"Where is he? Where is he?" Denise exclaimed excitedly, scanning the room as if expecting to find a man hidden somewhere. "Is he in the closet? He's not naked, is he?" she joked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.Iris was speechless.Yvonne narrowed her eyes at Iris, demanding, "Spill it.""I'm not hiding a man," Iris replied honestly. "The coat belongs to my boss; he left it here.""Jason Just?" Yvonne asked, her interest piqued.Iris nodded, "Yes, who else could it be? You know he's my boss."Denise, slightly disappointed that there was no man to find, said, "There's only a coat here?"She then asked, raising an eyebrow, "Is he that tall, good-looking man I saw with you last time? The one I encouraged you to pursue?"Iris confirmed, "That's right."Yvonne pressed on, "How did his coat end up at your place? Was he here?"As Iris thought back to the time they were stuck in the elevator, hugging each other, and a flush of guilt washed over her. Avoiding eye contact, she explai
Yvonne declared, "It's too late to go home; I'm staying over."Iris saw through her. "Are you scared?""Of course not. It's all fake. What's there to be scared of..." Yvonne insisted.Before she could finish, Denise leaned in close and gave her a fright. Yvonne jumped in shock, prompting laughter from the other two women.Swallowing hard, Yvonne said, "You could have given me a heart attack.""I thought you're not scared?" Iris teased, "You're the one who insisted on watching this movie.""I thought if we all watch it together, there's nothing to worry about. I didn't know both of you are scaredy-cats."After finishing several bottles of beer, the dining table was a chaotic mess."Since Yvonne is staying over, can I stay over too?" Denise asked. She was still scared."I only have one bed..." Iris said."It's fine; I don't mind squeezing in," Denise replied.With that, Iris couldn't refuse. "Alright, let's squeeze in."The three women lay on the bed, transitioning from chatt
[I'll arrive at three.]Iris replied, [Got it.]Because Jason was away, Iris had little to do. She spent the morning reading, and during her noon break, she returned home to tidy up the place. She had rushed to work that morning, so the cleaning was less than thorough.As she bent down to throw away the trash, she strained the injury on her waist. Afterwards, she went to the bathroom to inspect the wound in the mirror and apply some iodine. Wounds tended to heal slowly in winter. She cleaned the house until it was spotless and even washed the bed sheets. After that, she headed straight to the airport from home.She arrived half an hour early. The flight was delayed, and she only saw Jason an hour later. Jason wasn’t in a suit; he wore a black sweater over a white shirt, black casual pants that accentuated his long legs, and a trench coat draped over his arm, with a suitcase in his left hand."Mr. Just!" Iris waved.He spotted her waving both hands at the arrival hall and smil
He knew Iris well; she often brushed off minor injuries. He recalled a time when she accidentally cut her finger while chopping vegetables. It bled profusely, but she simply applied a band-aid on the wound. The wound took a long time to heal."I did," Iris lied. She wanted to avoid further conversation with him. Stanley didn’t buy her words."I know you didn't. I have some medicine for you. These are to be consumed orally, to prevent tetanus and inflammation since the wound might be deep. And this one is for external application. Remember to keep the wound dry...""Why are you doing this?" Iris asked. He had never been a caring person. In the past, if she had a minor injury, he would just ask, "Why didn’t you go to the hospital?" He had never bought medicine for her or shown concern for her well-being. She remembered accidentally cutting her finger once. She still had to cook for him afterwards. He didn't even ask if she was okay. And now, after their divorce, he had suddenly
Fiora was too overwhelmed by her emotions to think properly. She was dazzled by the sudden passion, her focus solely on the sexy and domineering man before her. Her voice was soft and gentle, almost as if it was made of water, as she said, "You don't have to take responsibility."Stanley picked her up, and they fell onto the bed. In an instant, his kisses enveloped her like a storm. His kisses and his hands that tore her clothes off were rough and devoid of tenderness. It was as if he were venting his fury on her, as if he were doing to her what he wished to do to another person.Fiora was swept away by the intensity of the moment. She found herself falling for this man even more, relishing the feeling of being taken forcefully. Caught in this whirlwind of emotions, she let herself be manipulated by Stanley, her body and mind in a heightened state of excitement.It wasn't until they had crossed the threshold of intimacy and their two bodies had merged into one that Stanley finally r
Jason saw that from the other side of the car. "Did you hurt your waist?""Huh?" Iris looked up. "Oh, yes.""How did you get hurt?"Closing the car door, Iris avoided eye contact. "I was pricked by a nail."Jason didn’t press further; as a skilled lawyer, he was adept at reading between the lines. Although he didn’t know how exactly she got injured, he sensed it was related to her ex-husband."Do you still have feelings for him?" he asked, gazing intently at her."If I did, I wouldn't have gotten divorced," Iris replied with a smile. "I'm not someone who drags things out." She didn't file for divorce when she found out about Wendy. She only made the decisive choice to leave Stanley after she had completely given up on him.Jason looked like he wanted to say something, but ultimately held his tongue.Iris walked ahead, leading the way. "The restaurant's not that far; it's just over there." She pointed to a restaurant bustling with people at the entrance. Despite the chilly wea
At first, Dennis doubted his eyes, but upon closer inspection, he confirmed it was indeed his daughter. Instead of approaching her and intruding upon their meal, he returned to Cassie and asked, "Do you think our Iris is in a relationship again?"Cassie replied nonchalantly, "She just got divorced. It seems too soon for that."Cassie knew how much their daughter loved Stanley. Even though they're divorced now, she thought Iris wouldn't move on and enter a new relationship so quickly. Moreover, finding the right person was challenging. Cassie had been keeping an eye out, but had yet to find anyone suitable for Iris."But I just saw her at a barbecue restaurant with a man," Dennis stated.Cassie's interest piqued, "Really?"He affirmed, "I saw it with my own eyes.""Is the man good-looking?" she inquired."I didn't see what he looked like," he replied."Let's go take a look," Cassie suggested.Dennis hesitated, "We can't leave our stall unattended...""It's fine, we're just ste
She exuded a profound stillness, a sense of broken calmness enveloping her. When the light turned green, the car moved forward. Upon reaching their apartment complex, they parted ways to their respective homes.Iris entered her apartment and lay down on her bed – not out of fatigue, but simply because she wanted to. Turning her head, she noticed Jason's coat hanging on the rack. Should she return it to him?Just then, a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. It was likely Yvonne, probably coming to complain about her failed blind date. She opened the door and started, "The blind date…"To her surprise, it was Jason standing outside."M-Mr. Just, what are you doing here?" she stammered.He extended his hand, offering her some medicine. "For you."Iris looked down to see it was tetanus and anti-inflammatory medication.“Superiors should care for their subordinates; it’s part of the job,” he stated as if it was the most natural thing in the world.She could only accept it.
After the waiter finished serving the food, he exited the private room and closed the door.Iris retreated to the wall. The door was shut tight, isolating the sounds within. She stood frozen. Jason and Fiora were siblings? And Jason only liked her because she looked like the woman of his dreams?A bitter chuckle escaped her at the thought. No wonder. With Jason's qualities, there was no reason for him to be interested in her.Thank goodness. Thank goodness she hadn't allowed herself to believe that he liked her because of her qualities. Thank goodness she hadn't invested too much emotionally. Thank goodness she had found out early, so it's not too late.Taking a deep breath, she went back to Brad, who was slumping in his chair, looking unwell. He looked up at her, his face a picture of discomfort. "Iris, I feel terrible," he said pitifully.Iris sighed. "I'll go buy you some digestive pills. Wait here."Brad nodded obediently. "Okay."Iris quickly searched for a nearby pharmac
They moved to a private room for their meal. Fiora's eyes were swollen from crying; her breakup with Stanley had hit her hard. Jessica, on the other hand, was pretty happy about the breakup. "Hmph, what's there to cry about? Pathetic."Despite the situation, Fiora retorted stubbornly, "Have you never been in love, Mom?"Jessica was momentarily taken aback. "Who knows if what you feel is really love?" she sneered.Perhaps Jessica had never lacked love and therefore couldn't relate. She and her husband had grown up together and had matching backgrounds. After marriage, they had a son and a daughter, and their relationship was stable. Their relationship, while not as passionate as those depicted on screen, had endured through the years. Her husband, despite his wealth and status, did not fool around outside or have an affair. He was devoted to his family and was a responsible and caring husband. Wasn't that a relationship to be envied? Passionate love was rare in this world; it w
"Contribute to the country?" Brad leaned on the table and teased, "You're quite patriotic, aren't you?"Iris asked, "Don't you love your country?""Of course I do," Brad responded.Iris walked out of the reception room. "I hope that's a truthful answer," she remarked, glancing back at him."I wouldn't deign to tell lies..." His voice trailed off as his stomach rumbled loudly, prompting an awkward cough.Iris chuckled. "I'll treat you to breakfast."Brad rolled his eyes. "Boss, it's already ten o'clock. Are you sure it's breakfast and not lunch?"Iris packed her things. "Don't call me 'boss.'"Brad stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter. "You care about that kind of thing?""Of course," she replied. "'Boss' makes me feel old. I'm still young."Suddenly, Brad leaned in close. When Iris looked up, she was startled to see his face right in front of her."You scared me," she said, glaring at him.He laughed heartily. "Haha...""Let's go," Iris said, heading ou
After that, the man eagerly asked, "Do I have a chance?"Iris pondered for a bit and replied, "You do, if everything you said is true...""Everything I said is true," the man hastily interjected.Iris raised her eyes, her gaze cold and firm. "Let me finish?""Okay, okay," he nodded, listening intently as she continued. "The first time you sexually assaulted her, she was still young, so she can't remember it clearly. Without direct evidence, it's difficult to prove what you did. She can only be certain about the sexual assault that occurred when she was in 10th grade. However, at that time, she was no longer a minor. The most crucial point is that there is a huge time gap between that incident and her recent suicide, so it would be challenging for the prosecution to link the two events together. However, if they have enough evidence, you will be convicted for sexual assault."The man's expression dimmed. "Oh, I see. If her suicide cannot be directly linked to my actions and I'm onl
Brad finished the coffee in one go. Iris frowned as she observed him. Something appeared to be on his mind. After setting the cup down, he expressed his gratitude. "Thanks," he said, grabbing his coat and standing up. "Shall we have breakfast together?" he invited."I've already eaten. I'm waiting for someone," Iris replied."Okay, never mind then," Brad shrugged. He draped his coat over his shoulder and walked away unsteadily.After checking the time, Iris said, "I can keep you company though." However, right after she said that, the woman arrived. "Looks like I can't," she said apologetically.Brad suddenly walked back and asked, "Can I join you?"While Iris was hesitating, he explained, "My father said he would send me abroad if I don't show results at the law firm. I don't want to go abroad."Iris smiled at the woman and said, "Let's go to the reception room."She then instructed Brad, "Go make two cups of coffee and bring it over."Meeting her gaze, he understood her m
Iris did not deny that it was one of the reasons.Stanley's expression broke down completely. "Hah." It seemed like he was mocking himself. Staring at the torn pieces of paper on the ground, he admitted, "I didn't even attend that seminar. It wasn't me who wrote that review."This revelation stunned Iris. "It wasn't you?"But she quickly regained her composure. It didn't matter anymore at this point."Just leave," she said, once again driving him away.Stanley stared intently at her face, searching for a hint of veiled emotion, but all he found was cold indifference. "Do you love me as a person, or—""Do you really want me to call the cops?" Iris interrupted, her patience wearing thin. She didn't want to engage in discussions about love or past relationships; it was all behind her. What did it matter now? People should look forward, not dwell on the past."You call me heartless, but you're even more heartless than I am," Stanley said hoarsely.Iris was unmoved. Stanley cont
Iris pushed open the car door and stepped out, quickly walking away as if trying to escape. She wasn't entirely sure what she feared — perhaps she was afraid that she couldn't handle whatever Jason might say. Once home, she received a text from him: [The business trip is delayed for a day.]She stared at the message for a long moment before replying with a simple [Okay.]Feeling utterly exhausted, she lay down on her bed and fell asleep without even showering.The next morning, she took a shower after she woke up and changed into clean clothes. She then left the house to go to her parents' home to take her parents to the hospital for a full-body checkup.However, when she opened the door of her apartment, something fell inside, startling her.That "something" turned out to be Stanley, who had been sleeping at her doorstep. He stood up with a stubbly beard, tired eyes, and wrinkled clothes. "I came last night. I wanted to knock but was afraid of disturbing your sleep..."Iris' e
She tried to make excuses for herself.Jason said, "It's okay."He looked at Iris.Iris helplessly rubbed her temples. There was nothing she could do about her mother's temper.Iris suggested taking Dennis to the hospital, but he stubbornly refused, insisting he was fine except for a minor injury on his face.Cassie said it was late and that she would take him to the hospital tomorrow to get a full-body checkup.Reluctantly, Iris acquiesced to their wishes. After Iris' parents exited the car, Cassie suddenly remembered something and turned back. "Iris, your Aunt Kendra said you and Jason have helped her a lot, so she wants you two to visit so she can thank you properly."Iris immediately rejected it. "Tell her there's no need. I'm busy with work lately, so I won't be able to visit."Cassie frowned. "Why didn't you tell me about what happened to Kendra and her family?"Iris saw through her mother's intentions immediately. "Why should I tell you about other people's affairs? B
Renee bristled at the suggestion that she should go over to them. "Tell them to come here. They should be grateful that I'm willing to apologize to them. I'm not going over there. They don't deserve it."Stanley said, "You came to apologize. Go."He understood the stakes clearly. If his mother and Iris' parents became hostile, his chances of salvaging his relationship with Iris would plummet. Therefore, even though he knew how stubborn Renee was, he still persuaded her to go over to them.Renee couldn't put her pride aside. She had always looked down on Iris' parents, and being asked to take the initiative to go over to them felt like a total humiliation. Apologizing to them was already a huge compromise."Since you've come to apologize, then do it properly. Don't give them any leverage," Stanley urged.Renee snorted, "I'm not afraid of them.""You should be," Stanley insisted. "If Iris raises a ruckus at the Just residence, what chance do I have of salvaging my relationship with