"Say something, Lulu. Say something and I'll be able to find you. Lulu…"Felix's hands flailed around in the air. I couldn't bear to see his helplessness. The wounds and blood on his body only further pained me.My heart felt like it was ripped apart. It hurt.I broke free from Colin's imprisonment and leaned down to carry Felix in tears. I told him that I was there and that we could talk properly once I put him in his wheelchair.Felix grabbed my hand. He propped his upper body up in great difficulty and pulled me into a tight embrace. Crying but smiling, he said that I came to see him. He knew I wouldn't abandon him. He also said that he loved me a lot and begged me not to leave him."Don't leave me, Lulu. I only have you left in this world. Say something, Lulu. You still have feelings for me, don't you? You won't mind that I'm disabled now. You'll stay by my side forever, right?"I couldn't say anything.His embrace was cold. His bony frame stabbed into my body. He was so ski
I exited the apartment building, distraught. It was a sunny day, with the rays illuminating the whole world. Yet, I did not feel warm.Perhaps after the accident, my life would never be sunny and warm anymore.I did have a bad feeling back then, and I hated my hunch. When I wanted it to work, it never did. When I didn't want it to work, it always worked.I dragged myself back to campus and back to my apartment. As soon as I was in my room, I flopped on the mattress, allowing the darkness to consume me.I slept for a very long time. Were it not for Queenie's call, I would still be in my slumber until tomorrow morning or even later than that while dreaming of something eerie.If only I could sleep forever. That way, I wouldn't have to face the dilemma."Luna, were you crying?" Queenie asked apprehensively when she saw me.She was my good friend, alright. Despite the distance, she could tell something was about me right away."I was." I sniffled. A listener would do me good when I
"Flynn's grandpa is celebrating his 73rd birthday this weekend. They're throwing him a huge birthday banquet.""Are you attending it, then?"Queenie laughed. Her crisp chuckle traveled from the other end of the line. It was a joyous laugh, but it sounded sad to me."He's going with a female companion, but it's not me. Do you know? He has never invited me to any formal occasion. Never. It's like I bring him shame or something. He won't let anyone see us together."Her laughter slowly vanished, replaced by a croaky voice."The contract will be over soon. What's your plan next?"After Queenie graduated, she was headhunted by a state-owned company. They offered an attractive employment package and promised her a promotion. However, Flynn persuaded her to quit her job and join his company, citing his unwillingness to be separated from her as an excuse.Perhaps Queenie was a lovesick girl, or perhaps she was smitten with Flynn, she moved to where Flynn lived without paying any heed to
"It's okay. My shoulder doesn't hurt anymore. No need to worry about me, Colin. I'll let you know if there's anything." I didn't want Colin to feel guilty, so I replied to his message.Colin replied to me instantly as if he had been staring at his phone and waiting for my response. "Take good care of yourself. Once I handle everything here, I'll find a way to make it up to you. I miss you and love you. Many kisses.""Okay, Colin. I'll wait for you."After I sent the text message, I placed my phone against my chest and closed my eyes.Colin didn't text me that afternoon. I didn't send him anything to bother him either.At night, Mom had a video call with me and asked if Felix was doing okay. I told her what happened during the day and asked, "Mom, if I had to pick either Colin or Felix one day, who should I pick?"Mom tried to console me with her affectionate gaze. "Oh, my baby girl. We want you to live a happy life. A life that owes nothing to anyone. As a mom, I want you to foll
I worked hard every day. I scoured the internet for medical journals and consulted specialists on various platforms.Yet life was often very cruel. Not all hard work would pay off.A surprising turn of events could lead to disastrous results.That day, I was queuing up at the cafeteria to get my lunch. I then heard people saying that someone was trying to jump off the building in the neighborhood across the campus. A lot of students in the queue went to check out the scene.My heart began pounding erratically. Fear seized me.I grabbed a student rushing there and asked what happened. He told me that he didn't have the details either. He only asked me to check the school's forum.I opened my phone frantically. There were a lot of comments on the forum thread. There was a photo on the pinned comment, the content of which almost made me faint.I had no time to think. Despite my fear, I ran as fast as I could. Howling wind traveled to my ears.I had never run as fast as I was runni
The crisis negotiator sent in was a female police officer. She had a pair of dimples that made her look extra cute. She comforted Felix with her soothing voice while approaching him silently like a leopard. Her small frame was taut with tension, waiting for the right opportunity.As the female officer coddled to Felix, he slowly became quieter. He stopped yelling, but he still refused to step down from the ledge.Blindness rendered his auditory senses to be extra sensitive. When the officer was less than five steps away from him, his neck jerked suddenly. He stared at where the officer was at. He threatened angrily, "Come any closer and I'll jump."The negotiator was forced to remain on the spot. She shrugged sorrily, telling us that the first attempt was a failure.Staying alive was our first instinct. I couldn't believe that Felix would go this far.Colin rubbed his face. The powerlessness to change the situation and the fear of losing his younger brother pushed him to the brink
To deliver Colin from suffering, to save the tough man in my heart from his moral dilemma, I made a shocking decision.The decision was sudden and hurtful, but it wasn't selfish.He told me that he could handle the situation. It wasn't that I did not trust him or think that I had a better solution.I merely felt bad for him. I didn't want him to go through so much pain and woe for me. I did not want my existence to be his burden.The defeated look on his face filled my mind. It broke my heart. I told myself that I'd bring light and joy to his life, even if it meant I had to suffer in hell for eternity.Was I mad? No, I wasn't. I just didn't want him to be sad.When I recalled this incident many years later, I realized how thoughtless I was.Colin imprisoned me in his arms, refusing to let me leave. He was searching for my lips, trying to seal it before I said the words he'd hate to hear.But for some reason, an incredible strength burst out from me. I shoved Colin away, and he
I fumbled my words because I was trying to suppress the overwhelming heartache.At that moment, I realized that Colin was my soul. Without Colin, I'd become a zombie. My love for him had taken root beyond my imagination before I knew it.Colin held me tightly. His broad hands almost squeezed the life out of me. With reddened eyes, he uttered, "I don't resent you, babe. I know you did everything for me. Forgive me. I wasn't strong enough. I failed to give you a sense of security."I'm sorry, Lulu. But things weren't that bad. You should've trusted me when I said that I could handle it. What you did shattered my heart."He kissed me, and I returned his kiss passionately. The wounds in our mouths reopened, and warm blood rolled down the corners of our lips. The bystanders gasped in horror, but we paid them no mind.At that precise moment, we only had each other. We lived in our own world.He hugged me, creating a corner that blocked out the universe. I snuggled into him as if he wer
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