Queenie and I took our seats.The lone empty chair opposite us stood out somewhat awkwardly.Was that seat reserved for her? I suddenly remembered the mysterious text message and found myself staring at the empty chair, lost in thought."You don't look well. Are you feeling sick? Did you catch a cold? Do you need to leave early?" Colin noticed my unease immediately. As he leaned in close to whisper those words to me, his warm lips grazed my ear, prompting my heart to skip a beat."I'm fine. Whose seat is that?" I continued to stare at the empty chair.Colin glanced over and replied, "Flynn mentioned it might be Jasmine's, but I..."Before he could finish, a loud voice that demanded attention came from the doorway."I'm so sorry I'm late. Thank you all for waiting. To make up for it, I'll treat everyone to a karaoke session after dinner."The way she spoke exuded familiarity, as if everyone present were her close friends and she was the center of attention, deserving of everyone
Women were always the ones to initiate conversations. Upon hearing this, Jasmine subtly glanced in Colin's and my direction, only to quickly look away. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and somewhat shyly replied, "It's almost ten full months now. The due date is just a few days away. After the baby is born, I'll invite you all. Whatever you want to eat, I'll have the best arranged for you." People around her immediately responded. It was so awkward it was painful.Meanwhile, I felt as if a heavy, wet blanket was smothering my chest, making it difficult to breathe. I struggled to move my gaze away from her large belly."Did she get married?" Queenie asked me."I haven't heard anything.""Neither have I. So, where did this baby come from?""No idea."I had no experience with what a full-term pregnancy looked like, but judging by Jasmine's waistline, it was evident she was quite far along. Based on Jasmine's claim of being ten months pregnant, the baby must have been
He secretly messaged Colin, explaining that he hadn't informed Jasmine and hadn't expected her to come, let alone know how she managed to arrive."Colt, if I had known that damn woman would come, I wouldn't have hosted the gathering. What kind of bullshit luck is this?"Colin glanced at the message and handed me his phone. "Baby, I need to discuss something. Can you talk to him?" he asked.I took the phone and quickly typed a response, "That's how shameless people are. It doesn't matter if others feel awkward as long as she doesn't feel it." "Haha, Lulu, you're really something. You're cursing without saying any vulgar words. This situation is my fault. If that woman dares to do anything, Flynn will be the first to shut her down. Enjoy your food without worries.""Thanks, Wesley."I ate happily without worries. Suddenly, Jasmine, who must have had a mental breakdown, exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, Colin, you're here too! I just noticed you. Sorry for not greeting you earlier. Lon
If she dared touch what was mine, she had to be prepared to face the consequences.I took a sip of juice and suppressed the churning feeling in my stomach. Just as I was about to speak, Queenie couldn't hold it in any longer. The moment she opened her mouth, her sharp tongue lashed out like a knife."There's some truth to that. Even if Lulu doesn't care, she won't stoop to arguing with a dog. What's the saying again? Right! You don't bite the dog that bites you. It makes sense, no?"Flynn, who had been lounging lazily since the beginning of the meal, was taken aback by Queenie's words. His eyes quickly flashed with surprise before darkening to an unfathomable depth.This was probably his first time seeing this side of Queenie."Queenie, this has nothing to do with you. Don't get involved. You're the dog!" Jasmine, finally losing her fake smile, was infuriated after being insulted.Being called a dog in front of so many people was indeed humiliating.The few people who had been t
She should go ahead and keep glaring at me. It would be great if her eyes popped out. I'd stomp on them like bubbles.The tall man who had been standing beside Jasmine saw her being humiliated and quickly stepped forward to support her.He whispered a few words of comfort, then raised his head and announced, "Ms. Jasmine is pregnant and not in the best emotional state. If she has offended anyone, we seek your understanding. I also ask everyone to be mindful of their words. It's not honorable for so many to gang up on a pregnant woman."This remark was undoubtedly a challenge to Flynn and the others.I couldn't help but admire the tall man's loyalty and courage in defending Jasmine, even when facing someone as influential as Flynn. Standing up for the person he liked, despite the power imbalance, made him a man of principle. However, it was a pity he chose to be with Jasmine.Typical of Jasmine, she saw the man as just a servant and didn't truly care about him. Given this, I felt s
The heavy smell of smoke clung to Flynn, making it hard to breathe.Startled, Queenie turned and saw it was Flynn. She wasn't particularly surprised and instead smiled politely, nodding. "Goodbye.""Why won't you take the money I offered?" Flynn refused to leave and questioned bitterly.It was a dumb question. Queenie had already ended things with him, so naturally, she had no reason to accept his money.Queenie replied, "Mr. Hayes, we have no ties. I'm in no position to take your money, and there's no reason for me to do so either. Besides, if I need money, I can earn it myself."The words "right" and "reason" brought a hint of desolation to Flynn's dark eyes. He slightly arched his back and placed a hand on a nearby column for support. "I owe you too much. That money is my way of compensating you. It's what you deserve."Flynn's voice was low and dejected. He stood there, his lanky frame huddled like a stray dog battered by a relentless storm.Gazing out the window, Queenie ca
Christmas Eve was anything but quiet. The streets were adorned with lights and decorations, making them look like a scene from a fairy tale.Holding my hand, Colin asked softly, "What are you looking at?"I turned to him with a smile. "Just the people on the street. It's nice to be young.""You do know you're still very young, right?" he replied."Yes, but when I was their age, I never got to go out like this," I said, feeling a bit melancholic.This was a regret from my childhood. My parents were conservative and didn't allow me to go out at night when I was young. They felt it wasn't safe for a young girl to be out after dark. I was pretty obedient back then and followed my parents' words to the letter—a real mommy's girl.I never got to experience the freedom and excitement of going out at night like my friends did. Watching them dress up and have fun while I was stuck in the study doing homework, I would shed tears of sadness.However, that was all in the past now. I grew up
The queue of children eyed us warily, and I realized that if I actually attempted to squeeze into one of those tiny carts behind the little monkeys, the feasibility aside, the accusatory glances from the kids alone would be enough to make me shrink in embarrassment. This was hardly comforting. It was more like adding to my stress even though I had never ridden the monkey carts before.That day, Colin and I wandered around the amusement park without trying a single ride because the lines were too long.In the end, he bought me a stick of cotton candy, which cheered me up a bit as I savored it on the way home.When we entered the house, Colin took off my coat without a word and whisked me into the bathroom. His actions startled me so much that I reflexively wrapped my arms around his neck and screamed, "Let go! What are you doing?""Baby, you must be exhausted. I'm going to give you a bath and a massage. It's free, and satisfaction is guaranteed," Colin said as he earnestly began p