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Chapter 22
Last Updated:
2025-01-07 14:30:02Related chapters
The Calm After the Storm Chapter 23
I was already back in my home country before my mom’s deathday.On that day, Matthias showed up at the hotel lobby early to go with me to Mom's grave.We parked outside the graveyard and walked in together.He bought a lot of flowers, as if he was making up for missing her special day two years ago.Mom's picture on the stone still had her sweet, gentle smile.The wind played with my dress as I held the trophy from the competition and chatted with Mom.Matthias was quiet the whole time, just standing off to the side.When we left, I could not stop the tears.With teary eyes, Matthias asked me, "Emma, is there nothing Walter and I can do to make things right with you?"I dried my eyes and said calmly, "I can forgive you."Just don't show your faces to me ever again.”I would never forget the hard times, and things could not go back to how they once were.The hurt was gone, but the scars were still there.I did not want to spend my life angry.I decided to forget, look ahea
Last Updated : 2025-01-07The Calm After the Storm Chapter 24
When I got back to the office, I dove right back into my work.Winning a big award had bumped up my salary a lot, and my days were busier than ever.The day after I returned, Matthias moved out of the house next door and returned to the capital.The house sat empty for a while.A year later, a new guy moved in.He looked like he was from Mandoria, like me. His name was Peter Gibson, and he was both funny and good-looking.It turned out he also worked nearby.Our offices were close, and we kept the same hours, so we would often bump into each other.A few months in, Peter let me know he liked me.I was not ready to say yes.However, Peter did not want to give up.He was always respectful, never pushing me too far, and I liked hanging out with him.I just was not ready for romance.Two more years flew by.During the New Year Festival, Matthias told me that Anna's mom had died the month before.Anna had been locked up for nine years for assaulting Walter and trying to hurt
Last Updated : 2025-01-07The Calm After the Storm Chapter 1
Both my childhood friend and my older brother fell for the new student in class, the impoverished Anna Jones.My childhood sweetheart, Walter, called off our engagement, saying, "I can't stand a spoiled heiress like Emma."My brother seemed to have forgotten what our mom had asked of him on her deathbed. "Anna's had a tough time. It's only fair to give her half of the love I have for you, right?"On my birthday, Walter chose to spend time with Anna instead.On the day he was supposed to be remembering our mom's passing, my brother was having a great time with Anna and her mom instead.When they went with Anna to Nexus City to receive her impressive design award, I burned down the house that held all our memories.I pretended to be dead and left the city.When the news of my 'death' reached Nexus City, the two guys whom I thought were tired of me hurried back home in the middle of the night.They stood in front of the house that was now ashes, unable to hold back their tears.…
Last Updated : 2025-01-07The Calm After the Storm Chapter 2
The clubhouse we were in was part of the Lawson family's estate.Walter thought I had forced Anna to work there.However, the irony was that Anna was being pampered by both him and my brother.She had always been treated like a princess.She had more money than she could ever spend.Why would she bother getting a job?I knew the truth.Even if I told everyone and had the supervisor back me up, Walter still would not believe me.I was the villain in his eyes, the mean witch who used her family's power to bully his precious princess."Emma."Walter hugged Anna close, protecting her."I can't imagine marrying a rich brat like you."Let's just forget about the engagement, okay?"His words hung in the air, and the room went silent.Anna's face went white as she shook with fear, clinging to Walter.Her friends watched me, their eyes full of suspicion.I could not help but laugh.Ever since Anna's mom got involved with our family and Anna got between Walter and me, I had crie
Last Updated : 2025-01-07The Calm After the Storm Chapter 3
Anna pulled away from him."Ms. Lawson, don't be hard on our senior."It's all my fault. I shouldn't have come and bothered you..."She spoke, and tears started to fall from her eyes. "I'll go now.""Anna, I told you I'd take care of everything."Walter felt a pang of heartache.He gently wiped away Anna's tears and then turned to look at me.Any trace of pity in his eyes had disappeared and was replaced by disdain."Emma, can you please stop bothering us?"I cut him off, "Fine. We can break off the engagement, but I want my things back."Walter looked puzzled. "What things?"I reached up and untied the red string that was around my neck.Hanging from it was a jade pendant.It was a family treasure Walter's mom had given me when our engagement was arranged.My mom had given him something even more precious.It was an item that had once belonged to a royal palace, blessed by a respected religious figure from ancient times."Here's your pendant back. Now, return my bracel
Last Updated : 2025-01-07The Calm After the Storm Chapter 4
I felt like laughing, but I cried instead."Matthias."Nobody's going to take Mom's things."If you want to give Anna something, that's fine. Give her whatever you want from what the Lawsons have.""What good stuff does the Lawson family even have?"Matthias stopped talking suddenly.Yeah, what good stuff did we have?We had nothing good, from the people in the family to the things we owned.I tossed the torn paper into the trash and headed upstairs."Mom's memorial is in a few days. Don't forget.""How could I?" Matthias gave me an awkward smile."Go to bed early. I'll be in the office for a while longer."I did not answer or look back at him.I spent the whole night wide awake.I gathered everything in the house that had to do with us three—Me, Walter, and Matthias.I burned the pictures.I broke and took apart anything that could be broken.I packed up whatever could be given away and sent it to the orphanage.All that was left in this little house were the memorie
Last Updated : 2025-01-07The Calm After the Storm Chapter 5
It was the day we were supposed to remember Mom's passing.I waited and waited.Dad had someone bring over fresh flowers.However, there was no sign of Matthias.After three unanswered calls, the fourth was finally picked up.It was Anna's mom on the line. "Emma, is that you? Are you looking for Matthias?""Today is my mom's death anniversary.""Oh dear! It's your mom's deathday? We're so forgetful. I'm so sorry."Our puppy just had babies today, and Matthias and Anna were so excited that they forgot all about today..."It's too late to come over now. What should we do?""Mrs. Jones, who are you talking to?""It's Emma. She sounds upset. What should we do, Matthias?""Hey, Emma?" I heard Matthias's voice.I hung up right away and blocked his number.Mom's smiling face looked down at me from the black and white photo on her gravestone.Her smile was full of love and kindness.April had rolled around again.I sat there on the ground, feeling like I was at the bottom of a
Last Updated : 2025-01-07The Calm After the Storm Chapter 6
"Emma, you've been stubborn since you were little, and I've put up with it for so long."Anna won the prize fair and square. You’re accusing her of stealing your design, but where's your proof? Without evidence, you're just making things up.""Emma, I swear I didn't copy your design."You've never liked me, so when would I even have gotten the chance to touch your computer?"Feeling upset, Anna just crumbled into Walter's arms.I whipped around to face Matthias.My computer was always in the study.He spent a lot of time there too.Matthias looked away, his guilt clear.Was it not obvious what was going on?"Emma, just look at yourself."Walter towered over me, all high and mighty.He flung a bracelet at me, and it clattered to the floor by my feet."I can't figure out why I ever liked you."I was about to snap back at him, but then I saw the necklace Anna was wearing.My whole body shook with anger when I recognized it.It was the tulip diamond necklace Mom had left fo
Last Updated : 2025-01-07
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The Calm After the Storm Chapter 24
When I got back to the office, I dove right back into my work.Winning a big award had bumped up my salary a lot, and my days were busier than ever.The day after I returned, Matthias moved out of the house next door and returned to the capital.The house sat empty for a while.A year later, a new guy moved in.He looked like he was from Mandoria, like me. His name was Peter Gibson, and he was both funny and good-looking.It turned out he also worked nearby.Our offices were close, and we kept the same hours, so we would often bump into each other.A few months in, Peter let me know he liked me.I was not ready to say yes.However, Peter did not want to give up.He was always respectful, never pushing me too far, and I liked hanging out with him.I just was not ready for romance.Two more years flew by.During the New Year Festival, Matthias told me that Anna's mom had died the month before.Anna had been locked up for nine years for assaulting Walter and trying to hurt
The Calm After the Storm Chapter 23
I was already back in my home country before my mom’s deathday.On that day, Matthias showed up at the hotel lobby early to go with me to Mom's grave.We parked outside the graveyard and walked in together.He bought a lot of flowers, as if he was making up for missing her special day two years ago.Mom's picture on the stone still had her sweet, gentle smile.The wind played with my dress as I held the trophy from the competition and chatted with Mom.Matthias was quiet the whole time, just standing off to the side.When we left, I could not stop the tears.With teary eyes, Matthias asked me, "Emma, is there nothing Walter and I can do to make things right with you?"I dried my eyes and said calmly, "I can forgive you."Just don't show your faces to me ever again.”I would never forget the hard times, and things could not go back to how they once were.The hurt was gone, but the scars were still there.I did not want to spend my life angry.I decided to forget, look ahea
The Calm After the Storm Chapter 22
After that, I did not see Walter for days, which was fine by me.I put all my energy into a design contest, spending all my spare time sketching out my ideas.After making it through the first round, I sent in my sketches for the semifinals.Five days passed, and I got the exciting news: I was in the finals.To celebrate, I invited Linda and some coworkers over for dinner.As I was getting the food ready, the doorbell rang. It was Matthias.He handed me a box when I opened the door. "I got these from a fancy restaurant. It's all your favorites..."I sighed. "I've told you over and over again that I don't want anything from you."Please stop trying."Matthias gave me a weak smile. "Emma, is there anything I can do to make you forgive me?""I'm trying to move on. I hope you can do the same."He was quiet for a bit. "Next month is Mom's deathday. Are you going to visit her?"I missed it two years ago, and I'm really sorry about that."I zoned out for a second, thinking about
The Calm After the Storm Chapter 21
Anna and her mother were led to me by Walter's guys. The old lady in front of me was almost unrecognizable as Anna's mom. She wore dark clothes, had no makeup on, and her face was lined with age. Her hair was streaked with gray, making her look like she was in her sixties or seventies. Anna looked worn out too, nothing like the fresh-faced girl she used to be. They had been through so much in less than two years. Seeing them like that, I felt a weird mix of joy and sadness. Walter and Matthias used to spoil Anna rotten and treat her mom with so much respect.I had been pushed aside and given a tough time because of how much the pair favored the Joneses.However, they turned on Anna and her mom so fast after I left. Their feelings were so fickle. Honestly, I really did not like Anna and her mom. I could not stand them. However, I could not stand Walter and Matthias even more. If Anna and her mom were mean, Walter and Matthias were just dumb and full of themselves, making
The Calm After the Storm Chapter 20
Before the flight, there was a problem with my ticket, so I could not get on the plane.However, I was not upset at all.I knew Walter too well. He would not just sit back and let me walk away.I told Linda and the others to go on without me while I sorted things out.Pulling my suitcase, I looked around the airport lobby and easily spotted Walter.He was in a dark gray coat. He stood out in the crowd because he was so tall.He was looking at me.I waved him over with a flick of my finger.Walter's face broke into a smile, and he came quickly."Emma.""You messed with my ticket, didn't you?" I said, sure of it.Walter did not try to hide it. "Yes, I did. I couldn't just let you go."I stared at him, feeling nothing. "Do you even know why I'm leaving? "You and Matthias might as well be dead to me. "You two are even less than strangers to me now."Walter looked worried. "Emma, I'm sorry. I'll do anything to fix this. Just give me a chance, okay? "He sounded so small, n
The Calm After the Storm Chapter 19
I called the cops.Walter was not his usual confident self when I saw him again after so long. He looked pretty down.I thought he would be sad without me around for a bit before he returned to having fun with Anna.It turned out I still meant a lot to him.However, who cared about that now?The police got there fast."This guy's got me mixed up with someone else and won't leave me alone."I looked really frustrated and showed them my ID. "I'm Fiona. That's always been my name.""No! You're Emma, not Fiona. We've known each other since we were kids. I can't be wrong!" Walter insisted even after seeing my ID."What proof do you have?" I asked him.Walter did not know what to say.I knew he did not have a single picture of me at his place.I had even gone to Natalie's to get back the old photos from when we were kids back then.Before I decided to leave for good, I burned every last one of them. Not a single picture was left.I could not help but chuckle. "See? You can't ev
The Calm After the Storm Chapter 18
The footsteps sounded so familiar that I actually felt a wave of calm.The footsteps stopped behind me, and then I heard Walter's voice. It was shaky but cautious, "Emma, is that you?"I did not turn around and just kept my gaze down on my phone.Walter stepped in front of me, his eyes locked on mine as he moved closer. "Emma, I know it's you."I looked up, a puzzled look on my face. "Sir, are you talking to me?"It had been nearly two years. I had cut my long hair to a medium-short length and completely changed my style.Even my makeup and the way I carried myself was different.Walter's eyes were tinged red. "Emma, I know you're still mad at me. Anna lied to me, and that's why I did those things that hurt you."I've changed my mind, Emma. I really realize my mistakes now."Anna's tricks had been pretty lame, to be honest.However, both he and Matthias fell for them right away.I tried more than once to make things right, but all I got was Walter being even meaner to me.T
The Calm After the Storm Chapter 17
I had to get ready to go on the trip.That night, I logged onto Messenger, which I had not used in a long time, and joined a group chat. I was determined to make sure I would not bump into Walter or Matthias in Nexus City.The group chat was always busy, with more than twenty people active at the same time.I did not care about all the fancy stuff the rich kids in the group were doing. I just looked up Walter and Matthias.Walter had made Anna look really bad over the last two years. As for himself, he was not doing great either.About a year and a half ago, Anna said she was having his baby and cried about it on television.The scandal made Walter's family really unhappy with him.Less than a month later, Anna had an accident at home and lost the baby.Anna and her mother were kicked out of the Lawson family.They left the capital and moved to a smaller city outside.However, with Walter and Matthias keeping an eye on them, life was not easy for them.I saw from their chats
The Calm After the Storm Chapter 16
I made a new home for myself in a quaint little town somewhere overseas.People here enjoyed the peace of a slower pace of life.I woke up each morning without an alarm, strolled to the supermarket for groceries, and cooked simple meals in my kitchen.After eating, I sketched designs or doodled whatever captured my fancy.When I had spare time, I wandered outside, cleared my head, and just breathed.Bits and pieces of news from back home still found their way to me, like how my supposed ‘death’ was all over the news.I also heard about how Walter and Matthias were out to get Anna and her mother, no matter the cost.Matthias went online and claimed Anna's prize-winning piece was actually stolen from his sister, backing it up with lots of proof.Anna, who had been the talk of the town for her award, quickly became everyone's target. To top it off, Walter and Matthias took back all the fancy gifts they had ever given her.It came out that Anna's mom was the other woman in a lov
