After listening to Zara's message, I looked at the time. It was 6:45 am. Her parents should be awake by now. The dial tone rang for nearly 50 seconds before it was picked up. Mr. Lowe's breathy voice appeared, and he asked who I was.After I introduced myself, he gave me a hearty welcome and told me that Mrs. Lowe had gone to buy breakfast and would be back soon. I told him about Zara's training. He was so emotional that he croaked as he thanked me.Then, Mrs. Lowe took over the phone. When she heard Zara had become a policewoman, she was over the moon."It's all thanks to you, Lulu. Otherwise…" Mrs. Lowe choked on her words. "The breakup with Chris affected her a lot. I thought she would be depressed all her life but… Thank you so much, Lulu."It wasn't all me at all. Zara was brave enough to get back up and move on from her past. I didn't do anything. I couldn't possibly accept their gratitude. We talked for several minutes. They were reassured to hear that Zara was doing well.
"Lulu, do you believe everything he said? Colin grew up under my nose. I trust him that he will not do anything to hurt you. But this is a serious matter. How certain are you of the truth? What you see can be deceiving, let alone what you hear!"Let's assume that everything he said is true. You're young so one year isn't too long for you. You can wait, but no one knows what will happen within this year. Felix also grew up under my nose, and I used to trust him as much as I trusted Colin. However, he hurt you and broke your heart."Melinda, too. You know very well how much she loves you. Yet she caused you pain because of Felix, despite the decade-long bond you two shared. I'm not trying to turn you into a cynic, but I want you to understand the treacherous nature of humanity."Colin is a kind child. But no one can predict the future. No one can promise that they will never change. You know how tempting money and power can be to an ambitious man. You're my only daughter. We don't nee
"Okay," I croaked.Mom had succeeded in making me cry with just a phone call. Then, I heard Dad's voice. "Harper, are we having an omelet today? Because I think you just burnt it."Mom's embarrassed voice sounded from the phone. "Oops, sorry."I smiled with tears. Dad and Mom loved and trusted each other. Surely, Colin and I would be like that, too. I understood my mom's apprehension. She wasn't doubting Colin or holding any prejudice against him because Felix and Aunt Melinda used to hurt me.She was merely worried about me. She didn't want me to get hurt again. I had evidence to prove Colin's commitment, and if I showed Mom that video, her doubt would vanish.However, I couldn't do that. At the beginning of the video, Colin talked about serious matters, but anything beyond that was inappropriate for a child or my parents to watch. I couldn't show it to Mom.I cried a lot, so my eyes were red, and my face was messy. Therefore, I washed my face again and tidied myself before leav
I took another heart-shaped slice of bread and put it on my plate. Then, I took a knife and cut it through the middle into two identical halves. "You see this? This half is Colin. I'll eat it first, so it becomes a part of my body. It will settle and grow in my heart.""And this half is what I just said. I will eat it and turn it into energy so that I have the strength to do what I will be doing. I will wait for Colin's return in tip-top shape." I took the half representing Colin and ate it. I chewed on it carefully before swallowing it.The bread was delicious. I closed my eyes to savor it. In my mind, Colin's affectionate face appeared, which made the bread taste even sweeter. It was so sweet that it was unforgettable.Colin, I would wait for you. I had announced my decision to everyone, so please don't let me down.Queenie put down her cutlery, placing one hand on my forehead and another on hers. When she realized I wasn't having a feverish delirium, she let out a sigh of relief
I saw the photo in the thread, too. It had captured the moment Winston and I were sitting opposite each other and chowing down the kebab.Due to the camera angle, it looked like Winston and I were very close to each other physically, our heads almost touching each other. Winston's head was slightly raised, looking at me tenderly like a loving boyfriend.I replayed the whole lunch in my mind and couldn't recall the time he gazed at me this affectionately. More and more comments piled on, saying that we would be the most perfect couple at Jesselton College.I went through the whole event in my mind again. This time, I figured out the answer. He wasn't looking at me. He was looking at my fries! What a huge misunderstanding!Right when I was racking my brain to come up with a convincing clarification, Winston replied to the thread.As someone who lived without social media, he sure knew how to compose a succinct explanation, but his explanation also annoyed me slightly."Hi, Winston
I gazed at the photo and analyzed it quickly—that little girl represented me. Since I didn't listen to Colin about staying away from Winston, I was about to get punished!The boy in the picture was Colin. He was reprimanding me and exercising his right as my boyfriend. Despite his raised arm, he showed mercy and never whacked me.Of course, Colin would never hit me. I once spilled water on the painting he had spent two months working on, and he still did not hit me. One could even say that pampering me was in his nature.Wait. No.After I went to the bar with Julia and the others, he did spank me. It wasn't a serious smack, of course. It was more like a playful pat. Nevertheless, he did hit me, even though it did not hurt.I cried and cried, but those were tears of joy. An ordinary painting from him concealed a hidden message that Jasmine could not decipher at the moment. Colin was smart enough to find a way to communicate with me without violating the agreement he had with Jasmin
"Truth be told, Professor King, I haven't considered the details. I was planning to fine-tune them until after the project was approved. Sorry. I must have underestimated the size of the undertaking," I said, feeling crestfallen.I had no prior experience in research and development. Professor King's questions revealed the challenges I would face and made me realize how difficult pursuing this path would be. However, I would not be fazed by this adversity. I would not give up easily because the idea remained an interesting one."Must you lead a research team? Do you not want to do something else? 99% of the students I supervised only focused on their art. While their academic performance was nothing to write home about, those pose low risk."Knowing your capability, you can easily get your Master's degree. Pigment is a niche subject, and it is very difficult. If your research bears fruit, you might revolutionize the whole industry. You will leave a legacy, but every legacy is founde
However, this did not mean that I believed there was no future for watercolor. On the contrary, it was my soul and life. I would live and die with it. Comics were merely something that resonated with me and an additional entry into my repertoire of future career paths.Listening to the lecturer's intriguing speech, I wondered if I should establish a small studio to pursue my interest.The afternoon of the next day, Professor King called me. There was a certain excitement in his voice, and it made me giddy. I rushed to his office to talk to him in person."Professor King.""Yes. I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?""The good news first, then the bad one. That way, I can ease into the bad news.""Alright. After an internal discussion, your project has been approved."I was so happy that I almost squealed."Calm down now. I still have bad news for you. You can celebrate after you hear the bad news."I calmed down and uttered, "What is the bad news,