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Using Up My Love
Using Up My Love
Author: Made in Mayo

Chapter 1

Author: Made in Mayo
Vincent Harper and I were finally pregnant after trying for a baby for four years.

The company threw an elaborate get-together to celebrate the success of the new project. I wore a loose dress and staked a seat in the corner, carefully shielding my baby bump.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the banquet hall. I followed the direction of the noise and saw Vincent's first love, Queenie Lawson, anxiously pointing at the mezzanine outside the window. Her voice cracking as she cried, "My cat! It ran out!"

Everyone turned to stare out the window. The white cat was curled up on the mezzanine outside the window of the 20th floor, trembling. It looked like it could fall off the edge at any moment.

Queenie was so anxious that she stomped her foot, tears brimming in her eyes. "Vincent, do something! The cat is the only family I have left!"

Vincent didn't so much as bat an eye before turning to fix his gaze on me. "Go and bring the cat back."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to make the banquet hall fall deathly silent. Everyone froze as they looked between me and Vincent. I, in particular, eyed him with disbelief as my fingers clenched the hem of my dress.

"Mr. Harper, that's a little… inappropriate, don't you think?" one of my co-workers couldn't resist asking. "Mrs. Harper is pregnant, and this is the 20th floor. It's too dangerous."

"Yeah, Mr. Harper. Why don't we get the security to sort this out?" another co-worker suggested.

However, Vincent didn't seem to hear them. He kept his eyes on me, his voice full of unyielding authority as he commanded, "Go."

I opened my mouth to refuse, but he suddenly leaned close to me and whispered into my ear, "I'll use a coupon."

His words were like a bucket of icy water tipped over my head, drowning out any intention I had to protest. I looked down, my fingers lightly caressing the slight swell of my tummy as bitterness welled up within me.

Indeed, Vincent could use a coupon. Years ago, he had written me 99 love letters in hopes of getting me to date him. When he wrote me the hundredth letter, I was so moved by his dedication that I chose to be with him.

On the day we got married, I turned the one hundred love letters he wrote me into one hundred love coupons to repay his dedication. We agreed that as long as the coupons didn't run out, I would unconditionally agree to whatever he asked of me.

Two years ago, Vincent had cherished the coupons so much that he couldn't bring himself to use them. But in the two years since the return of his first love, Queenie, he'd used up 97 coupons. And now, he was using the 98th.

I did not argue any further and quietly stood up, then headed toward the window. My co-workers tried to stop me, but Vincent said nothing and only watched, his expression unyielding.

Outside the window, the wind was so strong that I could barely keep my footing. I took a deep breath and forced myself not to look at the drop underfoot as I took one step after another toward the cat.

The cat seemed to sense my goodwill and did not put up a fight, obediently letting me pick it up.

But just as I passed the cat through the window, a strong gust of wind suddenly picked up. I instinctively looked down, and the view from the 20th floor had my head spinning immediately. My legs caved under me, and I tipped backward.

There was a chorus of screams, but I couldn't hear it clearly anymore. All I felt was the rough impact as my body fell on the safety grille of the 18th floor, my stomach hitting the rail on the side. The pain that followed was so sharp that my vision turned black. I was close to losing consciousness.

In my daze, I heard my co-workers' panicked cries.

"Call an ambulance!"

"Mrs. Harper, hang on!"

I tried my hardest to open my eyes, only to see a group of people swarming around me, their faces etched with fear and worry. However, Vincent was notably absent from the group.

With a lot of effort, I turned my head to peek through the bars of the safety grille. I saw Vincent standing beside Queenie, his head dipping low as he comforted her softly. He was even patting her shoulder as though she were the one in need of consoling.

Meanwhile, Queenie leaned into his embrace as she sobbed miserably. I closed my eyes, letting my tears fall quietly. I told myself it was all right and that there were only two coupons left.
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  • Using Up My Love   Chapter 8

    Dad's company was throwing a grand get-together, and many big names of the business world, as well as the company's collaborating partners, were invited. As his daughter, I naturally took my place in the center of the crowd.That day, I stepped out in an elegant cocktail dress with carefully applied makeup, the picture of a poised and confident young woman. Everyone around me raised their glasses at me, praising me for my talent and poise.I smiled as I thanked them all, though I was calm on the inside. That was when I spotted Vincent in the corner of the crowd.Vincent wore a seemingly dated suit. He was forcing a smile while chatting with a few others from the business circle. There was a trace of exhaustion and unease on his face, and his gaze occasionally darted to the center of the crowd as if searching for something.I heard that his company had gone downhill since I left. The business, which had been progressing well until that point, took a hit after the company lost my sup

  • Using Up My Love   Chapter 7

    I mailed the divorce papers to Vincent, and at the same time, handed in my resignation at the company. After that, I went abroad and picked up painting again.Becoming an artist used to be my biggest dream, but I'd set it aside for too long for Vincent's sake. While I was abroad, I met a group of kindred spirits who shared my passion for art and life.One day, as I was organizing my old artwork, I stumbled upon the bright-colored sunflower painting from years ago. I stared at the painting and found myself transported back in time. I'd painted it back in college, and the sunflower painting was selected for an exhibition.Vincent had taken one look at the painting and fallen deeply in love with it. He'd asked around about it before finally meeting me.At the time, his eyes were full of unwavering passion. He told me he was an orphan who grew up without a place to call home, and life had always been tough and uncertain for him.He'd been at his lowest point in life when he saw my pai

  • Using Up My Love   Chapter 6

    A soft knock came from the office door at that moment, followed by the receptionist's voice, saying, "Mr. Harper, Ms. Lawson is here."Before Vincent could respond, Queenie opened the door and entered the office with an ornate lunchbox in hand. She crossed over to Vincent's work desk as if already familiar with the office. Setting the lunchbox on his desk, she said gently, "I got you lunch, Vincent. It's the house specialty from your favorite restaurant."Vincent looked up, his gaze inscrutable as it fell on her face. He suddenly remembered how Queenie had always behaved like this, dangling her close relationship with him before me as if to taunt me.At first, I'd get angry and pick a fight with Vincent, demanding to know why he treated me that way. But eventually, I stopped kicking up a fuss after he repeatedly sided with Queenie and defended her. Instead, I stayed quietly on the sidelines and watched them flirt with each other.Vincent's heart plummeted as if struck by a heavy we

  • Using Up My Love   Chapter 5

    At the company, Vincent looked terrifyingly sullen as he sat behind his work desk, clutching the proposals that would not stop coming. The furrow between his brows deepened. Each document was boring and even riddled with discrepancies.In an attempt to diffuse the tension in the office, Vincent's assistant, Maria Holland, carefully approached his desk with a cup of coffee. However, her hand shook, and the coffee spilled out of the mug. Brown liquid soaked through the documents on the desk, splashing everywhere.Vincent shot to his feet, his voice full of uncontrollable rage. "What the hell are you doing? How could you mess up a simple job like bringing coffee?"Maria blanched at his outburst and quickly lowered her head to apologize."I'm sorry, Mr. Harper! I… I'll clean this up right away!" She frantically pulled out a couple of tissues to wipe the coffee that had splashed onto the desk, sounding as if she were on the verge of crying. "Mrs. Harper always brought you coffee perso

  • Using Up My Love   Chapter 4

    Vincent stopped short as if he had something lodged in his throat. Without waiting for him to respond, I ended the call.He called me repeatedly after that with a sort of maniacal frenzy, but I refused to pick up.Beside him, Queenie offered him words of solace and tried to hug him as usual. However, he was put off by the intimacy—reproachful about it, even. He lightly shoved Queenie aside, his gaze distant."What's wrong, Vincent?" Queenie asked with a trace of resentment, her eyes turning slightly red with tears that might fall anytime.However, Vincent did not answer her and only shot to his feet. He grabbed his jacket and hurried home. Indescribable panic seized him as if he were losing something important, and there was nothing he could do to keep it from slipping through his fingers.Upon returning home and pushing the door open, Vincent froze. The room was empty, and a quiet loneliness hung in the air. All my things had been packed and moved out of the room, leaving no trac

  • Using Up My Love   Chapter 3

    Vincent's collaborator hosted a baby shower for his son, and Vincent brought both Queenie and me along.Halfway through the party, Queenie suddenly cried in alarm and pointed at the pool. "My necklace! It fell into the pool!"Her voice cracked with an oncoming sob, and her eyes were red around the edges.At once, Vincent crossed over to her and looked down at the pool. He was about to seek out the maids for help when Queenie clutched his arm, her voice trembling as she said, "Vincent, that necklace was a gift from you. What if the maids don't handle it carefully and end up breaking it?"Vincent's brows drew together. His gaze swept across the edge of the pool and finally landed on me. He approached me and said hushedly, "Help Queenie retrieve the necklace."I fixed him with a stare that seemed to ask, "Why should I?" The weather at the beginning of spring was already cold, to begin with, and the pool water was freezing. Moreover, I'd just miscarried not long ago, and my body was s

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