As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, Max's sisters and brothers-in-law surrounded me. Ted, Max’s eldest brother-in-law, had been sitting on the floor slurping a bowl of instant noodles. When Mary, the eldest sister, slapped his shoulder, he jumped up, spilling noodles all over himself and the floor.Ted kicked the spilled noodles aside, wiped his mouth haphazardly, and charged at me, chili still clinging to his lips. He pointed a finger at me and yelled, “You damn woman! Did you get Mom and Max thrown in jail?”Mary’s glare was fierce. “Who else would it be? This bitch is live-streaming everything! Now everyone knows Max tried to steal her money, almost beat her to death, and drugged her parents!”“I knew we shouldn’t have let this jinx into the family. She’s got money but won’t share it with us because she looks down on us country folk!”“The police sealed our house! We have nowhere to stay! Are you trying to drive our whole family to death?”“You little whore, go to the pol
Luke walked up to Patricia, his cold stare making her voice tremble. "You want to try hitting me? My husband is right here!"Luke responded icily, "Hitting you would dirty my hands."I saw a rare ferocity in Luke’s eyes—cold and ruthless. Patricia, held by the security guards, fell silent. Her husband, Mark, however, was a brute. He broke free from the security guards and charged at Luke.Farm work had made him strong, and the guards couldn’t hold him back. As he lunged, I shouted, “Luke!”Luke turned swiftly and delivered a powerful kick to Mark’s stomach, sending him sprawling on the ground, clutching his abdomen and groaning.Mark’s wife started wailing, threatening to call the police and have Luke arrested. Luke laughed coldly, “Call the police? Let me help you.”With that, he dialed 911. The Jennings family looked at each other in disbelief; they hadn’t expected Luke to actually call the police. Their plan had been to extort money from me or bully their way into staying at m
Luke grabbed his chin and issued a cold threat, saying, "If you dare to defame Jen, I will ensure that you deeply regret it."If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed this was the same Luke I knew. The icy, ruthless aura was completely out of character for the gentleman I thought he was.It felt like a scene straight out of a romantic novel where the domineering CEO rescues the damsel in distress, crushing the villains and saying, “Touch her and you’ll wish you hadn’t.”Patricia wailed, “Hitting people is illegal! You beat up my husband, and we’re going to call the police! You’ll pay for this!”Just as she finished speaking, the elevator doors opened again, and Wendy stepped out.Seeing me bruised and battered, Wendy exploded, pointing at them and asking me, “Jen, did they hit you? These bastards?”I nodded.Wendy immediately set her purse down and rolled up her sleeves, ready for a fight. I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist, but she still tried to k
Anyone with ears could hear the cold indifference and disdain in Luke's tone."That's right, he's not pitiful at all!" Wendy chimed in. "There are countless people suffering in this world. Max is just one among many. There are those born into misery who still remain positive and hopeful. Why should he feel justified in committing crimes and blaming them on life's unfairness? Any excuse for wrongdoing is purely selfish."I agreed with her. Max's upbringing certainly influenced him, but ultimately, the choice between right and wrong was his own.A mix of emotions washed over me, reminding me of the saying: "There's always something despicable about the truly pitiful." Despite his faults, Max had moments that warranted sympathy. However, his suffering did not excuse his wrongdoings. Being human means being responsible for your actions.Though I felt a wave of empathy, I remained resolute.The car fell into silence.Then Wendy broke it. "Hey, it's getting late. How about we grab some
I thought Luke would give a polite excuse, perhaps something about the editor's enthusiasm moving him, but the campus celebrity remained true to his cold demeanor."Personal reasons. I can't disclose them," Luke said curtly and then walked away.Even Wendy was surprised when Luke agreed to join us for dinner. She mouthed to me, “He really agreed?”I pressed my lips together, thinking, Wendy, having dinner with Luke, aren't you afraid of getting indigestion?I never imagined I would be sitting down for dinner with Luke—like friends. It was almost surreal. Is this what they call the twists of fate?As Luke drove, he asked, "Jen, what do you want to eat?"“I don’t know. Let Wendy decide. She’s the foodie here and knows all the best spots in the city,” I replied.Wendy thought for a moment and said, “How about some drinks? It’s a bit cold today. We could warm up with some lamb. Let’s go to that place on Elm Street that you love, Jen, the one with the iron pot lamb stew.”I had no o
Luke chuckled softly, a fleeting smile crossing his face.Noticing that there weren't many dishes on the table, I decided to use the restaurant's online menu to order more for Luke. Memories suddenly resurfaced of him frequently dining at my house, enjoying our housekeeper's pork ribs and braised cauliflower, which were his favorites and dishes my dad always had prepared for him. So, I ordered those.When the dishes arrived, Luke looked surprised but started eating.My thoughts were simple: Luke had helped me so much, even losing a ten-thousand-dollar suit today. He shouldn't have to settle for just a plate of plain salad. Isn't this my way of showing gratitude?With a bit of alcohol warming us up, everyone's cheeks were rosy. Through the steam from the pot, Luke seemed more down-to-earth tonight. He wore a simple white shirt, sleeves rolled up, revealing strong, well-defined wrists. On his left wrist was a vintage Patek Philippe watch with a brown leather strap—elegant and underst
I admired Wendy's boldness for asking such personal questions. Luke didn't seem like the type who enjoyed people prying into his private life. Whenever we touched on such topics, I would quickly change the subject. I guess it's because I've always had a certain reverence for Luke, influenced by Max's high regard for him.Luke picked up his glass, clinked it against Wendy's, and said candidly, "I've always been single."Both Wendy and I were shocked and exchanged a look of mutual surprise.Wendy pressed on, "You're not telling me you've never had a girlfriend, right? Still holding onto your first crush? Or maybe you're still a—"She didn't finish the sentence, but knowing Wendy as well as I did, I knew she was about to ask if he was still a virgin. But she stopped herself and said instead, "Still clueless about relationships?"Luke asked, "Is that a problem?"Wendy took a sharp breath. "You're truly a marvel."Luke responded coolly, "You flatter me."Wendy wasn't deterred. "Do y
"..." I thought, serves him right for being single all this time. But then I realized, men as deeply affectionate as Luke are rare these days. How could any girl be blind enough to overlook him?"Exactly, she must be blind! But don't worry, fate has a funny way of working things out. Who knows, one day everything might change for the better," Wendy said, patting my shoulder. "Come on, let's raise a toast to Luke, the true romantic!"We clinked glasses, laughing and joking.After a few rounds of drinks, I lost track of everything, slipping into a blurry haze. The next morning, I woke up with gaps in my memory—what people call a blackout.Seeing Wendy asleep beside me, I was puzzled. I got up quietly to wash up, trying to recall how Wendy had managed to get me home.Nothing came to mind.When I came out, Wendy was awake, sitting up in bed, looking groggy. "Jen, never again will I drink with you. How is it possible that your tolerance is this low?"I felt like I had been struck by