“Not that dress. Change it.”
Harriet turned to her Mother, who judged her dress. She suppressed her smile.
“Wear nude or lilac. Lavender is too dark for you,” Helena said.
“But I am the fashion designer, though,” Harriet retorted.
“Then why did you go back to college for political science? What are you doing working and going to another school instead of looking for a husband?”
Harriet was genuinely happy hearing her Mother’s nag. This was better than her emotional abuse.
“Who knows? I could’ve found a husband from school,” Harriet said.
“Nonsense. They’re too young for your smart ass. Finish dressing up, and we’ll get your nails done,” Helena urged her and left her to change into another dress.
Harriet chuckled and did as she said.
A year ago, Harriet decided to change her surname and moved to her father’s house. She ha
It was a rare occurrence that Liam agreed to wear brand products.His clothes for daily use were mainly custom-made by smaller businesses or tailors.He didn’t really care if it sometimes looked like cheap fashion, and many times, he also requested not to label his clothes at all. Even though actually, the seams and the fabric quality were actually very decent.Liam always strived to maintain his public image as a regular doctor with no significant background.For him, the portfolio of being a doctor without any medical industry background or even other kinds of family backgrounds was something he was proud of.It just meant that he refused to be judged by his family’s status. Becoming a doctor was a matter of integrity and skill.Apparently, Zaha, his best friend, had the same exact value.The man was the son of the Eastern Continent’s renowned conglomerate. His family was the exact model for the famous movie, &lsqu
Arai’s circadian rhythm woke her up at precisely 5 am that day in Harriet’s room. When she opened her eyes, she saw Harriet still asleep beside her.She smiled contentedly, seeing her best friend being the happiest she had ever been.All night, they talked about everything. Their current life, their work, their friends, and then... boys.Arai felt her face warming. A red blush spread on her face. She recalled how they discussed that man... that gorgeous man she met in the South.“I mean, he didn’t have a reason to like me, no? I’m just the rough girl from the army. Heath and Zeke are right that it’s impossible for a man to like me,” Arai whispered.But Harriet retorted with a snort. “You lack self-awareness, Arai. Come here.”She remembered how Harriet asked her to stand in front of the mirror. She did as she was told, hopping with one foot toward the mirror, and saw her own reflection.
“They’re nice!”Harriet said as she drove her mother back from the Almandine Mansion. But Helena snorted.“What even is that? Their son wasn’t even there,” Helena grumbled, her arms folded in front of her chest.“Mother...” Harriet sighed as she smiled. “Their family’s son is a surgeon. They also told us how he had prepared today meticulously, yet still couldn’t help but leave because of his patient.”“Let’s be glad that he’s a responsible man who’s very good at his job,” Harriet said.“And why would a man like him want to be a surgeon? Greedy much!” Helena huffed.“Oh, well, I certainly understand why,” Harriet laughed as she remembered herself... going to fashion school to chase her passion instead of doing what her mother wanted her to do.But in the end... she couldn’t help but have the desire to help
All day today, Heinrich had tried to reach Penelope.He texted her and tried to call her, but nothing went through. As the next course of action, he tried to call her friends. First Arai, but no answer either. And then he called Miriam, but she was busy with a family eventHeinrich decided to just drive home the moment his work was done, and he did. But that afternoon, in front of Penelope’s house, he found himself being locked out of the door.He rang the doorbell.Nothing.He tried calling her.Nothing.Bad feelings started to get into his head as he finally came to the last resort.He called Harriet.Why was she the last resort?Well, Heinrich felt like he had already owed Harriet too much, and Harriet scared him sometimes. If he somehow hurt Penelope without realizing it, Harriet would be the first one to force him to bite the dust.In one way or the other, Harriet was even scarier than Penelope&r
It felt like a sudden heavy rain. The feeling of everything falling down at once and crushing one’s body.Harriet arrived home right when she received a text about Penelope and Heinrich safely making up. She smiled in the car when she saw the text and then opened the car door to get out.She closed the chat group, then opened back her email. Her step led her inside her mother’s condo.Her heels clacked down the floor near the front door. Her nails, which were freshly done, no longer looked perfect. She found her mother sitting in the living room alone, watching the television.She sat on the sofa beside her.“What’s wrong?” the woman asked as she glanced momentarily at her. But just one glance was enough to tell her that Harriet didn’t seem like the usual Harriet.She looked at the young woman’s nails.It was an old habit. She thought Harriet had lost this habit of biting her nails, but she wa
The earliest memory Niamh and Damian had was quite... traumatic, to say the least.Screaming, yelling... Anger, abuse, and cries.They had become dull of those.The father and mother they knew... was...“I found them in an illegal shelter with 32 other unidentified little children. All of them are malnourished. Some of them were also very sick, while the other couldn’t even speak.”Liam’s eyes wavered as he heard the words the woman before him was saying.“A lot of them had spectrums of autism. Some were disabled, and some with chronic disease,” Ezra said. “They lived in horrible living conditions.”Liam saw the woman sitting there with a smile on her face, sipping the iced coffee she ordered calmly. “I started this project two years ago, tracking down human traffickers... And I came across them just two months ago.”“I decided to fund their DNA tests, hoping to
“You’re not our Dad.”Liam froze.The twins in front of him violently shook off his attempt to touch them.“I guess I am not,” Liam said softly. He was really not. He didn’t even know of their existence until today, and it also shook him to his very core.But his answer made both twins widen their eyes.“I will help you search for your parents because I really am not sure how to handle this problem.”The twins immediately sensed danger as they saw the complicated emotion this long blonde-haired man exuded. They immediately backed up a few steps.“Now, Liam,” Ezra walked in between the twins and him. She hid them behind her body. “Go home and cool your head. I will notify you after I get the chance to speak with their mother.”“Their mother... you mean Lady Goldlane?” Liam asked calmly. His complexion darkened.“Who else?” Ezra
Beep... beep... beep...Ethan Diamond sat beside the hospital’s VIP bed. In front of him was his little sister, a thin and pale white-haired woman who was in a sleeping state.WHIRR—The man turned his back to see two nurses walk in to change the IV through the sliding door.“Good evening, sir,” one of the nurses greeted.Ethan nodded at them.As one of them changed the IV, the other one stood in front of the side table behind Ethan, who mindlessly observed the exchange.“I’ve never seen the two of you before,” he said.“Oh, yes,” the nurse who changed the IV answered. “We’re traveling nurses, after all.”STAB!Ethan hadn’t even reacted yet as he felt a substance entering his system. He felt incredibly weak and dizzy immediately as the pain spread from his neck.When he fell to the side, he looked at the other nurse who had just s