Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Fifth Candle: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

I knew Julian had heard me. I did not have the patience to repeat myself. "Or if there's something you want, just tell me. I'll have someone buy it and send it over."Julian Carter's brow slowly furrowed. Then, after a moment, he suddenly laughed. "Laura, what are you up to this time?"I shot him a confused look, completely baffled by his reaction. "I'm not up to anything."Then, keeping my voice calm, I added, "Besides, what's gotten into you? You've never cared about the gifts I gave you before."Usually, they would end up tossed into the doghouse, or he would wave them off with a casual, "Whoever wants it can take it."Julian seemed to arrive at some conclusion of his own. His tone softened. "You're upset with me? Fine. I promise this time, I'll keep whatever you give me. Now, get up and start getting ready. Just like before."Just like before.Back when his birthday was the thing I looked forward to most every year.I would secretly ask around, trying to find out if there w

No one in the room seemed to have expected that I would one day stop fighting with Elaine. After all, just four months ago, we had a very public confrontation at the airport. The media later mocked me as the pathetic wife who had already lost.At the time, we had arrived in Cascade City on the same day. I was the woman whose husband had not accompanied her home for Christmas. She was the adopted sister my husband had just returned from vacation with.It was my fifth year of marriage to Julian.For the previous four Christmases, I was not able to spend the holiday with my parents even once. The Carter family had always believed that since I had married into their family, I should spend the holidays with them.This year, I finally decided I was not going to give in anymore."I want to spend Christmas with my parents."Julian did not even look up."I need to be with my family too." His tone was as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "If you want to go, then go by yourself.

There was not much left behind. Most of it consisted of things Julian had given me over the years. I did not want to take any of them with me, so I simply returned them to their original owner.There was one more thing—a miscarriage report.Julian stared at the name on the document. The longer he looked, the less it seemed to make sense. It was as if he had suddenly forgotten how to read.His hand shot out and grabbed his assistant. "When was this?"His assistant flinched. "I remember that day, sir. You said not to schedule any work because you were going to church with your family."The day Julian received the final divorce judgment was also when he learned that he once had a child. He had played a part in that child's death.Julian dismissed his assistant. "Leave me alone for a while."His hands trembled as he lit a cigarette. Then another and another. It was as if enough smoke could somehow quiet the chaos raging inside him.When Elaine burst into the office, she immediatel

The night was deep and silent. Only a sliver of moonlight shone in through the windows, casting pale shadows across the house.For some time now, Julian had not allowed the cook to come by. He was afraid that if too many people came and went, the traces left behind by the person who used to live there would fade even faster.However, no matter what he did, the house was no longer the same. The light that had always been left on for him was gone. The kitchen no longer held the handwritten recipes labeled with 'Julian's Favorite Dishes'. The flowers placed throughout the house had lost the person who cared for them so meticulously. Their petals had begun to wither.Julian stared at the spot where the pair of vases had once stood. Now, it was empty—just like the hollow place inside his chest.A dull ache spread through him.The bedroom was no different. The walk-in closet contained nothing but rows of his suits. Everything else was gone. Even the bed felt strangely bare. There used t

Word gradually spread among the people around me. They all learned that I was divorced.When I saw the message Shane Lawson sent me, I stared at it for a long moment.[You're divorced now? So, that means you can finally have dinner with me, right?]A strange feeling washed over me. Shane and I had grown up together. Later, when I fell in love with Julian, Shane never seemed to like him. Every time Julian's name came up, he would find something wrong with him.The night before I left for Cascade City to get married, Shane got drunk. Very drunk. He stumbled all the way to me, rambling about things that barely made sense. Then, just as I was about to leave, the drunk idiot grabbed my sleeve.I turned around. He stood there with his head lowered, his expression hidden in the shadows. "Laura..."His voice was hoarse. "Do you really have to go? Are you really going to marry him?"After a long pause, he added, "But he doesn't treat you well."His grip tightened. "Marry me instead. I l