Todos los capítulos de Out of the Picture: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

When my coworkers found out my girlfriend, Nina Jensen, was a photographer, they were insanely jealous.One asked, "It must be easy getting great photos of yourself, right?"Another chimed in, "Damn it. Mine still can't even focus a camera!"I smiled and shook my head. "She only shoots landscapes, never people."That was Nina's rule.Even on our first anniversary.Even after I explained over and over that I only wanted one simple tourist photo.She still got angry and snapped at me, "My last boyfriend dumped me because I wouldn't take pictures of him."To keep us from breaking up, I spent the next seven years walking on eggshells. I was always careful not to cross that line.But that was until today, when I came across the latest post from my influencer friend, Julian Locke.[Let me show off my photographer. She's been taking amazing photos of me for seven years for free!]One of the top comments said: [It's an honor to photograph my muse.]The profile picture was completel

I never replied to Julian's message.I just lay on the bed, and the harsh fluorescent light made my eyes water.Back in our days at the orphanage, a wealthy couple once chose Julian because of his good looks.Everyone knew that if he went with them, his life would be a thousand times better than the one he had now.But Julian turned them down because the couple refused to adopt me too.That day, I was so overwhelmed with guilt. I cried until I could barely catch my breath.Yet Julian comforted me instead. He said, "What's there to cry about? We've known each other since the day we were born. We're supposed to be best friends for life!"I thought back to that year again. It was right before our final year of middle school exams.Julian had turned down the most popular girl in school, and one of her admirers came looking for him at the school gate."Who's Julian Locke?" the guy asked.My eyes swept over the bottle in his hand before I looked up and answered, "I am."That day

The moment I walked into the office, I was met with my coworkers' mocking looks.One said, "He's just bitter that Julian has a rich, beautiful girlfriend. What a jealous guy.""I knew being a workaholic can't be healthy. Living like that every day would mess anyone up," another coworker chimed in.The room was silent, and every word felt like a stab.Yet I said nothing.When I glanced at Nina, I suddenly remembered how she used to defend me the moment anyone said even a few words against me.But now, she didn't even look up.The next second, Nina posted a lawyer's letter on her social media."Anyone who maliciously attacks or insults my boyfriend will not get away with it."The attached image was a screenshot of the messages mocking Julian in private chats the past few days.They were nowhere near as harsh as the words I was hearing now.But Nina cared about what was said about Julian instead.Inside the office, my superior got straight to the point. "You did well with the

After returning to Somerby, my time at Jensen Corp helped me quickly secure an offer I was happy with. The salary was even better than before.Most importantly, this was the place where I grew up.Before starting my new job, I made a special trip back to the orphanage. I brought many books with me.Children born into poverty had to work harder just to live an ordinary life. This was the one saying I believed in most throughout my life.When I arrived, I saw a tall woman unloading things from a car.She wasn't dressed in the delicate, innocent style that was popular these days.She had black hair, and her lips were painted red. Her features were striking and well-defined. Even the simplest white shirt looked bold and commanding on her.Ophelia Grant, the orphanage director, introduced the woman. "This is Vera Carter. She's been kind enough to come help us out for the past few years."I nodded with a smile.I had planned to leave after dropping off the things and chatting with O

The next day, I put on the new printed shirt I had bought. It was a bold orange-red.The saleswoman said I was fair, and the color looked bright and lively on me.I didn't know if she meant it, but I didn't care.Back then, Nina took one look at my closet full of colorful clothes and clicked her tongue."Such tacky taste," she commented.So I changed my entire wardrobe to black, white, and gray just to keep up with her sense of style.I once gave everything I had to pursue Nina, thinking she was the person who would make me happy.But now that I look back, I realized she only made me lose who I was.So this time, I no longer wanted to care about what others thought. I wouldn't doubt or put myself down because of their words anymore.Even if my taste wasn't refined and my style wasn't for everyone.Vera sent me a message."I'm almost there. Take your time. There's no need to rush. I'll wait for you downstairs."I picked up my phone and left my apartment.But right after I s