~Aoife~I stood there, baffled, and confused. I fluttered my eyes a few times to clear my vision because I didn’t believe what I was seeing. Zareena and Xander were exchanging rings with each other.I came to my senses when people around me started clapping.“Congratulations!”“Yeah, Zarenna,” they cheered.People who started to gather around them pushed me aside. My body’s senses were dead. Everyone shouts, and the thunder of clapping suppressed my sobs. He lip-locked her in front of me and my heart dropped. I lost him. I lost my love. That was the only thing I felt at that moment.“Xander,” I whispered as I grabbed my chest.Suddenly Neeral ran up behind me and grabbed my numb body, and I lost my energy to stand appropriately.“Aoife... Oh my gosh,” she cried for me while looking at him.She wanted to go to talk to him, but I grabbed her hand.“No,” I whispered.“But Aoife—”“First, I lost my friend, and today… I lost my love.” Tears blurred my eyesight, straightening myself. “L
Thank you all for reading this story so far. I really appreciate it.I would suggest you to pleasedrop your reviews, and rating so this book can reach to more readers.I just want to thank you all, and wantedtosay, you guys are specialto me... Hope you try my other books, and enjoy.Blurb for thesecind book:This is the second part of the story "When A Bully Falls In Love"An incomplete love story of passion, love, and doubt.They never thought they would cross their ways like this. After six painful years of separation, they crossed their path again to sense the emptiness in their hearts.The pain she carried over these years rusted her heart to fall in love.Her heart stopped craving for love, but as we say "forgotten love is worst than lost love."This time she is not an innocent girl, she is a mother.He is not a bully anymore, he became a handsome and responsible man.Is her heart going to beat again for the same man who turned her into a stone-hearted girl? Or she will hide the
~Xander~As I settle into the taxi, gentle strains of a soothing melody brush against my ears, immediately capturing my attention. The music shifts me through memories of someone special, and with each note, my heart crumbles, painfully reminding me that I am not fortunate enough to celebrate this day of love.“Will you please lower the volume?” I exhale, hoping to dampen the waves of emotion that threaten to consume me.The taxi driver gazes at me through the rearview mirror, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “Come on, man, it’s Valentine’s Day,” he muses as if encouraging me to embrace the atmosphere.I can no longer contain my frustration. “I don’t do Valentine’s,” I exclaim, my voice filled with a mixture of sadness and defiance. The taxi driver rolls his eyes, clearly unimpressed by my sentiment. “Then you better start.”It’s as if he’s challenging me to change my perspective.Today is Valentine’s Day, and as the taxi carries me towards my destination. I take a moment to observ
~Xander~After grabbing the white bouquet, I took a glance at my Rolex. I still had time to reach Arix Textiles. It was five minutes from my current location, so I decided to walk from the map directions in the blue line marked on my phone.The wind stroked my hair as it felt the aroma of San Francisco telling me something I wasn’t sure of yet. The warmth of this city has something special. I know it’s famous for its Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, the former Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, Fisherman’s Wharf, and its Chinatown district. But today, I feel something different inside. A stranger told me something I have wanted to hear for a long time. Then a small boy touched my heart in ways that had never happened before.Although I like to play with my nephew, this was something special. I don’t complain—not a single time—after I met him.I refreshed the G****e Maps page, and finally, I reached my destination. It’s a tall building constructed mainly with glass with a cornerstone engrave
~Xander~As Brandon introduced himself to me, I noticed a furrowed brow and a scrunch of his face, as if he were trying to recall where he had seen me before.“Xander,” he exclaimed, patting our handshake with his other hand. “Brandon from middle school?” I blurted out, my words muddled in confusion.Indeed, Brandon and I were friends back in middle school. However, when his father’s business relocated, he moved away from our hometown and ended up in San Francisco.“It’s nice to see you again. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” he said, pulling me into a warm embrace.Aoife observed our interaction, her professional demeanor momentarily resembling that of friends casually catching up. “Yeah, what happened to your braces?” I playfully tease, bringing up memories of his middle school days. We shared a chuckle, settling comfortably into Brandon’s office.Aoife followed us inside, her presence a constant reminder of the professional context of our meeting.“I didn’t realize Raphael was y
~Aoife~It’s a beautiful day. The three of us went to a carnival near Chinatown. It’s not only Valentine’s Day but also the Chinese New Year. We wanted to surprise our nanny, who is of Chinese origin. She’s a wonderful woman, and I consider her one of my strongest supports.Living in San Francisco, I feel fortunate to experience the richness of different cultures; Chinese, Indian, Mexican, and more. We entered the carnival together and indulged in some delicious Chinese dishes like mooncakes, dumplings, and spring rolls. Alex was overjoyed. I never wanted him to feel the absence of a father, although he once asked me about his dad, and I wasn’t sure how to explain it. It was a painful question for me, but I answered him with a smile. “You can choose anyone you like as your dad.”It started as a joke, but he took it seriously. From that moment on, he picked different actors, sports figures, and anyone he admired, as his dad. Today, he chose the great Jackie Chan.“Mom, I love Chinese f
~Aoife~After helping Alex settle into his room, I couldn’t shake off the weight of my thoughts. It was no wonder that he harbored such insecurities, fearing that I would abandon him. But the truth was, the fault lay with me. I was the one who had kept his father’s identity a secret all these years.As I lay in bed, sleep eluded me. Xander’s face haunted my thoughts, and I grappled with how I would navigate the situation without revealing my vulnerability. Tossing and turning, I finally gave in and got up, seeking solace in the living room. I poured myself a glass of wine and settled in front of the TV, hoping to distract myself. It was no use when the memory from my past haunted my mind.***Flashback - Six years ago…I left everything behind and found myself standing in front of an unfamiliar door, my father’s house. I swallowed my fear and knocked softly, anxiously awaiting a response.“Coming,” a lady’s voice answered from the other side.The door creaked open, revealing a beautifu
Suddenly, the alarm rang, and my eyes snapped open. I hadn’t been asleep; I remembered every moment of tossing and turning over the past few hours. With a weary body, I stood up, unable to find rest throughout the entire night.“Aoife, you didn’t sleep again last night, did you?” Jing emerged from her room with concern etched across her face. I mustered a smile with my eyes heavy from fatigue and traces of tears from the restless night.Jing knew I needed a comforting embrace and wrapped her arms around me, offering solace, before Alex joined in.“Mommy, I need a hug, too!” he exclaimed, bounding towards us, and jumping into the embrace.Though the night had been filled with exhaustion and darkness, the sun began to rise. We gathered ourselves, preparing for the day ahead, and getting ready for work and school.***~Xander~A lot has changed about her. She isn’t the same innocent girl who used to run into my arms whenever I called her. She appears more mature and composed now. I wonde