I took another sip of my drink, feeling the familiar warmth spread through me. The evening had stretched on, the conversation flowing as freely as the wine. But now, as I set my glass down on the table beside me, I noticed Amory watching me with a concerned expression."I think you're drunk," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "Why don't we call it a night?"I scoffed, a grin spreading across my face. "Drunk? Who? You, Amory?" I dropped the glass cup onto the table with a clink, crossing my arms defiantly. "Then why don't you head to bed first?"He sighed, shaking his head slightly. "I'm serious. You've had quite a bit to drink."I laughed, the sound echoing through the quiet room. "Oh, Amory, you're no fun." I reached up to tie my hair back but realized I couldn't find the hair tie. My eyes began to wander around the room, searching. There it was, on the table across the room. I pointed at it, somewhat clumsily. "That’s mine."Amory stood up and walked over to retrieve it, his movem
I woke up slowly, feeling the warmth of the sun filtering through the curtains. Blinking, I realized I wasn’t in my room. I turned my head and saw Amory lying beside me, his chest rising and falling gently. Panic surged through me as I noticed the bright lipstick mark on his shirt, a stark reminder of the previous night."I fell asleep?" I whispered, clutching the blanket tighter. My mind raced, trying to piece together what happened. Did we... did we do it? I scanned my body for any signs, but everything seemed intact. My clothes were still on, though wrinkled, and my shoes were neatly placed at the foot of the bed. I exhaled, feeling a sliver of relief.I looked over at Amory again. He was sleeping peacefully, his face relaxed and, admittedly, very handsome. "He doesn't look too bad sleeping," I muttered to myself. Embarrassment and confusion swirled inside me. Quietly, I began to gather my belongings, trying not to wake him and I placed a small piece of paper telling him I was goi
The bowstring creaked as I pulled it back, the arrow nocked and ready. With a sharp release, the arrow soared through the air, a physical manifestation of my anger and frustration. It struck with a force that felt as though it had pierced through the hearts of both my sister and mother. The aftermath was immediate. My mother’s face, etched with betrayal, and my sister’s silent tears, left no room for doubt—I had caused irreparable damage.The next thing I knew, I was shoved into my tiny, dingy room, the door slamming shut behind me with a finality that echoed in the small space. I was locked inside, the familiar confinement of my punishment. The walls seemed to close in, suffocating me. I turned and slammed the door repeatedly, each bangs a desperate attempt to break free, to make them feel even a fraction of the pain that was tearing me apart inside. The sound reverberated through the house, a relentless rhythm that eventually faded as my energy waned.Exhausted, I sank to the floor,
I rummaged through my bag, finally feeling the smooth surface of my phone against my fingers. Pulling it out, I dragged a chair from the corner of the room and sank into it. With a deep breath, I pressed the power button, and the screen lighting up. I quickly unlocked it with my fingerprint, the familiar routine offering a brief moment of comfort.I tapped the Facebook icon and watched as it loaded, the blue and white interface appearing on the screen. My heart raced as I navigated to the search bar, typing in "Amory." His name popped up almost immediately, and with a quick scroll, his profile picture came into view. I clicked on his page, eyes scanning for any signs of news or gossip about us.Nothing. No mentions, no posts, and no pictures that hinted at the clandestine meeting Mia and I had orchestrated. Frustration bubbled up inside me. Determined, I navigated back to the search bar and began typing in the name of Amory's company. Before I could finish, it auto-completed, and I cl
As I sat in the living room with my family, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation. My father, ever the curious patriarch, leaned forward and looked at Amory. “You are the second son of your family?” he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.Amory nodded. “I'm sorry for the late introduction. I'm Amory.”My father chuckled, a mix of surprise and amusement evident on his face. “This was quite unexpected. So, what brings you all the way here?” His eyes were full of concern.“Please, speak to me casually. That's better for me too,” Amory replied with a warm smile.Father nodded as we heard the familiar sound of Mother's shoes echoing in the sitting room. She entered, carrying a tray with cups and coffee. The room grew quieter as she set the tray down and began serving us.“I came to ask for your blessing to marry your daughter,” Amory said suddenly, his words sending a wave of anxiety washing over me. My carefully constructed plans seemed to crumble in an instant. Maybe his presence h
We settled in the garden after leaving my mother’s house, the awful event of Amory confessing his desire to marry me still fresh in my mind. My mother’s insistence on Amory marrying Elena instead echoed painfully. I watched as Amory approached, carrying a plastic bag filled with items from the convenience store. He began placing everything on the table between us. I sat on one of the benches, feeling a mix of relief and uncertainty.Amory picked up the last item from the bag. "I heated it up," he said as he uncovered it, then paused and looked at me. "Or, do it yourself." He set it down on the table and sat across from me, wrapping the bag and picking up a can of drink.After a long, uncomfortable silence, I finally gathered the courage to speak. My voice was weak. "About what you wanted to hear..." Amory raised his gaze, and I quickly looked away, unable to meet his cold, piercing eyes. "The war in Ukraine might go on longer than expected. Then, there will be issues with the supply o
It was early in the morning, and I was sitting alone on my bed, holding the flower placeholder Amory had given me. I felt the weight of everything crashing down on me and broke out, resting my head against the headboard. I slapped my cheeks with both hands, trying to come back to reality. The events of last night felt like a nightmare.Just then, my phone began to vibrate on the pillow on my lap. I quickly picked it up and saw it was Mia calling. "Hello?" I answered, my voice weak."What happened between you and Amory?" Mia asked, her tone rushed and filled with disbelief."What are you talking about all of a sudden?" I asked, my voice trembling."There's an article about the two of you dating," she whispered, as if she didn't want someone beside her to hear."What?" I asked, anxiety creeping into my voice. I quickly reached out for my tablet on the desk near my bed. I opened Facebook, knowing I would likely find it there. I waited impatiently for it to load, and then I began to scro
Getting out of the house, I saw Amory's car parked in front. I couldn't see anyone inside. Just then, my phone began to ring. "Hello?""What are you doing? Get in," Amory said, his voice sharp with anticipation.I chuckled, moving towards the car. "You are so impatient."Reaching the car, I grabbed the door handle and opened it. "Why would you call me inside the car—" I shouted in shock as the person inside wasn't Amory. "Who are you?" I demanded, my voice trembling."I'm sorry!" the man inside shouted, equally startled.I quickly placed the phone to my ear, my hand shaking. "Amory, someone is in your car.""It's my secretary. He'll drive you," Amory said, his voice sharp and cold before hanging up."What?" I asked, side-eyeing the man beside me."My name is Noah. I'll drive you safely," he said, adjusting his seat belt and tie.Noah drove for almost forty minutes. Inside the car, his face was as cold as a bouncer's, built with muscle. When we arrived, he quickly exited and unlocked