I stand at the window and look out, the softness of twilight fading into deep shades of blue and purple. Supposedly this is the most joyous part of my life. My wedding is in only a few days, and here I am-standing in silence amidst joy and doubts."Isabel?" The quiet is cut by the soft, steady warmth of Jaxon's voice; he stands in the doorway, silhouetted in the pale light from the hall. "What's wrong? You've been quiet for a while."I turn my head slightly toward him, but not enough to have to meet his gaze-and don't leave my spot. I wish I could explain, wish I could find the words, but right now, they feel like they're all clogged somewhere inside me."I'm just thinking," I say low, to myself almost.Thinking about what?" He steps closer, a frown on his face, the wrinkle between his eyes deepening. The heaviness of his gaze feels too much, like he sees into my head at all the jumbled thoughts.I swallow hard. "Everything… The wedding, the future, how everything's changed. It's just
The morning of my wedding, the excitement, the joy, maybe a few nerves, but not this anxiety that twists my stomach into knots. I should be in front of the mirror, smiling at the reflection of the woman about to marry the love of her life, but all I can do is stand there clutching my phone, staring at the message that just appeared on the screen.If you go through with this wedding, you'll regret it."My heart stops. It seems the words shout in my mind, echoing loudly like some omen or something. I keep rereading them as though I'd manage to understand it if only, I stared hard enough.Who would send me something like this? And why? I know there are people in my past, people who don't want me to be happy, but this? It feels different. It feels like a threat.A cold chill runs down my spine, and instantly I feel the panic rise in my chest. What if this is real? What if there's someone out there who's about to ruin everything? I can feel my hands shaking as I set the phone down on the v
I felt like I could not breathe as my heart rumbled within, drumbeats in my chest, with successive beats more difficult than the next. Words ran together incoherently, blurring all over my telephone as my body shook without letting up. "If you marry her, then you will be sorry."What was this? Who was it from? My mind went wild, trying to put together whatever clues were present. Was this someone from my past? Someone who didn't want me to be happy?Another knock on the door had my already frazzled nerves jumping. My stomach twisted."Isabel? You okay in there?" It was Jaxon's voice, and so familiar that it almost brought a sense of comfort. Almost.I quickly shoved the phone under the vanity and took a deep breath. This wasn't how today was supposed to go. It was supposed to be a celebration, a beginning. Not some horrible twist of fate."Yeah," I called, forcing my voice to sound normal, even though it felt anything but. "Just. a little nervous. I'll be right out.Isabel… His voice
The chapel was silent but for the soft hum of hushed conversations from the people surrounding us. The atmosphere in the room was filled with love and anticipation, but inside, it was anything but peaceful. My heart was racing. The message, the fear, it all clung to me like an unwanted shadow, refusing to let me forget it.Yet, here I stood at the altar with Jaxon. My heart was screaming back at me that I just couldn't let fear ruin this; I just couldn't let doubt stand in the way of the life I had so longed for forever. The moment I had always wanted was finally here.And now it was crunching time-let the doubt wash over me and eat me alive, or plunge ahead and wrap my arms around the real, the now.Standing across from me was Jaxon, perfect as always. His dark eyes met mine, the corners of his lips curling into a soft smile. It was one that had always managed to make me feel safe, even in those moments when everything else felt unsafe.The room was warm, the sun streaming through th
above a whisper, my lips curling up slightly. "Just. taking it all in, I guess. It feels like a dream."He chuckled softly, his fingers tightening around mine. "I know what you mean. But no dream is this real."As the car slowed and pulled up in front of the hotel, it seemed the world came to a complete stop and this was the weight of it. The night ahead was for us. Not for the wedding or the celebration-just for us. As if it ever could have been otherwise.We both exited the car, and I finally spotted the hotel entrance: this great, graceful edifice which gleamed in its soft illumination. The night air was cool and had just that little bite with a tinge of a breeze, yet somehow everything in view felt as though it were slowing down-even the universe holding its breath-as this little nook in space let us be there.Jaxon reached for my hand once more, and together, we walked toward the doors, our heels clicking through the stillness of the night.Inside, the room was breathtaking: dim
The sterile smell of the doctor's office was comforting, somehow. It reminded me of all we'd been through over the last few months-the late nights, the worried glances, the weight of the unknown. But today, things were going to be different. Today, things were going to get better.Hazel sat beside me in the waiting room, her fingers nervously twisting together. Her leg was bouncing up and down in that way it did whenever she got anxious. I reached over and put my hand on hers, giving it a squeeze. "It's going to be fine," I said, trying to reassure her."I know, but you know how I get with these check-ups," Hazel said in a hushed, soft voice. "It's just… it's so much weight every time."I nodded. I knew. It wasn't just her heart that had been fragile, but everything that came with it-the constant medication, the doctor visits, the endless questions about what the future held. It had been exhausting for all of us, but most of all for her."You’ve come so far, Hazel," I said, looking he
The contractions came fast and hard, one right after the other, hardly any time in between. I could hardly catch my breath between them. It was a piercing pain, almost unbearable, yet it wasn't just the pain but everything happening around me that had my heart racing. The doctors, the nurses, the beeping of machines, the sterile smell in the air, were all so overwhelming.Isabel, breathe. Breathe with me, okay?" The sound of Jaxon's voice was a lifeline, hauling me back from the chaos of my mind. I turned into him, his face white with concern, but the eyes holding steady, never letting me go. His hand grasped mine in a grip that bordered on painful, but I didn't care."I'm trying," I huffed between breaths as another contraction hit. "God, it hurts.I know, baby, I know," he said, leaning in closer, brushing my hair away from my face. "You're doing amazing. Just breathe. You're so strong. We're almost there, I promise."I wanted to believe him, I really did. But it felt like everythin
It was so still in that room, like everything was finally where it was meant to be. I could just see Jaxon cradling our son with a gentleness that really made time stand still for the three of us. He held him so carefully, as if with one hard breath he might shatter him into pieces. His voice was low, whispering to our baby things that only the two of them would know.You're so perfect, he said, his eyes aglow with a love I couldn't put into words. My heart swelled at the sight of him, knowing every bit of him, his gentleness, his kindness, his love for us unchanging, had made our little family what it was.Hazel sat next to him, almost bouncing with excitement. She couldn't stop staring at the baby, her face aglow with joy. Every so often, she would lean forward for a better look, her eyes wide as she cooed, "Look at him, you guys. He's so small, and he has your eyes, Jaxon! I swear, he's already perfect.".Jaxon chuckled, glanced over at her. "You're getting pretty good with this au
Two more snows had fallen. The members of the international class noticed that ever since Maureen returned from the final round, the atmosphere between her and their "boss" seemed to have subtly changed. Before the final round, they seemed inseparable, obviously lovebirds. After the finals, who knows what happened? Or if it's just their imagination, but Maureen appeared to care more about their "boss," almost like an eagle protecting a chick. For instance, their class advisor, Teacher Logan. Because of Liam, Teacher Logan hadn't received a performance bonus in three years, and his resentment was more than justified. Finally, after Maureen transferred into their class this semester, the number of incidents involving Liam dramatically decreased. Teacher Logan thought he could relax a bit, but the last school celebration performance was unexpectedly changed by Liam! The school leaders were furious. Now, this month's bonus was gone again! Teacher Logan was so enraged with Liam th
The two hadn't had their fill over there, so they decided to cook some noodles when they got back. "I'm actually a little angry." Maureen stirred the noodles in the pot with a long pair of spoons, her tone still choked with emotion. She avoided looking at Liam, her eyes lowered on the boiling water and the tumbling noodles in the pot, her eyes rimmed red, "I asked you before, about the wound on your neck, you told me that the instant noodle glass bowl exploded! Do you have no heart, no feelings?" Maureen couldn't help but drop her Spoon. She should have realized it long ago, she had been living there for so long, and she had never seen Liam eat instant noodles - his refrigerator was completely empty, not a single instant noodle or glass bowl, what noodles was he supposedly making?! Liam was always lying to her! Seeing Maureen crying all the way back in the cold wind, her eyes swollen to the size of walnuts, Liam felt deeply distressed. He lightly patted Maureen's back, trying t
Maureen was the first to take a bath. After Liam entered the bathroom, Maureen wandered around the apartment in her fluffy pajamas, bored out of her mind. Being in love is such a fascinating thing. Before, besides studying, she found dramas and games enjoyable. Yet, after falling in love, when he was not by her side even for a moment, she got bored no matter what she did. Nothing was as fun as spending time with Liam. She wanted to do everything with him, whether it was watching dramas or eating. Just one glance from him, and her feelings could experience the dramatic waves, drowning in the deep ocean, the best bite of a summer watermelon, or the tartest segment of an orange. The spacious apartment changed gradually after Maureen moved in. Maureen was like an invader, painting the previously icy and quiet apartment with colors everywhere. She was afraid of the cold, so Liam always had the heater on, causing the previous bone-chilling feeling to disappear. She was afraid of t
There's a small step at the entrance where shoes are changed. Liam leans on the shoe cabinet to stand up, and Mr. Boris carries his wheelchair in. Liam hops up on one foot. He glances at Maureen, trying to hop in a nonchalant and handsome manner. But how cool and handsome could he possibly look hopping around on a single foot? Liam feels a bit embarrassed, murmuring discontented, "Who decided to put this step here?" Maureen watches from the side, her heart pounding. She subconsciously raises her hand to help him, fearing a second injury due to a slippery tiled floor. However, Liam, who seems to intentionally show off his skills, or something like that, refuses her help and smoothly completes a series of movements. Maureen: "Once he's up, Mr. Boris quickly pushes the wheelchair behind him. He holds onto the handles, sits back down in the wheelchair, raises one plastered leg, and with great effort, positions his plastered foot correctly. He then raises his handsome eyebrows a
The next day, Teacher Logan specifically noticed that it was again Maureen who was pushing Liam's wheelchair into the classroom. The group of boys in the class were extremely envious, while Liam coolly tucked his hands into his pockets, raised his chin, and wore noise-canceling headphones around his neck. He looked both arrogant and pleased. Liam wished he could show off Maureen to the entire world. Teacher Logan, on the other hand, was extremely frustrated. Right after the class, Teacher Logan asked Maureen to his office with a stern face. "Has someone been bullying you in the class recently?" Maureen was taken aback,?" No." Teacher Logan sighed deeply and said, "Maureen, you can tell me if someone is bullying you. I will back you up." Maureen thought for a moment and really couldn't think of anyone who could bully her. In fact, when she transferred to the international class, she had made the most important decision to stick with Liam. This could be the so-called stra
The three of them came out of KFC, it was so blistering cold that Liam put Maureen's hand into his own pocket. Niel, with his sharp eyes, suddenly called out to Maureen and pointed in a direction with his milk tea in hand, he said: "Am I seeing things, or is that Bianca? Is she dating someone now?" Bianca's contract with the talent agency, Maureen heard about it too. For the past month, Maureen had barely seen Bianca in school. She seemed to have disappeared completely from her sight, someone she used to bump into every few days on the streets. The main reason was that even though the controversy of the true and false heiress was over, Bianca still faced some stares. If it wasn't for the sake of graduation, Bianca wouldn't want to attend school at all. She spent most of her time in society, working. So, seeing Bianca again out of the blue at the school gate was quite a surprise for Maureen. She followed the direction Niel pointed and glanced over. Outside Secondary School wa
"Sir," The butler came in with a phone in hand. "The hospital replied they are willing to sell, but," Under Augustin’s gaze, he swallowed hard before continuing. "The price is three times higher than what we previously sold it for." "Three times?!" Victoria widened her eyes in surprise, her voice sharp. "This is downright robbery!!" Augustin’s eyes darkened, his face looking extremely unsightly. "Did they specify why the increase in price?" "They said someone is willing to purchase at a high price, which led to the price hike." The butler nodded affirmatively. "So, do you still want to buy it?" Augustin pressed his lips together. Before he could even speak, Victoria on the side grabbed the opportunity to interject. "We cannot buy it,” There was a hint of anger on her slightly chubby face. "Augustine, we can't be the scapegoats." "What do you know?" Augustin looked at her with deep, mysterious eyes, his voice icy. "In a few days, it will be grandpa Luther's birthday ban
The house was dead quiet. The type of quiet that feels too still, as if everything were holding its breath. The letter had left its mark, but I tried to shove it away. We'd already been through enough, and I refused to let something like this get the better of us. Jaxon was right; it was only a prank. Nothing more.Already Hazel had gone to bed, which left Jaxon and me still sitting in the living room trying to process it all. I was holding our son, this tiny little ball of a boy cuddled into my side, his soft, light breath a reminder of the fragility but beauty life had become. And in this uneventful drive home, at least, I felt normal settle over us.Jaxon sat across from me, his eyes scanning the letter again, as if willing it to change. He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t make sense. Who would want to hurt us now?”I shrugged, glancing down at our baby’s sleeping face. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s someone who never really let go.”He let out a deep sigh. "
Laughter and murmurs of quiet conversation filled the house. It was so still, so right with the world. I had never felt this relaxed in my life. I was seated on the couch, Hazel perched on the arm beside me, as we watched Jaxon bounce our son in his arms. He looked so natural with the baby, like he had done this all his life. And in many ways, he had-just never with a child of his own. But that didn't matter. We were here, together; our little family was complete."Did you see the way he smiled?" Hazel laughed. "He's definitely a charmer. Takes after his dad."Jaxon was smirking, rocking the baby gently. "I think he is more like his mom. Look at those big eyes."I grinned, knowing full well what he meant. The baby had my eyes, sure, but he also got my stubbornness. I could tell that already.But before I could answer, there came a soft knock on the door. I turned, wondering who it could be. It was still early, and I wasn't expecting anyone. Jaxon stood up, a bit too quick, and I caugh