A Whole New World のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 11 - チャプター 20

ESSENCE For a moment, I let go. Honestly, I did. It felt easier to just drift away than continue living this miserable, humiliating life where everyone I loved had turned into a stranger. But as the seconds passed, I realized something terrifying—I didn’t actually want to die. Not yet. Not like this. I was only thirty. I hadn’t even started truly living. I wanted to do something meaningful with my life. I wanted to be happy. Heck, I just wanted to wake up one day without feeling like a walking doormat. With renewed determination, I reached for my phone on the floor. Luckily, it was still within arm’s reach. My vision was blurry, and my limbs felt like they were moving through molasses, but I managed to unlock it and search for Sky’s number. Hers was the only name I could think of in that moment—short, simple, and still burned into my memory even after years of silence. I hadn’t spoken to her in forever. I had no idea what to expect. But still… I hoped. She picked up on the s

ESSENCE Hailey led me back into the room. The moment Sky saw my condition, she got up and exclaimed, "What happened!" "Please, get the doctor," Hailey quickly told her. Thirty minutes later, the doctor wrapped a piece of bandage around my head and said, "You have to be careful, Mrs. Watson." I nodded. "I will. Thank you, doctor." After he left, Hailey held my hand and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?" "Talk about what?" Sky asked, her brows raised. Hailey sighed. "Well... um... her husband was..." "I'll talk about it some other time," I cut in quickly. "My head is aching right now and my mind is all over the place." "What exactly happened, guys!" Sky exclaimed. "Stop keeping me in the dark, people!" "We saw Lucian," Hailey revealed. Sky furrowed her brows. "And who the hell is that?" "Lucian Knight!" Hailey exclaimed. "Hello... richest billionaire in the country? Hot and sexy? And oh—he knows Essy. Not just 'hi, hello' kind of know, but 'take my jacket, let me cradle

ESSENCE When I woke up the next morning, I sat up in bed and stared around the room that once felt familiar but now felt like a cage. I had made up my mind, but the heaviness in my chest reminded me of the uncertainty that lay ahead. I was about to step into a new chapter of my life..... alone. But first, I had to figure out where to go. Returning to my family was out of the question; they’d made it clear I was no longer welcome after the choices I made. I couldn’t go crawling back to them now, not when our relationship was practically non-existent. And my friends? As grateful as I was for their help, I didn’t want to be a burden. They had already gone out of their way to help me restart my career. Asking them for a roof over my head would just feel like asking too much. I needed to stand on my own two feet, no matter how shaky those feet felt. I picked up my phone and checked my bank account. I stared at the screen for a long time, hoping the numbers would somehow change. The

LUCIAN I sat behind my desk, staring at the photo of Essence on my phone. My jaw clenched as I fought back the wave of guilt rising in my chest. I blamed myself for the state she was in. If only I had come back sooner, she wouldn’t have ended up with that sorry excuse for a man. His viral sex tape confirmed what I had always known—Essence deserved better. In the past, I took a step back. I could tell she was happy and I told myself that it was enough for me. Until one night at a party few years ago, I saw her husband laughing too comfortably with another woman. There was no mistaking their intimacy. They were clearly more than friends. I did a bit of digging and confirmed what I feared—they were having an affair. It pained me to my marrow. The woman who meant more than the world to me was being treated like trash. How could I let that be? Still, the decision wasn't mine to make. Essence was an adult, and had to decide for herself what was best for her. I had someone watch her ea

ESSENCE Lucian was right.... I wasn’t a bad person. But how could he possibly know that just from a glance? A few conversations? What kind of superpower was that? Heart-sensing X-ray vision? He must have seen the confusion in my eyes because he leaned forward and said, “I forgot to add something important. I also believe this... us... it's fate. You know—how we met three times in a row?” I tilted my head slightly. “Yeah... about that. How the hell were we in the same places at the same time?” His lips curved into a knowing smile. “First time we met, I was trying out that gym for the first time. It belongs to a friend, and I went at an odd hour to avoid attention. I don’t usually go there… and I wasn’t expecting to bump into anyone.” He looked amused now, like the memory actually made his day. “Then the second time—Lovers Hill. You know it’s a big chain, right? I have shares in it. Never really visited, but I decided to drop by that day and check things out.” I nodded slowl