Colin returned late at night. I awoke as his heated body pressed against mine. However, I was so sleepy and tired that I couldn't talk much with him. I only wanted to sleep.He bit my earlobe and kissed me for a while before hugging me tightly and falling asleep.When I woke up the next morning, I was alone. I touched the sheet and found it cold. Colin had been gone for a while, and his scent was no longer in the air.To be honest, I felt a little lost.It was 7:00 am when I finished washing up. As I had no classes in the morning, I intended to practice my cooking skills.I put on my slippers and headed to the kitchen. Then, I saw Queenie serving breakfast. There were two plates of spaghetti, ravioli, and bread rolls on the table."Did you make them?" I took a ravioli and chewed it. Its delicious taste caused me to exclaim with satisfaction."My cooking skills aren't good enough to make all of them.""I think so. Colin must have made such excellent ravioli.""Since you've know
The supermarket had ten floors. They sold stationery, food, and underwear on the first through fourth floors. I had never been to the upper floors. There should be a brilliant display of goodies.The stationery here was diverse, of high quality, and affordable prices. Lecturers and students from the Department of Fine Arts enjoyed coming here to purchase materials.I found a commonly used brand and selected the color and amount based on the remaining paints in Crystal House. Then, I went to the checkout counter with a large bag of things.The supermarket had a spiral staircase. The center of the huge venue was empty and equipped with a sightseeing elevator from top to bottom. There was a dazzling array of promotional ideas for various brands.There weren't many people checking out. The girl who served me had a lovely smile. When she grinned, she looked even sweeter.I looked at her name tag and found her name to be Margaret. That nice name suited the girl perfectly. After picking
The cold dialing tone of the phone rang until it turned into a busy tone and hung up automatically, with no one answering.I was walking absentmindedly while holding the paint, my hand firmly holding my phone. I was waiting for Colin to call me back.According to his habit, he would definitely call back within five minutes after missing my call, even when he was busy.But today, after ten whole minutes passed, my phone was still quiet. In the chat box pinned at the top of WhatsApp, the last message from him was from yesterday afternoon. He had asked me if I wanted to eat some fruit.Suddenly, I had an unprecedented sense of unease.Even when I entered Crystal House, I was still thinking about that tall figure, wondering if he was Colin. If he was, where was he now, and why hadn't he returned my call!With something on my mind, I couldn't focus even after sitting in front of my canvas for a while. Not wanting to ruin the painting, I put down the brush and decided to go to Colin's
I felt like burying my head in the ground.What was she saying? Wasn't that too blunt of a question? It made me blush hard.Fortunately, others hadn't arrived yet, or it would've been so embarrassing."Oh!" Ivy teasingly said with a playful smile, "I see. Luna, were you going to see Mr. White? Well, that's understandable. I'd keep an eye on a handsome guy like him too, or he might get snatched away by someone else."Luna, don't you know? Mr. White is quite famous in our school. Many young women are secretly admiring him. By the way, weren't you going to check on him? Hurry up! "But then, you don't really check on him often enough. If it were me, I'd keep a close watch by checking on him every hour."Ivy's words were straightforward, making me unable to keep up my facade. Was I that obvious? It was a bit embarrassing.Check on him every hour? If I did that, I wouldn't have time for anything else! I would only be running back and forth on campus every day. After all, it took arou
Why did I become so cowardly when I really encountered something?I rubbed my cheeks, trying to make myself look less stiff. "Colin, where did you go just now? Why are you sweating?"He casually wiped his forehead with his finger. "I went to look at some houses and suddenly felt thirsty. So, I went to the supermarket to buy a bottle of water."Then, I happened to run into Jasmine and wanted to ask her about her rehabilitation progress. So we wandered there for a while. It was quite cool inside the supermarket. How did you notice I was sweating?"So, that was what happened.I knew it.The dark cloud shrouding my heart dispersed just like that.…While having pasta with Ivy at night, I scrolled through social media and found a post from one person at the bottom of my friends list. It said: "If it's you, I don't mind waiting a few more years."The photo showed a corner of the supermarket, with a tall man standing in front of the yogurt aisle. He was holding a red box and carefull
Queenie's body hadn't fully recovered before she went back to work again. She returned to work almost immediately after hearing from her manager that there was a new job assigned to her. It seemed quite important, and it had quite a heavy workload.She was the type of person who did everything to the best of her ability, so it made her work long hours every day. She was really tired by the end of the day and would go to bed right after eight in the evening.I felt bored sitting alone, so I picked up my phone and started watching some short videos. It was then that Julia posted a bombshell in our group chat."Hey, my darlings. I'm getting married on October 4th. Please come to the wedding and be my bridesmaids. I've prepared beautiful dresses for you girls."The sudden good news was so uplifting.I immediately perked up and told her that Queenie had gone to bed before switching to private chat.Julia was a typical northern young woman of about the same height as me. She had that s
Furthermore, many classmates from the university would attend Julia's wedding. It was inevitable that some of them knew Flynn. What if they caused trouble for Queenie?Later, Julia told Henry, and he said that Queenie shouldn't keep avoiding things. She had to be strong and courageous to face the future and face herself properly. Julia thought it made sense and decided to break the news."Yes, I think so too. The three of us lived together for four years. We can't miss each other's wedding. Besides, the news would eventually spread. Once Queenie found out that you didn't invite her, she'd be upset. Although your intentions were good, it'd hurt our friendship."I wanted to say more, but Julia cut me off abruptly, saying, "Lulu, my husband's back. Talk to you later. Bye."Looking at the darkened screen, I felt a pang of annoyance. I sent a message to scold her for being heartless.After waiting for a while and not getting a response, I went to sleep, feeling lonely.In the middle o
I deliberately stopped mid-sentence to see how she would respond.She had been in a slump for too long because of Flynn. It was time for her to return to her true self."What would happen? I'd get upset? I've reflected on a lot during my recuperation, and many things have become clear to me. I've finally bid farewell to the past, especially after losing the baby. "Julia's wedding came at the right time. Everyone's been feeling down lately because of my matters. Let's use Julia's wedding as a chance to have some fun and dispel the gloom."Flynn had turned himself from someone Queenie loved deeply into her misfortune through his actions.This was quite good."Indeed, Queenie. I'm happy for you."She patted my hand and said, "Lulu, you've been worrying about me a lot during these times. Thank you. I'm very fortunate to have you by my side. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known what to do. "And Colin too. I couldn't express my gratitude directly, so please convey it on my behalf. When
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