His behavior appeared almost comical, akin to a mother hen fussing over her chicks with excessive protectiveness. But upon reflection, it became clear that I had indeed overestimated my abilities. Though I managed to move about, it was accompanied by muscle soreness and an awkward gait.I realized that anyone observant enough could easily deduce my activities from the night before just by witnessing my peculiar movements. As I passed by, not a single individual could conceal their knowing smiles, further amplifying my embarrassment.Despite my attempts to maintain a dignified stride, Colin struggled to contain a smile, his chest vibrating with suppressed laughter.Who was to blame for reducing me to such a state? Did he possess no conscience to mock me so shamelessly? It felt utterly heartless.I was sorely tempted to leave him behind, to briskly walk away and leave him to ponder his actions. But despite my impulse to flee, I found myself unable to act on it. Just as I reached the
It was challenging for me to accept that Jasmine's actions stemmed solely from a desire for partnership. Considering Colin's prior dismissive behavior toward her, it appeared more plausible that she was leveraging the notion of collaboration to address a personal grievance.Her intentions appeared deliberate and driven by a sense of vindictiveness.It became evident that the Taylor family might not have prioritized educating their children on important values. Otherwise, they wouldn't have raised someone like Jasmine, whose aspirations seemed to lean toward becoming a mistress.The fact that she was willing to stoop to the level of drugging others was deeply troubling."She claims to have feelings for you, right? But with all the talk about liking you for years, why does she treat you so badly?""Previously, I never really pondered her feelings toward me. Now, I doubt it's genuine affection she feels but rather a possessive attitude toward those she considers exceptional. As for w
The Jasmine I knew was always soft-spoken. Even her smile was meek, like that of a well-mannered lady. But today, she was another person. Her hoarse voice betrayed a deep sense of fatigue. Her words should have been packed with sadness, yet they sounded like resentment and defeat."Colin, you're not at the club. Did you sleep well last night?"I rolled my eyes. She knew very well if he had slept well or not. Why was she asking such a redundant question? Did she have too much time on her hands?"Thank you for your concern, Ms. Taylor. I slept well yesterday. In fact, it was the happiest night of my life."She made no further response. Only her soft breathing could be heard. I snuck a chuckle. I could imagine her face when she heard what he said."I'm calling to remind you that the meeting at 3:00 pm is very important. Don't be late."Then, Colin left, leaving me crying alone on the bed in the hotel. He told me to wait for him, and I told him yes, I would wait for him. I never aske
"Is this the mineral stone we want?" I was excited. Throwing the bag on my bag on the ground, I squatted next to Nico and picked another identical stone to examine it.Then, a villager walked toward us from above. He carried a huge rucksack with him that contained even more identical mineral stones. "Mr. Smith, take a look. Is this the stone you mentioned?"Nico and I cranked our necks to look at the contents of the rucksack. Indeed, most of the stones inside were identical to the stones we were holding. Each stone was marked by a different number with a pen. The number must have some special meaning.Nico pointed at the larger stones and asked the villager. "Where did you find these? Did you record the location properly?""I did. I remember their location very well." The villager put down the bag and sat next to Nico while wiping the sweat off his forehead. Then, he took out a booklet from his front pocket. Inside the booklet was a simple map.The villager showed the stone and th
"If a road can be built here, the kids can leave the village and establish a home outside. We can't keep our future generations in this remote place."What the villager said dampened our mood. The stones on our backs threatened to crush them just like how the news crushed our spirit. This wasn't like the sense of suffocation Jasmine made me feel. Compared to the misery here, what Jasmine did was nothing."Why are you so quiet now?" Nico turned to me and asked.Smiling, I poked the ground with a stick. I was trying to hide the upset I was feeling. "I feel bad. I don't know what to say.""Did what the villager say bother you?"I nodded. "Nico, is it impossible to build a road here?""It's not impossible, and I'd love to build a road too. But there are several deterrents here. One, mudslides happen often here. It's very destructive, so the road won't last very long. Two, there might be endangered species in the mountains."Overdeveloping this area might damage the ecosystem here. I
I always respected others as long as they did not offend me. Jasmine had pulled so many dirty tricks, so it was only natural that I viewed her as vermin. She deserved it. I thought she would back off by ignoring her. Alas, she was stubborn, or should I say, shameless.Perhaps she did not know that I was intentionally ignoring her. Perhaps she did, but she ignored it because she had an agenda to fulfill. Before long, her reflection appeared on the glossy elevator doors, inching closer to me.As usual, Gavin was following behind her. Wearing a navy blue uniform, his expression was stoic as he pushed the wheelchair behind me. Jasmine raised her hand, and he immediately helped her stand up.Jasmine walked toward me. I gawked in disbelief as she slowly approached me. Her right leg was slightly limp. Nevertheless, she managed to walk on her own. Perhaps one day, she could regain her full mobility. Suddenly, I felt that the crushing weight on my chest was lifted. What great, wonderful news
Gavin caught Jasmine, his broad hand supporting her waist. A look of pain appeared on his face. I was shocked. Only a man who loved his girlfriend a lot would make that kind of expression. Did that mean he was in love with his employer?Judging from their interaction, Gavin was Jasmine's assistant. To put it bluntly, he was her male nanny in charge of her meals and accompanying her. Perhaps it was only normal for two individuals of the opposite gender to fall in love with each other when they spent so much time together.I couldn't help but wonder if Jasmine knew about his feelings. How would she react if she heard about his feelings? Knowing Jasmine's background, I knew that she wouldn't care. Maybe she would even detest Gavin. She dreamed of being properly acknowledged as one of the Taylors.To that end, she had to find a husband who excelled in nearly everything. Unfortunately for Gavin, he came from a modest background. He could care for Jasmine but she would not marry him. His
However, to Colin and me, it was a serious problem. Colin worked his way up from Lincoln University to Jesselton College. He earned all his achievements through his hard work. If Jasmine truly mobilized the powerful mass media against him, his reputation would be affected, regardless of the outcome.As an artist with a doctorate, the youngest post-graduate lecturer at Jesselton College, and a scholar who devoted himself to academics, his reputation couldn't be smeared—even though the allegation against him was unfounded and false.I reflected upon myself. Did I go overboard this time? If my decision to mock her made her angry and she did something that led to irreversible damage, Colin would have to suffer the consequences. It was not worth it.I took a screenshot of the text message and sent it to Colin. Then, I called him. This was a serious problem. I needed to discuss with Colin to see what we could do to prevent the situation from getting out of control. I would never forgive m