"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
The whole dining room fell silent once I ended my sentence. Dad's and Mom's mouths fell on the floor; Hannah and Felix froze; Uncle Austin and Aunt Mel exchanged looks, surprised by what they heard. I was just as shocked as them. I didn't mean to do that, but those words somehow left my mouth.Aunt Mel stammered, "O-Oh! So this is what you want, Lulu. Harper, Gerald, is this your intention too? You'd prefer we marry off Colin to Lulu?"My mind went blank. Could I take back what I said? I covered my face, too embarrassed to look at anyone now. What was I saying? Would Colin punish me because of this?Uncle Austin added, "Gerald, you want me to marry Colin into your family? I mean… But…"Dad and Mom saw that the whole thing had taken a surprising turn and had to say something. "Well, Austin, we…"As they explained, their expressions told me that they were very happy with my suggestion. Dad had told me many times that he was worried I might get bullied when I moved in with my in-laws
Felix saw Hannah laughing out loud and enjoying the spectacle. Then, he ruffled her hair so that she would tone it down. Then, he teased Colin, "So, when are you marrying Lulu? I must prepare your dowry. What do you want? Tell me. I need time to prepare it. I wouldn't want to ruin your big day now."Colin pretended that he was embarrassed and swung his fist at Felix. Felix screamed dramatically and dodged away. The brothers began to brawl playfully. Worried that Felix would get injured, Hannah tried to stop them. She was of no help in a physical fight, so she could only ask them to stop from the side.I wasn't too bothered by the chaos. Colin defeated three thugs on his own. There was no way he would lose when he fought a weakling like Felix."Stop them, Luna. You wouldn't want Colin to get injured before he marries you, would you?"Oh, that little girl. She wasn't married to Felix, yet she was already taking his side. It was time to humble her. "Don't worry, Colin is strong. He ca
I was shocked. Was Dad doing this on purpose? He didn't even notice the adult man that was Colin by the entrance? Dad turned around and looked at the living room. Then, he said wryly, "We only have two bedrooms here. The couch is too small for you. Perhaps you can…"Judging from the glint in Dad's eyes, he was certainly doing this on purpose. He was trying to assert his dominance before Colin as his father-in-law. What he said was no different from "bugger off", and I was left wondering what the insistent Colin would do.They always said that mothers and daughters-in-law were mortal enemies, and so were fathers and sons-in-law. Today, I witnessed firsthand the veracity of this statement. Right when I thought Colin would bid farewell to my dad politely and left, he uttered, "It's okay, Uncle Gerald. I can sleep on the couch.""I can't do this to you. You must be tired from the flight. If you don't sleep well, you'll be exhausted tomorrow." Dad pursed his lips, annoyed that Colin insi
I got up sneakily and opened the door slightly to create a small crack. In the pitch-black living room, there was only one tiny illuminated corner. I could vaguely make out Colin's face. His fingers danced on his phone screen as the light from the screen made his face look extra eerie.Sick of his incessant messages, I replied to him, "I know you don't like where you're sleeping. You still can go home, you know."I didn't mean to kick him out, but I had to do something. What if he wanted to text me for two or three hours? I was exhausted and sleepy. Everyone was already asleep at this hour. We shouldn't stay up."No, I don't want to go home. Open the door, babe. Let me sneak in."What the heck? My dad already hated the fact that he was staying. He also said that we shouldn't do anything. Did Colin not get the message? Was he trying to challenge my dad's authority? That wasn't nice, was it?Colin wanted to spend a night with me right under my parents' noses. Plus, my dad already wa
Whatever. I should just call Felix. The call went through. After more than 40 seconds of monotonous beeping, someone finally picked it up and asked in a tired voice, "Who is this?"It was a cute female voice. Was it Hannah? Were they living together? I wasn't in the mood to gossip. Otherwise, I'd have loved to ask them about their relationship status. Wasn't it too fast to live together?I couldn't care less about Felix, but Hannah was a kind girl. I didn't want her to get hurt. "It's me, Luna. Is Felix there?" I knew I was asking a redundant question, but I couldn't just ask for Felix right away. Hannah would be too abashed.Another voice sounded, asking who called. Hannah said my name, and all of a sudden, I heard Felix's panicked and laborious breathing. "Lulu, don't have the wrong idea. Nothing happened between us."I was stunned. What did I have anything to do with them? Did he have to give me an explanation? They were staying together, but nothing happened? There had to be so
"Where did you go? Come clean now." When I saw that Colin wasn't on the couch and I couldn't reach him via phone, I was so scared that I woke my parents up.For the first time in my life, I behaved like a strict wife. I folded my arms before my chest and gave Colin a look that said, "I won't let this slide unless you give me a valid explanation."Colin's face twitched, and he pursed his lips. He was visibly uncomfortable with the question. As I glared at him and my parents shot him a quizzical look, he confessed, knowing full well that if he did not explain himself, no one would let things slide."I went back to the house opposite us. Our house.""What house? What's going on, Colin? Explain properly now. You won't be able to lie your way out," warned my dad sternly. He was already pissed about the sudden engagement, and he needed to vent all the pent-up frustration.As Colin's future father-in-law, he had to assert his dominance by kicking up a fuss about Colin's late-night disa
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