MasukIt had never occurred to me that Yvette would seek out Suzanne on her own. After all, she had always seemed so calm and unbothered about my past with Suzanne. I thought all she wanted was to be my safe harbor.I'd noticed how red her palm was yesterday, and after my relentless questioning, she spilled everything.I thought Yvette was jealous—that maybe her possessiveness had gotten the better of her.Instead, she said, "I just couldn't accept it!"For a moment, I was too startled to process what she said. Yvette gnashed her teeth in fury as the words continued bursting out of her."Why does she think she can do all those things to you and still expect you to welcome her back!"Only then did I realize that Yvette was standing up for me. She'd confronted Suzanne on my behalf, demanding to know what gave Suzanne such audacity.Instead of the pain of recalling the past, a profound sense of happiness surged through me.I solemnly took a few steps back.Yvette thought I was angry an
It was Suzanne. She hurried toward me, then stopped, looking breathless."You're back! I've been waiting for you for…"Her eyes passed over me. When they landed on Yvette behind me, she froze. "She is…"I took Yvette's hand and introduced her to Suzanne."This is my girlfriend, Yvette."For a split second, Suzanne's expression crumbled, but she quickly pulled herself back together.The moment I saw her, I immediately figured out who had left the chrysanthemums at the grave. I smiled and said, "Thank you for visiting my parents."But for some reason, Suzanne couldn't accept my reaction. The corners of her eyes reddened slightly."Why aren't you yelling at me?"I studied her carefully. She had lost a lot of weight, and an unshakable sorrow seemed to cling to her expression.I sighed, seemingly letting go of the past at the same time."It's not worth it."Not wanting to continue this conversation, I turned to leave. Bringing up the history between Suzanne and me would only rip
After taking a few minutes to regain my bearings, I was finally able to process the situation properly. I cradled a mug of hot water and listened as Yvette explained things to me.As it turned out, she was enrolled in the same language school as me. Although our small class had quite a few foreigners, we were the only two Carodians, and we even came from the same state back in Carodia.She was also one of Marlene's renters, so she knew about me, too. She thought we could get to know each other once classes began—only to learn I'd fallen ill."They use different kinds of medication here. I knew you'd have a hard time adjusting to it, so I decided to bring over some of the medicine I brought from home. Marlene tried knocking on your door a few times, and when you didn't open up, we were afraid something might've happened to you."True enough, when she opened the door with her key, we found you feverish in bed. You were even calling for your mother!"Hearing that, I felt so embarrass
Nathan was both pissed and terrified. All he could do was soften his tone and cajole Suzanne."I… I just thought Calvin didn't care about you, and I just wanted to make our relationship official. Besides, the hospital is filled with medical experts. All I did was say a few things to Mrs. Perry. It wasn't a big deal."Suzanne slapped him yet again. This time, she used enough force to leave her palm feeling numb, and blood also appeared on the corner of his lips."Lie to me again, and I'll immediately cut off all the support Harper Group has provided you."Nathan finally lost his composure, having been slapped enough times that his temper flared. In the heat of the moment, he blurted out everything to her, including things he knew better than to say.Clutching his cheek, he crawled backward while roaring, "Fine! I just couldn't stand him, so I deliberately flaunted how much you dote on me in front of him. But even then, he was so shameless that he was even willing to clean up my m
Suzanne's mind went completely blank. The floor beneath her feet seemed to give way.She grabbed the nurse's arm with both hands, demanding in disbelief, "What do you mean she passed away? She had been perfectly fine this whole time! How could she pass away just like that? Didn't her doctor say that her condition had stabilized? "She was supposed to be able to undergo the bone marrow transplant soon! This is a serious matter! Why wasn't I notified?"Her fiery expression alarmed the nurse, who didn't know how to react.Finally, Dr. Kemp, Mom's attending physician, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, explained to Suzanne, "You need to calm down, Ms. Harper. Mrs. Perry was already suffering from a heart condition and couldn't withstand severe emotional distress. "It took five years of continuous treatment for her to be healthy enough for a bone marrow transplant."The fact that you allowed Mr. Lloyd to come over and antagonize her like that was already a serious risk
It was difficult to get a cab from the fancy neighborhood the villa was in. I wasn't much of a speed walker, so the nearest bus stop was 30 minutes away. Luckily, the cemetery advisor swung by to pick me up for our appointment. By the time Suzanne started driving around looking for me, I was already long gone.At the cemetery, I flipped through the brochures detailing the options while the advisor showed me around. There were only a few good plots, so it didn't take long to decide.Mom had been reluctant to part with Dad before, so she'd kept his urn at home. Now I could finally lay them to rest together.I was afraid Mom was still angry with me. Dad had always been the gentle one in our family. No matter how badly I messed up, he always smiled and pleaded with Mom on my behalf. I pressed my cheek against the cold ceramic urn and tried to make a deal with Dad."You always loved me the most. Come visit me in my dreams. Help me convince Mom not to be angry with me anymore. It'd be







