When I left all the fun reluctantly and returned to my room, it was already 9:00 pm. Looking at the fireworks and festive lights outside the ceiling-to-floor windows, I felt oddly at peace.Suddenly, I received a video call. Needless to say, it was from Colin. He was lying on his bed gloomily, one hand cushioning his head while the other holding the phone to talk to me.He wished me Merry Christmas and asked if I had any wishes. I told him that I wanted everyone to be happy, to attend a concert for once, to earn more money for my parents, and that he would become more and more handsome next year.Colin chuckled and doted on me. He then told me to come back as soon as possible because Lilac was such an eyesore. He even said that if we didn't come back sooner, he would move out and sleep on the street.It was a joke, of course. And I laughed out loud. He then lamented how dull the Christmas dinner was. Lilac was rude during the dinner. Other than Felix, no one wanted to talk to her.
We had dinner with Colin that night. To be precise, Colin cooked for us and ate with us. It was my first time having Colin's cooking, and it was delicious.That said, nothing beat watching the six-foot-three-tall Colin cooking in the kitchen. He donned Mom's baby blue apron as his slender fingers waltzed around the ingredients under the mellow light. The view was mesmerizing.After dinner, Colin proposed to take me out on a stroll. Mom was worried, but she relented after Colin vowed many times to return me in one piece.Coincidentally, it just so happened that there was live music at the entrance of a shopping mall. Loud music blasted through the speakers. Young performers sang and jumped on the stage, instructing the spectators to sway to a certain rhythm.Everyone raised their hands and enjoyed the music. The heat they produced was enough to dispel the wintry coldness.We were late to the concert, so we were in the outermost circle. I couldn't see what was happening on the stage
Before I reached home, I saw a red spot around my home. It was Felix. He was leaning against a wall, smoking. It was a dark corner, so dark that unless you glanced over, you wouldn't have noticed that someone was there.The cigarette flickered in the dark. The lightless environment concealed Felix's face from everyone's view."It's late. Your mom will be worried about you," said Felix as he blew out a perfect smoke ring.Colin raised his brow. Before I could say anything, he blurted out, "Why? Are you worried that Lulu will be abandoned once more? Not everyone is as heartless as you."Felix snuffed out the cigarette and stood upright. He looked at Colin and then at me. After that, he left without saying a word.I wasn't sure if I saw it wrongly, but Felix's silhouette looked so… lonely. So, he felt lonely when Lilac wasn't with him, huh? They must be a match made in heaven.Colin knocked on my home's door and returned me to my mom. "Aunt Harper, Luna's here."He grabbed my hand
I'd love to tell Felix what I saw, even though he had hurt me in the past. We grew up together, so I didn't want him to get hurt. Yet, I found it hard to do that because he didn't trust me. Perhaps feeling uncomfortable under my intense scrutiny, he covered my eyes and offered to buy me a meal. I turned him down right away. What happened last time still traumatized me. I didn't want to relive it again."Why not? Is it because of what happened last time? Don't worry. It's winter now. It won't rain as much. Come with me. I don't want to be all alone.""Felix, you have a girlfriend. Lilac doesn't like me. We should avoid hanging out together in case she gets the wrong idea again.""Luna, you've changed. We grew up together. You used to follow me around except for when we slept or went to the toilet. Why are you shunning me now?" protested Felix.I chuckled. "You chose to forsake our past."Felix was stunned. The silence dragged on for a while until he decided to leave my house. I w
January 15th was a big day—it was my birthday. One day before my birthday, under my request, Dad reserved a table at the restaurant we went to previously. I simply loved their food and their garden decor.And for my big day, I put on the rose dress that I had bought in Oceanum and a beige jacket. Jade and Zara styled my hair into an elegant pompadour and applied plain makeup on me."Lulu, you're a flaming hot rose now," exclaimed Jade."The makeup gives your innocent face a hint of maturity and sexiness. Your fair skin brings out the red of your dress. Babe, you're going to turn some heads.""You're just saying that to make me happy." I took some time to admire myself before a mirror. I had to say that I did look good—my teeth were white, my skin was healthy, and my eyelashes could kill.Zara dragged me to the dressing mirror and shook her head in amazement. "Don't sell yourself short. You might just be more beautiful than Cleopatra."At the age of 20, I did look gorgeous. "That
It seemed like Felix was hellbent on tagging along. Urgh, whatever. I could just stay away from him later. After we arrived at the amusement park, I regrouped with those who were already there.They were all my friends from high school. We were close but got separated as we went to different universities. However, we kept in touch. Had I not celebrated Christmas abroad, I would have hung out with them.If I had to pick the purest thing in this world, I'd say it was the friends I made in high school. We disembarked from Colin's car as he went to find a parking spot. Jade, Zara, and I walked together. Felix was two steps away from me to my left.During the trip here, he was dead silent. He would check his phone from time to time, as if he dissociated from his environment. Even as he walked next to me, I could barely notice his presence.Someone teased us as soon as we showed our faces. "Oh, look at the lovebirds. Get a room!""Can I cut out your tongue?" Zara almost clawed at the te
It was cold. Everyone breathed out white mist, but Felix's face was as red as an apple. His eyes wandered to Matthew and lingered on me. Then, he looked away as he said, "You were young. I didn't want you to be distracted from your studies. If you need those letters back, I can give them to you."Matthew immediately retorted, "Felix, you're the biggest prick ever. You took more things than just the letters. You know it's true."Felix barked back, and they got into an argument. It escalated quickly, causing the other guys to jump in to mediate the conflict.I was appalled. Felix confiscated the love letters others had written for me? He didn't like me. Why did he take those things? There was no way he kept them for fun.The commotion grew louder and louder, so much so that passersby at great distance turned around to look at us. The day started with a fight. Was this what my birthday would turn out to be?"More things? So you didn't just take my love letters? What's wrong with you,
I vowed internally to settle the beef with Felix once we went back. As for Matthew, his inconsiderate act made me realize that it wasn't worth keeping him as a friend.The guys in the group managed to hype us up, and the women were all excited and giddy. Soon enough, we forgot what happened and enjoyed ourselves on the rides.The entrance to the haunted house was right under an old willow tree. There was a bottomless well there that read "You're doomed!"The staffer gathered us and explained the rules. He reassured us that the haunted mansion was all about an immersive experience and that all ghosts were played by employees. They looked scary, but they would never abduct us.The group then descended into the well in a cheery mood. When I went down, Felix and Colin were waiting for me."Follow me. No need to be afraid." Colin held my hand and led me down the middle tunnel.It was my first time in a haunted house. My ears picked up howling winds and harrowing cries. They sent chill
Luna furiously scolded me, asserting that I didn't deserve Queenie's love and that Queenie had been blind to my true colors all those years. Driven mad by desperation, I chased after Queenie, determined to tell her I was wrong and plead for another chance to prove myself. However, the young man intervened, delivering a swift and punishing combination of punches and kicks that knocked me to the ground. Humiliated, I struggled to get up and fight back, unwilling to lose to another man.Despite his youthful appearance, the look in his eyes as he glanced at Queenie was undeniable. It was a blend of love, desire, and possessiveness only a man could understand.I was consumed by the thought that he wasn't worthy of my precious Queenie's love.Nevertheless, my body felt heavy and powerless. It was as if the strength had been drained from me. The blows rained down on me, bringing with them a strange sense of relief amidst the pain. Part of me yearned for him to kick me harder, inflict
I wanted nothing more than to run to Queenie, to hold her tightly and tell her how much I missed her during those endless days apart. I wanted to kiss her deeply and feel the warmth of her embrace. I called out, "Queenie, I'm here."Seeing me seemed to jolt Queenie from her joyous state, replacing it with a vacant expression. Mere moments before, she had been smiling brightly, her eyes aglow with happiness. Now, she appeared lost, her initial elation dissipating into a blank, unresponsive gaze.I couldn't understand why she had turned so distant upon seeing me. The love and joy that once shone in her eyes were nowhere to be found. As I observed her, I wondered if our time apart had caused her to forget. Or perhaps the events of the past had wounded her so profoundly that she had stopped waiting for me.The thoughts terrified me, and I dared not ask for fear of confirming my suspicions. All I wanted was to hold her, kiss her, and tell her how much I missed her. Yet, it seemed tha
I had no interest in Daniela's pregnancy, so I kicked her out of the house. My friends came to console me, each expressing their sympathies with a drink because they didn't know how else to comfort me.The money I had sent to Queenie's account was quickly returned as the account had been closed. Her phone number became unreachable, and when I sought her at her parents' home, I found the elderly couple waiting anxiously for their daughter's return. I lost not only Queenie but any connection to her. I grew disinterested in everything, neglecting my company and spending my days in a drunken haze.Then, my uncle came. We drank through the night as he shared tales of his hardships, the painful memories of his mother, and the years he spent alone, suffering.He said, "Everyone has their fate, Flynn. And choosing one thing often means losing another. Just as you've chosen to fight for the family business, you've sacrificed a part of yourself. But you must rise and fight me with all you'v
Queenie would then jump off the cliff, leaving me to jolt awake in a cold sweat. I endured each twilight in my hopeless vigil, counting down the days.On the 75th day, the door finally unlocked. I stepped outside and realized that this was the neighborhood where Queenie and I lived. All this time, we had been mere yards apart.My mom truly knew how to break a person's spirit. All I had to do was lift my head to see the pomegranate tree planted in our yard.I stumbled toward our home, my wounds screaming as I desperately called for Queenie. But the immaculate house stood eerily silent, echoing my footsteps like thunder.Except for Queenie, every possession remained meticulously in place—the exquisite clothes, expensive jewelry, and designer cosmetics.Queenie was gone, and the thought of losing her drove me into a frenzy.I collapsed in the middle of the room, sobbing uncontrollably. Regret consumed me. I should have never let my family's threats manipulate me and left Queenie to
I clenched my fists, barely resisting the urge to rush over to Queenie's side. All I wanted was to embrace her and whisper assurances that I would protect her, always. But I knew I had no right to do so.My dad's threat hung heavy in my mind, and the stares of Daniela and her mother bore into Queenie like daggers. One wrong move or word and those blades would descend upon Queenie, cutting her to shreds.The pain was unbearable. I felt sorry for Queenie. I was powerless and couldn't help her. With all my heart, I wished for her to stay strong and survive. She deserved better than me. Daniela's mother slapped Queenie, calling her a whore and a homewrecker, accusing her of seducing other people's boyfriends.Queenie stood rigidly, her gaze filled with humiliation. Her lips trembled, and the light in her eyes gradually faded.I winced in agony but held myself together, picking up Daniela and walking away.Countless times afterward, I berated myself for choosing to take Daniela away
We both knew the truth—neither of us could cross the chasm that had formed between our hearts.After that, I went home almost every day. We managed to maintain a semblance of normalcy in our day-to-day lives. We prepared sumptuous dinners and tended to our garden. I even considered adopting a pet to keep Queenie company while I was away.However, no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't rekindle the warmth we had once shared. Queenie hardly smiled anymore. No matter what I did to cheer her up, she would only give a half-hearted smile, her eyes remaining cold and distant.I knew something had transpired during our separation, but she refused to discuss it. My attempts to uncover the truth through private investigators were in vain. Any evidence had been meticulously erased.Eventually, I realized Queenie was simply biding her time, waiting for the moment when she would be forced to relinquish all hope and leave.A month later, my mother joyfully told me that Daniela was pregnant an
I grabbed a brush from the bathroom and scrubbed myself furiously, desperate to wash away the overwhelming sense of filth. Even as the rough bristles tore into my skin, drawing blood and causing searing pain, I felt no closer to feeling clean.My mind was consumed with thoughts of Queenie and the nearly five years we had spent together—the happy moments, the arguments, every single memory.At that moment, I realized I was terrified. Never before had I experienced such abject fear. Knowing Queenie's uncompromising stance on love and fidelity, I knew she would never forgive me once she discovered my transgression.She would undoubtedly turn and leave, heedless of any pleas I might make. I probably wouldn't even have the courage to ask for her forgiveness in the face of her justified anger.I regretted everything. If I had listened to my friends and taken Queenie away from all this, none of this would have happened. But I had hesitated. Even now, I couldn't be certain if my hesitati
Yesterday afternoon, my dad called and demanded that I make a decision within two days, or they would take action.I felt cornered because I genuinely didn't know how to talk to Queenie about this. The mere idea of her packing her belongings and leaving, accompanied by the unspeakable anguish it would inflict upon me, was a burden too heavy to bear.I wasn't sure if I could ever have a semblance of normality in my life again after that.So, I gathered some friends to drink with me. I drank heavily because I had made a decision—a disgraceful, heartless decision. The thought of what I would have to face the next day made life seem hopeless, so I drank even more.Before losing consciousness, I handed my car keys to my assistant, using my last bit of clarity to tell him to take me home no matter what state I was in.Even if it meant returning to the Hayes family's residence, he should not leave me out on the streets. Despite the imminent breakup, I wanted to part ways with Queenie in
My mom proved to be even more ruthless than my dad. She found me, dropped to her knees without a word, and begged me. She reminded me of the years they had spent raising me, pleading that I ensure they wouldn't be left without a sense of security in their old age.In essence, they were pressuring me to abandon everything. I was to pursue money and power for their sake, secure the Hayes family's head position, and ensure our grip on wealth and influence. Their priority was maintaining their luxurious, elevated lifestyle. My happiness, my desires—whether I even wanted those things—meant nothing to them. Sometimes, it felt like I was nothing more than a tool for achieving their ambitions.My dad told me bluntly that he would go after Queenie if I didn't comply. He said, "You're right. I'm incapable of outmaneuvering your uncle. But no matter how incompetent I am, I can easily make Queenie's life in Harveyton unbearable."To be honest, that day was the coldest my heart had ever felt