All Chapters of Wind that Forgot to Return: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The moment Tania Russell spoke, her throat tightened and tears came rushing back.There was a brief silence on the phone before she heard the sound of papers rustling. "I'll have someone look into it right away. Call me anytime you need to," came the reply.After she hung up, Tania turned and walked straight into a warm hug.Samuel Ferguson stood there in a bath towel, his damp hair dripping onto her neck, making her feel a mix of warmth and wetness. "Who were you talking to? Why are you hiding from me so late?" he asked.He leaned in and kissed the mole by her eye, his callused fingertips tracing her waist. He knew exactly where to touch to spark her desire.Tania tried to pull away, but Samuel mistook her slight resistance for playing hard to get.He became rougher, his breath growing heavy. "Not satisfied yet?"Tania turned her head to avoid his kiss, her eyes accidentally catching a glimpse of the bedside.Samuel's phone was still on, and the sound of a news report drifte

The next time Tania woke up, it was because of some rough shaking.She was in her bed, her mind slowly getting clearer, but her body was so limp she could not even open her eyes.An unfamiliar perfume mixed with Samuel's usual cedar scent filled the air, making her feel nauseous.Then she heard Samuel and Lucy's voices mixing together, "Samuel, be careful. She's still here..." Lucy whined playfully."Why worry? She took five times the normal amount of sleeping pills. She won't wake up," Samuel's voice was rough, "You get me way more than she ever did.""So you'll only care about me from now on?""Of course. You're my Lulu..."Tania could not make out the rest.She lay there, feeling like a zombie, acutely aware of the bed shaking, the room filled with a mood she did not want to feel.It hurt like needles piercing her heart.So that was the "exciting thing" Samuel had in mind: being with another woman right in front of her.Her eyes stayed shut, tears quietly rolling down her

Samuel just laughed at her."Tania, you're always telling stories. You've been sneaking birth control pills for three years. How could you be pregnant? I must have been blind to think you were so precious!"Without a second thought, he tore her nightgown open.The sharp scent of blood filled the air.Tania's belly ached sharply, and she was weak from not eating or drinking for three days. Coupled with her tailbone injury, she couldn’t even cry.Right then, Lucy burst in, bubbling with excitement. "Samuel, Kingston University said yes to me joining the Rare Disease Research Institute!”"It's for that project on the Ferguson family's genetic disease! I've got an interview tonight. Will you help me pick out an outfit?"Seeing the blood beneath Tania, Samuel finally got scared.He pointed at the stain, his voice shaking, "Lulu, call an ambulance!"Lucy just glanced at it, made a face, and rolled her eyes. "It's just her period. Why call an ambulance? She can get up and clean herse

The next week was a blur of late nights for Tania and her team as they worked to fix the data Lucy had messed with.During a break, Tania called Kingston University to ask about Lucy's job there.Turns out, the university had never really hired Lucy. They just had not bothered to correct the rumors because she had not caused them any trouble... yet.Meanwhile, Elias had dug up the truth about Lucy.She had been kicked out of her grad program in her first year for cheating and had been living off rich sponsors ever since. Her whole "genius student" act was nothing but a lie."Ms. Russell, what are we going to do?" The researcher's eyes brimmed with tears. "All our work over the years might be ruined, and then there's Mr. Ferguson..."Tania's fingers tapped lightly on the desk, her voice steady, "I'll show everyone at the seminar the proof that Lucy changed the data. After that, it's up to Samuel to decide what he wants to do."An hour before the seminar, Tania made two phone call

Tania did not take the vacation Elias had planned for her. Instead, she dove headfirst into her lab work.After more than ten hours of intense focus, she stumbled out, her head spinning, only to find Elias waiting for her at the bottom of the lab building, a warm lunch box in his arms.She took his hand with familiarity. "Bro, how long have you been here?""I just got here. Right on time to bring you breakfast, it seems."Elias guided her to a gazebo nearby and sat down, opening the lunch box. "The chicken soup's still hot. Mrs. Yates added herbs and made sure it was just how you like it, with no oil."Tania noticed the dampness on his shoulder and said softly, "You're fibbing. Your shoulder's all wet with dew."Ever since she had fainted from not eating during a marathon experiment, Elias made it a point to be there for her, waiting outside the lab whenever he could.Elias chuckled and tousled her hair, then ladled her a bowl of chicken soup.After one sip, Tania burst into a