Matthew and Helen played a pivotal role in my resounding victory. They were the reason why the debacle concluded that quickly."Are you sure?" Colin squinted his eyes dubiously."Hehe, I might have exaggerated the whole thing a bit. Matthew came, and let's just say that an explanation from him was a hundred times more effective than anything I could say.""I see. Either way, always prioritize your safety. Give me some time. It'll be over soon."I was so caught up in my overconfidence that I didn't hear what Colin said in the end.After we hung up, Helen, who was about to fall asleep, propped her head up on one elbow and stared at me."Shouldn't you go to sleep? It's eerie to stare at me like this when it's so late at night."Helen pursed her lips as if she had just found something amusing. "Lulu, you like Colin, don't you?""Of course, I do. He's my friend. I love him."She shook her head. "I'm not talking about that kind of love. When you were talking to him, your eyes sparkl
When I heard that Felix had intercepted Matthew's love letters for me, I was so mad that I went to his house to argue with him. I gave Felix an earful and refused to talk to him for a very long time.Now I knew I had gotten angry for the wrong reason. He was just trying to protect me.But he could have warned me. If I had known Brenda was this unreasonable, I would have stayed away from Matthew. The whole debacle wouldn't have transpired."I know what you're thinking. But back then, you glared at me as if I was your arch-nemesis. I was sure you wouldn't believe me. You might even think that I was plotting something and resent me further."Felix was right. I knew I might not have believed him even if he had told me. Still, this wasn't a valid excuse to keep everything from me.I knew he wouldn't believe me if I told him about what Lilac had done. But I did it nonetheless. Several times too. Couldn't he do what I did?Regardless, I decided to forgive him since he intercepted the le
I deleted and recomposed my reply many times. In the end, I only sent out one word, "Goodnight."Matthew didn't send me more text messages. I stared at my phone screen until it automatically switched off.While I couldn't return Matthew's feelings, hurting him was not my intention. Yet he was hurt both mentally and physically after what had happened.His birthday fell on Sunday. Helen called and asked if I wanted to attend his birthday party. She told me that his childhood friends would be there to celebrate the occasion. None of his family would be there.For a moment, I was enticed. I wanted to be there to apologize to him. Regardless of what his family had done to me, I couldn't deny that he had given me his heart.But as I thought further, I was sure that Matthew had endured much of the grief in the past month. The answer I had given him that night must have plunged him into the depth of despair. Soon enough, he would begin healing and move on.Attending his birthday party mi
"Are you that oblivious, or is this your way of mocking my pathetic self? I slept with Matthew. I offered myself. What you see here are not wounds; they're hickies!" Helen seethed. I saw loneliness and rage in her eyes.I slumped onto my bed, unable to process the news."Oh? Does it sting now that Matthew and I are together?" Helen looked at me with the corners of her eyes. The contempt and sadness in her eyes made her look extra pitiable."No, you're mistaken, Helen. I just… feel sorry for you.""He kept calling your name when he was with me until he lost his voice. And when he realized what he had done, he sobbed loudly. He said there was no hope anymore, that he was no longer pure."Tears suddenly fell from Helen's eyes, rolling down her dainty cheeks. She cried despondently, "Why? How could he do this to me? He was sleeping with me yet he was thinking of you. Why? Why?"Matthew's text in the middle of the night came to my mind. I now understood why he apologized to me.I did
Thinking that I was about to lose Helen as a friend, I was upset for the next few days.One afternoon, the sky was gloomy, and it was drizzling.My phone suddenly rang when I was painting the draft I drew.I put down my brush and washed off the paint on my hand. My face brightened when I saw the caller.Colin, who had been MIA for the past few days, was video-calling me."Colin! You haven't replied to my messages or picked up your phone in the past few days. I almost went to the police to file a missing person's report!"Colin's husky laughter traveled into my ears, sending shockwaves through my body."Lulu, come down."I looked outside the window. The drizzle had stopped, and the sky had turned blue."Just come down. I have a surprise for you."I grabbed whatever jacket I could find and put it on. Then, I rushed downstairs.The air purified by the drizzle felt extra fresh. Under a lush parasol tea, an unignorable presence came into my vision.In the shade stood Colin's tal
Colin tilted his head to look at me with a smile, listening to me yap about everything like an excited girl. Tenderness threatened to overflow from his starry eyes.I was 22 years old. I was an adult now. In front of my classmates and lecturers, I behaved like a gentle, elegant woman. Some of my juniors even followed me around just to learn my mannerisms.Unbeknownst to them, I behaved like a spoiled fool in front of Colin.To our surprise, we ran into Felix.His eyes fell on Colin's and my interlocked fingers. Subconsciously, I tried to withdraw my hand, but Colin wouldn't let me go. He grabbed my hand tightly as we walked toward Felix."Hey, Colin," greeted Felix."Hey, have you eaten? Do you want to join us?"Felix hesitated for a while. He then took out his phone to send a quick text before joining us.Jinovy was way more prosperous than Southsville. I found many high-end restaurants here, and out of them, Colin picked a seafood restaurant.The establishment was well-decor
Felix was surprised to see Lilac outside. He grabbed his phone and left immediately.I was so annoyed by Lilac that I blurted out something rude, "Felix, let's not hang out again."He replied with his silent silhouette. Then, he left."It's over. Finally," said Colin as he turned to me, a glass in his hand."Tsk, it already ended a long time ago. It was over when he called me shameless and asked me to stay away from him that Thanksgiving.""So what's your plan now?""I'll make myself available and make many friends." I placed my palm above my brows while pretending to scan my surroundings. Then, my eyes lingered on Colin. "Then, I'll settle down with someone I like and who likes me back."Colin's hand froze mid-raising his glass. He turned to face me, his eyes glimmering. Then, with a smile, he said, "Sure."Oh, that smile. That lethal smile! My heart skipped a beat.Colin was hired by Jesselton College to be a lecturer. It was his first day, so he was too busy to hang out wit
Felix's lanky frame faltered, and a deep sense of sadness filled his eyes. It wasn't until I finished my sentence that I realized I had returned the exact same words he told me back then.But why was he sad? Forget about the past—we were young and naive back then. He was now dating Lilac. Why was he hurt by what I said?Because he cared about me? No way. Back then, he viewed me as an eyesore, a pest.And more importantly, I couldn't care less if he was upset or not.They said time could heal everything. And indeed, I had completely moved on from the pain my tragic past brought me.Felix was now a stranger in my life.The pain he had once inflicted on me and the tears I had once shed were nothing but part of my growth.That was all."If there's nothing else, goodbye. And quit bothering me." Turning, I left angrily."Stay, Lulu," Felix called out. He sounded vulnerable and sincere."Just spit it out now. I don't have time for you. You're getting on my nerves."He was irritat