Short Story 21

My mother claims my husband has cheated on me and pushes me to get a divorce. I want to collect evidence before proceeding with anything—if it's true, I have to uphold my rights. Yet she causes a scene at an art exhibition I've worked on for three years, humiliating me in public and making me sound like a gold digger. "How are you any different from a prostitute when you're holding this dumb exhibition with a man's money? I didn't raise you to be a gold digger! How can you be so revolting?" She slashes the million-dollar paintings in the exhibition, claiming that she's doing this for my good. She wants me to see the error of my ways and return to the right path. Meanwhile, I clutch my bloody hand, which she slashed with her blade. I say, "You say you want me to return to the right path, but is that what it really is? You want me to divorce my legally wedded husband, who's a CEO, without a penny to my name. "Then, you want me to marry a 45-year-old cheap man who has a child and no money? He even wants me to support him!"

The nanny, Polly Jackson, pushes me down the stairs when I'm seven months pregnant. I suffer from major blood loss and go into premature labor. Before I can question her about it, Zachary Campbell brushes me off with a lame excuse. "Polly didn't mean it. You and the baby are fine, so don't be so petty about this." I get out of bed to move around. I'm at the bathroom door when I hear Zachary and Polly's conversation. "Are you sure that wretch can stay alive, Zachary? Switching it out won't be that easy if it dies." "Don't worry about whether Daisy Jameson's baby can live, Mom. Either way, mine and Danielle's child will be the Campbell family's sole heir." I pretend I've never heard this and raise my son for 18 years. During a banquet held in honor of a share ownership transfer, Polly suddenly shows up with my mentally impaired daughter. She cries, "Mason is my grandson! It's high time he's returned to his rightful place after being raised by the wrong family for so long!" I'm unfazed. I even laugh at her words. "Fine, then!"

On my 50th wedding anniversary, I took my worn, crumbling marriage certificate to City Hall to renew it. The clerk glanced at it—and froze. “This certificate is fake. Our records show you’ve never been married.” I stared. “Impossible. I’ve been married to Damien Slater for fifty years.” The clerk pulled up his file. “Well…Yes, Mr. Slater is married—but his wife’s name is Vanessa Grant.” Vanessa. His widowed sister-in-law. A military doctor who’d spent decades living among the troops. My hands shook as I returned home and confronted Damien. He didn’t even try to deny it. “I’ve treated you well all these years. Isn’t that enough? Vanessa is my true love. I only ever wanted her—our children, our life.” My son counseled me and said, “To spare your feelings, my parents kept it a secret their whole lives. You’re getting old now. What more do you want?” Only then did I learn the truth. The child I had raised with my own hands was never mine by blood. Decades ago, Vanessa and I gave birth on the same day. To ensure her child would grow up with intellect, privilege, and a future that I could provide, Damien switched our children. My own son? Damien drowned him in the pond the moment he drew breath. And I—fool that I was—raised Vanessa’s boy as my own. I even got him all the way to Claremont University. The truth broke me, and I collapsed. When I opened my eyes again—I was back. Back to the day I went into labor.

The day before New Year's, my younger brother announced he was bringing his girlfriend home for dinner. Excited, I drove my new car to pick them up, taking my daughter along with me. However, as soon as his girlfriend got in the car, her face darkened. "Henry, you didn't tell me your sister was staying at your place—and with a kid!" she snapped. I frowned and was about to explain when my brother quickly interjected, "She's not staying. After dropping us off, she'll be heading to a hotel." Only then did his girlfriend's expression ease. I swallowed my discomfort and asked my brother what he was planning. He leaned in with a conspiratorial grin and said, "Sis, don't cause any trouble for me, okay? My girlfriend is the daughter of the Cromwell Group's CEO!" My eyes widened in shock. Was not the Cromwell Group the same company my ex-husband had just handed over to me as part of our divorce settlement?

After I brought in 300 million dollars in investment for his company, my fiance showed me the home we would share. I thought we would finally get married after eight years together, but instead, he turned on a building game. “I laid every brick here. Once the company is listed, I’ll build you a house just like this one.” I found him and his secretary showing off their love. He had bought her an expensive villa as a gift. I sent the photo to my fiance. “You can afford to buy someone a villa as a gift, but not our home?” Displeased, he said, “Alyssa is the company’s backbone. I’m only giving her a villa to encourage the other staff to do better!” But in the background, I heard Alyssa’s pleased laughter. “Some people should really be more self-aware. Does she think getting some investment makes her the boss of this company?” I did my best to suppress my anger. I wanted to see just how long the company would survive if not for the investments I found!

Calvin and I had been married for seven years. While packing up some clothes, I found a cheap lighter in the pocket of his jacket. Everything he wore, from the inside out, had been carefully chosen by me to highlight his refined taste and status. However, in that girl’s Twitter photos, he looked like a college boy, dressed in cheap clothes and wearing a digital watch that cost only a few dollars while kissing her. Using a throwaway account, I casually liked the post and commented, "A perfect match." Then, I turned to Calvin and said, "How did I never realize you had such a thing for bargains?"

In my second year running the company, my high school class monitor suddenly started tagging me nonstop in the group chat. [Alice, Vivian was only joking with you back then. Why won't you come to her party? Are you trying to make her feel guilty?] I didn't understand what was going on. Only after reading the messages did I realize that our class beauty, Vivian Spencer, had recently found her biological parents—and today, she had thrown a party to announce it to the world. Me: [I'm busy.] I had no intention of attending a party hosted by someone who used to bully me. But my answer didn't shut them up. Instead, it stirred up even more absurd speculation. [Don't tell me you're doing some kind of labor job and can't take leave?] [We're all former classmates. If you show up, I'll give you sixty dollars. That should cover two days of your salary.] Vivian chimed in as well. [Alice, it was just a joke back then. And I'd already dropped out by then. Why can't you let it go?] I stared at her message for a long moment before typing: [Only trash would call bullying a joke.] The group exploded instantly. [Vivian's no trash! She's a wealthy heiress. She's not even in the same league as you. Poor people really love to nitpick.] Vivian, ever the hypocrite, tried to smooth things over. [No matter what, today marks a new beginning for me. I hope you'll come to witness it. [We're classmates, after all. I don't hold it against you for forcing me to drop out. If you're short on money, I can even ask my dad to arrange a job for you.] Then she sent a screenshot of her chat with her father. When I saw her father's profile picture, I froze. Wasn't that the same profile picture as my freeloading dad? But I look seventy percent like my mom—it's impossible for me to be a fake daughter. And Vivian was two months younger than me. I let out a laugh. "Alright, I'll definitely attend your recognition party."

เพราะมีหน้าที่สำคัญต้องทำ แต่ก็โดนรุ่นน้องจอมป่วนอย่างเลโอ Nightshade มาวุ่นวาย ตามจีบไม่เว้นแต่ละวัน "ทฤษฎี 21 วัน" เลยถูกใช้เป็นไม้ตายเด็ดของฉัน คิดว่ามันจะกันคนกะล่อนอย่างหมอนี่ให้พ้นทางได้มั้ย?!

จะทำยังไง...เมื่อเขาดันไปตกหลุมรักผู้หญิงที่คิดว่าเป็นคู่ขาของเพื่อนรัก และจะทำยังไง เมื่อคำปฏิญาณของกลุ่ม เป็นห่วงมัดคอทำให้เขาต้องเก็บเรื่องนี้ไว้เป็นความลับ "เรื่องเดียวที่เราจะไม่ทำ ก็คือเอาผู้หญิงต่อจากเพื่อน ถึงแม้ว่าเพื่อนจะไม่เอาแล้วก็ตาม" วรายุ เหมบดินทร์...วาโย อายุ 26 ปี ทายาทโชว์รูมรถหรูนำเข้าและเป็นเจ้าของสนามแข่งรถชื่อดัง เฌอนารีน สิริวศินทร์...เฌอ อายุ 21

สีหราช เลิศรัตนวรชัย อายุ 21 ปี หรือสิงโต มีสายพันธุ์ อัลฟ่า ฟีโรโมนกลิ่นเหล้านอก มีนิสัยอารมณ์ร้อน พูดจาโผงผาง เป็นนักแข่งรถระดับฝีมือฉกาจ ความที่เป็นลูกคนเล็ก จะมีความเอาแต่ใจเล็กๆ อยากได้อะไรก็ต้องได้ มีความเป็นผู้นำสูง  กลิ่นหอม กำจรวัฒนา อายุ 18 ปี โอเมก้ากลิ่นมะลิ เขาเป็นเด็กกำพร้า พ่อของเขาที่เป็นเพื่อนสนิทกับเฮียสิงหล เสียชีวิตกะทันหัน แม่ของเขาหนีไปมีครอบครัวใหม่ ทำให้กลิ่นหอมไร้ที่พึ่ง เฮียสิงหลจึงรับอุปการะกลิ่นหอมได้รับกลิ่นหอมเข้ามาอยู่ในคฤหาสน์เลิศรัตนวรชัย กลิ่นหอมทำหน้าที่เป็นแม่บ้านดูแลความความสะอาด เขาได้รับโอกาสจากแสนดี ที่ส่งเขาเรียนมหาวิทยาลัย แสนดีให้กลิ่นหอมไปมหาลัยกับสีหราชทุกวัน โดยไม่รู้เลยว่าแสนดีกำลังฝากปลาย่างไว้กับแมว