"Mary, are you awake? Can I come in?" a deep voice called out.She turned around. It was Maximus's voice. She regretted still being in her pajamas and walked over to answer the door."Hi, Maximus!" she said as she opened the door."Hello! I have this for you. My grandmother said it's your birthday!"
Meanwhile, Mary remained seated, watching the waves come and go. Even though her family had a good standing in her country, she had never been able to visit the beach. Her father was very strict with her, often sending her to boarding schools. Weekends were for doing homework because if not, she wou
Mary walked ahead and entered the quaint shop filled with cakes of various flavors. The attendant promptly approached her with a warm smile."Hello, Miss! Would you like some cake, or will you be heading to the café?""Hmmm…" Mary turned to the man beside her for guidance."We'll head to the café,"
"Well, thank you! That's a compliment, and I'll take it," she said, smiling."Now that your father isn't here and you've just turned 18, what do you plan to do?""Well, for now, I can't do much. But when all of this is over, I want to take my things and…" She paused as a thought crossed her mind. Ma
"No, how could I? That's your cake!""Yes, but I'm offering it to you.""No, I can't accept!""Come on! If you don't eat, then I won't either!""You know that's blackmail, right?""No, it's just a show of affection!""What a way to show affection!""Come on! It won't hurt!"Seeing how insistent she
“Maximus, please, don’t take my daughter away from me! Please!”Maximus woke up suddenly from his brief nap and immediately grabbed his wife’s hand to wake her up. It seemed like she was having a nightmare.“Mary, wake up! Calm down, wake up, everything’s okay!” he said, gently shaking her.She open
Suddenly, a deep sense of sorrow washed over him, and he began to feel short of breath as he remembered how just a few weeks ago, she would be waiting for him in the living room with a big smile, saying, “Maximus, dinner is ready! Come on, get comfortable, and let’s eat!”Her broad smile made him fe
Maximus carried Mary in his arms, who had fainted at the sight of him. He felt a deep sense of guilt for his wife's reaction. Before, when she saw him, she would flash a wide, ear-to-ear smile. Then that smile faded into a look of submission, which later turned into anger or indifference. Today, her