With my left hand holding the phone, I opened the camera app, raised my right hand to my cheek, and flashed a peace sign. With a click of the shutter, I captured my freshly showered, makeup-free face and sent the photo to Colin.In a flash, he replied with an emoji with heart eyes popping out and drool hanging from the corners of its mouth. "Are you trying to seduce me, you cheeky rascal?"Although Colin sounded so sleazy, I found it quite charming."Oh, weren't you the one asking me if I was asleep? I was just letting you know that I'm going to sleep now."As I sent that, I playfully stuck out my tongue to look cute, but then I realized that I was facing my phone screen, not Colin's burning gaze. With that realization, my shoulders slumped in disappointment. My playful expression was all for naught.Before boarding, Colin sent me another message, telling me he would turn off his phone. Moreover, he also told me that his destination for the business trip was Lagado.When I saw
Seeing Jasmine's effort, I decided to screenshot the post and save it in my gallery.Due to her current status, it was inappropriate for me to comment on her post directly. Despite that, I still couldn't let it slide, so I followed suit and posted a new photo on my Instagram. It was a selfie of Colin and I holding hands while walking on campus, with the caption, "Colin told me that once you fall in love, it's for a lifetime. I'm so lucky to have him in my life!"Since she pettily made it so that I could only see her post, I decided to be the bigger person and let everyone see my post. Despite knowing that she wouldn't see the post during her flight, I couldn't resist picturing her gnashing her teeth in anger upon seeing it, and I reveled in the satisfaction for a while.It turned out that fighting with a scheming temptress like her could be so much fun!I was about to call it a night, but Jasmine's post effectively roused me from my sleepy state. It was really boring living alo
Women typically were the nurturers in relationships. However, in my case, my boyfriend, Colin, was the epitome of consideration. He could intuitively understand my thoughts and soothe my anxieties. I felt incredibly fortunate to have a boyfriend like him. He was the one I could trust completely. Colin truly adored me and could even decipher my mood from a simple social media post. There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. "I love you too, Colin. Work hard. I'll be waiting for you to return," I texted, feeling a wave of calmness wash over me. His words had helped me forget the unhappiness from the previous night.Expressing my love for Colin made me realize how wonderful it felt to be open with the person you care about. To further brighten Colin's day, I decided to make a habit of showering him with sweet words.Scrolling through my Instagram feed, I noticed that several people had liked my first post from last night. The first like surpri
That evening, I was chatting with Zara while we had dinner.She seemed to be putting on a brave face. While she laughed a few times, it lacked the genuine joy I'd seen in her hearty laughter before. It was clear Chris' actions had deeply affected her.Thinking a change of scenery might help, I impulsively invited her to visit me in Jinovy. With Colin away, I was feeling a bit lonely myself, and her company would be welcome. Plus, a break from her usual environment might lift her spirits.I'd extended the invitation before, but she always declined, worried about being a third wheel. Deep down, I knew it was more than that; she likely found leaving Chris unbearable.Admittedly, I didn't have high hopes for her acceptance. To my surprise, she readily agreed and even booked a flight for the day after tomorrow! She playfully mentioned that since I invited her, I should take care of her basic needs while she's in Jinovy.I wasn't the same person I used to be. While I might not be rollin
Colin told me Lagado was just a part of the Taylors' current collaboration with the college and that the previous run-in with Jasmine had only happened because she was here to lay the groundwork.The Taylors were planning to turn the mountainside into a villa area. They had specially picked out a village within a reasonable distance of the city that boasted fine countryside views for surveillance purposes.This was the village where the mudslide had happened.The project was centered on creating a neighborhood of colonial-style villas and thus included the development and reconstruction of the village. The design proposal was already underway, but a development like this required forcing out the current occupants of the village. The villagers did not want to leave behind the place where generations of their family had lived, and relocating them would be a challenge. Jasmine had bravely volunteered to take on the task. She had her reasons. The head of the Taylor family had pr
I never asked for money, power, or status. I never needed our love story to be something for the ages. So why was it so hard for my wish to come true?I wondered if there were others in the world whose love life was as plagued with troubles and obstacles as mine. If not, then what had I done to deserve such hardship?Jasmine was brazenly pursuing Colin, a man already in a relationship, and she was scheming to steal him from me. Why should I have to put up with the psychological abuse coming from this? What sort of world did we live in?My mother once told me love was as hard as life; both required careful nurturing. I hadn't taken her seriously before, believing that love was simple and needed nothing more than two people who cared deeply for each other.Now, I had to admit that love needed to be nurtured, and it took more than two people who cared for each other to make it last.Colin then told me he would be assigned to survey a remote area for the project and that reception
I couldn't help but wonder if Colin expected his trip this time to be exceptionally long. Neither Colin nor Ash had given me a clear timeframe for his return. As I glanced at the steaming bowl of oatmeal, Colin's message and location from a few hours ago came to mind. "I'm heading to the construction site. I heard the signal's spotty. I'll be cautious. Don't worry, I'll contact you once I've got a signal."I checked the latitude and longitude from the location pin. It was in a suburban area with overgrown weeds and dense trees. There was not a road in sight. It was undeveloped land. What could Colin, a designer, need to work on?My knowledge of civil engineering was limited, but from my understanding, the initial stages of a project typically require a professional architect team, not an artist. Colin's job focused on designing and crafting colonial-style elements that were added to a building after the main construction was complete. It was an on-site production. Unlike my Tudor p
Juggling my studies, my students, and the nearing completion of my project left me with no room for neglect. Colin's situation, while concerning, was something I couldn't directly control. The best course of action was to accept it and focus on what I could do. Patience and trust were key. I would wait and pray for Colin's safe return. Yet, I couldn't help but think that the dream of being with him felt distant. My head felt constantly stuffy and painful. Tears threatened to spill over, but I swallowed them back. Chaotic images flashed before my eyes. I told myself not to overthink, but my mind raced on.I couldn't keep crying because it wouldn't change the situation. It only proved that I was weak. Plus, those who cared about me weren't here to comfort me. What would I be crying for? However, what else could I do besides crying?It was dreadful to grow up. One would have to experience endless pain, helplessness, and challenges. I was once admired by many juniors and proud of