Jasmine must have never expected that the whole thing would blow up or that it might backfire on her. Nevertheless, it was no longer possible for Jasmine to join the Taylor family. Her dream of being acknowledged as one of them would never come true.Three hours later, Andrew texted me and told me that the share price of Taylor Group was plummeting. Many individual shareholders posted online and said that the Taylor family's child-rearing practice was questionable. They even asked them to expel Jasmine and apologize publicly.Some shareholders began to sell the shares. I was surprised by how things turned out because I did not think that Jasmine's action could destabilize the company. The negative impact on the company was not foreseeable.But when I thought about it, perhaps many people were hoping to destroy Taylor Group—they merely needed a chance. Jasmine's stupidity gave them the excuse they wanted, and the future of the company was in peril.Jasmine provided them an opportuni
Colin's breath was heavy and warm. He looked at me affectionately as he traversed between my lips, trying to suck the soul out of me. "I don't care. Ignore it. Focus on me."But the caller wasn't giving up until Colin picked up. When no one picked up, it rang again without any pause. The ringtone bothered me a lot, and I was no longer in the mood to do anything. All I wanted was to throw the phone away so that it could stop assaulting my poor ears.Colin was irritated. He was about to throw the phone away, but I managed to snatch the phone from him. I answered the call without looking at the caller. He bought the phone, so if he threw it away, he would have to spend money again. We should save money because it was expensive to build the road."Hi, who are you?" There was no response except for light breathing. I had an epiphany and looked at the screen. I knew it."Please pass the phone to Colin." After 24 hours, the haughtiness in Jasmine's voice was all gone. She croaked as if sh
The colonial-style project promised to pay Colin 20 million dollars after two years of work. Indeed, to Colin, earning 20 million dollars wasn't easy. Jasmine, on the other hand, could easily promise the sum with words.That said, we wanted to earn the money with our own hands so that we wouldn't feel guilty about anything. It didn't matter how fast we could get the money as long as our principles were not violated.Moreover, we were not chasing after wealth. Three meals a day, a roof over our heads, and some clothes were all we needed. Even after the whole truth was revealed, Jasmine continued to use love to guilt-trip Colin. This call from her had shown how selfish and shameless she was.Perhaps she was never in love with Colin. She only used him as someone to elevate her social status. Even 200 million dollars could not make Colin forsake his reputation and future, let alone 20 million dollars. Colin? A sellout? That was impossible.Jasmine was used to measure everything with mo
Colin's tone was firm and confident. If it were me, I would have felt ashamed. After hearing what he said, Jasmine reverted to the role of the wronged victim who had to act tough. "Colin, why are you doing this to me? What about our relationship? I love you so much. How could you?"Her words almost made me puke. She was just a stranger. Why couldn't Colin be harsh toward her? Who did she think she was? While Colin was always very kind toward everyone, he had no kindness left for Jasmine."Listen, Jasmine. We were schoolmates and then colleagues. And we only became colleagues because you roped me into it. I've always regarded you as just a schoolmate and colleague. That's all. I don't have any feelings for you, so please be aware of that."If you bring this up again, I can sue you for defamation and slander."Seeing that Colin refused to submit, Jasmine dropped her facade. But instead of screaming like a lunatic, she left a serious threat before hanging up on us. "You think you've w
Taylor Group was still discussing a solution. Both the college and the company were worried that any action from Colin might further exacerbate the scandal. Therefore, when Colin applied for leave, both parties approved almost immediately.They told Colin that he could extend it if he wanted so that both his mind and body could get some rest. As a result, this was Colin's first official holiday after overworking for more than six months. He said he wanted to stay in the village for a few more days to be closer to Mother Nature.His arrival was exciting news for the whole village. These down-to-earth villagers did not care about the scandal. All they knew was Colin's impeccable care toward the little ones and his patience in teaching when he did voluntary work here.Hence, nearly all villagers came to receive him. They talked to him in glee. The head of the village held Colin's hand and refused to let go. Mr. Miller kept asking him if the problem had been solved and if there was anyt
These hardworking students who went through book after book to enter Jesselton College showed their ravenous side, seemingly proving that humans were indeed carnivores.But come on what about minding one's image? We could survive one day without meat, but no one could live without dignity. Colin had enough and plucked the students one by one before asking them to wash up.He also said that several dishes would be ready soon and that all of them should bathe before eating. With that, the crowd dispersed and cheered loudly in the courtyard. Indeed, regardless of age, a leader was needed when there was a group.As their lecturer, it was only natural that Colin assumed the role of a leader. Watching the students who forsook their images and wolfed down the food, Colin swallowed whatever grateful speech he was about to say and brought me some pork ribs.Then, he grabbed the last prawn and deshelled it for me. He put down his cutlery and grinned contentedly like a mother. While the stude
Peace and serenity returned to my life. We left for work in the morning and returned at dusk. When we were tired, we rested. When we were hungry, we cooked a delicious meal together, with enough pork meat at our disposal.When we ran into a difficulty, everyone worked together at night to solve it. When we found a solution, we cheered loudly. During the four days we spent in the village, we heard that Taylor Group had apologized publicly for Jasmine's action.They decided to change the person in charge of the colonial-style project to a promising young heir from the family, Ivan Taylor. They also claimed that while Jasmine was not part of the Taylor family, they still owed the society accountability for appointing the wrong person.I was told that Ivan graduated from a prestigious school and was quite a decisive and capable leader. When he was on board, he quickly reshuffled the project team and removed those who were loyal to Jasmine.Meanwhile, Jasmine's title was revoked. She wa
I wasn't sure if Ivan made this decision to save his company's image or because he knew Colin was competent. Regardless, he made the right choice. Colin stood out from among the younger artists. It was wise of him to nominate Colin as the head designer. The college responded very quickly. To salvage the whole situation more quickly, they even recommended me, who had been trying to join the project but failed, to participate in the project with Colin.They told me that if I wanted to graduate, other than acing my examinations, the rest of my credit would come from my performance in my lab research and the colonial-style project. When I heard this unfortunate news, I was angry.Yet, I could only accept the terms because it was Professor King who proposed such a grading system. He comforted me with a sly grin that with hard work came a successful future. I decided to comply because I had no other choice. I wasn't going to defy Professor King, not when I wasn't that strong.The new pr
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