"I…""Oh, what's this? A cake? What's the occasion?" A slight clutter on the direction of the table echoed, as if he took something above it. My hands were sweaty above my lap. No matter how I tried to squeeze them, it didn't ease my anxiety at all. I'm scared…this time he'll…"Didn't you hear me?!" He screamed violently, his angry tone almost reverberated on my eardrums, shocking my entire core. My breathing staggered, as if something was choking me."...i-it's my bi-birthday…" How thankful was I that I managed to lay out a response. Had I remained mum, he'd grow even more violent."Hah! Your birthday, huh? Do you still celebrate such a thing? Well, no one's interested!" A mocking laughter escapes from his nasty mouth, and the next thing I knew, the precious gift I received was already gone from where it was.Suddenly, something sticky hit my ankles."Sir!""Why did you do that?!" My eyes suddenly warmed, frantic by the realization that he threw my cake to the floor.That…that was

My hand suddenly froze. “You kicked the bin or something? How did you know?” I was just saying it as a joke but realizing that he went silent and cleared his throat, I blurted out laughing. Did he really lash out at the trash can yesterday?! Gosh, this man… He’s unbelievable! I was laughing my wits out just by imagining that my stomach hurt. “Okay okay.Yeah it was. My 18th actually.” I was now teary-eyed, but eventually stopped the teasing after hearing his simultaneous groaning. “…why were you there yesterday? Shouldn't you be celebrating with your family‌?” I was taken aback. Not just with what he uttered, but by the way he spoke it. He sounded so mellow….as if careful enough not to cause a trigger. I puffed a sigh. Family, huh? He might be thinking about that certain kind of family setting. However, I have no such thing. If I did have a family, it wouldn’t be them. My thoughts then wandered to the figures of the people who truly cared for me. “...you dislike celebrations?”

Uhmm..Do I really need to go?" "Don't worry, love. Nothing's gonna happen. I swear. Besides, she can't hurt you when I'm here. Most especially, when he's there. He called us." "I know but…"my hesitations flew to the air as I sat on the sofa. I was sweating buckets despite the air conditioning. However, I felt him kneel in front of me, reaching my damp palms. "Please? Just for a little while…besides, I want to introduce the girl I love formally to that man. I want him to meet the girl that changed me for who I am right now. My most important person…" Rue uttered sweetly. I could feel the edges of my mouth forming into a smile on their own. Damn. This man, really. He definitely knows how to make me soft. If I could see right now, those puppy eyes of his would have greeted me. "Okay…" Having no other choice, we headed out to his car as he drove off to his family residence. During the ride, my heart was already palpitating like crazy. "Sir Rupert. Your father's expecting you. He's a

Alexander Kilmer. The eldest son of Bernard Kilmer. And also, Rue's half brother…Not once did I meet him but judging from the rumors circulating that man, he was truly a respectable one in the business field. As Kilmer's eldest and heir, he was said to be so brilliant in everyone's eyes, that my dear Rue was completely overshadowed by his achievements.The eldest…truly…I remembered what Rupert said before."I wasn't really born as a Kilmer, Lia. In fact, I only became one when I was ten, when my mother declared my true identity to my father, leaving him no choice but to accept me in his house.""The moment I entered the house, what greeted me first was neither the beautiful landscaping nor the fancy details of the gigantic mansion. Normally, as a kid who knew nothing but common life, it was supposed to be eye-catching. But no. Rather, the one who greeted me was a kid, just a few years older than me. Despite looking so angelic and innocent, his eyes were full of disgust and scorn, as h

"Who are you?" The words left a bitter taste out of my mouth. "Oh. I'm Eridessa Joseph. I don't know if you've heard of me but I'm a friend of your husband." Wait…I've heard that name before…isn't that the name of that famous model on the event earlier…? My breathing staggered. Realizing the identity of the unexpected person currently standing in front of me, my hands automatically reach for my robe, bringing the silk in a crisscross above my chest."What…why are you…with my husband…?" I asked, tone full of inquiry and confusion. My mind already made some theories but I want to hear it from her.I'm…feeling something off from her…"Oh. Don't misunderstand this, Mrs. Kilmer. I'm just here to drop Rupert. He kinda got wild on the drinks earlier." "...drinks? wild..?""He didn't tell you? I had an event earlier and he came to support. You know, friendly cheer, nothing significant. He stayed for the after party and he seemed to have relieved some stress out earlier, seeing him chug a