No one in the apartment drank often. Even during dinner parties, Colin often stopped before he got too drunk. The instant chicken soup sachets we had were given by Andrew's family since he often got drunk from his family dinners. We had never bought them.And since no one ever got too drunk, those sachets had been collecting dust in the cabinet. Tonight, they proved themselves useful. In a sense, it was like a self-fulfilling prophecy—the existence of those chicken soup sachets made people drink.Another hour went by after I showered, got changed, and drank the chicken soup. I wiped Colin and tucked him in. Completely drained, I flopped down onto the bed and refused to move. Colin was so heavy, and it hurt my back to take care of him. I wish I could kick him out of frustration.In the restaurant, he could still talk with me properly. He even said so many romantic things to me. But as soon as we got inside the car, he passed out right away. I had to carry him all the way to the apart
Colin stopped struggling and stared at me with his glossy, piteous eyes, asking me to let go of him. Aww, he looked so adorable when he was all vulnerable. I wanted to give him a kiss! But no, I shouldn't indulge him.Eventually, Colin became quiet. I was tired and sleepy. I continued to pin him down with my arms in case he retaliated. Slowly, the quietness began to intrigue me. I lifted my head and looked at him. Colin, who had been asking for kisses all night long, fell asleep! He fell asleep within five minutes.What a relief. Because that meant that I could finally sleep too. While I could hold my drink very well, the alcohol still upset my tummy and made me feel parched. I needed a good night's rest. I settled into a comfortable position, pulled the blanket on top of me, and fell asleep immediately.As I slept, I had a wonderful dream. I was lying on fluffy grass in a peaceful, idyllic forest. The sun was warm, and as I basked under its light, a wave of sleepiness washed throug
"But you remember about the kisses. Was it funny to prank me like that? Do you know how tired I was?" I punched him lightly out of spite. I couldn't imagine how I found the strength to carry him from downstairs to the apartment last night.Colin allowed me to take out my anger on him docilely. He didn't dodge my rain of fists. Instead, he looked at me dotingly, "I was drunk. I couldn't control my limbs at all. But I wasn't so drunk that I passed out. Come, babe. Let me give you a good kiss."Good kiss, bad kiss, I couldn't care less. How dare he pull such a cheeky trick on me. Urgh! So he couldn't walk properly, but he knew exactly what was happening. Yet he continued to put all his weight on me last night as I toiled to get him back safely. He had to be doing it on purpose."I see it now. You did it on purpose. From now on, we're sleeping in separate rooms for five days. You are not to touch me or I'll kick you out of my bed," I swore vehemently.Angry, I pushed him away and ignor
"Say yes, please, Colin. I'm begging you."Her words were genuine yet desperate. Indeed, the first to fall in love was often the one who was hurt the most in a relationship. But that didn't mean she deserved the right to wreck someone's relationship. Love only worked if both parties committed to it.I was once desperate like her too. All I ever wanted was for Felix to notice me, to share his life with me. But life taught me that settling for less wouldn't necessarily bring about a good ending or payoff. Felix was an example. What about Colin, then? He had charmed many other women. Would he be the death or boon of Jasmine? A man would take pity on her when he saw how desperate she was. Colin wasn't an unfeeling man. Could he always resist her? Those messages managed to dampen my cheery mood.Had Jasmine only loved him from afar, as a woman, I would have empathized or even pitied her. But she was willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve her goal. She said she didn't want anything
"So, she's the bastard child that the Taylors refuse to acknowledge." Queenie scoffed."Yup." Andrew nodded and added, "Later, the grandmother fell ill. The heir brought Jasmine and her mother to take care of her. It successfully painted a good picture of them. As for Jasmine, she's rich and taken care of. But she's not acknowledged by the Taylors.""Why not? She carries their bloodline, after all," I asked, confused."Luna, there's a hierarchy in this society. The more prestigious your family is, the more they care about their image. After Jasmine's mom gave birth to her, she continued to lead an unruly life. She even dated a gigolo, and that was scandalous."After the Taylors moved to the north, while their former glory was long gone, they wouldn't accept a sleazy woman into their family. She'd bring dishonor. So unless a miracle happened, Jasmine can lead a comfortable life, but she can never get rid of the stigma on her."No wonder none of her relatives came to visit her when
I beckoned with my eyes and warned them to stay away from the door in case they got hurt. They promptly ignored me and continued indulging in their voyeurism. Noticing that he might never catch me, Colin gave up. He stood up and walked toward the kitchen with a stern face.Since he was a lecturer at Jesselton College, Andrew, as a student, knew better than to disrespect his teacher. He rubbed his nose in embarrassment and dragged Queenie back to the stove. They resumed cooking.After joking for a while, Colin sat next to me, unlocked his phone, and typed, "Happy Birthday. I'm busy today but I'll buy you a present. I heard the millefeuille from Lehalle is very good. I'll have it delivered to you."After he typed the message, he showed me his phone with one brow raised, asking me if it was alright. I mulled. While it was satisfying to reject Jasmine categorically like that, it might be too harsh.Colin knocked my head with his. "You idiot, now is not the time to be a saint. With peop
Like a stubborn pest that refused to die, that bitch would come back for the 101st time after 100 rejections. And this time, instead of a seductive scheme, she confessed honestly. She was hellbent on getting Colin.I was mad. Her invitation to Colin to celebrate her birthday together was just the latest entry in her plan to take him from me. She had a naturally meek voice. And together with the heartfelt confession she uttered just now, she sounded vulnerable and fragile.Especially the croaky voice toward the end. It sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. I would have felt bad for her if I hadn't known the full picture. None of the toxic men in the world could resist the urge to protect her.The voice message lasted for around 50 seconds. When it ended, everyone at the dining table reacted differently.Queenie was furious. Unable to vent her fury, she took the bread and bit a huge chunk of it. I assumed she was pretending that the bread was Jasmine and she was tearing her of
It had been ten minutes since I sent the voice messages. Even until we were done with breakfast, we didn't hear from Jasmine again. I could only imagine the expectant look on her face as she clicked on those three messages and the disappointment she felt when she heard my voice.I admitted that I said those words out of spite. I wanted to hurt her. It wasn't my fault. She had it coming for devising various ways to destroy my relationship. She knew Colin was taken yet she tried to take him away from me. It was only natural that I wanted to give her some payback.Everyone moved on from this unsavory event in the morning very quickly. I was an easygoing person and tended to forget whatever unhappy moments I experienced. As I discussed arts with the students, I promptly forgot about Jasmine's invitation to Colin for her birthday celebration.In the afternoon, I left the teaching faculty after I carried out the lecture Professor King told me to. Then, I saw the workaholic, Colin, standin