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
Uncle Austin and Aunt Melinda were embarrassed to hear that, so they apologized profusely. Felix apologized too and said that it was his fault. Otherwise, both our families wouldn't be this awkward with each other."Thank you for the apology, Austin, Melinda. We needed it, and I accept it." Dad put down his cutlery and brought a tissue paper to Mom.Mom accepted the offer and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. "It was a difficult time. Fortunately, Lulu was strong and survived. Colin is also sensible enough. I couldn't imagine the outcome otherwise."My eyes reddened, and my heart felt warm. Dad and Mom were trying to protect my and Colin's feelings. After I was slapped, Dad and Mom cried in secret several times. Dad did not cry easily. If he shed tears, it meant he was deeply hurt.Uncle Austin continued to apologize and clinked glasses with my Dad. They chugged their drinks. Aunt Melinda sat next to Mom and stopped drinking. Instead, she held Mom's hands and said that s
It was the festive season, and the get-together somehow turned into an apology fest. Everyone's mood was dampened, and both mothers were crying. I sulked. Couldn't we just have a meal happily? Did they have to apologize during the meal? Couldn't they do it after the meal?We couldn't let the delicious food go uneaten! Right when I wondered how I should liven up the atmosphere, Hannah rolled her sleeves and intervened. She was an outgoing and bubbly girl—the kind of person who was best at becoming the life of the party."Uncle Austin, didn't you say you came here for two reasons? You've apologized, and Uncle Gerald and Aunt Harper accepted it. What's the second reason? Are you giving us a gift? I sure don't mind a gift." She clasped her hands together and put on an expectant expression. It cracked Felix up.Aunt Melinda knew that Hannah was trying to save her the embarrassment. She graciously accepted the help, wiped away her tears, and patted Hannah playfully. "Come on, you. It's no
I was too shocked to blush when Uncle Austin mentioned the engagement just now. Fortunately, I corrected my mistake. Otherwise, people would laugh at me for not blushing when someone was proposing that Colin and I got engaged.As soon as Hannah finished her sentence, Felix coughed out loud. He covered his mouth and coughed loudly to the side. He felt very awkward after hearing what Hannah said. Since he had fair skin, the violent coughs caused his face and neck to turn red. He now looked like a cherry blossom.In terms of appearance, Felix and Colin were equally good-looking in their own distinctive ways. Felix was like a vanilla ice cream, delicious but bland. Colin, however, was handsome, reliable, and talented. Most importantly, he also had inner beauty.By inner beauty, I wasn't just talking about his bone structure. I loved his personality and his integrity. Felix could cough in a seductive way, but in my eyes, he was just a beautiful object. That was all."Felix! Why are you
And judging from Aunt Melinda's gesture, it had to be a heavy item. Otherwise, she wouldn't have to lug it."Lulu, this is my gift from you. Tell me if you like it or not. Once you accept this gift, you're part of my family. That will put Austin and my mind at ease."She made it sound like once I accepted her gift, I would be branded forever as one of the Whites. And from then onward, no one could claim it anymore. Well, I wasn't going to see anyone else anyway. My life belonged to Colin and Colin alone.Aunt Melinda placed a huge red rectangular box before me and asked me to open it. But how was I supposed to open it? If I opened it, it meant I agreed to the engagement proposal and to join the Whites. I hadn't given them my answer yet.Besides, Dad and Mom also hadn't said anything so far. It was too early to accept this gift when nothing was set in stone. It seemed like the Whites were very impatient with how this kind of thing worked. I looked at Dad and Mom. This was my marriag
"I'm not mentally ready yet. Must we do this now? Why not wait until I graduate?" As a woman, I needed to play hard to get."But I can't wait any longer. It's killing it. Feel it." Then, he grabbed my hand and placed it on a certain spot below his belt. Despite the layer of fabric separating us, I could nonetheless feel its engorged outline. It was rigid.Perhaps sensing that someone touched it, it throbbed excitedly. I blushed right away. Thank goodness that Mom asked for a wooden dining table during the renovation. It covered everything from our waist down. Otherwise… I couldn't bring myself to imagine it.I yelped abashedly and withdrew my hand. Then, I glared at him. I saw the reflection of my scarlet and warm cheeks in his eyes. How dare he? How dare he do that before our parents? Sheesh!Didn't he say that he was reliable? That he was well-mannered like a lecturer? That he would never put me in a tough situation? Indeed, all men asked for more once you offered yourself to the
It wasn't a sophisticated gift. But to an average household, it was an expensive gift. Those were pure gold accessories. They could easily cost up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even though I could easily afford those accessories, it was the thought that mattered.Colin was here, so I was obliged to accept them."Mom, when did you buy these things? Why didn't you tell me?" Colin wiped his face and asked.Aunt Mel smiled smugly. "You never come back, so why would you know about this? Dad and I visited so many jewelry shops to pick them. The owner said these were the latest and trendiest choices. Do you like them, Lulu?"Aunt Mel looked at me expectantly with a bright smile. How should I answer her question? Truth be told, I much preferred gem accessories as opposed to gold ones. I thought gold accessories were too gaudy. But I couldn't say that because it would hurt Aunt Mel's feelings.Should I say I liked them? But I didn't like them. Mom told me that only bad kids lied. "A
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