LOGINI don't know how many times I cried. My eyes were swollen and sore, and my head throbbed throughout my father's funeral. But I forced myself to endure it, clutching the framed photograph of my father with his wide, cheerful smile.When his coffin was lowered into the ground, I told myself to let him go. Yet no matter how hard I tried, my fingers only tightened around the frame.Dylan rubbed my shoulder and kept his arm around me. He didn't leave my side for even a moment, as though he knew I needed him there to lean on.There were no more sobs, only tears slipping down my cheeks that I couldn't stop.Goodbye, Dad.I glanced at the grave beside his. It was my mother's grave, and now she wasn't alone anymore.Maybe... soon, I would be joining them too.That thought reminded me that I might not have much time left either, and the baby growing inside me might never even get the chance to see the world.My fingers tightened around the frame. Now, it seemed my tears weren't only for my fath
"Doctor! Quick, call the doctor!"I cried out when I saw my father's face turn red. His expression looked as though something heavy were pressing down on him. His breath came in strained gasps, while one hand remained pressed against his chest.Dylan rushed out to find a doctor. Jenna moved closer, crying as she shook my father's unresponsive body.I bit my lip, then whispered softly to my father. "Dad, please, hold on. Please!"As soon as the doctor arrived, the man immediately examined my father, whose eyes had already closed. His breathing, which had been erratic moments ago, was no longer visible."You can all wait outside," the doctor ordered. A nurse immediately ushered us out.I sat on a chair beside Dylan, gripping his hand tightly as I tried to keep myself together.This wasn't the first time I had been through something like this. When my mother died, I had been all alone in this chair, waiting to find out whether she would breathe again or whether she would be gone.And now
ANNA“Are you not sleepy?” Dylan asked.I sat against the headboard while Dylan lay beside me. One hand supported his head, while the other gently stroked my belly. Every now and then, he would place a soft kiss on it.Honestly, seeing him do that made my chest ache with emotion. I reached out and covered his hand with mine. Without being asked, he laced his fingers with mine and kissed the back of my hand, lingering there for a long moment.I stared at our intertwined fingers.Once, the same hands had been reluctant to even touch me. Now, he held mine as though he were afraid I would disappear if he ever let go.Something heavy lodged in my throat. So this was what it felt like to be loved by my own husband.“Not yet.” I glanced at Dylan, then remembered the fairy-tale books I had bought with him that day. I reached up and ran my fingers through his thick hair.“Can I make my twenty-fifth wish?” I asked.Dylan straightened. He narrowed his eyes at me. “What do you want now?”“So you
I don’t even remember how I got out of that house. All I remember is the sound of my own hurried footsteps as I rushed down the stairs. I yanked the front door open and immediately ran outside.At the gate, I half-ran toward the taxi that was already waiting for me. The moment I got inside, I patted the middle-aged driver firmly on the shoulder.“Go,” I said quickly.The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror. “Where to, miss?” he asked politely.My uneven breathing made it difficult for me to speak. Suddenly, I couldn’t even answer such a simple question.I gripped my hair with both hands.Where? I didn’t even know where I wanted to go. My mind was blank. All I could see was Rean’s face. I quickly shook my head, trying to drive the image from my mind.Slowly, I steadied my breathing. Once I had calmed down, I gave the driver the address of Jessy’s house.The taxi began moving away from the house. I looked back through the window as the large building grew farther and farthe
I found myself standing in front of the house that had thrown me out only a few days ago. My breath came out in heavy bursts as my hand clenched around the bottle of medicine in my jacket pocket. Two days ago, I had managed to get the medicine without Jenna knowing.If she found out what I was planning, she would be furious. I was certain she would never agree to this plan, even if it would benefit us. I knew Jenna loved Rean. But that old man had thrown my mother away like she was nothing.I ignored the phone in my pocket. My manager had been calling me for days about a fashion show, but I kept refusing. The news about my affair with Dylan had spread across several news outlets, and the scandal had badly damaged both my reputation and Dylan's company.My eyes remained fixed on the large building through the taxi window. I glanced at my watch. Rean was usually at the office around this time, so I wouldn't have to run into him.I clenched my fists in my lap. “Stop here,” I told the dri
I pulled Jenna away from the gate. The iron door slammed shut behind us, leaving behind a long creak that made the night feel even quieter.“Lea... we’re completely ruined,” she whispered hoarsely. “Rean threw us out. Where are we supposed to go, huh?”My tongue felt numb. I didn’t answer my mother at all. Slowly, I turned around and looked toward the second-floor window, where Rean stood watching us leave without a hint of guilt. The man who had once promised to protect us had now thrown us away like trash just because of Anna. Just because of that woman.I watched Rean walk away. His shadow disappeared from the window, but my anger toward him remained like a burning wound.“Forget it, Mom. He already threw you away. He chose his pathetic daughter instead,” I said sharply, making Jenna finally stop crying. She roughly wiped the corners of her eyes, then nodded at me.We walked away without a destination. The suitcases rattled against the asphalt, sounding unbearably loud in the silen
"Vallen, just pretend you never saw any of this," I said calmly."Damn it, Anna, what do you mean? How am I supposed to stay quiet after seeing something this unfair? You're fighting a disease while Dylan...""Vallen, this is my marriage."The firmness in my voice silenced him on the other end of t
I didn't know how long I had been lying on the floor.When I woke up, my head was throbbing and my entire body ached. Slowly, I pushed myself upright and rubbed my face. When I looked down, I found several dried drops of blood on the floor.Not wanting to dwell on it, I got up and walked into the b
For nearly half the day, I lay in bed, curled up as I stared blankly through the open window. My body felt hot, and I was utterly exhausted even though I hadn't done anything physically demanding.Fortunately, Jessy wasn't home. She was probably working at her boutique. If she saw me lazing around
I stared at the food I'd prepared with a satisfied smile.The servants who hadn't bothered helping me all morning simply watched with amused expressions. Some of them had even started placing bets on what would happen to the dishes spread across the table.There were only two possibilities. They wo







