Alanna's voice was soft and pleading. Something stirred in Hades' heart. He looked up at Alanna and unconsciously pinched her cheek. "How would you like me to help?""Tell everyone I'm not a mistress. Could you clarify that for me, please?" She had been pretending not to care all day. She couldn't hold it any longer. She had done nothing wrong, so she felt it wasn't right for her to be slandered like this. The feeling of being pointed at and whispered about was too uncomfortable. When she saw how gently Hades was applying medicine for her, Alanna's stance finally softened. If anyone could clear her name from these rumors, she knew it would be Hades.However, Hades paused and asked Alanna, "Do you think that's appropriate, Ms. Jacinto?" His words snapped Alanna back to reality. She instantly sobered up. She did feel that it wasn't appropriate. She wondered what position or standing Hades had to clarify things for her. She realized that if he did clarify, it would be an indirect
Hades picked up the documents and glanced through them casually before signing his name. After signing, he didn't return the documents to Alanna but instead looked up and asked, "Is your arm feeling better?"Alanna was silent for a moment before saying, "Much better."Hades gave her a look and inquired further, "And how are you feeling overall?""I'm fine," Alanna replied.The man nodded nonchalantly. "Don't overwork yourself. Delegate what you can.""Alright," she paused before asking, "Is there anything else, Mr. Florentine?"Hades watched her in silence. "Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"Alanna didn't deny it. "I have more work to attend to."Hades' eyes narrowed slightly, and after a while, he asked, "Is the class reunion this weekend?"Alanna was surprised he remembered this detail. She nodded and added, "There's no need to attend if you're busy."Initially, when Hades said he would accompany her to the class reunion, she was indeed looking forward to it. Even th
Alanna hesitated briefly before saying, "I just wanted to confirm if you will attend the class reunion." The interest seemed to fade from Hades' voice. "I'll be back tonight. Have dinner ready and wait for me at home." "Okay," Alanna agreed.Hades inquired further, "Anything else?" "No, that's all." "Alright," Hades concluded and ended the call.Alanna put away her phone and checked the kitchen. The fridge was empty. Hades was particular about his food; it always had to be fresh. Lately, due to Alanna's ill health, he had arranged for meals to be delivered from a hotel. She tidied up a bit and headed out to the market. Regardless, she was the one asking for a favor this time. She wasn't sure if Bernice would stir up trouble at the reunion. But at least with Hades there, she felt she wouldn't be as brazen.When she returned from the market, it was already evening. Alanna went straight to the kitchen. By the time the meal was ready, it was nearly eight. After setting the tab
Alanna stared at the dishes before her and became lost in thought. It took her a while to come back to her senses. She sat down calmly and began to eat. She had put a lot of effort into preparing the meal. It seemed a waste to throw it away. Alanna ate a lot. Afterward, she disposed of the leftovers in the trash bin. She then packed it downstairs to feed the stray cats and dogs.After returning, she took a shower and sent the address to Hades before sleeping.…The next afternoon, Chelsey suddenly came over. As soon as she entered, she cursed. "This is infuriating!" Alanna frowned. "What happened?" "It's that bitch Bernice. She actually hinted in the alumni group that you're someone's mistress. It's so infuriating that it's giving me a headache," Chelsey exclaimed.Alanna's eyes narrowed slightly. She had always blocked the alumni group notifications and hadn't expected Bernice to stir trouble there. She checked her phone, and indeed, the group had been filled with vile langu
Alanna couldn't quite describe her feelings at that moment. She felt a chill from head to toe as if bitterness was about to engulf her entirely. It was unclear if the cold was from the weather or because she was dressed too lightly. Her hand trembled slightly as she held the phone.She wanted to ask Hades what was so important. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to type a single word. Deep down, she somewhat understood that only Melanie could make Hades break a promise. She questioned if asking would bring her comfort.Masochistically, Alanna opened Melanie's Twitter. Indeed, Melanie had posted a photo three minutes ago. It was from a movie premiere she was attending. In that photo, Alanna spotted the back of a man. Although it was just a silhouette and only half-visible, she recognized him instantly as Hades. Even more, he was wearing the suit she had bought for him.Alanna thought she could handle it calmly. Yet, her fingers couldn't help but tremble. After exiting the hotel, she
Bernice looked at the recording function on Alanna's phone. Her face contorted with rage. A moment passed, and she scoffed. "Prove your point. Bring that man here! If he shows up, I'll apologize to you immediately!"Alanna's expression stiffened further. "His presence or absence is none of your concern!" Mauricio and some men intervened as the argument heated up. They separated the two women."Bernice, let's go," Mauricio suggested. However, Bernice showed no sign of wanting to depart. Mauricio glanced at Alanna apologetically. "Alanna, I'm sorry. If you'd prefer to leave...""Are you running away because you're a mistress and can't tell your classmates, Alanna?" Bernice interrupted before Mauricio could finish. "Intruding in relationships, ruining them, and yet acting so high and mighty. In reality, you're just a tarnished whore!"Bernice's insults continued unabated. Mauricio struggled to hold her back. She felt that perhaps Bernice's fury stemmed from being fired because o
Alanna thought Chelsey was referring to the photo Melanie had posted. She laughed softly, "I saw it. It's fine, Chelsey. Don't worry about me. I'm almost home."Chelsey's heart sank. "Alanna, don't take it seriously, okay? Don't look at those words, mind them, or bother about them. We haven't done anything they accused us of, so we have nothing to fear, alright?"Chelsey's voice choked up. She genuinely felt sorry for Alanna. She wondered why Hades had to treat Alanna this way. She wondered where Alanna fell short.Overwhelmed by her emotions, Chelsey lost her composure. Alanna then realized something was amiss. "Chelsey, what are you talking about?"Chelsey suddenly hesitated. "Alanna... Twitter... Haven't you seen it?" In that instant, Chelsey wished she could bite off her tongue. "I have to hang up now."Alanna didn't let Chelsey finish and hung up the phone before opening Twitter. The top trending topic was glaringly obvious. #MelanieSuspectedOfBeingCheatedOn# Seeing thi
Alanna paid the fare and got out of the car. She found herself at Tara's hospital. Alanna didn't know where else to go after leaving the hotel, so she ended up here. She stood outside the hospital and hesitated to enter.The hospital was bustling with people. She feared people might recognize her and their ensuing whispers. Alanna worried that even Tara, lying in her hospital bed, might be embarrassed by her presence. Despite knowing she hadn't done anything wrong, Alanna felt overwhelmed by fear. She remained frozen at the entrance and did not take a step further.The rain continued to fall. The cold autumn night wind carried droplets of rain and lashed against her. One would assume she was cold, yet Alanna seemed not to feel it. She stood at the entrance and looked up at the floor where Tara was. The rain had wet her hair, and her hair clung to her pale cheeks. Her face looked serenely sad at that moment.Michel came out of the hospital and found such a scene. The woman stood