Lahat ng Kabanata ng Her Rule of “Never Turning Back”: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Jewel walked faster than me, grabbing my wrist as she asked, "Beau, what's with the temper tantrum?! You were the one who wanted to go to the theme park, but you're also the one saying you don't want to go now. You're impossible!" Jason grabbed my other hand, looking hurt. "Beau, don't fight with Jewel. This is all my fault." He raised his hand and said, "I swear I'll be the quietest third wheel ever and won't even make a squeak. I won't get in the way of your anniversary." I shook my head. "It's fine, I said I'm not going." Jewel finally lost her patience. She shoved me into the back seat before I could say another word. I had gotten caught in the rain the night before and already had a fever, so I did not even have the strength to resist. Jewel slammed the car door and said, "This is today's plan. Sit still." Before we left that morning, my whole body had been burning up, and I had already thrown up twice in the bathroom. I hadn't wanted to go out at all today, but Jewe

That weekend, Jewel took me to try my suit at the boutique. I had waited three full months for that suit. I had checked every detail repeatedly, from the original design to the hand stitching. Of all the milestones in those eight years of my youth, this was the one I had looked forward to most. Even if I was no longer going to marry her, I still wanted to try it on once. I fastened my seat belt as the navigation prompt came through the car speakers. "At the next intersection, turn right." Jewel kept one hand on the steering wheel and her eyes straight ahead. The car moved into a straight lane. I said, "You took the wrong route. The boutique is on the right." Jewel did not even slow down as she said, "The next U-Turn is too far away. We're not going back. You can try on the suit anytime. There's no point wasting time over one wrong turn." I gripped the edge of my seat belt and looked at the storefronts passing by. The red letters of Brightwell Pharmacy stood out sharply

Central City Sports Center. Jewel stood at the security checkpoint with a deep frown. The security guard pointed to a bin and said, "Ma'am, lighters aren't allowed inside. You'll have to throw it away."She looked down at the silver lighter in her palm. Her fingers rubbed the scratch along the bottom without thinking. Three years ago, I had saved two months of pay and asked someone to bring that limited-edition lighter back from overseas. When I gave it to her, she had casually tossed it onto the table. "Something this flashy has no practical value except adding weight to my pocket." Yet from that day on, the lighter had stayed in her coat's pocket. However, Jason stood beside her and urged her on impatiently. "Jewel, hurry up and toss it. We're going to miss the opening." Jewel did not move, and her voice turned cold. "People make the rules. I don't smoke, so why can't I keep it in my pocket?" The security guard looked annoyed. However, Jason reached over, took the ligh

Jason's questions toward Jewel landed on her one after another, and she froze. Why? The answer was so cruel that even she was shaken. Because I had always accommodated her. Because she knew that no matter how fast she walked, I would always chase after her from behind. In her pursuit of absolute efficiency, she had imposed her rule of "never turning back" on me alone. Because she felt secure, she had acted without restraint. Jason, however, was an outsider. She knew perfectly well that they were only friends, so she had never felt the need to enforce her strict rules on him. And because he was my best friend, she had casually given him a little extra consideration. Familiarity had bred contempt. Arrogance had clouded her judgment. She suddenly regretted not turning back that night, but she still straightened her back as she sat in her seat and looked toward the stage. "I didn't handle the boundaries between us properly and gave you the wrong idea. From now on, we shou

Last month, I had forgotten to log out of my streaming account on the tablet. An IP address from a login on Broadband Avenue in Southton became the clue Jewel used to find me. Southton had a long rainy season… My mom and I had once lived there for a short time. I started a new job there. There were no schedules planned down to the minute and no pressure to stay perfect at every moment. My stomach cramps never returned either. Just as I walked past a coffee shop on the corner, I stopped and ordered a hot latte. Holding the paper cup, I felt the warmth spread across my palms. Then, the moment I turned around, I saw Jewel. She had lost a great deal of weight. Her usually perfect hair now clung messily to her temples. Her voice was terribly hoarse, trembling despite her desperate effort to hold it steady. "Beau." I took a sip of my latte and spoke calmly. "You're in my way." Jewel gulped as she said, "I've been looking for you for a whole month. You quit your job and bl