"Does Winston call you this early every morning?" Colin placed himself behind me, grabbed my towel, and dried my hair. Even though he was sulking, his motion was very gentle.Ah, so that was why he was mad. I looked at my phone and saw that I had picked up a call that lasted for 47 seconds. Needless to say, Colin was the one who picked it up."Why?" I asked. I was just as confused by Winston's call. He had called me before in the morning, but that was around 7:30 am. He was having breakfast and called to ask if I wanted anything.Thanks to the homely Andrew, I had a hearty breakfast, so I turned him down. But today, for some reason, he called me at 6:30 am. And to add insult to injury, Colin picked up the call. They must have talked about something that made Colin green with jealousy."He asked what you wanted for breakfast and when you would come to his Crystal House," Colin scowled. My heart sank into an icy pond.What would Winston say that? He could just call it Crystal House.
I lifted my head in confusion to look at Colin. Was he inviting me to come with him? His starry eyes gazed at me in sincerity, and I smirked.Now this was the person whom I'd love forever. Life was a long journey. There would be times when he felt lost or disoriented, but he would never be astray. He would give me a sense of security whenever I wanted it.The doctor we were consulting was Dr. Zayne, who used to treat Felix. He was tall and slightly chubby as his lids fluttered in earnestness. The moment we met him, the smile never left his face. He was very easygoing and friendly. After examining the wound, Dr. Zayne scrutinized the X-ray scans for a very long while and read through the medical report from Lagado. The whole process took nearly 40 minutes. In the end, he said that the surgery was a huge success and that the nerves in her limbs were fine.However, she needed to let her nerves heal properly and attend physiotherapy.When Dr. Zayne was going through the materials, hi
In other words, Jasmine had never given up on Colin. Perhaps there was another truth behind her saving of Colin. But now wasn't a good time, and I didn't have any proof. It was all my speculation, and I couldn't get to the bottom of it—not when many things were at stake.There was no right or wrong when it came to love. But plotting a scheme to steal someone whose heart already belonged to someone else? That was being manipulative. Perhaps ultimately, the fault lay in Colin. His charms attracted too much attention.I glared at him. Did he have to be this charming? Now everyone wanted him. As if he could read my mind, he understood why I was glaring at him when he looked at me. His hand reached behind me and pinched my waist until I blushed. I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from moaning. My knees felt weak, and I leaned against him.I had an ominous feeling that in the future, if I ever pissed him off, pinching my waist was his punishment for me.Dr. Zayne shared his conclus
After a small discussion, we decided to split up. Jasmine's men would head to the hotel to retrieve her luggage while Colin and I would bring her to the rehab center to check in. We had to settle the hospital bill too, so as Colin ushered Jasmine to her ward, I went to the counter to pay.For some reason, there were a lot of people at the counter. It took me 15 minutes to complete the admission process, and I ran to the ward with the receipt.Jasmine's ward was on the first floor. It was on the right, facing the sun. It had a lot of natural light, and outside, there was a small garden. One could admire the flowers by standing next to the window. I liked the location.I pushed the door and entered a vast room. There was a bed for the patient and another bed for visitors. I saw a couch, a television, a fridge, many other amenities, a private bathroom, and a kitchen. It looked like a cozy apartment.Huh? Where did they go? There was no one in the ward. I looked around carefully, think
"But I can't help it. My feelings can't magically disappear." Jasmine sobbed even louder, her tears gushing out incessantly."I'm sorry," uttered Colin.That was the end of the conversation. There was only Jasmine's stifled and helpless sobbing on the balcony. For a moment, I felt sorry for her.I had been squatting for so long that my legs went to sleep. I wanted to stand up to peek through the glass panel above me to see if they hugged or not. However, I lost my balance and stumbled forward, pushing the door to the balcony open.A hilarious scene then ensued where I half-knelt on the floor, one hand trying to close the door while the other hand steadying my body against the floor. Colin leaned against the concrete railing and grinned at me.Jasmine was crying in her wheelchair. When she saw me, her sadness turned to fright mixed with something else. Resentment, perhaps."Uhm, I heard someone talking and I thought we had a break-in. Don't mind me. Please continue with your hug.
"You're cruel. You made a pretty girl cry." I suppressed my jealousy and tried to sound indifferent. But even I wasn't convinced.What was I supposed to do? No woman would not get jealous when another woman confessed to her boyfriend and even asked him for a hug. My reaction was any other woman's reaction in this situation.As for what Colin would do… That was his decision. I couldn't tell him what to do. However, his decision would affect the way I approached our relationship. Jasmine came to take him away. I foresaw that there would be more in the future. I needed reassurance from him.He squeezed my palm and turned to me. "Yeah, I can't make a girl cry. Maybe I'll say yes to her?"What the heck? I immediately fought back, saying, "If you hug her, I'll… I'll…""What will you do?" Colin glanced at me with a cheeky grin. He was waiting for me to finish my sentence."I'll break your leg!" I hollered, trying to make my threat as scary as possible.Perhaps I was too loud. Colin ten
"She's not free in the afternoon," Colin finished my sentence impatiently before I could continue.Not one to make my boyfriend look bad in public, I said wryly that I would be busy in the afternoon and that we could take the discussion tomorrow.Colin's attitude told me sufficiently that I might not be able to visit Crystal House as frequently as before anymore. Therefore, I wanted to go there as much as possible before the ban came into effect. After all, I truly loved that place.Winston only smiled and left when he heard that I wouldn't be there in the afternoon. However, there was a hint of anger beneath his smile.He respected Colin a lot, like a student who admired his teacher. Perhaps I was overthinking it, but I felt that under the reverence was contempt that he hid masterfully. Colin must have sensed it too because he stared at Winston's silhouette disdainfully.When we arrived home, it was around 11:00 am. Laura wasn't there. Queenie and Andrew were eating. When they le
I didn't walk in on my tip-toes, so I was sure that he heard me. I stood next to him, and my shadow was slightly above his shoes. There was no way he didn't notice my obvious presence. That said, he sat upright and focused on his work. He wasn't distracted at all.I admired his work for a while before returning to my seat. I flipped over the cover and finished up Rise of Glory, most of which I had completed before I returned to Southsville.It was a painting with a strong, dimensional presence. Other than the women, there were lakes, corridors, houses, and rocks—everything. I composed the whole framework after I studied Tudor paintings and their cultural-sociological settings.To accentuate the aesthetics, I used a different kind of drawing technique so that the details could pop out. The person in charge of Dreamlight placed extra emphasis on this painting as it would be displayed in the showcase room. That was why the timing was a bit rushed.Returning to Southsville took a few d
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