Sometimes the world was big, sometimes it was small. We didn't often see the people we wanted to, but rather those we wished to avoid.Queenie had lived in Harveyton for a long time. Thinking of Flynn's fleeting figure during the day, I realized that if he wanted to meet us, we wouldn't be able to avoid him even if we tried.Since we couldn't avoid him, I would just let nature take its course.The snack street ran parallel to the main street we strolled along yesterday, with several residential areas in between. When we arrived, it was already brightly lit and full of people.Various colored light boxes displayed distinctive advertisements. Four stalls lined up vertically. It was so long that we couldn't see its end. The night breeze brought the aroma of different foods. I couldn't help but gulp.Queenie and I exchanged glances and encouraged each other before joining the crowd. We lingered over various snacks with gleaming eyes.Before we finished walking down the street, we wer
I believed that Flynn would never harm Queenie.She was safe and secure, so I didn't need to stand between them.The former couple, who had loved each other deeply, deserved a proper farewell.The world was large, with many people. It was a deep fate to have fallen in love with each other. They could let go of their love and separate. However, they shouldn't hurt themselves forever.They should have a proper conversation. After adjusting their moods, they still had a long journey ahead. They didn't have to carry the grief from a past relationship."Queenie, are you happy without me?""This period has been my happiest and most relaxing time in the past five years."There was a long silence."Do you hate me? I've done many things that have brought you pain and disappointment. Please tell me. Do you hate me?"Queenie chuckled and tucked her hair, which was messed up by the night wind. "I used to hate you, but I don't anymore."She paused for a moment before adding, "I don't love
"Later, my mother plotted against me. I only made that mistake once, but Daniela somehow got pregnant. Our families forced me to marry her. How could I be willing to do that? I resisted with all my strength, went on a hunger strike, and self-mutilated."I dare not tell you. After several years together, I know you well. If you knew everything, you would leave me. I wanted to die, but they threatened me with your safety. I know what they're capable of. I was afraid you'd be hurt because of me, so I compromised."I admit, I'm useless. I couldn't protect you, and I hurt you instead. I never wanted to, but I'm the one who has hurt you the most. It's useless for me to say more. I'm not excusing myself. I dare not ask for your forgiveness."I just want to tell you that I love you forever. You must live well and be happy. As long as you're well, I'll be well. Promise me. You must live happily and well."Flynn spoke for a long time and was emotional. His eyes became wet several times, but
Flynn burst into tears. The six-foot-tall man curled up in pain.He lowered his head slightly, letting his tears flow uncontrollably.Queenie fixed her gaze on a nearby patch of wilted grass. I stayed with her and watched Flynn cry. His eyes had reddened from crying."Queenie, can I hug you for the last time?"He stretched out his hands, his eyes full of expectation. His tears blocked his vision, but he stubbornly refused to wipe them away.Perhaps with tears in his eyes, he wouldn't see Queenie's rejection and dared to stretch out his hands."No, Flynn, please go back. Your wife and baby must be waiting for you. I wish you happiness. I'll never see you again."Flynn left.His thin and straight back was hunched over, like a wounded person in severe pain. He staggered, appearing as lonesome as the last falling leaf in autumn, with nowhere to go.He disappeared at the end of the street.I approached Queenie and gently held her hand, hoping to give her warmth.Her hands were ac
Honestly, Queenie struggled to support herself by working every day.It would be good if she accepted Flynn's money to improve her current living situation. It could ensure that she wouldn't suffer too much in the future.He gave her money without asking for anything in return. If she didn't take it, it meant she had wasted her youth.However, Queenie had her pride. If she accepted the money, it would be like selling her five years to Flynn.That was a sacrilege against the years she had spent with him. She had the right to decide whether to accept it.Colin called me about half an hour later.We had just exchanged good night messages on WhatsApp.Now that he'd called me, I assumed it had something to do with Flynn."Can we talk about that money?" I asked Queenie.She glanced at my phone's caller ID and smiled lightly. "Go ahead."The strange thing was that after I connected the video call, Colin didn't take the initiative to bring up that matter. He only told me a few trivia
"That man seems to be Colin." Queenie pointed to the right side of the photo.That was a half-profile. If she hadn't mentioned it to me, I wouldn't have realized.I looked carefully and saw the tear mole at the corner of his eyes and the deep eyebrows. That was indeed Colin.I suddenly remembered the corridor of the rehabilitation hospital where Jasmine was staying. Wasn't that the same path Colin took just now?In other words, he once again visited her alone at midnight and brought her a bowl of ravioli.I was only away for two days, and he went to see her. Did he intend to cheat? I called him without hesitation.After the buzzer rang a dozen times, Colin answered, "Do you miss me so much?"I pouted. That wasn't the case. I was thinking that he shouldn't cheat on me."Colin, what does Jasmine's WhatsApp story mean?"He frowned with confusion. "What WhatsApp story? I didn't see it. Is it related to me?"He was quite self-aware. If it had nothing to do with him, I wouldn't hav
Colin looked unpleasant and muttered in dissatisfaction, "You're so heartless. Didn't I always bring you snacks? Don't you know whether I'm busy? We agreed to bring everything to the surface. Why did you talk to me in such a snarky tone? Who did you learn it from?"Before I could respond, he ended the video call.It was the first time he proactively cut off my call.I stared at the phone screen speechlessly until the screen automatically went black. I gritted my teeth in frustration.That was a big misunderstanding. He took the initiative to cut off my phone call, indicating that he was indeed angry.When did Colin learn to get angry with me? Who did he learn that from?As expected, the brother and probation period boyfriend were in two completely different positions with different rights.Being angry with me was one of his rights as a boyfriend.When I treated him like a brother, he never hung up on me, let alone spoke harshly to me.I couldn't help but think about whether a
"Forget it. You seem exhausted. We rarely get together. Don't waste time waiting for meals. Let's order takeout. We can talk while eating."Julia looked at her husband shyly and agreed with us.As a result, the three girls who used to live in the same room started having fun.Henry was always on guard against us going too far and hurting his wife. His cautiousness and affection for Julia dazzled us.Despite our best efforts, the three of us cried as we parted ways.After graduation, we parted ways. It was difficult for us to spend every day together like when we were studying. Thus, our regular gatherings were precious. We were reluctant to bid farewell.Colin drove to pick us up from the airport. Andrew also came with him.I took the passenger seat and left the back seat for the potential couple, who hadn't seen each other for two days.Colin might still be angry. After putting my suitcase in the trunk, he stopped talking or looking at me and focused on driving.I wasn't sure
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