I answered the incoming video call, and my eyes fell on Queenie's thin and haggard face. I found it to be a painful sight. Since Felix's surgery, I had been busy drawing and finding time to take care of him. My mood became so depressed that I even lost contact with my close friends.Whenever someone called, I was not in the mood to talk much and would hang up quickly.I didn't expect that in just two months of not seeing each other, Queenie would become so thin. The weariness and sadness in her eyes were so heavy that she no longer looked like a woman in her early 20s.She looked more like an elderly person who had experienced life's hardships.She had always been a positive and optimistic person. She had a particularly straightforward personality. The only thing that could torment her like this would be love.Since college, Queenie and Fylnn had been entangled with each other. They had been through many ups and downs over the years. If someone were to say that there was no bo
After hearing Queenie's words, I was furious. For the first time in my life, profanities slipped out of my mouth.What kind of people were they? They fabricated accusations against others. Who gave them the right to do that? Was it just because they were wealthier? Money was a good thing, but it was meant to improve lives, not to be used as a tool to attack and oppress others."Flynn…" Queenie cried so hard that she couldn't catch her breath. She stammered her words, "When they came to cause trouble, all the employees were having a meeting in the lobby. There were more than a hundred people, and they were all just watching me being scolded like that. "Even those colleagues who had a good relationship with me were pointing fingers at me. It was as if I had really done something disgraceful."But that's not the point. I don't care how others view me. My main concern is Flynn."When he rushed over, I had just slapped that woman. Her mother came over and grabbed my hair. She pressed
Queenie cried so hard that she couldn't speak. Tears streamed down her thin face as she cried, feeling immense pain and despair. "Flynn is just a bastard. You love him so much. How could he do that to you?"I was a soft-hearted person and couldn't stand seeing others cry. Queenie was crying so sadly that I couldn't help but cry too. I felt sorry for her pure heart and for the sake of all the good times we had shared over the years.I really couldn't believe that the charming and sometimes unruly Flynn, who swore to love Queenie for a lifetime, turned out to be a scumbag.And the silly Queenie was truly hurt this time."Lulu, I don't want to love him anymore. I want to leave this place and never look back again." Her painful cries buried her bright self, and in its place, there was only deep despair. Flynn Hayes, look at what you did. You'd better not regret it. Otherwise, even if you realized you were wrong, there would be no chance for redemption."If you've made up your mind
"What's so difficult about it? It all depends on Flynn's decision."After a moment of silence, Colin said, "Flynn naturally wants to have the best of both worlds, but reality won't allow it to happen. His family is pressuring him, causing a lot of mental stress. He even suffered from alcohol poisoning twice. He's not having it easy."After listening to his words, I felt a mix of emotions.Was it really so difficult to make a choice? If Flynn wanted wealth and power, he should choose the Hayes. If he wanted to stay with Queenie, then he should just choose her. It was just a matter of A or B. The difficulty lay in Flynn's excessive greed and desires.In other words, it was not that Queenie wasn't important enough to him, it was just that wealth and power were more attractive. Suddenly, I realized that Flynn was never the right person for Queenie. They were just too young back then and at the age where love reigned supreme. They failed to realize the cruelty of the real world.Now
"Hmph, I don't care. You always side with Flynn anyway. Men always side with men. Oh, by the way, Queenie's coming over tomorrow. I've asked her to stay with me. So, you should move back to the dormitory. I'm going to bed now. Goodnight."With a firm resolve, I hung up the phone without hesitation. I stared at the darkened screen with frustration.After a while, I noticed Helen staring at me with an ambiguous expression. "What? Are you falling in love with me?" I pretended to be afraid and pulled the blanket over myself while watching her every move vigilantly.Helen shook her head and clicked her tongue. "As expected, the favored ones are always emboldened. Something must be wrong with Colin's eyes. How did he fall for you?""You're the blind one. Take this." I threw a plush toy at her, hitting her butt accurately.After turning off the lights and getting ready to sleep, I heard a notification from my phone. I opened my phone and saw a text from someone. The profile picture was
It was not like I could choose not to go.I had no classes in the morning. Colin, who was familiar with my schedule, dropped me off in the corridor.Felix was already there, dressed in a set of black clothes. His hair was neatly trimmed with each strand standing upright, adding a touch of stubbornness to his sharp appearance."Go ahead. I'll wait over there." Colin pushed me forward and pointed to the bench outside the corridor."Lulu, you're here." Felix turned around. He was tall, with handsome features and sparkling eyes. Despite the melancholic air around him, he still resembled the youthful him of the past.I nodded and responded lightly, "Colin said you wanted to see me. What's the matter?"Felix seemed taken aback for a moment and then glanced at Colin sitting on the bench. A self-deprecating and obscure look flickered in his eyes. "Lulu, why did you fall in love with Colin?""There's no reason. Love is just love. Just like how you fell for Lilac. Speaking of which, I mus
"Everything I did was just because I wanted to be with you. I just used the wrong way. Everything in the past was my fault. Give me a chance to make it up to you and love you properly, okay?"Okay? No.I was so frustrated.At this moment, I could confirm that Felix indeed had psychological issues. He was either suffering from depression or was paranoid. Otherwise, he would understand my clear rejection.Mental illness was still an illness. When it started to affect one's life, it had to be treated.I rubbed my temples helplessly and said impatiently, "Let me say this one last time. Please remember never to ask me this question again because I'm really annoyed. I don't like you—not now and not in the future."So I won't be with you, ever. Don't do these meaningless things anymore. Apart from annoyance, I feel nothing else."Felix's tall and thin figure swayed as if he had been deeply wounded. He stumbled slightly as if he were disappointed by me. The light in his eyes dimmed, tur
We didn't really talk much, nor did we delve deeply into the matter. Somehow, my anger toward Felix's feigned illness dissipated just like that.I suddenly realized that I didn't actually hate him. As he was Colin's family, he would become mine too in the future.There shouldn't be hatred between family members.Colin lifted my chin and gave me a sly smirk. This melted me immediately. I leaned into him, naturally wrapping my arms around his waist.This seductive temperament of his was truly alluring."Tired?""Mm.""Seems like you're not fit enough, my wife. You need to work out more," Colin teased me with a smirk.My face flushed. We hadn't reached that stage yet, but it was necessary to make it clear to him. I was solving a problem for him too."When will you stop eavesdropping like that?""I was sitting so far away. How could I possibly eavesdrop? A certain someone must have spoken so loudly that even I could hear it so far away. You can only become his sister-in-law after
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