Melinda saw Colin and me move with great difficulty and noticed his inebriation. Her mouth was wide open in disbelief."Harper, what is this?" Melinda looked past me and asked my Mom behind me.Mom pressed her lips into a hard line and thought that she shouldn't be the one to tell her the news. Instead, she tossed the responsibility back to me. "Ask them. You know, young people nowadays.""What? What happened? Okay. Uhm, honey? Honey? Come and help me, please. Colin is drunk. Geez, how many drinks did he have?"Austin appeared in my view half-asleep. He, too, was taken aback when he looked at us. Shortly after, at Melinda's behest, he approached me to take the drunk Colin off me.But Colin refused to let go. He mumbled that he didn't want to leave me, and his left hand maintained a tight grip on my shoulder as if it was fused to my body.It was dark outside, and we couldn't stay by the entrance for too long.I had no other choice but to enter Colin's home.The three of us toile
"Stop this and sleep, Colin. Be nice," I coddled in a hushed voice, forgetting that we had company."No! I want kisses. Kisses!" His lips puckered up to kiss me. Scared, I mustered all my strength and pinned him back onto the bed."Be nice now, Colin. I don't like the smell of alcohol. I'll let you kiss me when you're sober, okay?"When I finally soothed Colin and remembered Felix, he had already left.Through the half-open door, I saw an orange light flicker in the dark on the balcony opposite us.When did Felix come back? Where was Lilac? Why was Felix here? Why did he care if Colin and I were dating? What did he want?I couldn't find an answer, and just like that, I fell asleep.I guessed I was an easygoing woman.I was roused by something warm in the middle of the night. As I opened my eyes, I realized that I was on the bed. Sleeping next to me was Colin, who had changed into his pajamas. His slender hand grabbed me by my waist so that I was sleeping in his embrace.Heat r
"I know, Mom. Don't worry, I'll think it through before deciding."It was already 2:00 am after the chat. I yawned and went to bed. Right when I climbed into my bed, my phone screen lit up.I opened my WhatsApp and saw a selfie from Colin. Still in his pajamas, he made a peace sign to the camera. "I hope I can see you whenever I open my eyes in the future. Goodnight and have a sweet dream."My heart was aflutter.I wanted to reply to his text but couldn't come up with anything. After an extended hesitation, I sent him a thumbs-up emoji.After I sent the text, I realized how ridiculous it might look. I thought about recalling the message, but I saw no point in doing that. Therefore, I left it be.I was free on Saturday. If I were still studying at my university, I would've spent the day shopping with Jade and Zara.However, we had all grown up, and we worked in different cities now. Unless it was planned beforehand, it'd be hard for us to meet up.On Sunday, Colin and I flew bac
"You're right, I should cherish what I have now. I'll help you and care for you like a good friend, but I'll save all my love for Lilac. She made a lot of mistakes for me. Therefore, I'd like to apologize to you once more."I'll keep her in check in the future, and I hope you can forgive her. You don't have to if you don't want to. She doesn't deserve your forgiveness, after all."Goodbye, Lulu. I wish you happiness."After reading the text messages, I felt so relieved.Happy days with Colin flew by in the blink of an eye. Soon, it was already New Year's Eve.My school gave us three days of holidays for New Year's Eve. Lilac said she needed to see her family, so she'd be returning to Northpool with her mum on the morning of December 31st. Felix drove her to the airport.During New Year's Eve, those who did not go home all dressed up for the special occasion.Colin and I agreed to have dinner before heading to a theme park. Then, we'd head to the square for the countdown.Before
But my plan didn't work. Felix froze mid-action, which meant he saw the cheating couple.I panicked and peered at Colin. "Oh, no. What do we do now?""Relax. Let's see how this unfolds," Colin hugged me and whispered into my ear.Felix looked at the cheating couple in disbelief for a while. Then, he hollered and charged at them.When Colin and I made our way to the scene, a fight had already broken out.Meek women were screaming and running away from the violence, while curious men stayed on the sidelines to see who would win in the end.Felix wasn't short, but he grew up in a pampered and protected environment. All he knew was studying and looking cool. He was by no means strong enough to overpower Shawn, who had been fighting since young.Over there, I saw Shawn landing blow after blow on Felix's head. He stomped on Felix's body with his leather shoes as he hurled nasty insults.Felix was curled up on the ground. He tried to get up to retaliate, only to be brought down again
Felix wiped away the bloody mess on his face and got up with Colin's assistance. He couldn't take his eyes off Lilac, who was crying while hugging Shawn.He didn't shed a tear when he was beaten to a pulp, yet his eyes turned wet when he saw the woman he loved weep for another man.Felix picked himself up groggily. There was no light in his beautiful eyes.Looking at the despondent Felix, I only had one word to describe him—dejected.Suddenly, he laughed as he looked at the hugging couple. His voice grew louder and louder until it turned maniacal. "Karma. This is karma."The area before the motel was filled with his hollow and soulless laughter.It was karma, indeed.When I still had feelings for him, he stomped on them. And when I gave up on him, he felt devastated. Now that he had decided to do Lilac right, Lilac tossed him aside and showed indifference toward his injuries.As usual, people took what they had for granted and only regretted it when it was gone.In my opinion,
Finding out the news himself must have shattered his heart completely.Colin was right. Perhaps finding out this soon was a blessing to him. Either way, Lilac and he were never going to have a happy ending."I had someone check the surveillance cameras yesterday. Shawn hit you first. I've notified the police and requested experts to perform an injury evaluation on you. Someone will come here to ask you questions later. All you have to do is to tell the truth.""Okay." That was the only response Felix gave.After a restless night, I was tired and sleepy. Colin felt bad for me and drove me back to my apartment. He told me to get some rest and that he'd come to accompany me once he was done settling everything at the hospital.But it was New Year's. I didn't want to spend it all alone in my apartment. Despite my reluctance, I knew it would be unreasonable to demand more of Colin, given Felix's current dire situation. I resigned and went back to my apartment glumly.Once I was home,
Felix smiled bitterly, followed by a prolonged silence.His parents came at night. When Melinda saw that Felix was bandaged from head to toe, she burst out in tears. She kept saying that she had known Lilac would break his heart one day and that Felix had it coming for choosing her. Meanwhile, Austin began chain-smoking in the corridor.Despite her discontent, I was sure Melinda must be upset that her son was in so much pain too. Her chastising was just a way of showing how much she cared.Colin and I went out to get some food and let Melinda and Felix have some time alone.As it was New Year's, restaurants were closed as many went home to spend time with their families. There were no take-out options either. Colin and I walked for a long while before we found a fancy restaurant and got some takeaway there.When we returned, we saw Melinda, with her back against the corridor, reproaching Felix."If only you saw what I saw in Lilac! Lulu is so nice. She loved you, yet you chose
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