John’s POVAs I stood in front of Jason’s bedroom, I saw Lizzy hugging him as she cried. I wish she was crying for me. Ironic. Her tears were only for Jason and never for me.I opened the door and closed it again slowly. Realizing someone had entered the room, Lizzy spontaneously stood up and stared at the door. That’s when our eyes met.“J-John,” she said. Somehow, her voice sounded so melodious, even beautiful, that it could enter the deepest recesses of my heart.If so, why was my love unrequited?“Lizzy, how are you?” I asked.“Fine. How are you? I haven’t seen you since my wedding. I thought you went somewhere or moved countries. But seeing you here in good condition makes me happy,” she said. I saw her pink lips and the slow movement of her voice aroused desire in me. I wanted to grab and bring her closer to me and kiss her tiny lips many times. But, once again, I was reminded of the fact that the woman standing before me with her puffy eyes and clumsy demeanor was my stepbrothe
Lizzy’s POVIt turned out that Hannah also signed up to be a donor for Jason and went through a series of tests together with me. We encouraged each other because we had the same goal, which was for Jason’s recovery.On the same day when Hannah and I had finished undergoing a series of tests, we sat to the left and right of Jason while leaning back, trying to close our eyes after a sleepless night. Hannah was experiencing the same thing as me. The worry and fear of Jason’s condition made our minds work extra hard, so that we could not close our eyes and rest even though we were tired.And that’s when Jason woke up. I heard his voice calling my name softly.“Li-Lizzy,” he called softly.I immediately stood up and approached him, then I saw his eyes open slowly. I was so happy. He finally woke up.“Yes, I’m here. Is something wrong? Should I call a doctor?” I replied as I held his arm.His pink lips smiled. His blue eyes looked at me.“I’m sorry, I am,” he said. Before she could continu
Lizzy’s POVWith hasty steps, Leo and I walked towards the meeting room. Once there, the shareholders had gathered and the looks on their faces made me feel a little scared. Honestly, I felt a lot of things that didn’t make me comfortable. Fear, worry, and a sense of inferiority and exhaustion. Although I never expressed exactly what I was feeling, I was tired. Everything that happened in the company was beyond me and I had to admit that.I sat in front of the shareholders, who were much older than me. A cold, condescending look was clear in their eyes. However, there was nothing I could do about it. Like it or not, I had to accept it and learn to be patient.After introducing myself, they opened the folder in front of them. My hands broke out in a cold sweat and my heart beat quite fast. To calm myself down, I turned my head and looked at Leo. He gave me the code as he whispered, “You can do it, madam.”His words were enough to calm me down. I breathed in and out a few times before p
Lizzy’s POVA week later, the company’s financial situation did not improve, even the employees’ salaries were forced to be postponed to finance some internal company's needs. Some employees provoked their coworkers to hold demonstrations demanding that the company immediately pay salaries and some other benefits. And just like a cloth doused with gasoline, it will eventually burn out.The same thing happened to employees who refuse to understand the actual situation of the company. It was not their obligation to understand and sacrifice for the sake of the company; it was just that we have no more resources to cover all the shortfalls. They demanded and urged us on until we were at a loss about how to solve all these problems.They stood in front of the main entrance of the Oswald Building, carrying signs with demands that we could not fulfill. Their shouts sounded loud all the way upstairs. I stood staring at those who were shouting while occasionally chanting yells that contained b
Lizzy's POV"Yes, you're right. After I found out about your family background. You're not wrong because you know nothing and can't choose where you want to be born. It's just that my position makes me have to do this because my environment differs from yours. Sorry, Lizzy. I will do my best for Oswald Company, Jason, and your kids. I'll be waiting outside for a cup of coffee. Hope you make a wise decision," the minister said as he walked away.My body immediately went limp. My world felt shattered in an instant. Oh my God, does everything have to end like this? What kind of decision should I make?"Madam, I'm sorry. I don't think you need to give any answers. He just wants to separate you from Sir Jason and the kids. I believe you are strong and can survive all these problems. If you leave Sir Jason's side, he will feel guilty and down. Your kids need you by their side. Please think about this carefully," Leo pleaded."Leo, please make a cup of coffee for me and buy any food for dinn
Lizzy’s POVThe town I was heading to is Malia. Malia is at the end of the border between Maldiva and Everbury. Although it is on the border, Malia is a fairly developed city, but when compared to other border cities, Malia is quite behind. However, it was for the better because Jason wouldn’t suspect that I was living in Malia.Finally, after four hours of traveling, Mom and I arrived in Malia. The train station was quite crowded that day. Mom and I walked toward the coffee shop located inside the station to take a break before we continued our journey to our apartment that I had rented for a modest price.After sitting down and ordering some food, I was lost in reverie, and unconsciously tears were streaming down my face. It had only been four hours, but my longing for Anya and Jason felt like I had been separated for months.God, what should I do? I can’t possibly go back.Suddenly, I felt Mom’s soft, wrinkled hands wiping away my tears and face. “Don’t be sad. Be strong for Harry.
Hannah’s POVI opened the letter and how surprised I was when I read every word written in it. However, the longer I read, the more I felt that there was something odd about the contents of the letter. And Lizzy’s sudden departure was not like her character. Even though I only knew her recently, I could see and feel the kindness and maturity in her. And I could see how much she loved and protected Jason and their two kids.Suddenly, my mind went straight to my dad. Could this all be my dad’s doing? If it was, he was terrible. He had the heart to separate Lizzy from Jason and make their kids separate as well. But maybe he asked Lizzy to take Harry with her because Harry was still young and needed a mother by his side.I didn’t understand my dad’s plan. I must ask him about this as soon as possible. Hopefully, Jason won’t notice the strangeness that I’ve realized. However, that seemed unlikely, as Jason was a smart man who knew his wife’s character well.“J-Jason, do you realize this le
Hannah’s POV“D-dad. Please don’t be angry. Did you make Lizzy leave Jason and Anya?”Dad was silent for a moment, his blue eyes similar to Jason’s, looked at me, and then suddenly he laughed. Luckily, it was quiet, so his laughter didn’t disturb the others.My heart beat quite fast, waiting for the answer that came out of his mouth. I still hoped he did nothing bad to Lizzy, but seeing the look on his face, his behavior, and his non-stop, loud laughter seemed to convince me he was the mastermind of everything.“Dad, please.”His laughter stopped instantly. “What kind of answer do you want to hear from me?”“The truth.”Dad let out a long breath. “Okay. Yes, I was the one who asked her to leave Jason’s side for good. I’d been asking her to leave since the beginning, but the opportunity came when Jason’s company was having difficulties. I offered her help to save the company, the employees, Jason’s treatment, and Anya and Harry’s future.”I stared at my dad with an incredulous look. Wh
Jason’s POV One morning, when I was just coming out of the bedroom, Mia and Hannah walked toward me. Their faces looked happy with smiles on their lips, like sunflowers in summer. I wondered what had happened to them. They were standing right in front of me, holding hands. “What’s wrong with you two?” “We have good news,” they both replied. “Ok. What’s the good news, then? I have to wake Anya up because I promised to accompany her to play in the park.” “We’ve found Lizzy and Harry. You don’t need to wake Anya up because she’s already up and having breakfast. She’s ready to go pick up her mom and brother,” Hannah replied. Anya’s bag that I was holding fell to the floor. I had to convince myself many times that the news I heard that morning was real. For a moment, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Really? You’re not playing games with me, are you?” “We’re serious and we got this news from Sylvia, Lizzy’s mom. They are now in Forca City. They opened a bakery and a coffee sho
Margaret’s POV I saw James enter the room. The angry look on his face was as sinister as a soldier ready to execute a death-row prisoner. His eyes stared at Nathan and me. The sweat was pouring down my forehead. I noticed that Nathan’s body was trembling and his hands were clenched into fists. Suddenly, Nathan knelt before James and lowered his face. “Sir, please forgive my impudence. I came here because I missed Mrs. Margaret so much. I confess I love her and she loves me. We had an illicit relationship in the past, but it ended because Mrs. Margaret felt guilty about you. On this occasion, I beg you to let her go so that she can be happy. She is suffering by your side. If you love her, please let us live happily.” James let out a long sigh. His eyes looked up at the ceiling of the room. “Is that what you want, Margaret? After all the years we’ve lived together.” A feeling of guilt rushed over me. I was like a child at a crossroads. In front of me were two roads that were both cov
Jason’s POV“Damn! She’s not here.”“Is there no resident named Lizzy Ford or Lizzy Oswald? She is a thirty-year-old young woman, then an eighteen-month-old baby boy. Please recall the woman’s physical characteristics. The information we received said she lives in this apartment,” I asked the guard.The guard’s expression was flat. He let out a long sigh, as if annoyed by our question. “Sir, I’ve been working here for ten years and my memory tells me that there is no female resident in this apartment with the physical characteristics you mentioned. If there were any residents with such physical features, I would have said so earlier. I showed you the list of names of the residents here. Is that not enough? I hope you won’t make a scene.”“Ah, sorry. My brother didn’t mean to make a scene. We were just panicking and sad because we couldn’t find the person we were looking for. I hope you understand,” Hannah replied with a big smile.“Alright. If there’s nothing else to ask, I’ll get bac
Lizzy’s POV“Mom, is it them?” I asked.“Y-yes. Then, what’s your plan? If we go after them, wouldn’t that mean your agreement with Minister Vladimir is off? I’m afraid he’ll do something bad to us if the deal is off. He won’t hurt Harry, but he might hurt you or both of us. But whatever you decide, I’ll support you,” Mom answered.“I-I miss him. But, I can’t go to them. It’s not like Anya is with them.”“Yes. There are only a few men dressed in black with them. If you’ve decided, let’s hurry and get out of here,” Mom said.“Let me look at him for a while longer.”“Lizzy, let him go. Let’s go before they realize we’re near them,” Mom said.We hurried away from there and we deliberately took a spot that was crowded with visitors so as not to be seen by them. However, unfortunately, that day the mall was full of visitors because in Malia there was only one mall and coincidentally it was a long weekend, so many people went to the mall.“Lizzy, come with me. I have an idea,” Mom said. She
John’s POV“Because she didn’t want to worry you. All this time I knew nothing about her illness until one day I heard moaning in pain from inside Elsa’s bedroom. Worried and curious, I knocked on her bedroom door a few times, but suddenly the moaning no longer sounded. When I asked her, she said everything was fine. However, the moaning could be heard almost every day. The curiosity and worry I felt were getting the better of me. I finally forced open the door to her room and saw her lying on the floor, whimpering in pain while holding back tears. I ran over to her, then I yelled for her sister, and asked her to call an ambulance. The clinic in our village has an emergency ambulance,” Sheila replied, wiping her wet eyes. Her tears did not stop flowing.“So, what happened after that?”“After she was rushed to the clinic and examined intensely, the doctor declared her illness to be severe. The clinic in our village could not treat her illness. Therefore, Elsa was referred to a hospital
John’s POVI stood in line at the ticket counter. I looked at the screen hanging above the ticket counter for the schedule of trains operating that day. Thirty minutes later, after waiting in line for a long time, it was finally my turn to buy a ticket.After mentioning the destination city, the ticket seller immediately gave me a sheet of tickets for the train that would depart in forty-five minutes. While waiting for the train to arrive, I sat in a coffee shop and ordered a cup of coffee and a plate of spaghetti. Maybe it was because I had eaten nothing since morning, so the spaghetti tasted good and was gone in no time.During the meal, I tried to call Sheila’s cell phone, but her number was unavailable. The same was true for Elsa. So far, her cell phone has never been inactive. Elsa always made sure her cell phone and number were active.What’s going on? What exactly happened to you, Elsa?That afternoon, I couldn’t get in touch with either of them and even when the train to Vanor
Hannah’s POVI woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of breaking things and the commotion on the first floor exactly one hour before midnight. I hurriedly put on my sweatshirt and slippers and left my room. Just before descending the stairs, I noticed that the living room of Jason’s residence was quiet and dark. The lights in the dining room were always on. So, from the second floor, I could see the light reflecting into the living room from the dining room.Then, where did the sound come from?From the direction of the kitchen, I saw some maids running to another room on the first floor. Could it be Jason’s workroom or his bedroom?As my feet descended the stairs, I heard Mia call, “Hannah, what’s wrong? What’s going on? I heard things breaking repeatedly.”I turned to look at Mia, who was shaking in the cold. “I don’t know. What if we check together? I saw the maids running into a room?”“Oh no, Jason. Let’s go there,” Mia said. She had a panicked look on her face.We hurr
Lizzy’s POV“Thank God, you’re home. I came to see you.”“Are you alone?” he asked. His eyes widened as they scanned every corner of his front porch.“Yeah.”“Come on in. It’s freezing outside. I’m sorry if the house looks so chaotic because I have to do a lot of things by myself. Have a seat here, and I’ll get you something to drink. Coffee or tea?” he asked after putting away some things and putting them in a box. “Tea. Thank you.” Then he left the living room and entered the kitchen.I saw that the living room of Steven’s house was in complete chaos. Most of the couches were covered with piles of clothes. On the table lay a lot of snacks, then at the end of the room lined up dirty-looking shoes. In addition, since setting foot in the house, there was a terrible smell. I didn’t know where it came from. It was like the smell of dirty clothes that hadn’t been washed for a few weeks or a damp house that hadn’t been cleaned.From the direction of the living room, I saw that the door of
Lizzy’s POVAfter the beach trip, I never saw Steven again. The working hours where I worked were divided into two. We used to call them the morning shift and the night shift. The morning shift works from nine in the morning until three in the afternoon, and the night shift works from three in the afternoon until nine at night. Each employee gets a week to work the morning shift, and a week to work the night shift.For that week, I worked the morning shift, so my work hours finished at three in the afternoon. But, usually, we morning shift personnel don’t go straight home. We would sit by the restaurant and sip a cup of coffee and some leftover snacks from the kitchen that could not be sold to customers.If there are a lot of leftovers, we will wrap them up and take them home. However, if the leftovers aren’t too much, we’d eat them together at the side of the restaurant while chatting away. Enjoying the afternoon and waiting for the sun to set, watching the originally bright sky turn