I'm recalling the words Jared said to me that day, repeating them verbatim:"I remember he said this: 'Before, Amelia was not obedient at all; not only did she kick me, but she also jumped into the sea playing suicide. Later, I tied her up, and she became obedient.'If I'm not mistaken, his sentence means that Amelia disabled him by kicking him before she jumped into the sea.But if she did jump into the sea and die, then how did Jared manage to tie her up?While I packed my stuff to move out after the charade of a divorce, I remember seeing a photo in his apartment. It was a picture of Amelia tied to a chair. I guess she was confined by Jared and even suffered such abuse.Although the face in the photo was torn off, I think it shouldn't be wrong."After I finished speaking, Kent didn't say a word. He was dead silent, looking out at the sea; his silence was killing me, but I was too scared to say a word. The air outside was chilly it made him cough violently.After coughing for a wh
It was past 3 pm, and I was busy prepping ingredients for dinner when I heard my phone ringing. I rushed out to pick, thinking it was the delivery guy."Hello," I answered immediately. Jared's voice filled the receiver, cold as ever and devoid of any affection."Don't wait up for me," I heard him spit out. I was about to ask what he was up to when he hung up on me.I don't even know why I bother with him anymore; we have been this way since the very first day of this prison called marriage, but it still hurts each time he gives me a cold shoulder.I was confused, wondering what to do since he wasn't even going to be home for the special dinner I was prepping.But then an insane idea popped into my head. I knew it was a terrible idea, one I would pay dearly for, but it was his birthday, and he deserved some special homemade meal.Dropping the phone on the counter, I quickly rushed into the kitchen to whip up something really quick for him. I made his favorite creamy pasta and some cho
I woke up a few days later only to realize that I was on the hospital bed, bruised in many places more than I can count. Dad will always say, "You better die a Long than to live as a Steele." He almost got what he wanted. "Thank God you are okay," I heard Emily's voice from behind with a loud thud; she dropped the bag she was holding and ran to hug me. "Ouch," I cried out in pain. "Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry. Thank God you are fine," she said, drying the tears that formed in her eyes. She informed the nurses that I was awake, and the doctor came around to run a check on me. "She will be alright, no major concussion; she should be out of here in weeks." "Thank you, doctor," she said as he walked out of the room. "Did Jared come to see me?" I asked Emily. "You should focus on your health first, honey, please," she begged, gently patting my hand. I forced a smile; she kissed my forehead, smiling when Dad walked in. "Mr. Caine, Mrs. Caine," Emilia greeted, faking a
It has been Six months after the divorce and the accident, I decided to move on with my life. I was working as one of the directors at Emerald Events, a company that does event management.I recently brought back a contract worth five million dollars from Kentucky; my boss, Louisa, has treated me as a big contributor to the company. After lavishing me with rewards, she even gave me a seven-day vacation, adding it up with my annual leave.I finalized my divorce a couple of months ago; ever since that incident at his house, I had never set eyes on that bastard. Even while in divorce proceedings, he just sent his lawyer to settle things like I was some rag he was too eager to discard.I thought letting the case drag on for long would make him realize and maybe come back to me, but I was just delusional.Jared never had any sort of feelings towards me; for all I know, this charade called marriage was only a transaction to him.I was packing up my stuff to leave for my vacation. "Knock kn
I was enjoying the night; it was the best night ever since I married and divorced Jared. I was glad I attended the party. It was the first time someone was putting that witch in her place.Once it comes to her disgrace, I would always take the front row any day, any time.I turned to see those deep eyes looking at me, and with the roll of his Adam's apple, the thrilling moment of that night felt like a film replaying before my eyes. I can't help but tense my legs.He is just like a dose of venom, always waiting for me to fall into an irrevocable abyss.Leila was embarrassed, her gaze at me even more malicious. But she refrained from saying anything further and clung to his arm awkwardly.Probably unable to tolerate her, he excused himself to go back to the dance floor. This time she did not follow him. As his figure completely vanished, her ladylike demeanor instantly collapsed. She furiously looked down on me and scolded:"Samantha, have you no shame? You have been with numerous men
It felt like my tender heart was being grated by a thin wire, making my body tremble with pain. I felt lightheaded, unable to move, and couldn't comprehend what was happening. My breathing pace increased; I was slowly losing it. I hate remembering that painful night; I always end up having a panic attack each time I remember it. But today was worse, what Leila said must have triggered it and also made it worse. I staggered back and rested on the wall. My gaze fell on Jared who was busy speaking with some guests. He smirked at me, his gaze hinted a faint sense of amusement yet his eyes were cold. I felt a cold shiver run through my body and I froze, scared out of my mind. I heard the door of the bathroom open, I turned and my eyes met Kent's eyes, His brows furrowed. "Are you blacking out?" He asked. But I was in no position to talk, hence I was just looking at him. "Come with me," he said as he led me outside, and I quietly obeyed him without making a fuss. I sat
"pass the book" "Do you have to go? Spend the vacation here; I promise I will make it worth it," Emilia begged, making baby faces at me. If I hadn't known her, I would have fallen for that, but not anymore; I wish to go as far away from New York as possible. After the banquet drama at the Longs Hotel, I made up my mind to leave and get away from New York. "You will be busy with work; besides, you don't want to get on Eloise's bad side." I smiled, taking the book out of her hand. "Uuugh, I should quit my job. Will you stay then?""That won't work either." I zipped my suitcase while she fell on the bed, making a fuss. "Now, we are all parked," I said, smiling heartily. "Promise me you would call me every day." "I will call you every single minute until you get tired of my calls." I hugged her tightly. "You better," she hugged me tightly like I was leaving already. "I will come to drop you off tomorrow then," she announced, checking the time. She took her bag and car keys and t
I nodded without a thought, staring at his pinkish-red lips like I was hypnotized. I had no idea why he had this effect on me, but I always lost myself around him. I couldn't wait any longer; I had to take a bite before I lost my mind. I stood on my tippy toes to take his lips in a kiss, but the ringing of my phone startled me. I pushed him away, breathing heavily. I can't believe how wild I am acting lately. I was so ashamed of myself, hence my eyes were glued to the floor, and I couldn't look him in the eyes. "You should leave," I said to him. Before he could respond, I shoved him out of the door and shut the door. With my back on the door while clutching my racing heart. I walked absentmindedly and I fell on the couch, still clutching my bathrobe. "What happened to the plan to stay away from him?" I scolded myself. I shook my head. "Calm down." I calmed myself, since we didn't go far again, all was well. I picked up my phone to check who called earlier, and as I had suspecte
I'm recalling the words Jared said to me that day, repeating them verbatim:"I remember he said this: 'Before, Amelia was not obedient at all; not only did she kick me, but she also jumped into the sea playing suicide. Later, I tied her up, and she became obedient.'If I'm not mistaken, his sentence means that Amelia disabled him by kicking him before she jumped into the sea.But if she did jump into the sea and die, then how did Jared manage to tie her up?While I packed my stuff to move out after the charade of a divorce, I remember seeing a photo in his apartment. It was a picture of Amelia tied to a chair. I guess she was confined by Jared and even suffered such abuse.Although the face in the photo was torn off, I think it shouldn't be wrong."After I finished speaking, Kent didn't say a word. He was dead silent, looking out at the sea; his silence was killing me, but I was too scared to say a word. The air outside was chilly it made him cough violently.After coughing for a wh
At this moment, what can I possibly say?When I realized that he had risked his life to save me from the vast, perilous sea, any little grievance I held against him shattered completely.All I could do was hold him tightly by the neck, crying as I confessed:"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I was being overly dramatic. I was wrong, Kent, I was wrong..."He didn't dodge. He looked significantly better than moments ago. His low brows kissed away the tears at the corner of my eyes. He sighed sadly, holding me tightly in his arms; the grip was intense:"All right, stop crying. Damn it, I can't stand to see you cry."You tend not to remember things; I don't blame you. Kieran was there all along, yet he didn't mention a single word to you! Damn it, that bastard even planned to run away with you!Damn, what a piece of shit friend! I want to cut ties with him!"With a particularly aggressive tone, he sternly warned me:"Sam, listen carefully. Regardless of any misunderstandings we might have in th
Kieran was talking but suddenly stopped. I couldn't help but ask:"What did I say?""You were confusing me with him. You were tearing my clothes, yet all the while crying and shouting at him, spilling everything that should and shouldn't have been said." I was short for words, I was so embarrassed, I asked the ground to open up, to swallow me whole. But it didn't listen. He paused a moment, furrowing his brows as he looked at me:"Sam, you confessed your feelings for him,"With that, I felt my vision darken, my voice constricted, and the words that had been bottled up inside me finally came streaming out:"Did I also tell you he told me he got tired of our relationship, that he stopped thinking about me since I left?""Yes. That's the exact reason why we started fighting."He gestured to his face. It was only then that I took a good look at his face and saw the injuries equal to the ones Kent had.Now that I knew who he was—the older neighbor boy from my youth—my heart ached for him
"My stomach is growling with hunger, but when a spoonful of food was extended in front of me, I dared not eat it."Doctor, we... don't know each other well."I just didn't have the strength to beat around the bush, so I went ahead and told him.The doctor laughed at my comment. His smile appeared very warm, but his reply wasn't quite as inviting:"Sam, how heartless of you. Kent and I ended up in a fight over you. And now you tell me that we don't know each other well?""Huh?"Oh, right. When I awoke, those two were fighting. Moreover, both of their faces were showing signs of that fight.But why?I remember that he and Kent were good buddies. When Jared's uncle was annoying, Kent voiced his expectation of introducing us to each other with a sense of anticipation.They were such chummy pals; why would they fight over me? It's baffling.I waited for his explanation.Instead, he lifted the spoon once again:"Do you want to know what happened? Finish your food first, and then I will tel
When I woke up next, I had no idea how much time had passed.The faint, salty smell of the sea still lingered in the air, but this room was no longer the one on the yacht.Without any interest in studying the room's furnishings, I just wanted to figure out where I was as quickly as possible. Therefore, I looked around.Then, I noticed two men standing in a standoff at the door. Their hands crossed in combat stances, each staring at the other without yielding."Kent?"I called out once I recognized one of them, I mumbled his name. I thought I was still dreaming. But when my hoarse voice made it out, he let go of the other person and dashed over."Sam, you're awake? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"While he spoke, he reached out and grasped my hand.I felt a bit dazed and stared at him, lost. He seemed to have lost much weight and appeared quite haggard.His typically handsome face was now sporting a stubbly beard. His clothes were even more of a mess, missing several buttons.What
When I heard Kent's voice on the phone, my mind froze for a moment.I didn't seem to understand the meaning of his words; my entire person was stunned there.He said again:"Speaking of which, her taste is indeed good, but after playing with it, it's no longer fresh. Now, since you've taken her away, I don't think about it anymore.Jared, I hope you two can smoothly reach Berlin. Goodbye."After Kent finished these words, he hung up without any hesitation.And I, I had no thoughts at all. The tears that had just fallen out of fear had miraculously stopped at this moment.What was spinning in my mind was the sentence he had just said:He said, You play with your wife. What does it have to do with me?He said, after playing, it's no longer fresh.So in his heart, I am just Jared's wife.So to me, he was just been playing me the whole time.Oh yes, thinking back, Kent was just nice to me, but he never said he liked me.How did I start to fantasize about him, thinking that he would be anx
"Jared, you...you..."Staring at the toolbox laid out in front of me, I was panic-stricken and couldn't form coherent sentences.With this box of contraptions displayed before my very eyes, he combined that with this absurd posture, he tied me in. It doesn't take much to guess his intentions now.But my trepidation was intertwined with an overwhelming sense of shock and disbelief.Back when I used to chase after him, he had always been the cool, distant, celibate male god. After our marriage, he became even more aloof, acting as if I was beneath his notice.But now, why did he suddenly...?Just how twisted is Jared's mind to have conceived such fetishes?Even though my mind feels muddled, I have this glaring realization that his current disposition is far from that of a normal person."Don't look so surprised; you wrecked my wedding, I will have to take you instead. Besides, we are already married," he said, smiling cynically. He must be pissed, I heard that Jade's family called off
Why, of course, I had no idea. This question has been puzzling Kent and me for quite some time, and yet we could not find an answer.Thus, I casually asked:"Why?"His expression was subtle, his emotions unreadable: I was disgusted by him but I held my thoughts in. "Ever heard of being driven to the wall to fight for survival?""What do you mean?" I was startled, sensing something ominous was on the verge of happening.Sure enough, Jared's next words nearly choked the breath out of me:"Because, the Long family business was barely an empty shell— not even that, given my father's poor management and my uncle's repeated sabotage. It held no significant value.So, when Kent wanted it, I simply handed it over. Little did he know, that I would use the money from selling the company to acquire his company Jewel Group in Berlin. Now, it's just a matter of time before I completely own Jewel Group Berlin. Sam, do you find my counter-acquisition plan fascinating?"Fascinating indeed!If he su
Seeing Kent's gloomy expression as he was looking out of the window, my heart sank. Subconsciously, I wondered if there had been any issues in the full-scale attack on the Long corporation.I locked the door before approaching him."What's wrong? Did something slip through the cracks?" I asked."No. Everything is going smoothly.""If everything is smooth, then why are you unhappy?""It's precisely because everything is too smooth that I am unhappy."Kent let out a sigh, looking more dejected, leaning back with a deep gaze at me."Jared, that self-centered scumbag, always puts his interests first. If the Long Corporation goes bankrupt, he can't hold his ground in New York City. How could he willingly allow me to take over his corporation?Yet, when I've been pressuring the Long Corporation in this period, there's been hardly any struggle or retaliation from them. It feels as if they've easily handed it over to me.This is highly unusual.No matter how incompetent Jared might be, he cou