I had taken Archie's advice of getting to know Penny on a personal level, without the crown, the guards, and the paparazzi, just me and her, figuring out who she was and what she loved. Turns out she is a huge Witcher fan and thinks that I look just like him, quite frankly, I look nothing like that beast, he is poorly mannered and uncivilized, and I am the opposite of that. She used to work at the local library before she went to college. She started working for Vogue three years ago after Ashby helped her land the job. His cousin Dave who worked at HR told him about it and put in a good word for her and now she could be jobless because I acted like Geralt of Rivia, these stupid fantasy names.
"So, you and Ashby?"
"What about us?" she asks looking at me.
She looked so cu
"I can't believe he asked you out," Sophia gasps in disbelief.I frown, "You make it sound like it's a dreadful thing."Sophia laughs, "It's not, I just thought he had better taste."Ouch."So, what are you going to wear?"I sigh, "We are having sushi at his house, so I was thinking of jeans and a simple T-shirt and some sneakers."Sophia cringes, "Ew no.""What do you mean no?""If you want to impress the king, you have to do better than that honey, show some boob and some leg."
It's 18:00, I sent Gustav out to pick up Penelope and I'm a nervous wreck."You need to calm down your majesty," Lee the sushi chef says.Chang Lee, the family sushi chef, and an incredibly good friend of the family, I consider him my uncle I wish I had, his son and I went to the same school when we were kids."Is it that obvious?"He nods, "Very soon, you're going to be a sweaty mess."I groan, "I just don't want to mess this up, this is the first girl I have ever been seriously interested in and I think she could be into me too."Lee smiles fondly, "I see that, and you won't just calm down. Have a drink.
He is sweet and funny, caring, and compassionate, most of all I am falling in love with him, much quicker than I had expected. I love the way he speaks to me with kindness, love, and patience, he isn't demanding or aggressive. "Did you enjoy the sushi?" he asks as he traces his finger down my bare arm. I nodded, "I did thank you." "I should be thanking you for coming." I giggle, "Well, in that case, it was my pleasure." "Can I kiss you again?" It must be the wine talking but I nod, missing his lips on mine, "Yes." He leans forward and gently places his lips on mine, my body tingles and I place my hands on his thighs, he pulls me closer to deepen the kiss. I can get used to this I think as I wrap my arms around his neck, I feel his hands move down to my waist, he pulls away and I frown. What could it be this time? "Penny, you vixen," he says lowly with a smirk. My cheeks heat up, "I'm sorry."
“Neither did I,” Chris says.I cringe.“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” Penny says, “I didn’t know it was your room.”“It’s okay Penny,” he chuckles as he steps closer to her.“Woah little bro, she’s mine,” I say, he gives me a dirty smirk and I roll my eyes, “Penny let’s get out of here.”She hesitantly walks to me.“Wait, why did you come in here?”“None of your business Christopher.”“Now, now Henry, let the lady speak for herself.”Penny looks at me and then at Chris, “We were playing hide and go seek.”Excuse me.Chris laughs, he doesn’t believe her.“Did your tiny penis finally scare her off?” he laughs, I glare at him.Penny looks down, embarrassed.“Come on Penny let’s get go.”She walks toward
“What are you doing with my phone?”I walk over to him and grab the phone out of his hand.He sighs, “I’m sorry Penny, I didn’t mean to. Why didn’t you tell me that you got fired?”I look down, “It wasn’t important.”“Penelope, look at me,” he commands.I look at him and he’s guilty eyes stare into mine.“It is important baby; this was your job,” he says.“I know, I honestly didn’t think about telling you.”He looks hurt.I frown, “I’m sorry.”“No, I’m sorry. I’ll help you get a new job and take care of your aunt; I promise.”“You don’t have to, I can-”He shakes his head, “I want to and it’s fault anyway, so I owe you.”Hell, he’s right, it is his fault.“Okay,” is all I say.&l
Goddamit, seriously.I apologise to Penny and walk to the door.“Leave Sonja, I told you that I want nothing to do with your crazy self,” I yell through the door.“You don’t mean that Henry,” she wines.“Henry Crawford open this door, right now!”I knew it, I fucking knew it.I open the door and find Sonja standing next to my father with a little smirk on her face.“Father, I don’t have time for your games.”My father looks over my shoulders and gives a disapproving look.“I see you’re sleeping with the help again.”“Excuse me!”“Henry, you need to-”I hear a door slam behind me and turn around and Penelope is no longer behind me.“That is no way to speak to my queen,” I fume, “I don’t care who you are, I will not tolerate people disrespecting my woman like that.”
I could not believe what his father is saying about him, it is all a lie, Henry was only defending me."Penelope, what happened?" Aunt Linda asks.Lie, lie, Penelope, lie."Henry's father insulted me, he called me the help and a whore, Henry got mad and punched him in the face, that's all that happened Nana, I swear, don't be mad at me," I ramble in a frantic panic.Nana sits down beside me and sighs, "Calm down baby, calm down, I believe you.""Really?""Of course, Jeffrey has always been racist.""I didn't think he'd do this to his own son," I frown
That's a new one."Wait, you're marrying him now?" Ashby roars, "You barely know the guy, Penny.""First of all, I'm not marrying him yet, secondly I'm helping him get out of this mess that I created," she says calmly.I try not to grin when she says that there is hope for both of us to become more."Penny, this isn't for you, you weren't made for things like this."Penny looks at Ashby with her mouth ajar, I can tell by the look in her eyes that she's hurt.Ashby does not seem to care at all."I can handle this Ashby, and as my friend, I thought you
Epilogue: Not All Love Stories Have Happy EndingsNot every love story is destined to end with a romantic reunion or a picture-perfect ending. Some love stories are lessons, shaping the people we become and teaching us to value ourselves. For Henry and Penny, the end of their relationship wasn't the end of their growth—it was the beginning. As they stepped away from each other, they carried with them the hard-earned understanding that true healing often requires letting go.Henry's struggle was not only about losing Penny, but also about facing the deeper wounds he had been carrying since childhood. Growing up, he witnessed his father's toxic behaviours—manipulation, control, and neglect—which shaped his understanding of relationships. Unconsciously, he adopted some of those same behaviours, which ultimately led to the breakdown of his relationship with Penny. His inability to prioritize her and listen to her cries for support reflect
Two days later, I decided it was time to face the person I had hurt the most. I reached out to Penny, not knowing if she'd even want to hear from me. To my surprise, she agreed to meet. It felt like a small victory, though it came with the overwhelming weight of knowing that I had to face the consequences of my actions. I didn't expect her to take me back—how could I, after everything? But I needed her forgiveness. I needed to look her in the eye and admit my wrongs. Maybe, just maybe, we could find some sort of closure.We arranged to meet at a private location—an old park on the outskirts of town. It was one of those places with quiet trails winding through groves of oak trees, where the ground was carpeted in fallen leaves that crunched softly underfoot. The park had once been a favourite spot for us; we'd spent countless afternoons here, lying on the grass, watchin
"Henry, for God's sake, turn off that dreaded song! It's been two days!" Chris's voice boomed from outside my door, sounding more exasperated than usual.Careless Whisper had been playing on repeat for forty-eight hours straight, filling the room with its haunting saxophone melody. It was the only thing that made sense right now, the only sound that matched the broken rhythm of my heart. The rest of the world was a jarring cacophony I didn't want to hear."Don't make me call Mom," Chris threatened, his tone taking on that authoritative edge that always managed to get through to me.Shit. I reached for the remote and silenced the music.There was a moment of silence before Chris spoke again, his voice softer this tim
The past two weeks had felt like an endless loop of heartache and frustration, as though I was living in a bad dream that refused to let me wake. Ever since the breakup with Henry made headlines, the world outside had become too overwhelming. I was suffocating beneath the weight of my own emotions and the relentless attention from reporters, journalists, and even strangers who were all eager to pry into the details of my private life. I stopped answering calls altogether, letting my phone buzz uselessly across the room as I buried myself beneath blankets and tried to block out the world.Henry had gone silent, too. There were no signs of him anywhere—no statements, no pictures splashed across the gossip sites, no sightings at any of his usual haunts. It was as if he had vanished into thin air, and a part of me wondered if he felt the same choking pressure I did, hiding away
The car ride back to the estate is thick with silence. Chris grips the steering wheel, knuckles white against the leather, and I sit slumped in the passenger seat, drowning in the weight of my thoughts. The pain sits heavy in my chest, gnawing at me, making it hard to breathe. Guilt twists my stomach into knots. I keep replaying the moment over and over—the look on Penny's face when she caught me, the betrayal in her eyes, the way her voice broke when she told me to leave. I thought I had escaped the kind of life that leads to moments like these. I thought she'd be the one to help me rewrite my story.But I ruined it. I ruined us.I stared out the window at the shadowy trees rushing by the road winding toward the one place I swore I'd never return to. Back then, leaving felt like breaking
As Archie helps me inside, the familiar warmth of home wraps around me, yet it feels hollow. The muted glow of the lamps casts soft light across the living room, where Meryl and Nana are seated, their conversations falling silent as I enter. Their faces shift from calm curiosity to shock and concern the moment they see me. It's as if the weight of what's happened seeps into the room, thickening the air.Aunt Linda, her sharp eyes widening with worry, rushes towards me. "What happened?" she asks, her voice tight with alarm.Archie stands beside me, his jaw clenched, an unspoken fury simmering beneath the surface. "Henry, he—" he begins but stops as if struggling to say the words.Meryl closes her eyes, the gesture slow and resigned, as though she already knows what'
"So, you're telling me that Sofia called you and informed you that Henry was at her apartment, rummaging for evidence against his father," I inquire, leaning forward with keen interest.Ashby nods solemnly, a wry smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Winner, winner, chicken dinner."My brow furrows in confusion. "Why didn't Henry tell me?"Ashby offers a nonchalant shrug, his expression betraying no hint of concern. "Take it up with him."With a resigned sigh, I slump back against the cushions, defeated. "What is it going to take for him to respect me?""It's not you, he doesn't respect, it's himself," Archie interjects, his tone tinged with a hint of symp
We pull into the basement parking of Sofia's apartment complex, the concrete walls enclosing us in a dimly lit cavern. Following her lead, we ascend to the second floor, traversing a corridor adorned with nondescript doors until we reach the one at the far end. Nestled in the upper echelons of London's East Side, the apartment complex exudes an air of sophistication and exclusivity.Sofia deftly unlocks the door, ushering us into a realm of opulence and refinement. My eyes roam over the plush furnishings and tasteful décor, a testament to Sofia's discerning taste and apparent affluence. Despite my proximity to her, the nature of Sofia's occupation remains a mystery to me, yet the grandeur of her abode speaks volumes."Welcome to my humble abode," she announces with a flourish, guiding me towards the living room.
"So how did you come by this information about the assault charges?" I inquire, leaning forward in my chair.Chris draws in a deep breath, his expression grave. "Matt has a contact within Scotland Yard. Word has it that Sonja was there with Dad, filing a report, and there's purportedly evidence to support her claims.""Evidence?" I press, my mind racing to comprehend the gravity of the situation.Chris lets out a frustrated groan. "God, you're slow on the uptake, Hen. If they press charges against you, it's game over."There's no way I'm allowing that to happen. "Can't Matt make things disappear?" I suggest, grasping at straws.Chris scoffs incredulously. "You'