Hannah sat down, accepted the cutlery, and ate the pizza. After chewing it, she pouted. "It tastes weird."Weird? She was eating the best pizza there was. Had she not eaten pizza with pineapple before? How ignorant.She put down the cutlery and eyed the remaining pizza. Then, she mumbled, "Luna, the pizza will leave a bad breath in your mouth. Make sure you get a mint later."I chuckled out loud. Of course, Hannah couldn't take it. No one could understand the love and bond between Colin and me. Regardless, I would make sure that I bought mints later. I couldn't possibly ask others to put up with my stinky breath because of my alimentary preferences.Hannah ordered a plate of penne with arrabbiata sauce. She added extra chili flakes on top. As she ate, her eyes turned watery from the spiciness, but she never stopped eating. It was as if she was doing it to vent something."Hannah, your face is going to break out with the amount of chili flakes you just ingested. Don't do that to yo
I gave a wry smile. What a corny line in the 21st century! But the sincerity with which she uttered that statement was commendable. "I can give you a tip." I winked at her."Yes, please!" Hannah pressed down her stained sweater and leaned closer to the table as if I were about to tell her a national secret. She whispered, "Please give me some tips, Luna.""You know how we hate clingy guys? The same doesn't apply to men." I hinted at a clue.Hannah took some time to process what I had just said. Her eyes rolled around her orbital sockets until she reached an epiphany. Then, her ruby lips curled into a smile as her eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! Once he returns, I'll buzz around him non-stop like a honey bee."I'll charm him with my allure. And when push comes to shove, I shall baby-trap him. He won't run away. There's no way I can't win his heart like that."Atta girl! However, what did she mean by "once Felix returns"? Was he away? What about the three-day promise he had with
Did I piss Jasmine off so much that she harmed Colin out of spite? Was that why Professor King and Felix had to intervene? To save him? For a second, millions of scenarios assaulted my mind.My senior laughed out loud. "You should see how pale you are now. You're reading too much into this. Relax. Professor King is needed elsewhere, so he won't be back this afternoon. Before he left, he knew that you'd panic and come here, so he asked me to wait for you here."Urgh. There were many means to communicate right now, but the wise Professor King picked the most inefficient one."Did Professor King leave a message?" Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked someone to wait for me in his office."Yes. He said and I quote, 'Luna, let's stick to the original plan. Don't do anything reckless. Wait for me to come back.'" My senior imitated Professor King's expression and tone as he relayed the message to me. He made it look goofy. I knew he wanted to cheer me up, but I couldn't feel any happiness.P
The call went through. The regular, robotic beep sent chills down my spine. I prayed and prayed that Xavier would pick up. As Professor King's only son, surely he had to know where Professor King was. As the duration on my screen continued to increase, so did the dread I felt.Xavier was not picking up his phone either. Why? Right when my brain was scrambling for a solution for when he did not answer the call, the duration reached 51 seconds, and I thought I should give up. All of a sudden, Xavier picked up."Yes, Luna? What can I help with?" His hoarse voice was laced with surprise and exhaustion.I chuckled wryly. "You're my junior. Can't I just call you for a quick catch-up session?""Please. You must want something from me. Spill it now. I've been awake for 45 hours, and I'm exhausted. Please don't keep me away from my sweet bed."What the heck? Did he just order me around? However, since I needed something for him, I had to coddle him. "Professor King isn't at the college, an
Who would have thought that a prowling wolf was capable of kindness too? Time flew by as I spaced out. When I snapped back to reality, it was already past six in the evening. The sudden ringing of the bell startled me. I answered the door and found Queenie and Andrew there.Ever since Colin went on the business trip, they became frequent visitors. Andrew was now practically Queenie's chaperone. Wherever Queenie went, he would be there. One could even say that Andrew was in the process of becoming Queenie's shadow.And when Andrew came, I would be stuffed with food. With Queenie around, I wouldn't feel lonely. They brought solace to my otherwise lonely and torturous wait.I left the door open for a while. Following a crisp ding, the elevator doors slid open. Queenie and Andrew came with various bags as if they were refugees."Is your house submerged under water or something?" I asked Queenie, amused. Were they here to seek shelter? They were carrying a lot of things with them. Could
We talked about the dirty tricks Jasmine pulled and lamented the powerlessness of ordinary folks like us.After we ranted, we swore to study hard so that we'd be capable of changing fate. That way, we and our children wouldn't have to suffer the injustices inflicted by others. After half an hour, Queenie and I felt tired. We sat on a bench next to a woody area.As soon as we sat down, we heard a familiar female and male voice. "Just move on already. I'm not going to marry you. Given our history, I won't do anything to you, so take care and stop pestering me. From now on, we don't know each other, and we don't even have to greet each other.""No! How can you give up on years of love just like that? You can't do this to me. Have you forgotten what I've gone through for you?""You always mention what you've done for me. But what about what I've done for you? Has it ever moved you? You're the most heartless woman I've ever met." The man seemed to be sick of the whole relationship. His
Lilac did not cherish it when she was loved, and thus, no one came to give her love when she was abandoned. Both of us fell silent. We merely passed by each other like strangers."She had it coming. Karma finally caught up to her." Queenie had always been a vindictive woman. She could not stand a lying, cheating woman like Lilac. Flynn was the only liar she had tolerated the most. Not only did he blind her, but he also broke her heart.Fortunately, she got rid of him herself. The process might've been painful, but once he was gone, clarity returned."Shawn is a decent guy. If she had been loyal to him, she would've found herself a good lover.""A gold digger like her must've been using Shawn to look for richer suitors. For all you know, no one knows who her baby's father is. It was only a matter of time before Shawn dumped her."Not too long ago, I heard that Lilac's college found out that she had an abortion. They did an investigation and uncovered something nasty. In the end, Li
It was eerily silent in the vast living room.I tried to control my breathing, but its pace was picking up. I so wanted to be there when Andrew got on his knee to confess. The only way he could protect Queenie 24/7 was by… I didn't have it in me to see Queenie getting ensnared so naively by a man, so I lowered my head to stare at my toes.Zara told me that one had to focus during training and avoid all distractions. She was right. I needed to be still and focused. I ignored what was happening outside and diverted my attention to my squats."Wait. Andrew, you…" Queenie blushed, and her eyes avoided Andrew's gaze.Andrew grinned devilishly. Following a loud thud, he knelt before Queenie and whipped out a square velvet box from his front pocket. When he opened it, a rainbow shine blinded me. My thighs felt numb, and I almost fell on the floor. Gosh! He knelt down! He truly knew how to seize the opportunity when it presented itself. What a cunning man."Queenie, I fell in love with
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