JULIA
“Heather Elodi Maison?”
My head shot up as soon as I heard the familiar name.
“Here,” a soft voice said, sounding as elegant as ever. My eyebrows raised in surprise as I caught a glimpse of the beautiful girl.
Sarah and I were just talking about her a while ago!
My gaze lingered longer, and I found myself unable to look away.
“Pretty,” I muttered.
She still looked pretty as ever.
It seemed like the other students agreed as they started muttering to themselves about how pretty she was.
“Isn’t she a model?”
“Yeah! Her family’s very rich, too. They have a successful business.”
“What is she doing in art school?”
Heather remained composed through it all.
I remembered her, of course. She was the only girl that made me feel threatened when it came to Evan. She wasn’t pushy, but she was determined.
Aside from that, she came from a very reputable family—the Maison clan. Evan and her were a match made in heaven. Oftentimes, I would find myself getting jealous of the two of them—especially since their families were pretty close.
However, the last thing I heard was that Heather went to Paris to pursue an arts degree—similar to me. I felt relieved at that time. Yet, why was she here now?
“Oh, it seems like we have two returning students this year,” the professor, Sir Matthews—one of my mentors before I left art school, said.
I gulped as he focused his gaze on me. It was then that I felt everybody’s attention, too.
“Julia Johnson?”
I pursed my lips when I felt Heather’s gaze burning on the side of my face.
“Present,” I smiled.
Sir Matthews mirrored my smile. The old man was fond of me because I was one of his top students back then. “It’s good to have you back, Julia.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said.
With that, I focused my gaze on my lap. However, as I looked up, I saw none other than Heather looking at me.
My eyes widened slightly as she flashed a small smile. I mirrored her smile, not really knowing how to react.
I mean, I’m sure most people wouldn’t know how to react!
With that, I decided to focus on what Sir Matthews was saying—even if I already knew most of it.
“Well, that’s it for today,” Mr. Mathews said. “Your lessons will formally start tomorrow. However, before we part, I already have an assignment for you.”
The whole class groaned, causing Mr. Matthews to chuckle in amusement.
“Now, now. This won’t be a graded activity. This is just to see how you view art. So, a week from now, I want you to create a piece.”
The girl sitting beside me raised her hand. “What kind of piece, sir?”
“Anything,” Mr. Matthews said. “Now, I know it sounds pretty easy, but it’s actually harder if I don’t give you any prompts, right?”
“Just—create Art,” he vaguely said.
Somehow, that put the class in an even more bitter mood—including me. Here was Mr. Matthews once again with his riddles.
“Anyway, I won’t hold you for longer. You may now go.”
I glanced at my watch and saw that it was right on time. Andy’s class would end by lunchtime, so there was still half an hour left before their dismissal.
With that, I stood from my seat and gathered my items. I was about to head to the door when I heard Mr. Matthews calling my name.
“Julia,” he said.
I turned around, surprised that he called for me.
“Sir?” I asked.
He smiled like a father to his daughter. “How have you been?”
I pursed my lips before smiling. “Alright, I guess.”
“That’s good. That’s good,” he nodded, a melancholic look passing his eyes.
“How’s your son?” he asked.
I paused for a while.
Right—Mr. Matthews was the only teacher who knew what had happened during freshman year.
“I’m going to pick him up, actually,” I said with a small smile.
Mr. Matthews nodded. “I’m glad to hear that.”
I nodded once more and was about to leave, yet he called for me again.
“Julia,” he repeated. I paused, but I didn’t bother turning around. “I’m looking forward to seeing your art pieces again.”
I felt something squeeze in my heart.
Well, I wasn’t.
However, I responded with a small nod before leaving without turning around. I glanced at my watch again and saw that Mr. Matthews killed ten minutes of my time.
“That old man, really,” I muttered. “He still sticks his nose in other people's business.”
“I need to make it quick.”
I hastened my footsteps to catch the bus that would lead me to Andy’s school. Another good thing about his school was that it was only a ten-minute ride from my university.
I was about to reach the bus stop when I saw someone familiar sitting on the bench. I couldn’t help but pause, tilting my head to the side.
“Heather,” I whispered.
For some reason, I felt like I shouldn’t go there.
And it seemed like my instincts were right.
A car pulled up in front of her—a very fancy one, at that.
“Oh, she bagged a rich man,” I said, looking at the car with appreciative eyes.
Heather stood from the bench with a loving smile—one that she used to look at Evan with before.
The car came to a halt before a man came out of the driver’s seat. I was about to turn away and head to the bus stop, but I couldn’t.
I stayed rooted in my spot as a familiar man walked to where Heather was.
He had the same loving look that Heather had, and it made my stomach churn.
My breath got caught in the back of my throat as I stared at the two of them.
“No,” I muttered.
Then, the man went closer to Heather and placed a kiss on her forehead.
And with that, I felt like the entire ground froze.
“Evan.”
SARAHI lit the last candle on the dining table and stepped back to look at everything one final time. The roast was done. The vegetables were warm. The wine opener was next to the fresh bottle of wine. And the soft music in the background made our apartment very romantic.We had moved here just this year, and Rui shouldered every cost even though I got promoted to Heath’s position. I never thought it would come to this, but here I was—living a very comfortable life.Everything felt perfect, except, nothing ever was. And in our four years of being together, it was impossible for everything to be smooth sailing.I look at my reflection in the mirror in the living room. I even wore the dress he liked—the navy blue one with the low back.The door clicked open. I turned, my heart racing, but the moment I saw him, it fell just a little.Rui looked exhausted.His tie was half undone, his blazer slung over one arm, and his hair was a mess—he must’ve run his hands through it too many times. H
HEATHI woke up to the sharp, punishing headache that only came after drinking things you don’t remember drinking and doing things you definitely don’t remember agreeing to.My mouth still tasted like whiskey, making me sigh in annoyance. I groaned and rolled over before freezing.There was someone in my bed.No, not just someone.Ellie.I paused for a while, unable to comprehend the situation. I pinched myself to see if it was a dream, but it wasn’t. It definitely wasn’t.I rolled the other way and smacked my face into a pillow. Maybe suffocating myself would undo the night.Crap. Crap. Crap.I peeked again, hoping this time, it was a dream. Maybe I had fallen asleep watching an erotica and my subconscious invented the entire thing.Nope.She was still there. Still asleep. Still very much Ellie.“Shit,” I whispered to no one in particular, clutching the pillow like it was the last bit of dignity I had left.Of all the people in the universe—of all the planets, galaxies, alternate tim
HEATHA party at our age sounded ridiculous.I had already traded neon lights for a heater lamp, loud bass for classical music, and vodka shots for overpriced coffee. But here I was, past my supposed bedtime in a too-loud club with Liam grinning like the happiest man in the world.“Just come in, man. You need this,” he said.I didn’t need this. What I needed was a quiet night and maybe a decent book. But Liam was the groom-to-be, and I owed him too many late-night calls and rides home not to show up for his last hurrah.So, here I was.My blazer was too stiff for this kind of scene. I stuck out like a sore thumb, but Liam had insisted I looked the most handsome out of every guest.“There’s someone I want you to meet,” he’d said earlier. “She’s single, sweet, and you, my friend, need to stop living like a prude.”I rolled my eyes and sat at the bar.Maybe this was good. I dreamed of Julia last night.It wasn’t a sad dream. She just... appeared. Her laugh and the way she tucked her hair
JULIA The day of my first art exhibition had finally come. After the successful launch of our clothing line with Mr. Miyagi, my name had begun circulating in the art world. A year had passed since then, and while I had worked on many projects, this was the first time I was putting my heart and soul on full display.I was a nervous wreck. It was the opening day, and although a lot of people had promised to show up, I felt like it would be an empty exhibition. I stood outside our house and waited for Sarah to pick me up. Evan said he had something to do at his office but would meet me at the exhibition before it opened to the public. After a few moments, Sarah arrived in her brand-new car. She whistled dramatically as she stepped out, running a hand over the hood. "Can you believe it?" she asked, shaking her head in amusement. "Just a year ago, my poor car was on its last breath. Now, look at this beauty. Rui really outdid himself."I chuckled, recalling how stubborn she had been a
MATURE CONTENT AHEADIf you are a minor or if you are not comfortable with this type of content, please skip.RUII had made up my mind.Sarah had been patient, and I could tell. She wanted to take the next step in our relationship. She wasn’t pushy about it, but I could feel it in the way she’d look at me sometimes. I wasn’t dumb. I knew shewanted to have sex. However, the problem was that I had absolutely no experience. So, naturally, I did what any sensible, inexperienced man in his late twenties would do. I overcompensated.I booked an expensive hotel. Well, I didn’t have to pay for anything because Evander gave it to me for free. It was even the penthouse suite. Such an expensive room was given to us for two whole days. I planned every detail. Dinner, room service, the perfect playlist, and condoms that were my size. I didn’t know what size I was, but Evander had given me large ones, saying I was blessed but not as blessed as he was. Sarah was ecstatic when she arrived.“Oh m
HEATHAmsterdam was different from the other places I had been to in the past year. It had a calmer feel that made me feel more grounded. It wasn’t another pit stop to my journey. Instead, it was going to be my new home. I had spent the last twelve months hopping from country to country, working as a marketing researcher while soaking in the culture and the sights of every place I landed in. I had walked through the bustling streets of Tokyo, tasted the spices of Marrakech, and felt the cool sea breeze in Santorini. But there was something about Amsterdam that pulled me in and made me want to stay. Maybe it was the relaxed pace of life or the charming canals. Or maybe it was just because this place offered me the most relaxed job. It was definitely that. In the end, I decided to stay here, knowing I couldn't travel so frequently all my life. Of course, I still thought about Julia from time to time, but not in the way I used to. There was no longing or regret—just the hope that she