The spaghetti in the pot was slightly burnt. Zoey spooned it out in a daze and threw it away after a while. It wouldn't taste good even if it wasn't burnt or cold. After dinner, she grabbed a soft drink and a half-eaten piece of cake from the fridge and sat on the couch. However, the sweet treats didn't make her mood any better. Even if Laurence hadn't said where he was going, she could guess. She forced herself not to think about it, feel disappointed, or let it affect her mood. She ate bite after bite of cake, feeling desolate.Laurence spent more than half an hour driving and called Sarah many times on the way, but she did not answer a single call. He couldn't help but speed up and run to the front door as he continued dialling the number, but he was met with the automated voice message every time. He had hardly stayed at that apartment over the last two years, and when he arrived downstairs, he realized that he had forgotten his access card. Fortunately, the security guard rec
Laurence caught a cold, leaving him with a sore throat and a discolored complexion. Since his whereabouts that night were none of Zoey’s concern, she said bluntly, “There’s food in the kitchen if you’re hungry.” Laurence coughed until rosiness crept onto his drained face. He acknowledged her instruction and stopped near her while on his way to the kitchen. “I’m fine if the food gets soggy and gross.” Zoey fell silent for a while. Pretending she didn’t understand what he meant, she hung her head and answered quietly, “But it’ll lose its flavor.”Laurence pressed his lips tightly together and retorted, “I’m not fussy.” It was strange of him to make that statement. Zoey would never label Laurence as “not fussy”. Laurence went to the kitchen to heat the food up while Zoey watched TV in the living room since she had nothing better to do. The arrest of Crescent Construction’s former boss came on the news. The press had caught Robert being taken into custody on video. Since the c
Zoey could not guarantee whether any other invited alumni remembered the incident. She was better off telling Laurence what had happened before someone else broke it to him. In any case, he had seen her at her worst, so her behavior was nothing new. The man fell silent for a bit before asking, “Did you though?” Zoey was stumped by the question as she hadn’t expected his response. She had wavered between telling and withholding the truth since her reputation in the last few years had sunk deeper down the drain. Most of the time, it wasn’t that she didn’t want to clear the air and defend her side of the story. She merely didn’t have proof. Back in school, Zoey had no money, power, or strong family backing. She had no means to fight against a long-going scheme. She was rendered defenseless. Zoey cocked her head and looked Laurence in the eyes before answering, “I didn’t.” She had never plagiarized someone else’s work. Plagiarism was a severe accusation against a design student
Zoey believed she was only there to be Laurence’s eye candy. The dean had no idea about the black mark on Zoey’s academic record. After learning from Laurence that his wife was a former student in the school of design, the dean called the head of the design school over to exchange pleasantries. The school head still remembered Zoey. He was caught in the moment, staring at her face that had not aged one bit. The school head was in for another surprise when he moved his gaze to Laurence. There was a reason why the school head retained a memory of Zoey despite the influx of students in the school every year. There were few plagiarism cases, to begin with, but hers took the cake. Enrolling in the college wasn’t easy. After all, everybody wanted to get into the top college in Northwell. Most students who were admitted to the college were the best of the best, excelling in knowledge and character. Of course, there was still a possibility that a small number of unethical individuals w
Sarah was filled with rage as Zoey’s comment struck a nerve. Her father was involved in a murder case, and the media made a big fuss about whether Sarah would try to cut ties with him. Although her friends said nothing, they seemed to steer clear of her. Sarah could not be as ruthless as her mother. If she were in her mother’s shoes, Sarah could not ditch her husband in a moment of need, especially when he had been arrested and charged with murder. She had always been Dad’s favorite. At least, she had always been the apple of Dad’s eye before the bitch’s son had come along. Sarah had been conflicted since her father’s arrest. They had been father and daughter for many years, and she could get upset and cry at the possibility her dad might get the death penalty. Still, when her newborn brother came to mind, she resented him. It wasn’t like her father’s case didn’t impact her life. Why did her father leave something that traced back to him? “My mom and I have no idea what my
Sarah lost the belief she’d had since high school that she could fool Laurence forever. He would never know the truth. She began to lose herself to anxiety and fear as he grew distant from her. Zoey and Laurence were bound to run into each other since they were in the same college. Sarah had the idea to kick Zoey out of school before she could meet him. Sarah came up with a way to crush Zoey’s dreams and ruin her reputation all at once. “You carry too much hate toward her,” Laurence’s voice reeled Sarah back from her memories. She met the man’s profound but questioning eyes. “The intensity of your hatred goes beyond a mere dislike.” Sarah freaked out. She forced a smile, pretending everything was fine. “You spoiled me rotten then, and I did whatever I wanted without considering the consequences of my actions.” Laurence saw right through her. It wasn’t as if Sarah did not consider the consequences. She was hell-bent on getting Zoey expelled. Sarah was destroying Zoey’s future
"I wasn't the one who said that! Why are you getting angry?""I'm not.""I'm starting to find you're very stubborn, Laurence." Zoey felt like her wrist was just short of being snapped from the sheer force of his grip, but still, he denied he was angry. Laurence lifted his brows and said, "I just find them ridiculous, the bunch of rascals."Forcing his words through clenched teeth, he continued, "Very popular among the boys, aren't we? If I hadn't come over, would you have exchanged contacts with him?""So what if we had exchanged numbers?""Please remember that you have a husband! You're not allowed to just give your number out to random strangers!" Laurence exclaimed exasperatedly, anger palpable in his tightly furrowed brows.He suddenly recalled the first boy Zoey had dated. Hadn't he been a dopey college student too? All college boys seemed like dimwits to him. A frosty countenance came over Laurence as cold air emanated off of him. His grip on Zoey's wrist was still strong. Any
Sarah rushed into the elevator and got off on the ground floor. All of a sudden, she stopped in her tracks. After a moment's thought, she doubled back to the room she had been in. She wasn't going to take all that without making them pay for it.The room was a mess. She took off her jacket and glanced at her wristwatch. It was 6 pm. She had a lot of time to spare.Two hours later, Sarah looked out the window and watched as the sky outside gradually darkened. She had managed to calm herself down from the incident. Taking her phone out composedly, she didn’t call Laurence. Instead, she dialled Matthew's number. She tried to sound frail and feeble and forced out with a choked voice, "Mr. Lowell, can you please come and pick me up from the hotel?" Her breath was so weak that it sounded like she had been through a terrible blow. "And please bring me a fresh set of clothes."Matthew could tell from the way she was speaking that something was off. "Are you alright, Miss Jenner?"Sarah simply