The Art Of Saying No นิยาย & เรื่องราว

he said quietly, “you should have said no.” “And do what? Ruin the business deal? Walk away from everything I’ve ever known?” She laughed bitterly. “You have no idea what it’s like.” “You’re right,” he said, and something cold flashed across his face. “I don’t. Because when I don’t want something, I say no.” “Well, good for you,” she said quietly, unable to keep the resentment out of her voice. “Must be nice having that kind of power. I believe you can call it off then.”

“The contract was pretty clear that I don’t have that ability. That if I sign, I give up any right to tell you no.” He sighed. “I’m not some monster bent on abusing you, Mia. You’re right in that I don’t like the word no very much. But my hope is that you won’t be using it often. I’d rather reserve that word for rare occasions when you are truly frightened or uncomfortable. I don’t want it popping out of your mouth just because you’re uncertain and the idea strikes you wrong before you even give it a chance. But if you truly find yourself in a situation that you do not want to be in, no is sufficient for me to stop. I may not like it, but I won’t ignore that word. Ever. You have my word on t

My hands tighten around my phone when he moves around another student to step out of line and approach my table. A little laugh escapes him. “Well, consider me flattered. Still… there’s time to sign up, if you’re interested.” I shake my head, a nervous smile tugging at my lips. “I don’t have any art skills. It would be pointless.” “That’s where you’re wrong.” His voice easy and warm. “Everyone has art skills. They just need practice. A little guidance. Maybe even some patience.” I scoff softly. “Trust me, no amount of patience would make me good with a pencil. Or, uh, a paintbrush.”

“My blood? A kidney?” “You’re not worth a kidney,” he said dryly. I opened my mouth to respond—with what, I wasn’t sure, because he hadn’t been outright hostile—but I closed it before I said something I would regret. I had no retort for that. “You’re expecting me to say no,” I said, crossing my arms. “But you don’t get it. I’m in the kind of position where saying no doesn’t feel like a luxury.” His gaze flickered. “That’s why you’ll say yes.”

“You seem to struggle with the meaning of this common English word, ‘No.’ So for clarity, here are a few examples of what no doesn’t mean. ‘Yes.’ Ask me again if I want to be your wife and now let’s test your knowledge. No, did you get that? The correct answer is okay.” “Right. Wrong. It’s subjective, based on who you are asking, aren’t they? My answer is always yes. And yes, you are my wife.” “To be clear: you don’t get to make that decision. I’m not your toy.” “That was selective hearing, Mrs. King. I said I didn’t want your opinion. We are already married. You cannot say a word that will change my mind.”

And it didn't help that her mother believed she owed a lot to Rebecca, who had insisted that Adele sue the boiler maintenance company, had represented her without charge and got a generous deal. And every penny of it the mother had invested in education of the son. She said sternly: “They set you up so you couldn't say no. That was true. "No is not my favorite word." She rubbed her shoulder. “You are a gem. But it's good to learn to say no once in a while. When he shrugged, she said: "I bet you didn't have breakfast this morning." I'll do something.

“It feels like it.” That evening, Cassian called. No warning. No buildup. “Are you free?” he asked. “Yes.” We talked while I cleaned up the kitchen, his voice steady in my ear. He told me about a conversation that could’ve turned into negotiation and didn’t. About how easy it felt to say no without rehearsing. “I didn’t rush to fill the space afterward,” he said. “I let it be quiet.” I wiped my hands on a towel and leaned against the counter. “That’s what I’ve been noticing too. The quiet doesn’t scare me anymore.”

Helped. "You do not have to answer everyone," Spring said gently. "You do not have to explain to everyone. You do not have to help everyone understand. You can say no. You can set boundaries. You can protect yourself. You do not owe everyone perfect explanation. You do not owe everyone complete understanding. You do not owe everyone exhaustive teaching. You can say no. You can rest. You can protect yourself. Let others work through this themselves. Let them struggle. Let them process. You do not have to do all the work for them. They can figure this out. They can understand. They can adapt. Without you explaining everything. Let them work. Let them struggle. Let them process. You rest. You p

"Thank you for your time." And then he's gone. I sit back down, trying to convince myself that turning him down was a good idea. I go over the reasons in my head, the pros and cons, but in the end, the pros outweigh the cons—in a selfish sense. But in the professional sense? It was the "right" thing to say no.

“What if I'd said no?” “If you had said no, I would have sent the stuff back or given you the apartment for yourself. I hate being there without you, anyway. But I knew you weren't going to say no to me. You never do.” “I'm saying no to sex in my work,” I pointed out. “It's just not appropriate.”