Upon hearing my voice, Colin's body stiffened. He turned around in disbelief. When he saw me, his body shuddered. Panic rushed to his eyes. He wanted to say something, and his feet moved as if he wanted to move toward me.But he looked at the woman in his arms and said, "Go back with Professor King first. I need to send her to the hospital."Something within me shattered.For once, Colin chose another woman over me in front of everyone.I told myself that Colin would never abandon me. He had to have a valid reason. The woman was injured. He couldn't leave her high and dry. That was how kind he was.Yet I couldn't fool myself. I couldn't get rid of the disappointment and heartbreak I felt. I cried. I felt cold, aggrieved, and upset.The moment I heard that a mudslide hit him, I was so worried about him that I couldn't eat or sleep. I told myself that I wouldn't find another man even in the event that he died.To save him, I was covered in mud. My knees hurt so much that I struggl
"Are you alright?" Winston let go of me and looked at my wrist with a worried expression. It was bruised from Felix's tight grip.I rubbed my slightly numb wrist and stopped looking at Felix. "Professor King, let's go back."Professor King nodded and led the way. Winston and I followed behind him while Felix and Austin tailed us.We walked back to where we came from. While the weather had improved, the path had not. It was still difficult to walk on.I trudged through the muddy path with my heavy shoes and wet pants. I proceeded mechanically. Every part of me screamed exhaustion, and every step was an uphill battle.I thought of giving up. Maybe I could just stay there. That way, I wouldn't have to face the unknown future.It was exhausting to enter the mountains, but back then, all I could think of was Colin. That was how I powered through. I had clung to the hope of bringing Colin home.But on my way back, I didn't have any motivation. All I could think of was Colin leaving wi
There were a lot of people in the corridor. I began looking from the entrance, and when I reached the deepest end, I saw Colin spacing out with his head lowered. He was in front of closed doors.Colin was covered in mud. There were even straws in his hair. His tall frame hunched forward, making him look defeated and despondent like something heavy was crushing his back. I didn't know what was on his mind. I stood there for five minutes and he never moved. He didn't even notice that I was there."Colin," I called out several feet away from him.He quickly looked around. When he saw me, his body briefly tensed up. Something appeared in his eyes, but I didn't catch it. Perhaps he was too worried about the victim, so he failed to notice my appearance earlier."What are you doing here?" Colin walked toward me and flashed a tired smile. He wanted to hug me, but when he saw his dirty hands, he decided against it. He pointed at the bench next to the wall and said, "Let's sit there."Col
Uncle Austin teared up from happiness, so relieved that Colin survived the catastrophe. His calloused hands patted Colin's head and his shoulder. Affection oozed from his face.When Aunt Mel picked up the call, Felix passed the phone to Colin. "Mom wants to speak with you."I was close to them, so I overheard Aunt Mel's voice through the phone. Colin tried his best to reassure his mother. Once she learned that Colin was truly safe, Aunt Mel hung up tearfully."Colin, you haven't eaten anything. I brought milk and bread with me. Have some."I took the food out of my bag. Colin ruffled my hair and accepted the food. He slowly drank half of the milk and tore open the packaging that sealed the bread. Then, he munched on it.Leaning against the bench, he was so tired that he didn't even have the energy to chew food. I felt bad for him. Gone was my intention to accost him about the whole thing.He was Colin, the man I loved the most. Surely, he wouldn't do anything that would break my
I didn't know what happened to me. Perhaps I didn't want to see Colin care for another woman, so I stayed at the entrance and didn't walk in.Colin proceeded to the bed and looked at the comatose patient. Ruffling his hair, he wore a worried yet frustrated expression.He only ruffled his hair when something bothered him a lot. Needless to say, he was very concerned about the woman on the bed.Fear began to rise in my heart.I told myself not to overthink it many times, yet it was hard to put it into practice. I knew Colin wouldn't betray me. He cared deeply about the woman out of a sense of obligation and gratitude.Still, something within me felt like it was pierced when I saw him get worried about another woman. Did it hurt? No. It was indescribable. Just when I debated if I should enter the ward, a group of individuals shuffled toward me. They were in a hurry and almost pushed me out of the entryway.The leader of the group was a short, middle-aged man. He was balding and ha
I lay beside the bed, staring at Colin. I hadn't seen him for almost a month. Aside from being slightly tanned, he appeared to be more attractive.Even though my fingers were sore from washing clothes, I was willing to endure my tiredness for him.More precisely, I wanted to look at him more and more. After staring at him for a while, I got tired and fell asleep unconsciously.Colin woke up before 10:00 pm. When he moved, I also awoke.He pleasantly smiled when he spotted me lying next to him in a haze. He stroked my head, kissed my lips, and then got up.However, we both forgot that he slept wrapped in a bath towel. As soon as he stood up, the towel came off, leaving his entire body naked in front of me. I yelped and drew up the sheet to cover my eyes.Even though my movements were swift enough, I still saw his entire body. I never expected to see Colin naked!He was indeed good-looking, but I didn't dare to look at him because it wasn't good timing. Moreover, this scene made m
At that time, we washed our undergarments separately and wore our pajamas neatly every night. We had never been so bold. Our most intimate contact was when Colin kissed my forehead and said good night before bed.We once got excited and nearly lost our virginities. As I was so frightened, I burst into tears. Colin gave up the following steps and returned to his room unpleasantly.Later, I got up to go to the bathroom and found him attempting to calm himself down. I felt so embarrassed that I almost wanted to knock myself out on the spot.Colin told me once a long time later that he admired himself for his tolerance. He had almost decided to swim in the winter to soothe his urges. His fingers were also bent from exhaustion.His words made me laugh so hard that I nearly choked. It was normal that the fingers bent. It would be frightening if they always remained straight.As a result, he was so pissed off that he shoved me onto the bed and tickled me in various ways. I was tired and
Colin clamped my limbs tightly. His eyes were blazing as he flipped over and pressed down on me, kissing me passionately.His breath was so hot that I could feel my body heating up.Our kiss lasted around five minutes. Colin nearly made me pass out before he stopped. He leaned over my ear and gasped, moaning about my attractiveness and gnashing his teeth.Through the thin clothes, the change in his crotch was so noticeable that I dared not move. I was afraid that I'd turn him on, causing him to unload his desires on me.Although we would lose our virginity sooner or later, Colin was right. Our first experiences should be memorable, such as a candlelight meal, a moonlit beach, a sea of roses, or a round bed. We should use one of these examples to perfect the atmosphere.Besides, we should strengthen our bond gradually. The prerequisite for achieving this step was that he needed to fill up all the red flowers. He should first switch from a probationary boyfriend to an official one.
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