Chapter 5
+25 BONL
When I was young, I used to do poorly on purpose just to see them. I would intentionally pick fights with others because only then would they show up, giving me a sliver of the love I desperately craved.
Later on, I stopped expecting anything. On my birthdays, I would buy myself a gift to celebrate being a year older. When it was time for parent–teacher meetings, I would give the teacher my parents‘ phone number so that they could contact them directly for anything.
I grew up alone–until I met Hendrix.
My parents never showed up at school, so rumors spread that I was an orphan with no parents. One day after school, a group of bold kids stopped me and demanded I hand over all my allowance.
That was when Hendrix appeared. He casually stopped the punch aimed at me, and stood in front of me, facing the bullies.
“What are you doing? A bunch of people ganging up on a girl–don’t you have any shame?”
The group scattered, and I looked at the boy who stood in front of me. He was incredibly handsome, sweat dripping from his chin and glistening in the sunlight.
He turned to me and asked, “Are you okay?”
In that instant, I fell in love, but I did not have the courage to do anything. I only managed to whisper, “I’m fine, thank you.”
Then I rushed home, flustered.
After that, I started paying attention to Hendrix, both consciously and unconsciously. I learned that he had a childhood friend he was close to, but their relationship seemed to go no further than that.
At the time, I did not understand that some feelings, even if they are real, stay buried deep within the heart, never to be revealed. I only knew that my young heart, filled with a secret crush, remained silent on the surface, while underneath, it had already spread and taken over my entire being.
From that point on, even an accidental encounter would leave me flustered, my face burning as I lowered my head.
However, I knew that we would not decide our future marriages.
So when I found out that my arranged marriage partner was him, I was overjoyed. Even my parents were pleased with Hendrix, keeping in touch with him more often than they did with me.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 5
In my previous life, my parents had flatly refused when I had asked for a divorce from Hendrix. They looked at me with disappointment.
“Hendrix is incredibly capable. He manages the company so well. So what if he likes someone else? It’s not a big deal. Must you make things difficult for us?”
I knew, too, that since our marriage, the Lewis and Zuckerman families had been tied together, and divorce was not something that could happen easily.
So I endured, year after year, until I could no longer take it. I held a knife to my throat and forced him to divorce me.
However, now that I had been given a second chance, I wanted to live for myself this time. I needed to think about my future, which was why I did not want to go home just yet.
However, there was one thing I needed to go home to take care of.
I typed my phone number into Andrew’s phone and dialed it. Once I heard the ringtone, I handed the phone back to him.
“Save my number. Can I visit in a few days?”
Andrew glanced at the number and saved it. “Anytime.”
Only then had I flagged down a taxi and headed home, without sparing Hendrix a single glance.
Chapter 6
