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on board, he quickly reshuffled the project team and removed those who were loyal to Jasmine.Meanwhile, Jasmine's title was revoked.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
It had become considerably warm in early spring compared to winter. Many plants were budding at the college. They looked so adorable with their yellow and green sprouts. Outside Crystal House, the peach blossom tree was adorned with little, pink sprouts. They were mesmerizing.Since Colin did not need the data urgently, I took a detour to admire the plants. Like all women, I loved cute, little things with bright colors. Right when I found a particularly taut flower bud, I heard someone talking in the yard next to me. Their voices sounded familiar.I took a look and saw Ivan and Jasmine talking by the railing. What was wrong with them? Why couldn't they speak inside? Instead, they picked a location where anyone could hear them. Perhaps Ivan simply did not want Jasmine to tamper with his work.Ivan stood nonchalantly with both hands in his pockets. The slight pout on his face indicated his contempt. Meanwhile, Jasmine's back was facing me. She was wearing a pure white dress, and her l
I shrugged, refusing to stoop to the same level as a lunatic. "Mr. Taylor, I'm here to retrieve the document. Sorry for the intrusion."Ivan had wasted enough time with Jasmine. He smiled courteously at me and uttered, "The document is ready. Do you want to come in or should I bring it to you?""It's quite far from here. Could you please bring it to me? Thank you.""Sure. Give me a moment. It won't be long." Then, he headed to the door, leaving Jasmine behind. I wasn't going to talk to Jasmine, so I continued to admire the peach blossoms, ignoring her."Are you here to assert your dominance before me?" accosted Jasmine.I couldn't understand Jasmine's logic. Did she think that everything in this world revolved around her? I had a lot of work to do. I did not have time for that. Besides, why should I assert dominance? Was she a threat?"I don't need to," I replied.Jasmine fell silent and shot daggers at me. She looked at me scornfully as if I had just jumped into the ocean with
I didn't like how dense the atmosphere was in the room, so I playfully bit Colin's Adam's apple. Within milliseconds, or perhaps almost immediately, the seriousness in Colin's eyes made way for fiery passion.He gulped, his Adam's apple rolling up and down. He said in a husky voice, "Are you teasing me now? Let's see what I'm going to do to you when we're home."Then, he pinched my waist, and I felt power draining from me. I looked at him with glossy eyes, but what I said ruined the mood. "Colin, we need to work overtime tonight. We have to finish the lakeside painting."Colin brooded and he bared his teeth, trying to bite me. I pushed him away and escaped gleefully. Behind me, he gave me an affectionate and indulgent look. After that, I worked every day until late. I was painting in my dream too.Taylor Group planned to develop 16 different plots, and each plot consisted of ten independent mansions. In other words, Colin and I had to paint 160 murals. Furthermore, we still needed
I wonder what Flynn felt when he heard that. Upset, perhaps. Things changed constantly in this world. His regret and pain were the by-products of his selfishness and incompetence. Meanwhile, Hannah's persistence paid off.While Felix and she had not announced their relationship to everyone on social media, Felix now allowed her to hold his hands. He walked home with her and would bring her an umbrella when it rained. He even carried her to her dorm on her back.And on a peaceful and tender night, he kissed her on the lips. Without Lilac, Felix had become a better person. Colin was very happy to see the change. He invited them for dinner many times, but the overwhelming work got in the way. The hangout was delayed until no one brought it up anymore.Before we knew it, it was already Independence Day. We made amazing progress in the mural project. Our mothers called us many times and asked us to return to Southsville during the holidays. They said that if we refused to come back, they
However, no matter what I said or how I shooed them away, those two pretended not to hear me and continued to follow me. Even Dad, who came to pick us up, donned a cryptic expression. He took my luggage and put it in the trunk.Then, he shoved me into the front passenger seat, gave Colin the car keys, and slid to the back seat to nap. I was befuddled. Did Dad not sleep for the past few days? Was he so tired that he would rather sleep than greet the daughter whom he had not seen for months?I arrived home with plenty of questions, only to notice that everything was as mysterious as ever. It was puzzling. As soon as I entered the house, a wave of mouthwatering scent assaulted my nose. Mom, who was busy cooking in the kitchen, heard me and came out to receive me with a smile.Behind her was Aunt Melinda, who was smiling at me too. Uncle Austin was sitting by the balcony with his chessboard. When he saw us, he stood up and greeted us jubilantly. Inside the house, we all gathered togethe
So the Whites came here with an agenda. No wonder Felix followed me shamelessly—he was part of the plan! I bumped Colin's leg with mine and asked him silently if he was aware of this plan too and had been hiding it from me. Colin fed me some prawns and mouthed "I have no idea" to me.I then asked him what we should do now. He told me to stay put and observe. I lowered my head and chuckled sneakily. It was supposed to be a normal conversation, but we made it all cryptic like spies exchanging intel. We had to read lips.After Uncle Austin delivered the speech, he downed the liquor. Aunt Melinda followed suit quickly. She even showed us her empty glass to prove that she chugged everything, leaving nothing behind.Bringing up the past dampened my mood a bit. Just because I didn't think of it didn't mean I had forgotten about it. The incident hurt me a lot, so the mere act of recalling it was painful. It was difficult to forget it. Dad and Mom were so mad back then. They even decided n
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