MasukShare
30– Michael
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-04-14 20:08:39
Bab terkait
To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 31– Michael
I rise, adjusting the cuffs of my shirt as I crush the end of my cigar into the ashtray. Without another word, I step out of the office, Caleb following behind me, and head down the hall toward the underground VIP lounge—the place where real conversations happen. Where the masks come off and the deals get bloody.The underground lounge is a little quieter than the main club, but there’s still music here, although more tame so we can hear each other speak when talking business rather than screaming at the top of our lungs. I push open the door and step inside. It’s a haze of smoke, perfume, and poor decisions.Three men—Jorge, Luis, and Santino—are lounging on the dark velvet couches like kings on thrones. Shirt buttons open. Cigars burning. Their suits wrinkled from how tenaciously the dancers are grinding on them.They’re laughing so loud and throwing cash into the air like they’ve never received a lap-dance from a naked woman before. Luis slaps a dancer’s thigh while Jorge pops ope
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 32– Adaline
Three months later.It’s been exactly three months since Michael left. Three months without a message, or call, or visit, since he disappeared like he doesn’t exist.And somewhere between heartbreak and healing, I made peace with it. Even if it felt like my insides were ripping apart, even when my pride was crushed, I accepted the burn and moved on.There’s no use dwelling on the silence, on dwelling on someone who means nothing to me.I think of him sometimes. More than I’d like to admit. In the mornings, when I’m brushing my teeth and I glance up at my reflection. At night, when the world goes quiet and there’s nothing but the hum of my laptop, I remember the way he used to look at me with those creepy eyes that someone found a way to make me feel giddy.But it doesn’t matter now.Michael made his choice, and I’ve made mine.I buried myself in work, picked up the pieces of my pride, and continued my studies—online. I’m studying to become an accountant. Dad thinks it’s a good career
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 33– Adaline
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”Then I walk out. And it’s not because I’m over him. But because I need to get away from him before the tears brimming my eyes start streaming down my face and he sees the effect he has on me. I run into the rest room, and lock myself inside one of the toilets, unbuttoning my shirt as I gasp, chasing my breath. I tell myself that Michael is not here. That was just a brief moment of mental relapse. But who am I kidding. He was there. He is here. Tears wet my cheeks and I wipe them off, sniffing while I gently slam my head into a wall until I’m able to calm my racing mind. And by the time that happens, my thirty minute lunch break is already over. Frustration is a little word to describe how I feel as I rush to the company cafeteria and get a coffee before rushing back to my office. I bring the cup between my lips, taking a slow sip as I open my office door and step in. My brows knit. My eyes narrow. And I stop dead in my tracks.What the…Mich
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 34– Adaline
I’m waiting outside the company building, beside my father’s car as I wait for him to round up his brief meeting with his secretary and drive me home. My apartment isn’t very far from the family’s estate. Dad initially refused my request of moving in on my own, but when I threatened him with going to my grandmother from my mother’s side and giving up the career path he chose for me, he finally agreed with the condition that he drives me to and from work. I’m scrolling endlessly on my phone when I hear his approaching footsteps and the click of the car as the driver unlocks it. I stare up from my phone, my eyes meeting Dad’s for a brief moment. He simply eyes me as he rounds the car, climbing in—that’s all the acknowledgement I get from him.Someone is in a mood. I climb in and settle at the edge of the seat, still scrolling on my phone. The energy isn’t really helping my already frayed mind. I steal a glance at Dad, rolling my bottom lip between my teeth and nobbling for a moment
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 35– Adaline
When my eyes open, the room is pitch black, but I know it’s morning already. And I don’t remember drawing my curtains close. I slide a hand underneath my pillow and take out my phone. It’s ten in the morning. Groaning, I sit up and drag a hand through my hair as I slowly, lazily climb out of bed and head into the bathroom.After minutes, I come out of the shower, a towel wrapped around my head, another around my chest. I’m walking towards my closet when I hear a soft bark. Wait… a bark…Oh shit! I own a dog.And a kitten!God help me!I run out of the room, guilt already clawing up my chest for starving my new babies barely twenty four hours of living with her. “Joy!” I shout, my voice halfway to panic, heart thumping loudly. “I’m sorry, baby! I didn’t mean to forget you!”I swear, I’ll gut Michael for putting me in this position. Her barks are awfully steady and happy for a dog that should be growling for food. I follow the sound down the hall leading into my living room. Then I
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-15To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 36– Michael
Months before now, I would’ve sworn on anything that I am a man of my words. Turns out, I’m not. Not really.Turns out, I have a soft spot for every member of the Daniels family. After I did what a man should do and told Jameson about my feelings towards his daughter and he turned me down, telling me I wasn’t good enough to love her, just good enough to keep her safe from harm, I had promised myself to make him regret the day we crossed paths. I swore I’d take the remaining piece of him and break it into irrecoverable pieces. My plan was simple: Stay away from Adaline for as long as I deemed necessary, appear in her life once more and deposit a stronger seed of hatred and resentment towards her father in her heart. She sees him like her enemy, and embraces me like her only safe option. His hell, my heaven. But I couldn’t even keep that promise. Jameson, apart from being a good friend, my boss’s husband, and business partner, has been a man I’ve looked up to.And when he reached
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-15To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 37– Michael
I crack my knuckles before gripping my steering wheel with one hand and turning the key in the ignition with the other. The car hums to life. I strap the phone to the holder, watching the beeping red dot on the map as I adjust my hoodie before driving out of the parking lot. I follow Adaline’s trail slowly, keeping my car a few blocks behind her as I watch her stroll the street casually, her head lolling from side to side as though she’s humming to a song. She curls the leash tighter around her wrist, and Joy surprisingly falls into step beside her, behaving well like a perfectly trained show dog.Joy is everything but a show dog. She’s a beast—fucking ruthless in all forms of ruthless. But I made sure she learned to be soft around Adaline, except of course she senses danger. The dog is doing me proud, I can’t even lie. I retrieve a burner phone from the middle console, dialing the only number stored in it. It rings once and Caleb answers immediately. “You have eyes?” I ask him.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-15To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 1– Adaline
My ear erupts with loud ringing as I watch my world shatter into tiny little pieces. The pain is crippling. It feels as though someone is craving a blade into my heart. Sorrow curls around me, confusion and surprise seizing my ability to breathe. I’m standing with my skin tight with a cold that shouldn't even exist in this heat, my legs firmly rooted to the spot, and my mind spiraling. I’m trying to understand, to make sense of the scene unfolding in front of me. My wide eyes are trained on my best friend and the love of my life, watching as they scramble with the sheets to shield their nakedness, to hide their betrayal. Their shame means nothing to me. The damage is already done.Tears flood into my eyes and sting my lid, I refuse to let them fall. I can’t break—not here, not now. Is it even necessary to hold back the tears?With or without it, my pain is boldly written on my face. My pain shows in the way my eyes are darting around the room with desperation, as if searching for
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-07
Bab terbaru
To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 37– Michael
I crack my knuckles before gripping my steering wheel with one hand and turning the key in the ignition with the other. The car hums to life. I strap the phone to the holder, watching the beeping red dot on the map as I adjust my hoodie before driving out of the parking lot. I follow Adaline’s trail slowly, keeping my car a few blocks behind her as I watch her stroll the street casually, her head lolling from side to side as though she’s humming to a song. She curls the leash tighter around her wrist, and Joy surprisingly falls into step beside her, behaving well like a perfectly trained show dog.Joy is everything but a show dog. She’s a beast—fucking ruthless in all forms of ruthless. But I made sure she learned to be soft around Adaline, except of course she senses danger. The dog is doing me proud, I can’t even lie. I retrieve a burner phone from the middle console, dialing the only number stored in it. It rings once and Caleb answers immediately. “You have eyes?” I ask him.
To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 36– Michael
Months before now, I would’ve sworn on anything that I am a man of my words. Turns out, I’m not. Not really.Turns out, I have a soft spot for every member of the Daniels family. After I did what a man should do and told Jameson about my feelings towards his daughter and he turned me down, telling me I wasn’t good enough to love her, just good enough to keep her safe from harm, I had promised myself to make him regret the day we crossed paths. I swore I’d take the remaining piece of him and break it into irrecoverable pieces. My plan was simple: Stay away from Adaline for as long as I deemed necessary, appear in her life once more and deposit a stronger seed of hatred and resentment towards her father in her heart. She sees him like her enemy, and embraces me like her only safe option. His hell, my heaven. But I couldn’t even keep that promise. Jameson, apart from being a good friend, my boss’s husband, and business partner, has been a man I’ve looked up to.And when he reached
To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 35– Adaline
When my eyes open, the room is pitch black, but I know it’s morning already. And I don’t remember drawing my curtains close. I slide a hand underneath my pillow and take out my phone. It’s ten in the morning. Groaning, I sit up and drag a hand through my hair as I slowly, lazily climb out of bed and head into the bathroom.After minutes, I come out of the shower, a towel wrapped around my head, another around my chest. I’m walking towards my closet when I hear a soft bark. Wait… a bark…Oh shit! I own a dog.And a kitten!God help me!I run out of the room, guilt already clawing up my chest for starving my new babies barely twenty four hours of living with her. “Joy!” I shout, my voice halfway to panic, heart thumping loudly. “I’m sorry, baby! I didn’t mean to forget you!”I swear, I’ll gut Michael for putting me in this position. Her barks are awfully steady and happy for a dog that should be growling for food. I follow the sound down the hall leading into my living room. Then I
To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 34– Adaline
I’m waiting outside the company building, beside my father’s car as I wait for him to round up his brief meeting with his secretary and drive me home. My apartment isn’t very far from the family’s estate. Dad initially refused my request of moving in on my own, but when I threatened him with going to my grandmother from my mother’s side and giving up the career path he chose for me, he finally agreed with the condition that he drives me to and from work. I’m scrolling endlessly on my phone when I hear his approaching footsteps and the click of the car as the driver unlocks it. I stare up from my phone, my eyes meeting Dad’s for a brief moment. He simply eyes me as he rounds the car, climbing in—that’s all the acknowledgement I get from him.Someone is in a mood. I climb in and settle at the edge of the seat, still scrolling on my phone. The energy isn’t really helping my already frayed mind. I steal a glance at Dad, rolling my bottom lip between my teeth and nobbling for a moment
To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 33– Adaline
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”Then I walk out. And it’s not because I’m over him. But because I need to get away from him before the tears brimming my eyes start streaming down my face and he sees the effect he has on me. I run into the rest room, and lock myself inside one of the toilets, unbuttoning my shirt as I gasp, chasing my breath. I tell myself that Michael is not here. That was just a brief moment of mental relapse. But who am I kidding. He was there. He is here. Tears wet my cheeks and I wipe them off, sniffing while I gently slam my head into a wall until I’m able to calm my racing mind. And by the time that happens, my thirty minute lunch break is already over. Frustration is a little word to describe how I feel as I rush to the company cafeteria and get a coffee before rushing back to my office. I bring the cup between my lips, taking a slow sip as I open my office door and step in. My brows knit. My eyes narrow. And I stop dead in my tracks.What the…Mich
To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 32– Adaline
Three months later.It’s been exactly three months since Michael left. Three months without a message, or call, or visit, since he disappeared like he doesn’t exist.And somewhere between heartbreak and healing, I made peace with it. Even if it felt like my insides were ripping apart, even when my pride was crushed, I accepted the burn and moved on.There’s no use dwelling on the silence, on dwelling on someone who means nothing to me.I think of him sometimes. More than I’d like to admit. In the mornings, when I’m brushing my teeth and I glance up at my reflection. At night, when the world goes quiet and there’s nothing but the hum of my laptop, I remember the way he used to look at me with those creepy eyes that someone found a way to make me feel giddy.But it doesn’t matter now.Michael made his choice, and I’ve made mine.I buried myself in work, picked up the pieces of my pride, and continued my studies—online. I’m studying to become an accountant. Dad thinks it’s a good career
To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 31– Michael
I rise, adjusting the cuffs of my shirt as I crush the end of my cigar into the ashtray. Without another word, I step out of the office, Caleb following behind me, and head down the hall toward the underground VIP lounge—the place where real conversations happen. Where the masks come off and the deals get bloody.The underground lounge is a little quieter than the main club, but there’s still music here, although more tame so we can hear each other speak when talking business rather than screaming at the top of our lungs. I push open the door and step inside. It’s a haze of smoke, perfume, and poor decisions.Three men—Jorge, Luis, and Santino—are lounging on the dark velvet couches like kings on thrones. Shirt buttons open. Cigars burning. Their suits wrinkled from how tenaciously the dancers are grinding on them.They’re laughing so loud and throwing cash into the air like they’ve never received a lap-dance from a naked woman before. Luis slaps a dancer’s thigh while Jorge pops ope
To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 30– Michael
Today’s been nothing short of chaos—going from one meeting to the next, shaking new hands while cutting ties with old ones. And in all of these, the only person I’ve thought about is Adaline.I want to know what she’s doing, how she’s doing..It’s maddening not knowing.I thought about dropping everything and going to her. I thought about showing up at her door, giving her the clarity I know she needs. She craves communication, she always has because it makes her feel in control of situations even when she’s not. So I’m certain that the silence I’ve left behind is slowly driving her out of her mind.But I didn’t go.Because I need more time.Just a little more time.Maybe it’s cowardice. Or maybe it’s protection. Either way, it doesn’t matter. Not yet.Maybe this is for the best.I flick my lighter, watching the flame curl out like a tongue, licking the end of my cigar until it chars and glows red. I take a long drag, the smoke filling my lungs. I pull the cigar away, exhaling slowly,
To Hate, To Love, And To Wed 29– Adaline
It’s almost noon, and I can’t say my day has gotten better.From the moment I woke up—after just a few hours of sleep that can be considered “adequate,” yet somehow still exhausted—with a splitting headache, to now, sitting in my mother’s art room, pretending to work on a piece… nothing has changed, everything has just been going downhill.I haven’t made a single decent brushstroke. My eyes aren’t even on the canvas—they’re fixed outside the window, watching the rain pelt the ground aggressively. Of all the days, it chose to rain today.The rain had better wash away this worry of mine before I completely crash out.My fingers shake around the brush, making it slip from my hand for the millionth time today, falling straight onto my shorts and staining them red. A low groan rumbles in my throat and I collapse back into the seat, slouching and pushing my lips out into a pout. My jaw clenches hard. My teeth feel like they’re grinding to dust.This isn’t how I envisioned my day.But it’s
