All Chapters of I Left the Summer That Never Chose Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Yasmine's POVI put my phone away and turned toward the kitchen to get a glass of cold water.At that exact moment, the art studio door swung open.Quentin Lawson stepped out with Melanie Xavier's empty glass in his hand.When he saw me standing in the hallway, he paused."Yasmine, you're back from work."He walked over, his gaze sweeping over my sweat-dampened bangs."Yeah," I replied, walking past him to get the kettle.Quentin followed me into the kitchen and set the glass down on the countertop."Mrs. Xavier told you about the air conditioner, right?"Mel's been preparing for that important illustration exhibition, so the studio can't get too warm. Otherwise, the paint will dry too quickly and affect how it feels to work with.""So you gave her the air conditioner I bought."I picked up my glass and took a small sip."She's only borrowing it for a few days."Quentin frowned slightly, as if he found the calmness in my voice unusual.He reached out to touch my forehead, but I turned

On Monday morning, I sent my completed handover checklist to the HR department.That afternoon, I had just finished packing up my personal belongings from my desk when my phone rang.It was Quentin."Yasmine, where are you?"His voice was hoarse, with an urgency he couldn't hide."I'm at the office."I shoved a photo frame into the cardboard box.It had once held a picture of the two of us, but I had just taken it out and fed it into the shredder along with the discarded documents."Come home early tonight. Something happened."The final illustrations Mel submitted were flagged by the client for suspected plagiarism."I didn't stop what I was doing. I pulled off a strip of packing tape and sealed the box."Oh," I said."The client's legal team has already sent a letter demanding substantial compensation and a public apology."Quentin's voice grew increasingly grave."Let's talk when you get home. Come back as soon as you're off."The call ended.I stared at the dark screen, slipped my

Third-person POVIn the conference room at Starline Media, Quentin paced back and forth in front of the long conference table.Across from him sat Ms. Coleman, the company's legal director. Her face was grim as she stared at the watch on her wrist."Mr. Lawson, where's the outside contractor you said was willing to take full responsibility?"Ms. Coleman tapped her knuckles against the table. Each sharp knock landed like a blow to Quentin's chest."You have three minutes left."The client has already issued a final ultimatum. If you don't put someone forward to take the blame and sign the statement, we'll have no choice but to publicly announce that Melanie is facing legal action over serious allegations of plagiarism and fraud."You know what that means.""She'll be here any second!"Cold sweat broke out on Quentin's forehead as he frantically dialed Yasmine's number again."I confirmed everything with her this morning. She's always been obedient and understanding. Her family has alrea

Yasmine's POVOutside Veymont train station, a heavy rainstorm had just passed.The dark clouds had cleared, leaving behind the faintest arc of a rainbow.A cool breeze swept over me, carrying away the heat that had been trapped in my chest for twenty-two years."Yasmine Xavier."I looked up.A car had pulled over by the curb.A man in a lightweight black trench coat stood beside it.It was Cassian Drake, the design director of the branch in Veymont.He was also the first person to appreciate my designs during an online meeting."Mr. Drake."I walked over and greeted him somewhat hesitantly.Cassian skipped the pleasantries. He took my old suitcase and put it in the trunk.When he turned around, he handed me a paper cup printed with Veymont’s signature logo."A black tea, lightly sweetened, at room temperature."Cassian looked at me, his voice calm and steady."It just rained in Veymont, and the temperature dropped by nine degrees Fahrenheit."Your stomach is sensitive. Have something

Yasmine's POVIt was October.The rainy season arrived in Veymont without warning, bringing a refreshing coolness that seemed to wash everything clean.After the celebratory dinner for the successful delivery of the new project, Cassian and I walked out of the restaurant side by side."Everyone, get home safely. You can all come in an hour late tomorrow morning," Cassian said with a smile as the team began to disperse.When he turned back to me, he was already holding a huge black long-handled umbrella.He tilted it slightly toward me, shielding me from every stray drop of rain."Let's go. My car's parked across the street. I'll drive you back to the dorm."Just as we were about to step down from the stairs, three disheveled figures suddenly rushed out of the shadows.It was Vivian, Melanie, and Quentin, who reeked of alcohol.I hadn't seen them in six months, and they looked so haggard that I could barely recognize them.Most of Vivian's hair had turned white.Melanie's long hair was