I was overjoyed. From now on, Colin would take care of me, and I no longer needed to worry about food. Oh, c'est la vie!But life, as usual, was fond of cracking tasteless jokes. I often ran into those who I absolutely abhorred.I woke up early the next morning. For the first time in forever, I was motivated enough to go for a jog. Unfortunately for me, I bumped into Felix and Lilac.I was jogging on the running track and they were walking in the opposite direction. There was no way to avoid them.I thought I could pretend they were not there and jog past them. But Lilac approached me with a bright smile and clung to my arm.I shuddered, not liking the sudden physical contact. I took a few steps back to create some distance between us. Warily, I eyed her and said, "You can speak to me from that distance. We're not close enough for any physical contact."Lilac, as shameless as she was, paid my aloofness no mind. She approached me, forcing me to retreat a few more steps. "Today is
I sniggered internally.So this was why they invited me out for lunch!They wanted to find me a boyfriend. Why? Did my being single somehow bother them? Felix had told me yesterday that Colin wasn't the right guy for me. And today, he wanted me to date someone as soon as possible.Was he somehow afraid that I'd date Colin for real, so he wanted to hook me up with someone else instead?Regardless, after the weird speech Felix gave me last night, he wanted to set me up on dates tonight. His back-and-forth decision was perplexing, to say the least."What is wrong with the two of you? My love life doesn't have anything to do with you, so mind your own business. Also, I don't need to go through you before I date someone now, do I? Who do you think you are? Stop flattering yourself."Furious, I toppled the glass of water on the table, spilling its contents on the surface."Calm down, Lulu. Lili just wants some reassurance because we used to… I'm not forcing you to find a boyfriend rig
I was mad. Why was Colin taking their side? It must be because Felix was his younger brother, while I was just an outsider. Infuriated, I tried to pry Colin's hands off my shoulder in an attempt to struggle free.But Colin's hands were glued to my body. No matter how hard I fought, they wouldn't budge. Instead, they held me even tighter. My face was inches away from his chest."Let go of me. You're one of them! Stay away from me!""I'm taking nobody's side, Lulu. I'm just trying to reason with you. Girls your age should look for a boyfriend. It has nothing to do with whether I agree with Felix and Lilac's demand or not. You're single by choice. But others might think that you're single because you still have feelings for Felix, no?"People would interpret it that way? That was news to me.But if that was true, I should start looking for a boyfriend. Queenie and Jade had moved in with their boyfriends. Some of my friends were taken as well. I was the only single woman. That made me
Colin liked me. And all this time, I wasn't aware of it.I was shocked. I found it hard to believe.But now that I thought about it, he pampered and spoiled me. He cared for and protected me. He even risked his life to fight Shawn. He did everything he could for me. All of this was hinting at me that he liked me.Yet in the past three years, I simply thought that he was being a good friend, that I was just his sister from another mother.I recalled what Helen told me two days ago. I recalled the moment when Queenie and Julia rolled their eyes on me. Everyone knew that Colin liked me, except for me.Was I that oblivious?My brain had trouble processing the shocking revelation.While Colin was right, I found it rather awkward to regard one of my best friends as a boyfriend.I panicked. The hands on my sides fumbled for reassurance."Lulu, do you think I'm not as good as Felix? Is that why you want to reject me now?" Colin lamented."No, not at all." This was too much for me to
No! They were brothers!I had a sudden realization and quickly pushed him away with my hands. "Colin, give me some time to think this through."Disappointment briefly flashed on his face, but a smile quickly took its place. "Okay, you have five seconds to think this through. If you don't say no, I'll take it as a yes. One, two, three, four, five. Time's up! You didn't say no, so from now on, I'm your boyfriend!"Congratulations, Luna. You're no longer single."Before I could react, Colin leaned in once again. I could smell his warm breath on me, and I panicked.My mind was messy. My limbs acted on their own as I began to thrash about.At first, Colin tried to contain me. But as my movements became more and more violent, he let go. He was afraid that I might get hurt.Colin, standing there like a Prince Charming, slowly put down his arms. His straight back was slightly hunched, as if he was in pain. The glimmer in his eyes dimmed until there was nothing. The corners of his lips
Colin staggered backward and leaned beside the cement railing. He took out a cigarette box from his pocket and lit one. Taking a deep puff, he slowly exhaled it. "It may seem sudden to you. But I've been waiting for this opportunity for 20 years. You don't know how painful it is for me to love you," he said bitterly."When I first met you, you weren't one year old yet. You were small, sweet-smelling, and soft. Your eyes were also big and round. I was scared to break you, so I only reached out a finger to brush your face. You actually smiled at me. "I was only seven at that time and knew nothing. But your smile made me melt. At that time, I wanted you because I thought you were cute."Your smile was like a seed that was planted in my heart. It took root, sprouted, and became a little tree. I carefully nurtured it, fearing to hurt you in any way. "When I was ten, I told my mom I wanted to marry you. But she told me that you were engaged to Felix before you were even born and lect
In the end, Colin almost burst out in tears. He turned his head to not let me see his reddened eyes.My heart started to tear in pain.Love should be built from genuine feelings. I wasn't sure if I could turn the sibling love I had for Colin into romantic love. Plus, I didn't know if I still had the guts to love someone after Felix.Although I did want to try dating Colin before, I didn't anymore because I had already regarded Colin as my brother. I was scared I would lose my brother if we broke up one day.However, there was a voice telling me that I wouldn't know if I didn't try. The voice urged me to be brave and give it a try.Even after pondering for a while, I couldn't make up my mind.Colin patted my head and said affectionately, "You must be hungry. Let's go and eat. Just forget about what I just said, okay? Pretend that it didn't even happen. I'm still your brother, and you're still my sister who I witnessed growing up. I'll still take care of you in the future in the
We ate lunch at my favorite stew restaurant.I sat face-to-face with Colin while waiting for my food. Whenever I looked up, I would meet with his passionate eyes. Then, I would blush and lower my eyes to scroll on my phone. However, I didn't manage to catch a single word on the screen.It was already half past 12. The food came quickly as there weren't many customers.The stew here was known for being hot and spicy. Fearing I would get scalded, Colin scooped out some stew into a small bowl and placed it before me. "Be careful. It's hot."I dug into my food. Although the stew was still as delicious as before, I couldn't eat it happily as I felt weird around Colin. Thus, I ate with small bites.Colin looked at me teasingly for a while. It was obvious he wasn't used to seeing me acting prim and proper. Thus, he clinked the bowl with his fork. "Be natural. You don't need to act in front of me. I love and want the side of you that's fearless and free."I tilted my head and thought for
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