LOGINMy boyfriend of three years had a secret true love: my vicious best friend. For her, he swallowed my family business whole, froze every cent I had, and crushed my dignity into the dirt. When my father lay dying from a brain hemorrhage, I begged him for $50,000 to save his life. He refused cold-heartedly. At the exact moment my father died on the operating table, he was busy spending millions on rare jewelry for her. I didn't show up to our engagement party. Instead, I sent a "gift" that played on the big screen. That arrogant man went completely insane in front of the whole world.
View MoreTahimik na pinagmamasdan ni Roxanne ang kaniyang sarili sa mumunti nilang salamin. Binigyan kasi siya ng kaniyang kaibigan na si Maribel ng isang bestida na kaniyang isusuot ngayong gabi dahil may handaan silang pupuntahan dalawa. Kaarawan kasi ni Mr. Robert Montenegro na amo ng ina ni Maribel. Namamasukan kasi bilang kasambahay ang kaniyang ina at minsan ay nagagawi siya sa malaking bahay nito para bisitahin ang kaniyang ina at tumulong na rin.
Mabait ang amo ang mag-asawang Montenegro at ayon pa rito ay galante rin ito sa kaniyang mga kasambahay. Kung gaano kabait ang amo ng ina ni Maribel ay kasalungat nito ang ugali ng kanilang anak na lalaki. Mayroong anak na lalaki ang mag-asawang Montenegro at nag-iisa lang ito. Nais pa sanang masundan ito ngunit hindi na kayang magbuntis pa ng asawa ni Robert na si Dianna dahil sa matanda na rin ito. Parehas negosyante ang mag-asawa kaya naman napakayaman ng kanilang pamilya. "Bagay na bagay sa iyo Roxanne! Ang ganda mo. Ang ganda rin ang hubog ng iyong katawan. Bagay na bagay sa iyo ang bestidang 'yan. Siguro kahit ano pang suotin mo ay talaga namang babagay sa iyo," saad ni Marible na kapapasok lang ng kuwarto ni Roxanne.Sumilay ang ngiti sa labi ni Roxanne. "Talaga? Salamat sa iyo Maribel. Maganda kasi ang bestidang ibinigay mo." Sinuklay niya ang kaniyang buhok at saka muling tumingin sa salamin.Bumaling ang tingin ni Roxxane sa kaniyang kaibigan. "Hindi ba nakahihiya na magpunta ako roon? Wala naman kasi akong koneksyon sa kanila. Kaibigan mo lang ako. Baka mamaya ay hindi nila ako papasukin. Nakahihiya naman," saad ni Roxanne sa malungkot na tinig.Nilapitan siya ng kaniyang kaibigan at psaka hinawakan sa balikat. "Huwag kang mahiya dahil si Mr. Montenegro mismo ang nagsabi na puwedeng mag-imbita ng kaibigan. At saka maraming pagkain doon tapos kakaunti lang ang bisita. Masasayang lang ang pagkain kung hindi makakain. At isa pa, napakabait ng mag-asawang 'yon kaya wala kang dapat ikahiya riyan. Hindi naman kita aayain na pumunta kasama ko kung mapapahiya lang doon." Tinapik niya sa balikat si Roxanne bago lumakad siya palabas ng pinto habang hinihintay si Roxanne."Halika na Roxanne. Hinihintay na kasi tayo ni mama. Sasabay na tayo sa kaniya."Bigla namang nataranta si Roxanne kaya naman mabilisan niyang sinuklay muli ang kaniyang buhok. Tinitigan niyang maigi ang kaniyang mukha sa salamin. Ngumiti siya habang sinusuklay ang kaniyang buhok."Sige halika na," aniya at saka sumunod na sa kaniyang kaibigan.Halos lumuwa ang mata ni Roxanne nang makita niya ang bahay na tinitirahan ng pamilya Montenegro. Para sa kaniya ay hindi lang ito basta bahay kun'di isa na itong mansyon. Napakalawak ng hardin nito. Napakaganda rin ng mga disenyo sa paligid. Nakaaaliw sa mata pagmasdan ang naggagandahan at malalagong bulaklak na iba't-iba ang kulay. Kitang-kita ang kagandahan ng mga ito dahil sa lakas ng liwanag mula sa malalaking ilaw sa paligid. Tila nagniningning ang mga mata niya habang pinapalibot ang kan'yang paningin."Napakaganda naman dito Maribel! Mabuti ka pa lagi kang napupunta rito!" saad ni Roxanne sa masiglang tono."Oo kasi tumutulong ako minsan kay mama kaya napadadalaw ako rito," saad ng kaniyang kaibigan habang patuloy sila sa paglalakad.Sumalubong sa kanila ang mga taong may magagandang kasuotan. Ito na marahil ang mayayamang bisita. Tila nanliit ang tingin ni Roxanne sa kaniyang sarili. Halatado kasi para sa kaniya na mahirap lamang sila. May isang babae na gumabay sa kanila patungo sa isang lamesa. "Dito ang puwesto ng mga kasambahay at mga trabahador ni Mr. Montenegro." Hinawakan siya ni Maribel at saka naupo sa upuan. Tahimik niyang pinalibot ang kaniyang paningin sa paligid. May isang lamesa na napakaraming pagkain. May limang letchong baboy ang naroroon. Iba't-ibang putahe ang nakahain sa lamesa. Maraming prutas din ang nakahanda. Ang mga bisita ay may kaniya-kaniyang hawak na goblet kung saan may laman itong wine. "Salamat sa inyong pagdalo sa aking kaarawan. I'm very greatful because most of my friends are here regardless of their hectic schedule. Please enjoy your meal and after that let's party!" wika ng isang lalaki na nakasuot ng tuxedo sabay taas ng hawak nitong goblet na may lamang wine.Kahit matanda na ito ay makikita sa kaniyang mukha ang taglay niyang kaguwapuhan no'ng kabataan niya pa. Malawak ang ngiti nito habang nakikipagkamay sa kaniyang mga bisita."'Yan si Mr. Robert Montenegro. Matanda na siya pero guwapo pa rin 'no?" parang dalagang kinikilig na sabi ni Maribel."Hoy huwag ka ngang maingay diyan dahil baka may makarinig sa atin. Nakahihiya kaya. Isipin nila maharot tayong dalawa," suway niya rito."Kasi naman! Ang guwapo niya talaga. Lalo na ang nag-iisa nilang anak na si Rain Tyler. Napakaguwapo!" Tumitirik-tirik ang mga mata ni Maribel habang may pagkisay-kisay pa.Nalukot ang mukha ni Roxanne. "Para kang siraulo diyan. Tumigil ka na nga.""Ito naman! Sinasabi ko lang sa iyo na guwapo talaga ang kanilang anak. Kaya nga lang ay may hindi ito kaaya-ayang pag-uugali. Hindi siya katulad ng mga magulang niya na mababait," dagdag pa ni Maribel.Ngumuso lamang si Roxanne at saka muling binaling ang paningin sa unahan."Kayo ba ang mga anak ni Mrs. Angeles?" tanong ng isang babae na kararating lang. Sa tingin niya ay nasa edad singkwenta na ito. "Ako lang po ang anak ni mama at siya naman po ay kaibigan ko," sagot ni Maribel.Tumango-tango ang babae at saka pinagmasdan ang mukha ni Roxanne. Hindi niya maiwasang mailang dahil sa paraan nang pagkakatingin nito sa kaniya. Napaiwas siya nang tingin sabay baling kay Maribel. Pasimple siyang hinawakan nito sa kamay at saka bahagyang pinisil. "Maganda kang babae. Ilang taon ka na at ano ang pangalan mo?" diretsang tanong nito sa kaniya. Atubili siyang ngumiti bago nagsalita. "Ako po si Roxanne Madrigal. Twenty three years old na po ako."Tumango-tango ang babae. "Gano'n ba. Bata ka pa pala. Matagal na ba kayong magkaibigan ni Maribel?" Taas-kilay nitong tanong. Tumango siya. "Opo. Simula po bata pa lang kami ay magkaibigan na po kaming dalawa.""Anong trabaho mo? Nakapagtapos ka ba ng pag-aaral?"Umiling siya. "High school graduate lang po ako. Hindi ko na rin po kasi ninais na mag-aral pa simula nang mamatay ang mga magulang ko. Sa ngayon po ay nagtatrabaho ako sa isang bakeshop na malapit sa amin. Dalawa na lang po kami ng kuya ko ang magkasama sa buhay dahil wala na po kaming mga magulang.""Okay sige salamat sa pagsagot sa mga katanungan ko. Naghahanap pa kasi kami ng magiging kasambahay rito. Hindi naman kasi puwede si Maribel dahil may trabaho siya kaya kapag may oras lang siya nagpupunta rito. Kung sakali sana, kung gusto mo lang naman ay puwede kang pumasok rito. Wala kang poproblemahin dahil libre naman lahat rito. Maaari ka ring dito mag-stay in dahil may mga kuwarto naman para sa mga kasambahay. Napakabait pa na amo nila Mr. at Mrs. Montenegro. Ang anak lang naman nila na si Rain Tyler ang pasaway pero hindi ito madalas nagpupunta rito dahil may sarili itong condo na inuuwian. Kung may mga katanungan ka, magtanong ka kay Maribel at kung sakaling papasok ka ay sabihan mo kaagad siya." Tipid na ngumiti ang babae at saka naglakad na palayo. Sinundan ito nang tingin ni Roxanne at saka binalingan ang kaniyang kaibigan.Two years later. Provence, Église Notre-Dame.May in the south of France. The scent of lavender mixed with the old sandalwood of the church, fermenting in the sunlight into the smell of happiness.The organ blasted the "Wedding March."I wore a simple satin gown, holding a bouquet of freshly picked white lilies of the valley. I took Gabriel's arm and walked slowly down the aisle scattered with rose petals.Gabriel was my doctor. He was also the gentlest man alive. During the days when PTSD tormented me until I couldn't even breathe on my own, he stayed by my side day and night, using patience and love to piece the shattered fragments of me back together.His hands were warm and dry—unlike Julian's, which always carried a suffocating desire for control. Beside him, I finally learned what it meant to feel "safe.""I do."When the priest asked that sacred question, I looked into Gabriel's clear blue eyes and gave my promise with absolute certainty.The moment we exchanged rings, I felt a
It rarely snows during winter in Provence, but this Christmas Eve, heavy goose-feather flakes were falling over the town of Gordes.I thought a profit-driven Wall Street capitalist like Julian Thorne would waste a week here at most. After all, he had a multi-billion dollar empire waiting in New York. The old fossils on the board were probably already frothing at the mouth over his "dereliction of duty."But I underestimated his obsession. For a whole month, he lived in that dilapidated bakery, guarding me like an ascetic monk.Every morning, there were fresh flowers with dew still on them, expensive supplements, and priceless jewelry at my door... all of which I tossed into the recycling bin like trash. Yet he seemed to enjoy it, treating the fact that I hadn't called the police again as some great mercy.*Cough, cough...*I heard suppressed coughing outside, mixed with the frantic voice of his assistant leaking from his phone."Mr. Thorne, you have to come back to New York! Because yo
There was no prison time, of course. Money is a universal passport. Twenty-four hours later, Julian was bailed out by a shark-tank of lawyers flown in overnight from New York.I thought he would take the hint and crawl back to Wall Street.I was wrong.On the morning of the third day, I opened the shop to find the long-abandoned bakery across the street sporting a "SOLD" sign.A man in rough work clothes and a cap was clumsily sweeping autumn leaves and vomit left by last night's drunks off the cobblestones.It was Julian.Gone was the bespoke suit that symbolized his power and status. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing blue veins on his arms and fresh scratches—souvenirs from being pinned to the ground by the police yesterday.When he saw me come out, his hand froze on the broom handle. He instinctively wanted to hide, but then he forced himself to stop.He didn't speak. He just looked at me greedily for a second, then lowered his head and continued silently sweeping the cobbleston
He didn't walk away like I expected.After taking just a few steps, the man snapped. He spun around and stormed back like a madman.The white hyacinths dropped to the ground, crushed into pulp under his expensive leather shoes. Right there on the bustling streets of Gordes, under the shocked gazes of countless tourists, the noble Julian Thorne dropped.*Thud.*He fell heavily to his knees right in front of me.The sound of bone hitting cobblestone was dull and sickeningly clear. It sounded painful. But he seemed to feel nothing.He gripped the hem of my dirt-stained apron tight, tilting his head back to look up at me. Those eyes, once sharp as a hawk's, were now filled with broken tears and pathetic begging."Elara... don't chase me away.""Let me watch you from a distance. Let me be your dog, I don't care. Just don't make me leave..."People started pointing; some even pulled out their phones to record.I looked down at the man kneeling at my feet, and my heart was as calm as a stagna
Right at this moment, my private jet was cruising smoothly over the Atlantic. I looked out the porthole at the layers of clouds, swirling the sparkling wine in my glass.Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Manhattan, I knew Julian Thorne's nightmare had only just begun.In the CEO's office at the
Rain poured down in sheets as a soaked Julian Thorne returned to the Long Island manor.Seraphina was still wearing that white engagement dress, pacing anxiously in the living room. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she threw herself at him."Julian! You're finally back! I knew you loved me. Ela
The chaos inside the castle hit a fatal fever pitch.The massive LED screen flickered, and a high-def surveillance video started playing.The watermark in the corner read: **St. Luke's Private Clinic, Zurich. VVIP Ward. Three months ago.**In the footage, Seraphina—the woman who was always so frail
Gordes, Provence. It is the crown jewel of southern France, a place defined by rolling fields of lavender and sunshine so bright it almost blinds you.I run a small flower shop here called "Renaissance.""Miss Vance, here are your meds for the week." Dr. Laurent, the town psychiatrist, handed me two












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