Ashes of a Bloomed Heart

As soon as Mom heard what I said, she quickly snatched the phone from Dad and asked, "Avril, you've always loved kids. What happened today?"Mom knew I always donated books and toys to the orphanage every year. It was obvious that I adored children. Then, Mom said to me in a low voice, "That Mr. Walker is known to be injured from the waist down. He might be impotent. "All these years, not a single young woman was willing to marry him! Besides, Mr. Walker did propose to you several times. You kept refusing him, didn't you?"After hearing what Mom said, I looked at a photo in my phone gallery. Dylan Walker was a handsome young man with broad shoulders and long legs. I already thought about it. Despite Dylan's good looks, he was most likely impotent. However, marrying him was much better than spending the rest of my life with Vernon Floyd, who still had feelings for his childhood sweetheart. A knife seemed to pierce through my heart as I recalled everything I heard for half the

The next day, I returned to the office. I was at my desk, holding the resignation letter I printed. I had gotten to know Vernon at college, and that was where we fell in love too. After he got a job at this tech company, I followed him there as well. I rejected any plans Mom and Dad had made for me and started out in an entry-level position at the company.After getting together with Vernon, I did everything I could to tease him. However, it didn't matter if I wore something revealing, pretended to have fallen into his lap by accident, or tried to kiss him while I was drunk.As long as we crossed the line, Vernon would fiddle with the rosary beads around his wrist. Then, he would look at me calmly with restraint. He seemed like a man with no desires—a saint who accidentally ended up in the human world.It had been six years since we got together. From the moment I learned that Vernon had made a reservation at the hotel, I was filled with hope, thinking that he was ready to take th

"That's enough! Stop causing a fuss!" Vernon covered my mouth before dragging me outside the office. He pressed his hand against my mouth and nose so hard, as if he were trying to suffocate me. I heard Peggy chuckling with my colleagues in the office. She remarked, "Since I found my necklace, I didn't end up losing anything. "Avril and I are colleagues, so I've decided to let it slide. I'll buy afternoon tea for everyone later. Thank you for cooperating with our search!"Vernon seemed terrified that I would expose my relationship with him in front of everyone. So, he led me to the pantry."Tell me! What are you actually up to? No matter how angry you are, you shouldn't go overboard." Vernon said while pinching his temples. He seemed extremely troubled by the incident.I was gasping for air. There were dark bruises on my face where he had gripped hard. "When did you become like this? You're lucky that Peggy was generous enough to forgive you. I want you to apologize to her imme

"Avril, Dylan's genuinely good to you. He dropped by several times before to ask for your hand in marriage. Since he already passed our test, I'm sure there's nothing wrong with him."I nodded. Throughout the journey home, I noticed how considerate Dylan was.I suddenly recalled that Vernon and Peggy would be getting engaged today and how everyone would be congratulating and complimenting them. But I ended up being accused of stealing the necklace.In the end, I decided to tell Mom and Dad everything about my relationship with Vernon. In college, everyone considered Vernon as an attractive man who was out of their league. I often prayed for his health and even got lucky charms for him. I had pursued him for two years before he finally agreed to be with me. While I was in college, I did hear about Vernon having a childhood sweetheart. Since I never saw Peggy by his side, I didn't think much of it. Vernon also had rosary beads on his study desk. One time, I accidentally touche

After resigning from my job, I no longer had to waste time learning computer science, which I had no interest in. In college, I majored in jewelry design after all. Now, I could use my drawing tools and papers again to work on some jewelry designs. I could pursue the career I had always loved.In the afternoon, I was painting in the greenhouse when Dylan suddenly showed up. He had bought me a sapphire and diamond tiara. As soon as I laid my eyes on the tiara, I immediately recognized it since I had seen it in a book before. It was an antique piece from the previous century. I really liked the lover's knot design on the tiara. The sapphires shimmered in the light, and they were arranged from the smallest to the largest. The sapphires were intricately placed among the diamonds, making them look like teardrops on the crown.Dylan wanted to give me the tiara, but I said I hadn't done anything to deserve it. All he said was he had kept the tiara for me for a long time. He was simp