I often heard people complimenting me, and I also knew that I was pretty. But after dressing up, even I was mesmerized by my own beauty in front of the mirror.I left the bedroom. Sitting on the couch, Colin peered at me, and his eyes froze. Amazement briefly shone in his sparkly eyes before it was replaced by a dark void that threatened to consume me. He stood up and sauntered to me, enthralled. His eyes were glossy as his fingers touched my cheeks. They traveled downward toward my neck as his thumbs caressed my clavicles. Licking his parched lips, Colin looked like a hungry beast."You're gorgeous, babe," said Colin in a deep, husky voice. His sound echoed in my ears, allowing me to savor it again and again.The distance between us continued to shorten. The face that made my heart skip a beat leaned closer, and I saw sparks in his beautiful eyes. I knew what those sparks symbolized. I knew what he wanted. I blushed uncontrollably, and my heart raced."I look like this every day
His arms tightened, and I noticed the changes in his body. Things were getting out of hand. If I did not stop it now, it would be impossible to stop it later. But his kisses grew more passionate. I felt the tenderness of his lips and his increasingly ragged breath. It was kindling my world.Like a ferocious beast, he was claiming what was his. But sheesh, he should stop being this rough. What if my lips were too swollen to greet other guests later? And my makeup too. He had ruined it, and I'd need time to fix it. We'd be late.I thrashed and floundered within his arms. I wanted to tell him to let go of me. The party was about to begin too. As the star of the party, he shouldn't be late. While I appreciated his affection, he should focus on his career too.Yet, whatever resistance I offered was rendered futile by Colin. He wouldn't spare me a moment to speak. My speech was muffled under his relentless assault. What should I do? I was too powerless to stop him.Colin's arms were scal
"Pick up the call, Colin. It's Professor King." I cruelly ruined the mood for Colin.He glared at me resentfully, took a few deep breaths, and resigned to his fate. He took his phone, unlocked it grumpily, and greeted Professor King in a disgruntled tone."You sound angry and frustrated?" As expected of Professor King. He could discern emotions from the voice alone. Sitting on the couch, I covered my mouth and chuckled. Then, I gave Professor King's concise conclusion a thumbs-up.Colin combed his fingers through his hair, suppressed his emotion, and replied, "I have a dinner party tonight. I'm getting changed now.""Is Luna with you?" asked Professor King cryptically."Yes, we're attending the party together."He made a long hum. "I must've called at a terrible time."Colin blushed and cleared his throat unnaturally. Then, he shot back, "Behave, old man."After the phone call, the intimate mood was gone. I looked at the time and realized we were less than an hour away from the
When studying at Lincoln University, I saw how people drank there. They chugged their drinks, even going so far as to say that a real man finished his drinks in one go. Some went further and finished the whole bottle on their own. It was quite uncommon to see people drink like that in Jinovy.Under the alcohol's influence, Colin became wobbly. He raised his glass shakily and finished it. His face was red, and his breathing became laborious. He couldn't be any more wasted, but he continued to drink. Mad and also upset at his stubbornness, I snatched his glass away.There was a limit to everything. Colin had served his punishment, and the rest should know when to stop. Otherwise, they would go overboard. As his girlfriend, my instinct was to protect him. And at that moment, I turned into the most overprotective girlfriend anyone had ever met.I couldn't sit there and do nothing when he needed my help. Today, this superpower of mine that even my parents were not aware of would dazzle e
"With the amount of alcohol you consumed, any other people would've died from alcohol poisoning. But you're different. You'd die from over-consumption instead." Colin's thick, sultry voice sounded.I turned around and saw that Colin was staring at me, his elbow propping his head. His eyes were dazed, and his lips were inviting. "Bravo, Lulu the Heroine, you outdrank everyone. How come I wasn't aware that you had such a superpower?"He pulled me closer and brushed his finger against my nose affectionately. I scratched my ears in embarrassment. "Hehe, I was born with this talent. It's nothing impressive.""But seriously, do you feel sick?" Colin rubbed my belly and rested his head on my shoulder like an oversized golden retriever. His breath was laced with alcohol. "Tell me, babe. What other superpowers do you have?""That's all I have. This is my only secret. You know about everything else about me. Mom told me a girl shouldn't drink, so she asked me not to drink and not to tell eve
No one in the apartment drank often. Even during dinner parties, Colin often stopped before he got too drunk. The instant chicken soup sachets we had were given by Andrew's family since he often got drunk from his family dinners. We had never bought them.And since no one ever got too drunk, those sachets had been collecting dust in the cabinet. Tonight, they proved themselves useful. In a sense, it was like a self-fulfilling prophecy—the existence of those chicken soup sachets made people drink.Another hour went by after I showered, got changed, and drank the chicken soup. I wiped Colin and tucked him in. Completely drained, I flopped down onto the bed and refused to move. Colin was so heavy, and it hurt my back to take care of him. I wish I could kick him out of frustration.In the restaurant, he could still talk with me properly. He even said so many romantic things to me. But as soon as we got inside the car, he passed out right away. I had to carry him all the way to the apart
Colin stopped struggling and stared at me with his glossy, piteous eyes, asking me to let go of him. Aww, he looked so adorable when he was all vulnerable. I wanted to give him a kiss! But no, I shouldn't indulge him.Eventually, Colin became quiet. I was tired and sleepy. I continued to pin him down with my arms in case he retaliated. Slowly, the quietness began to intrigue me. I lifted my head and looked at him. Colin, who had been asking for kisses all night long, fell asleep! He fell asleep within five minutes.What a relief. Because that meant that I could finally sleep too. While I could hold my drink very well, the alcohol still upset my tummy and made me feel parched. I needed a good night's rest. I settled into a comfortable position, pulled the blanket on top of me, and fell asleep immediately.As I slept, I had a wonderful dream. I was lying on fluffy grass in a peaceful, idyllic forest. The sun was warm, and as I basked under its light, a wave of sleepiness washed throug
"But you remember about the kisses. Was it funny to prank me like that? Do you know how tired I was?" I punched him lightly out of spite. I couldn't imagine how I found the strength to carry him from downstairs to the apartment last night.Colin allowed me to take out my anger on him docilely. He didn't dodge my rain of fists. Instead, he looked at me dotingly, "I was drunk. I couldn't control my limbs at all. But I wasn't so drunk that I passed out. Come, babe. Let me give you a good kiss."Good kiss, bad kiss, I couldn't care less. How dare he pull such a cheeky trick on me. Urgh! So he couldn't walk properly, but he knew exactly what was happening. Yet he continued to put all his weight on me last night as I toiled to get him back safely. He had to be doing it on purpose."I see it now. You did it on purpose. From now on, we're sleeping in separate rooms for five days. You are not to touch me or I'll kick you out of my bed," I swore vehemently.Angry, I pushed him away and ignor
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