There were exceptions. Lucian's father, Keane, was deeply devoted. He treated his wife incredibly well.He was loyal to a degree that genuinely surprised her. After all, he was the head of the Muller family.However, compared to Lucian, Zachary was significantly better. He was a total sweetheart, even if he was a bit too curious and gossipy for his own good.Of course, there was no way she could tell Zachary about that mess with Lucian. If she did, everyone would probably know about it by morning."Adult business isn't for kids to worry about," Marisol said teasingly. For some reason, her mood had suddenly lifted a bit.Zachary bristled at being called a kid.Amid all his indignant protests, they finally finished their meal. They drove to the bed-and-breakfast Zachary had reserved.They finally got a real bed instead of sleeping cramped in the car. After Marisol showered and got ready for the night, exhaustion pulled her into sleep.…At the Everton University's gymnasium afte
Late at night at Cozam, a fine mist fell outside the car windows, but the city was as vibrant and alive as the rumors suggested. They had to try local cuisine when they were here, especially the famous barbecue.Zachary, being the adventurous type, had researched all the best food spots during their drive. The moment they arrived in Cozam, he couldn't rest until he'd driven them to the barbecue joint he'd booked ahead of time.Marisol found herself once again amazed by this teenager's energy. It was like he had an endless supply.Though she was pretty tired, seeing the teenager so excited, she didn't want to spoil his mood. She casually ordered a salad and some grilled vegetables, which made Zachary shake his head in disbelief."Marisol, are you a rabbit or something? Should I order you some carrots too?"Marisol was speechless. She was speechless around this kid most of the time. "Not everyone needs to eat a rack of ribs, you know.""Oh, really?"Zachary tilted his head, then i
"It's wanting what you can't have," Alinta said, cutting straight to the point."The man in your story wants to sleep with this woman, and she won't let him, so he becomes even more obsessed. If it's not love, then it's the humiliation of being rejected that makes him refuse to let go. "Most people have this psychology—we fixate on what we can't get, but once we have it, we eventually get bored."So, to get Lucian to stop targeting her, she'd have to let him win? Why should she?Marisol felt a surge of anger. She really couldn't understand people like him.Seeing something and deciding he had to have it, then pressuring and pursuing relentlessly when he couldn't get it, only to throw it away once he did. Throughout the whole process, he never lost anything himself. It was like treating people as objects.But if this situation didn't end soon, she was going to lose her mind. Marisol thought about it all night, then decided to have a conversation with Lucian to find a solution the
There was an old saying: when God closed a door, He'd open a window.Looking at Alinta's goofy, cheerful grin, Marisol thought that perhaps the doors in her life had been sealed shut, but God hadn't given up on her. He'd opened a window instead.It was a huge window that was as big as an entire wall! Sunlight could pour through without anything blocking it.She found herself grinning just as goofily.…To pay back the money and save up more, Marisol took the most basic service job she could find since tutoring was off the table and many other paths were blocked. She ended up working at a bubble tea store on a busy food street. At least she'd receive an income.She was pretty and spoke gently, so naturally, many customers came by. Most weren't really there for the tea.They just wanted to chat with her, admire her face, and the bold ones would ask for her number. She turned them all down, but they kept coming back anyway.Marisol didn't mind. Good business was good business, and
They even called the police. Her reputation in the tutoring community was destroyed overnight. Everyone was calling her names and cursing her out.In the blazing heat of summer, Marisol sat in the police station, repeating over and over that she hadn't stolen anything or hit any children. Her throat was on fire. Her lips were cracked and peeling. Despite the sweltering heat, she was drenched in cold sweat and couldn't stop shaking.Eventually, since there was no evidence she'd stolen anything or harmed the children, they didn't arrest her. However, due to the serious allegations and what they considered a violation of conduct, all her tutoring earnings had to be returned. She was also fined.The university called too, issuing her a formal warning and banning her from tutoring in the future. In one night, she went from having savings to being completely broke. She even owed money.Finally, Alinta got the call and rushed over to pay the remaining fine so Marisol could leave the stati
Marisol barely slept the rest of the night. Perhaps it was because she'd just recovered from her fever, combined with the cramped car seat, but she woke up the next day feeling sore all over with a splitting headache.Zachary, on the other hand, was bursting with energy. She had to hand it to 18-year-old college guys—their stamina could only be described as volcanic.Of course, it might also have been because this was his first long-distance road trip, and the adventurous teenager was practically buzzing with excitement. He'd gotten up early to grab breakfast from the service station and fill up her bottle with water.They went through their morning routine—eating breakfast, taking medicine, then hitting the road again.During the drive, Marisol used her phone to check their route and calculate timing. By afternoon or evening, they should reach Cozam, which was the entrance to Highway 317, the legendary road into Maros.This stretch of highway was known as the "Nirvana Road". It w