, holding onto her father’s arm. She felt weak on her knees and him lending his strength is all that she needed. Her heart was in her throat and her hand tightened around the bouquet she held.“Ready, love?” Conrad asked his daughter. His loving eyes looked at her. She was just a tiny baby he held before and now he’s walking her down the aisle. Recalling everything she has gone through; he felt a sense of pride rush through him. She’d grown to a strong independent woman, the best mother to the twins. He could not be prouder.They signaled for the door to be opened. Father and daughter walked down the aisle. All eyes are on them. Serene insisted on having an intimate wedding. She wanted their intimate moment shared only with people who mattered to them. Every single one of those in attendance we
Serene and Justin were co-parenting for the past six months, and it had been a bliss so far. Every Friday night, he’d have dinner with Serene and the twins at her place. After dinner, he would take the children with him. They agreed weekends were his, but he preferred to spend Sundays as a family. They would go to parks, museums, or hang out either at his place or hers. He would then drive Serene and the children back to her place at Hyacinth Bay.As for the two of them, they’re building trust at their own pace. Serene’s more open with him, although he wished she’d be more affectionate. He missed holding her and feeling her close to him.It’s Friday night. Justin would come over for dinner before driving back to his place with the twins. Serene finished cooking, but Justin has not arrived yet.
After their lunch, the group transferred to the nearby hotel. She and Justin watched their children play in the pool in silence. Her eyes soften at the sound of their laughter. It still fascinated her to see how much they’ve grown.“So, you guys back together?” Mary asked as she walked towards Serene and handed her a glass of juice.“No,” Serene answered, then sipped the beverage Mary gave.“Hm… I like to remind you, Shen, how difficult things were for you in the past,” she said, throwing a glance at Justin. He remained quiet throughout the exchange.Serene chose to not respond to Mary. She knows how hostile Mary could get, especially after what Justin did to her.Mary held her
The weekend finally came. Vivienne instructed him to go to Lewis Tower. From there, he took the helicopter going to Pines City. He could not help but sneer. He and his team focused on the airport when she used a helicopter to shuttle to and from Hyacinth Bay.Thinking alone that he’d see her and their children, he could not help but feel excited. The weekday felt like a drag for him. He wanted to fast forward the days, so it’ll be the weekend and he’d finally be able to spend time with Serene and the twins.His heart thumped in his chest as soon as his foot touched Pines City ground. His palms felt sweaty and cold. The food park occupied part of the mall’s outdoor space. It’s composed of many stalls featuring various cuisines.Vivienne welcomed him upon arrival. His eyes search the venu
Seeing her packing their things shattered his world. She’s running away again. He just had a taste of how it felt to be a part of the twins’ lives and she’s taking them away.He knew he hurt her before, but he wanted to make up for it if only she’d give her a chance. One chance to make it right and prove to her how much they mattered to him. A single chance is all he wanted.He has not asked her about it yet, but here she is packing her luggage, poised to run away again. They’ve been playing cat and mouse for such a long time, it has become tiresome. How long would it take him to find them again this time?He sat at the edge of Serene’s bed. His elbows dug into his knees while his hands held his head. With his head down, a veil of dark hair fell on either side of his face. His slu
Serene’s incoming call cut off their conversation. “Al,” Serene answered her call while getting up from her seat and walking away from the dining table. “How are the twins? Bryan told me what happened.” “They’re safe now, a little shook but safe.” “That’s good. Are you at Justin’s?” “Um…” “That’s fine, Shen. He’s the children’s father. After all these years, and all that has happened, don’t you think it’s time for the twins to know him?” “I don’t know, Al.” “Hey, it’s just my ten cents, Shen. In the end, it’s your call. By the way, if you have time, come down to Pine City. Susie tho
As their car entered his Villa, Serene felt a tug in her heart. This place contained some of her happiest and her most painful memories. She clutched Pax closer to her chest and looked at the sleeping Felicity in Justin’s arms. She looked so peaceful and at home in his arms.Jane, Justin’s helper, could not hide her surprise at the sight of Serene. Her eyes were as wide as her open jaws. It’s been years since she last saw Serene. And it was when Justin ordered her to send Serene away. It broke her heart to see her pitiful condition then. But she was a mere helper, and her master forbade her to help Serene.“Ma-Madam!” Jane could not help but cry at the sight of her. Her smile almost reached her ears.“Jane, good evening,” Serene said, smiling at Justin’s helper.
Justin picked Serene up from the hotel she stayed in. There was no longer a need to hide from him since she needed to work with him to rescue her children. She sat in the front passenger seat while he drove.Justin looked concentrated on his driving, but he’s biting the inside of his cheeks from anger. The hotel where she and her children stayed was only a couple of blocks away from Hotel Le Grande. She always hid in plain sight, it made him look stupid already.He pushed his anger aside and concentrated on the issue at hand. The kidnappers gave him the location of the meeting. It’s an abandoned warehouse near the pier. They instructed them to leave the money beside a trash can near the entrance.Justin got off the car and did exactly that. After dropping a huge duffle bag beside the trash, he walked awa
Serene’s vibrating phone cut off the staring contest between her and Justin. Her brows furrowed as she looked at the unidentified number flashing on her screen. “Hello?”“Serene Ellis” a raspy man’s voice spoke on the other end of the line. From the background, Serene could hear children crying.“Yes.” she answered, her voice trembling. Her heart tightened and the angry flush on her cheeks drained.“We have your children --”“Please, please, don’t hurt them. Don’t hurt my babies,” she whimpered. She felt her phone snatched from her hand. Justin put the phone on speaker, not making any sound. The entire room listened in silence.“We won&r