I wasn't a gold digger, of course. I wouldn't be a sellout for money. If not, I wouldn't have rejected Matthew, who came from a rich family.I just believed that spending the money I earned was the most rewarding feeling ever.When I arrived at my apartment building, I ran into the delivery rider who was delivering my food. I took my meal from him and climbed upstairs.With only one arm available for my use, it took me a long while to open my apartment door without toppling my food.As soon as I put down everything, Colin wanted to video call me before I even had a chance to wash my hands.My heart leaped when I saw Colin's handsome face appearing on my screen. I used to think that he was decent-looking. But now that he was my probational boyfriend, he looked sexier than before. So much so that I wanted to keep looking at him. Other hot guys, including Felix, looked less appealing now.I blamed Colin for setting the bar too high."Hi there, handsome. What brought you here?" I wa
"What's the matter, Colin?" I asked worriedly.Colin rubbed his face with his hands, yet the fatigue, the pain, and the frustration in his eyes persisted."Lulu, Felix is blind now. He also can't feel anything below his knees.What?Upon hearing the bad news, I almost slumped to the ground. It was as if something heavy was pressed on my shoulders, threatening to flatten me."How can this be? He could still see two days ago. How could he turn blind so suddenly? Also, I massaged his calves and he could feel it then. Is this a misdiagnosis? Colin, get a second opinion." I fumbled and came up with a response."The doctor said that there are blood clots in his brain. They moved and pressed against his nerves, causing him all these symptoms.""Then take them out. Can't we remove the blood clots with surgery?""The doctor said that the blood clots are located in a sensitive area. He'll be blind if we let them be. But if the surgery goes awry, he might be handicapped forever. Also, the
Colin rubbed his temples, exhausted. I felt bad, so I pulled his head into my arms and gave him a head massage, trying to make him feel better."The position of the blood clots is just unfortunate. I searched online. Jinovy Hospital has the best neurosurgeons. If they said they can't do anything about it, no one else can. We can only pray for Felix. There's no other way.""How long will it take for his body to absorb the blood clots?""No one knows. It can take a week, a year, or a lifetime.""It's all my fault. What should I do?" I was fraught with worry.I was afraid of entering the ward just now. When Felix was hospitalized the previous time, it wasn't my fault yet Aunt Mel had yelled and cursed at me with nasty words. Now that Felix had lost the function of his eyes and his legs just to save me, I feared that she might do something more radical. I wouldn't be able to handle that.While Colin often took my side, he wouldn't be able to do anything because it concerned his own
Dad and Mom went to the hospital right away. Colin wasn't there. Aunt Mel was stunned to see my parents. Then, she slowly nodded and uttered, "Harper, we're even now."Mom choked on her tears and grabbed Aunt Mel's hands. "No, Melinda. We owe Luna's life to Felix."Upon hearing what Mom said, the brave front Aunt Mel was putting up finally collapsed. Tears came gushing out of her eyes. "Don't say that, Harper. It's all karma. I know it.""What do you mean? If karma does exist, good things will happen to Felix because he saved Lulu. He will get better."They held each other's hands and consoled each other with reddened eyes.The accident brought solace to the pain from the past. They reconciled.This should be the best thing that had happened out of this mishap.Felix was awake. His eyes darted toward the entrance when he heard the sound of an opened door. Then, he sat there motionlessly.The eyes that I knew so well were still beautiful. But there was no soul in them. They were
I felt pressure crushing my chest, so much so that I struggled to breathe. It was as if a hook had gripped my heart and yanked it out of my body.The thing I feared most about, the one thing that had been hanging heavy on my mind, had finally arrived.I finally understood the words he had mouthed at me that morning in his house. He was saying, "If I save you, your life will be mine."He had sharpened and polished those words until they became silver blades that could slice through me.Everything had been part of his plan. He had just been waiting for an opportunity.The rain, the downpour that blurred my vision, the vehicle that sped through, Colin falling sick and resting in his apartment… Everything played out according to the plan he had devised.The puzzle pieces came together.Colin, his family, me, and even himself were pawns in his scheme. Felix plotted everything to bind me to his side, even at the cost of his own life.He put his life on the line to separate Colin and
"I can't see, and I can't walk. I feel so lonely, Mom. I don't want to live."Felix stared emptily at the ceiling. His hand reached out to grab something, but there was nothing. He put it down dejectedly and left the comment.He wore a calm expression when he said that. There was no emotion in his lightless eyes. It sounded mundane like he was saying he wanted a burger for lunch. Yet he was using his life to force everyone to play by his rules.Perhaps he did know that we were all there.Aunt Mel wailed. She grabbed Felix's right arm and cried loudly, "No, Felix. You shouldn't have those thoughts. Dad and Mom are here. We'll stay by your side forever. You won't be lonely, Felix. Trust me. Trust your mom.""But what do I do after you're dead?" continued Felix emotionlessly. Like a fragile, porcelain doll, he elicited empathy. But the words he uttered cut deep.My heart was icy all over. Coldness crept through my body, starting from my toes. In an instant, I felt like an icicle han
"I have two sons. Whichever one of them leads a happy life, I'll be happy too. So Lulu, don't ever feel that you must do something. As for Felix, your Uncle Austin and I will handle him."Aunt Mel's words warmed me and moved me to tears. Spring had arrived after this harsh winter. Mom looked at Aunt Mel in disbelief and quickly grabbed her hands.For the first time in a few months, the two who had grown up together hugged each other again.Thanks to Aunt Mel's encouragement, Colin and I saw hope in the predicament once more."Thank you so much, Melinda." Mom and Melinda cried together.It seemed like tears were the only thing capable of conveying our emotions here.Colin kissed the back of my hand and said gratefully, "Thank you, Mom. And sorry."Just then, the loud noise startled everyone.Uncle Austin was pushing the chairbound Felix, and they were by the entrance.The source of the noise was a big, red apple. It rolled on the floor.Felix seemed to have used up every ounce
Mom grabbed Aunt Mel's hands over the long, rectangular desk. She kept apologizing and thanking her while crying.Colin and I held each other's hand. I snuggled in his arms. As always, he was warm, but I felt cold. I fell more and more in love with him as each day went by.But the image of Felix lying in a pool of blood and his soulless body on the bed would never get out of my head.While Aunt Mel's words managed to bring me some solace, what would Felix do? He trapped me with his life. He saved my life. Would he give up?If one day, his condition was declared incurable and he chose death, how was I going to face that?If I had to make the choice… My heart was telling me to pick Colin. Yet my mind told me that I should pick Felix because he got hurt while saving me. I wanted to repay my debt to him. I couldn't leave him high and dry heartlessly.What a dilemma.And if I followed my heart and picked Colin, would we be happy living with that decision?…"I won't be happy, Lulu.
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