All Chapters of Sunshine and The Beast: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

AltheaLife has given me lots of surprises since I was born, and I thought it could not surprise me anymore. I’ve already gotten used to it. The first surprise life gave me was the fact that my parents might be a couple of bears, penguins, owls, or I was a failed product of a science research. I never knew who my parents were, or even if I ever had one. Granny always told me that it didn't matter. And it did not.Growing up, I had times when I believed Granny was a fairy godmother, minus the dresses and magic stick. She did not fly, but she held my hand every time I needed her to. Even when she chose to leave me all alone.“Guess what, Thea. I’m drying.” She said that after the doctor diagnosed her with the final stage of cancer. “I guess I’m winning the race.”It was not the first time she kept joking about her dying. I was only 10 back then, and I could barely tell the difference between cancer and a bad cold. Nobody taught me it could take the only person I had in my life.But th

AltheaThere was a time when I wished I could live in a big mansion, with some maids ready to serve whatever I want, a dress you would notice from miles away, and an expensive wine to accompany me in a luxury bathtub.In my imagination, I could get anything I couldn’t in real life. “If I were born rich, I hope I get an endless supply of wine.” That was what Granny said when I asked her how if we had the chance to become rich. Due to her health, she never had alcohol–at least not on my watch. But that’s what imagination was all about, right? To want things you couldn’t have, to be able to do things you never did. It all came true now, yet I wasn’t sure what to feel. The bathtub was nice, and the wine from my kitchen cabinet was indeed the nicest wine I’ve ever had in my entire life. To be honest, that was my first wine. All of these were nice, but I still felt restless. I hated to admit it, but the last conversation I had with that annoying man kept bothering me.Leonardo and Josh to

AltheaThe amount of experience I’ve had with men was just as much as my experience with business. It was basically nonexistent. Sure, I went on a few dates with some guys, thanks to your nosy dorm mate who was also your best friend. But I didn’t necessarily date them. To have a date wasn’t really in my checklist, considering you need some cash to enjoy it. I skipped my high school promp and my graduation night too. Dancing? I was as good as a statue. So, if I had to describe this night, it must be a night for me to do everything I had never and couldn’t do. Business, socialize, dance. You named it. The only thing I was capable of was holding the hand of someone I didn’t expect to hold.Matthias Cox.Despite I was the one who agreed upon this, it still took me by surprise. As I walked out from his limousine, grabbed his hand so we could walk side by side to the party, I kept wondering if this really was a good idea.Back at Forema Reflections, as much as I hated to admit, he really

AltheaFor more than a week I lived here, I always thought this was too big for me. That was the reason why I preferred my bedroom, where the space fitted me more.Now, with Matthias here, my penthouse seemed to grow smaller. It wasn’t, of course. But his presence filled the whole room as he walked in and sat on the sofa, while I sat across him. Deborah made some tea and brought some slices of cheesecake and pastry, yet none of that was touched.None of us talked as minutes passed by. I sat down with my crossed legs, fully aware of the stares he gave me. Despite his closed lips, those blue eyes of his moved as if it was trying to tell me something. I couldn’t figure it out. He might have been judging me in his head, or cursing and planning other unthinkable things. Whatever he was thinking, it’s hard to ignore the way his eyes fixated on me.‘“Can you say something?”I finally muttered. Matthias raised his eyebrows but remained in his position, relaxed. “I thought you were regretting

AltheaNewsflash: preparing a wedding was one hell of a work.Well, I might as well be going to hell for faking a marriage, but the process of it was already painful. It was simple to get your marriage legalized. I once heard you could also get a drive-through marriage. Just one drive away, and you would get your certificate. But the thing being rich is, simplicity wasn’t in your dictionary. The more complicated it was, the better. The more the merrier. It was overkill for sure. I didn’t know anything about building a family. I barely had one. But Granny told me, a wedding was not the end. It was a beginning, either for a better life or a gate to hell. The amount you’ve spent on the wedding day wouldn’t guarantee a better marriage life. We sent the invitation two weeks ago, while the wedding was two weeks ahead. Despite Matthias hiring an event organizer and wedding planner, it didn’t mean I can cross my legs and do nothing.I still needed to do a lot of things, including this: we