"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
"Say yes, please, Colin. I'm begging you."Her words were genuine yet desperate. Indeed, the first to fall in love was often the one who was hurt the most in a relationship. But that didn't mean she deserved the right to wreck someone's relationship. Love only worked if both parties committed to it.I was once desperate like her too. All I ever wanted was for Felix to notice me, to share his life with me. But life taught me that settling for less wouldn't necessarily bring about a good ending or payoff. Felix was an example. What about Colin, then? He had charmed many other women. Would he be the death or boon of Jasmine? A man would take pity on her when he saw how desperate she was. Colin wasn't an unfeeling man. Could he always resist her? Those messages managed to dampen my cheery mood.Had Jasmine only loved him from afar, as a woman, I would have empathized or even pitied her. But she was willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve her goal. She said she didn't want anything
"So, she's the bastard child that the Taylors refuse to acknowledge." Queenie scoffed."Yup." Andrew nodded and added, "Later, the grandmother fell ill. The heir brought Jasmine and her mother to take care of her. It successfully painted a good picture of them. As for Jasmine, she's rich and taken care of. But she's not acknowledged by the Taylors.""Why not? She carries their bloodline, after all," I asked, confused."Luna, there's a hierarchy in this society. The more prestigious your family is, the more they care about their image. After Jasmine's mom gave birth to her, she continued to lead an unruly life. She even dated a gigolo, and that was scandalous."After the Taylors moved to the north, while their former glory was long gone, they wouldn't accept a sleazy woman into their family. She'd bring dishonor. So unless a miracle happened, Jasmine can lead a comfortable life, but she can never get rid of the stigma on her."No wonder none of her relatives came to visit her when
I beckoned with my eyes and warned them to stay away from the door in case they got hurt. They promptly ignored me and continued indulging in their voyeurism. Noticing that he might never catch me, Colin gave up. He stood up and walked toward the kitchen with a stern face.Since he was a lecturer at Jesselton College, Andrew, as a student, knew better than to disrespect his teacher. He rubbed his nose in embarrassment and dragged Queenie back to the stove. They resumed cooking.After joking for a while, Colin sat next to me, unlocked his phone, and typed, "Happy Birthday. I'm busy today but I'll buy you a present. I heard the millefeuille from Lehalle is very good. I'll have it delivered to you."After he typed the message, he showed me his phone with one brow raised, asking me if it was alright. I mulled. While it was satisfying to reject Jasmine categorically like that, it might be too harsh.Colin knocked my head with his. "You idiot, now is not the time to be a saint. With peop
Like a stubborn pest that refused to die, that bitch would come back for the 101st time after 100 rejections. And this time, instead of a seductive scheme, she confessed honestly. She was hellbent on getting Colin.I was mad. Her invitation to Colin to celebrate her birthday together was just the latest entry in her plan to take him from me. She had a naturally meek voice. And together with the heartfelt confession she uttered just now, she sounded vulnerable and fragile.Especially the croaky voice toward the end. It sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. I would have felt bad for her if I hadn't known the full picture. None of the toxic men in the world could resist the urge to protect her.The voice message lasted for around 50 seconds. When it ended, everyone at the dining table reacted differently.Queenie was furious. Unable to vent her fury, she took the bread and bit a huge chunk of it. I assumed she was pretending that the bread was Jasmine and she was tearing her of
It had been ten minutes since I sent the voice messages. Even until we were done with breakfast, we didn't hear from Jasmine again. I could only imagine the expectant look on her face as she clicked on those three messages and the disappointment she felt when she heard my voice.I admitted that I said those words out of spite. I wanted to hurt her. It wasn't my fault. She had it coming for devising various ways to destroy my relationship. She knew Colin was taken yet she tried to take him away from me. It was only natural that I wanted to give her some payback.Everyone moved on from this unsavory event in the morning very quickly. I was an easygoing person and tended to forget whatever unhappy moments I experienced. As I discussed arts with the students, I promptly forgot about Jasmine's invitation to Colin for her birthday celebration.In the afternoon, I left the teaching faculty after I carried out the lecture Professor King told me to. Then, I saw the workaholic, Colin, standin
I couldn't remember how long it had been since we last held hands and walked freely like this. We worked very hard to build our future, and luckily, our feelings for each other remained the same."We're going to pick a present.""What present? What's the special occasion?"Colin froze and flicked my earlobe with his finger. "Do you have a goldfish memory?"I massaged my tingly earlobe and replayed whatever happened these two days in my mind. The incident this morning quickly resurfaced.Right, I was supposed to buy Jasmine a birthday present. We exchanged voice messages. I totally forgot about it. It was hard to remember when she was an insignificant part of my life. But hey, saying I had a goldfish memory was uncalled for. When did Colin learn to mock me? I had to retaliate.I scrunched my nose and imitated the condescending look on his face. I retorted, "She's a nobody. Why should I remember that?"You, Colin White, however, took it to heart. I guess she must hold a special me
I scooped the yogurt into my mouth. The tangy and sweet flavor filled my mouth, making me feel extra refreshed. "What should we do tomorrow if we can't find a suitable gift?"Colin sipped his soda and leaned against the back of the chair. He was sitting against the light. The dusk light cast an iridescent glow on him. The glare from the sun behind him made him squint when he looked at me. He had one hand above his brow. "We have to be there. And we have to bring a gift.""But we can't find any suitable gifts. I don't want to make you look bad.""It's fine. It's a gift anyway. If we can't get her something she needs, we'll get her something that'll look good on her."Something that looked good on her? I had an idea. I'd have more creative freedom as long as it was something that complemented Jasmine.After we had our drinks, we felt much reinvigorated. I dragged Colin with me into the supermarket and spent ten minutes picking and wrapping the gift I brought. Then, we left the super
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