When Love Wilts and Blooms Again

My father looked pleased with how understanding I was, while my stepmother wore a satisfied smile. After they left, Sophia stayed behind. "Roxanne, let me help you pack," she said sweetly, standing in front of me with an obedient demeanor. Yet, as her gaze swept around the room, a hint of undisguised triumph flickered in her eyes. "I didn’t think Dad would actually agree to us switching rooms," she added. "Roxanne, are you mad at me?" She paused for effect, then continued with a sly smile. "After all, I just took Nathan, and now I’ve taken the room you’ve lived in for ten years." I didn’t respond. Turning away, I went to grab my suitcase. Suddenly, Sophia let out a dramatic "Ouch!" and collapsed onto the floor, clutching her arm. "Roxanne..." she whimpered. Her arm had struck the corner of the desk, leaving a dark bruise spreading across her pale skin. "Roxanne, what are you doing?" Nathan Foster had appeared at some point, now standing at the doorway. He stepped ins

Just as I left the group chat, Nathan’s call came through. "Roxanne, get over here right now." "Where?" "You know where. The usual spot." "Is something wrong?" "You need to apologize to Sophia." "Why should I apologize?" "Because you suddenly left the group chat. Do you have any idea what our friends might think of her now?" Nathan’s tone was cold and commanding. "I don’t want anyone talking badly about Sophia. It’s my fault. I’m the one who loves her and wants to give her a proper status. She’s innocent and doesn’t deserve to be labeled a homewrecker because of your impulsive actions." I thought I’d become immune to his words and actions, but this still managed to ignite a dull, suffocating ache in my chest. My fingers trembled slightly as I gripped the phone, my voice shaking as I responded, "Nathan, you can’t treat me like this. What gives you the right to bully me this way? You’re the one who betrayed me. I haven’t done anything wrong. I even congratulated the t

In the middle of the night, I was abruptly woken by the sound of crying and screaming. As I sat up, my bedroom door was kicked open from the outside. My stepmother stormed in, sobbing hysterically. Before I could react, her hand struck my face, again and again, each slap harder than the last. "How could you be so cruel?" she shouted. "Hurting her during the day wasn’t enough. You’re even trying to kill her now?" She collapsed into my father’s arms, wailing. "She knows Sophia is allergic to peaches, yet she deliberately poured peach juice all over her bed and pillows! She’s trying to kill our daughter!" "Enough, stop crying," my father said softly, comforting her as he looked at me with disgust. "Thankfully, Sophia took her medication in time, so she’s fine." Then his voice turned cold. "Roxanne, you’ve deeply disappointed me. Pack your things and move out tomorrow. Keeping you in this house will only bring chaos to our family." My stepmother’s crying ceased immediately, h

In the past, no matter how heartbroken I was, I always waited for him to come back, silently and willingly. He had grown used to it. Everyone around him said I would never leave him. He believed it too. Dragging my suitcase behind me, I prepared to leave, but Sophia’s soft, sweet voice rang out. "Nathan, you’re here!" She ran over, clinging tightly to his arm, her entire body practically leaning against him. "How’s your allergy?" Nathan asked, brushing aside the stray strands of hair on her forehead to check her face carefully. "Much better," Sophia replied, smiling sweetly, her eyes curving like crescent moons. "Don’t be mad at my sister, okay?" She held onto his arm, swaying gently as she continued, "Honestly, it’s my own fault for being so weak. If I weren’t so frail, Dad wouldn’t have asked Roxanne to switch rooms with me. Then she wouldn’t have taken it out on me…" "This isn’t your fault," Nathan said, glancing at me with disdain before pulling Sophia into his ar

After arriving in the new city, I didn’t reach out to Eustace Cooper right away. Instead, I met up with my best friend from college, Cassie Hall. I wanted to share my secret with her, but I hadn’t quite figured out how to bring it up. What I didn’t expect was to run into Eustace at the welcome dinner Cassie had arranged for me. He was standing at the entrance of the private room, dressed in a sleek black business suit with a matching coat draped over his arm. The corridor lights cast intricate shadows across the elaborate mural behind him, creating a mesmerizing interplay of light and color. And yet, he stood just beyond the light, as though everything around him existed only to highlight his presence. It had been years since I’d last seen him, and he looked even more handsome and composed than he had in college. And now, years later, he wasn’t just my old classmate—he was my fiancé. My cheeks flushed involuntarily as I lowered my gaze, my fingers nervously twisting t