Some discoveries don’t require a dramatic coincidence. Carol stands there, staring at Damien without any expression. Her eyes observe as the color drains from his face. Slowly, she walks toward him—no expression, no sign language, and certainly no confusion visible. Damien tries to say something, perhaps a last-second explanation. He swallows hard, watching her approaching him. James looks like he’s scrambling for any excuse that might save the situation. After all, if Carol decides to throw Damien to the floor with one of her strikes, he’ll surely end up in a wheelchair. They both know how strong Carol is. But to their surprise, Carol stops in front of Damien, measuring their height. She rests her head on his chest and hugs him. Slowly, a smile appears on her face. James and Damien are left dumbfounded. Carol, standing at 5'5", continues to measure where her head reaches on Damien's tall frame, as if checking if she’s comfortable. Then, she steps back, looks up at him with her
"This is all messed up." James runs his hands through his hair while sitting on the edge of the couch. The rapid beating of his heart feels almost audible. "You know that if she somehow learns about this, there's no going back!" "That's why she doesn't need to know or remember anything!" "But why?" James asks, confused. "Why did you decide to hide everything?" Damien doesn’t answer immediately as he shuts off the laptop. "Let’s talk about it later. I don’t know what she’s thinking... but I don’t feel good about her reaction. I would’ve preferred if she’d screamed and accused me of betraying her trust. But that expression... it’s terrifying!" James can’t deny he feels the same. Something about her isn’t right. "Did you tell her that you’ve asked her friends to give her some space for a while?" He waits for a positive response, but Damien’s silence leaves him stunned. "Not again!" James shakes his head in frustration. "I told you—if you want to have her permanently, you can’
That night, he could say nothing. James insisted he sit down and talk to her before it was too late, then left the house. But unfortunately, Carol was busy planning to go on a date. Right now, Carol is typing on her laptop when Damien wheels himself in. Of course, he has to keep up his disguise in front of Lucy. But as soon as he closes the door, he stands up and walks toward her. Carol frowns a bit. She isn't used to the vibration of footsteps, but she knows she was right about that night. Damien was carrying her upstairs using the staircase. However, she remains silent and keeps noting something in a notebook. Damien hugs her from behind, pressing his lips against her skin in a gentle brush. She flinches. Her face turns red as she inhales his favorite perfume. **Don't disturb me right now!** she signs while pecking his cheek. Damien nibbles the spot until he gets her full attention. **What are you doing?** she asks, her face turning red. **What are you doing? Your husb
While planning the honeymoon, Damien tries many times, almost forcing her to listen to him. However, as intelligent as Carol is, she somehow avoids everything. Since she can't hear, he can't shout to let her know his inner thoughts. Meanwhile, Carol, who is busy with work and planning for her honeymoon, looks like she is living in another world—from shopping to brainstorming ideas about how she should spend her time with Damien. Recently, she has been getting some spam messages that she doesn't care to open. Who cares about some messages when she is going on a honeymoon with her husband? Right now, after a long day, Carol walks out of the office. She has a business trip to Miami tomorrow, so she needs some comfortable clothes suitable for the weather. Recently, it’s been getting colder here, but Miami should be warm. While walking toward her car, she notices a familiar figure talking to one of her employees. The moment their eyes meet, she waves her hand with a gentle smile.
Damien glances at the watch Carol gifted him. He wheels himself out of the company. Nobody is here except the security guards. But there is no way he can leave the wheelchair. James left soon after informing him that he would talk to their friends about everything. So, he is alone. Dialing the number of his chauffeur, he heads into the garage. But his eyes widen when he notices someone standing at the garage exit. His heart beats faster, a heavy pressure lifting off his chest. **Are you surprised?** Carol signs while sitting on her bike. Damien wheels himself as fast as he can and grabs her wrist. Carol, who had just settled herself, finds herself being pulled into his embrace as he hugs her tightly. She can feel his vibration. It's warm and fast. He kisses her forehead and lips like a desperate man. She laughs, feeling ticklish. **What's wrong with you?** she asks, blushing. **I missed you so much!** he says, cupping her face and smothering her with kisses. She feels
"Everyone sounded remorseful and angry about it except for Ian!" James slides his car keys into his pocket and heads toward his apartment. Damien, on the other side of the phone, takes a deep breath. "It’s fine. He’s always been sensitive about this. We all just needed a scapegoat for our hatred and frustration," he replies in a deep tone. "Where’s your flight?" James asks as he enters his apartment. "This evening. Carol is returning from Miami this morning." Damien grabs a towel and strides into the bathroom. The sun has yet to rise, and he couldn't sleep well last night. "Is everything going alright?" James asks while opening the refrigerator. Carol has been handling all the honeymoon plans, so James has no idea what she’s organized. Usually, Damien relies on him to handle tasks like booking rooms or arranging visas. "Yes… she’s acting normal," Damien replies while running the shower and checking the water temperature. "I’ll call you later." "Okay." Placing the phone o
**How did it happen? Damien said you were already getting treatment?** Carol hands Lucy a glass of water before sitting in the chair. Lucy is already crying. **It’s my fault. I became greedy. I became reckless once I learned that Damien married you!** Carol’s eyes widen in surprise, but she remains silent. She had thought Lucy returned because she was getting better. **Now, I think what I did has caused me a great loss. I came back here as a spy for Mrs. Crawley. Damien knows it, too!** Carol freezes, her shock apparent. **What do you mean?** she asks, a knot forming in her stomach. **Damien allowed me to return because of his mother’s death. Do you remember when he left for a week and came back with me?** Carol nods slowly. **His mother was found dead. But Damien and everyone knew she was murdered. He hated her, but she reminded him of someone he used to adore.** Carol’s expression shifts from shock to calm curiosity. She has no idea what Lucy is talking about
Next Day,As soon as the sun rises, they head directly to City X for hiking and skydiving. With such an eventful day planned, neither of them wants to waste time lounging around. Damien is especially excited for the plans ahead. He surprises Carol with a cozy bed and breakfast, a warm shower together, and even helps her dry her hair afterward. He carefully combs her hair, watches as she applies her makeup, and even learns a few techniques to assist her in the future. Carol, proud of her attentive husband and his quick learning, allows him to choose her lipstick color and dress. However, the lipstick doesn't last long—someone couldn't resist her lips and wiped away the last trace. ---Carol and Damien are now hiking with a group of people who will also be joining them for skydiving. The group includes individuals from different countries, but due to her disability, Carol struggles to make friends. Thankfully, Damien acts as her interpreter, helping the group understand her sign lan
It’s late evening, and the house is quiet except for the soft hum of the air conditioner. Everyone left except Carol. She just put Aria in her bed after a long day. Carol is curled up on the couch, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone, catching up on the day’s events. The soft glow from the screen lights up her face, and she can’t help but smile as she reads a message from her best friend, Eunice. After what felt like a long stretch of tension and uncertainty, Eunice and James have decided to try again—James is back, and it seems like they’re working things out. Carol’s heart swells with happiness for her friend. Just as she leans back, stretching her legs on the couch, the front door opens, and Damien walks in. His shoulders are hunched, his tie slightly loosened, and he looks exhausted. The stress from his day is evident, and he doesn’t even bother to take off his shoes before walking towards the living room. Carol raises an eyebrow, putting her phone down and watching
Aria sits quietly on the couch, her little body curled up into a ball, her plush carrot tightly held against her chest. Her small face is scrunched up, a mixture of confusion and sadness overtaking her usual lively demeanor. She can’t stop thinking about what happened with Julian earlier, and it's hurting her innocence heart more than she’s willing to admit. She is confused why Julian wants to play with someone else when she is playing with him. Damien, noticing his daughter’s silence, looks over at her from the kitchen, where he’s sipping his coffee. His heart clenches at the sight of her pouting face. Aria usually bounces around the house with boundless energy, but today, she’s a shell of her usual self. He places the mug down on the counter and walks over to her. “Hey, kiddo,” he says softly, sitting beside her on the couch. He gently pulls her onto his lap, his big hands rubbing circles on her back as he tries to comfort her. “What’s wrong, princess? Why the long face?” Aria d
The apartment is filled with the sound of the faint rustling of clothes and the occasional thud of a box being moved around. It’s quiet in a way that feels almost suffocating, the air thick with the unspoken tension that has been building for weeks. Since James hasn't been in his company, I couldn't ignore the situation. He wants to stay a few days to travel around the city. However, he has been getting lots of calls from his assistant. I can't let him slack off all day like a lazy ass. I sit cross-legged on the bed, staring at the half-packed suitcase in front of me, my fingers mindlessly folding the clothes I’ve laid out. My thoughts are a jumbled mess, as usual, filled with a thousand things—mostly about what’s coming next, about leaving and starting over, about the future that feels uncertain. But there’s one constant. One person. James. I can feel him watching me from across the room, where he’s leaned lazily against the dresser, arms crossed, his gaze locked onto me
Although I couldn't secure a position in the American branch of my company, for our best interests, James has asked me to work for him in his company. Although it's a new company, Damien has been helping him with lots of projects. We will leave soon. I have resigned my position. The bar is alive with music, the low hum of conversations, and the occasional burst of laughter as glasses clink together in celebration. The air is thick with the scent of alcohol, fried food, and something bittersweet that lingers beneath it all—farewells. My farewell. I should be celebrating. This is my night, after all. A send-off from colleagues who’ve become friends, from a place that’s been my home for years. A place I fought to leave, worked tirelessly to outgrow. But as I sit at the bar, nursing my fourth—or maybe fifth?—drink, there’s a hollow feeling settling deep inside me, like something slipping through my fingers no matter how tightly I try to hold on. Maybe because I acknowledged th
The apartment is unbearably quiet. I sit curled up on the couch, knees drawn to my chest, staring blankly at the dark ceiling. The only sound is the faint hum of the refrigerator, but even that feels distant—like the world outside this room no longer exists. James’s message from last night is still on my phone, the words burning into my mind. "Staying at a hotel tonight. Don’t wait up."He didn’t call. Didn’t ask to talk. Didn’t even ask why. I clutch the blanket around me, my fingers tightening in the fabric. The weight in my chest is suffocating, pressing down like a stone. Sleep never came, only hours of staring at the walls, thinking about the moment he found that ticket—how his expression darkened, how he left without another word. He knows. And I hurt him. The sky outside turns from black to gray, signaling morning, but it doesn’t bring relief. The ache in my chest only deepens. I can’t sit in this silence any longer. My hands tremble as I pick up my phone and d
Eunice, The morning sunlight drapes across the living room, casting a golden warmth over the space. Everything feels too still, too peaceful, as if the world itself is oblivious to the storm brewing inside me. James moves around the kitchen with ease, sleeves rolled up, flipping pancakes like it’s second nature. I watch him, mesmerized by the way he hums under his breath, his presence so familiar yet so foreign at the same time. It should be comforting—this domesticity, this quiet moment between us. But instead, my chest tightens, because I know that soon, everything will change. Since we have returned home, I have been fighting with myself for a decision that I thought was simple a month ago. However, his appearance, me falling in love with him again made that simple decision one of the hardest decisions ever. I haven’t told him yet. “You’re staring,” James teases, his voice smooth, pulling me out of my thoughts. He glances over his shoulder, flashing that boyish grin that u
With a long-suffering sigh, he nods. “Fine. I promise.” Aria beams, hugging him tightly. “Yay! My Julie forever!” Irene smirks, crossing her arms. “We’ll see about that.” Julian groans, rubbing his temples as Aria and Irene continue their tug-of-war over him. He has had enough. “Can you both just stop?!” He snaps finally, his patience finally breaking and wearing off. Especially to Aria who is clinging onto him like a slime. Silence falls. Aria blinks, her grip on his shirt loosening. “J-Julie…?” Her voice is small, uncertain. Julian exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Irene, you always mess with me and now her, and Aria, you act like a spoiled kid whenever I talk to anyone else!” His voice is firm, frustrated. “I can be friends with other people! You don’t own me, Aria!” His sharp cold eyes shudders Aria who looks confused with Julian's cold and indifferent gaze. The room suddenly feels too quiet. Aria’s fingers tremble as she stares at him,
Julian narrows his eyes before walking towards the door, " What's their name!?" He asks. " Julie! You got friends. What about me?" She follows him hugging her plush. " I don't know her name but she is here to play with you!" Julian walks downstairs while Aria skips the staircases one after one. " Why do you have friends? I don't have friends. I want to be friends with your friend!" She keeps whining while running towards Julian. " Hi! Julian!" A girl wearing a beautiful dress shyly waves her hand. " I am here to play." " Irene! Why are you here?" Julian asks, frowning a bit. " To play -!" Julian barely takes two steps forward before Aria latches onto his arm, her plush carrot squeezed against her chest like a battle shield. Her big, round eyes lock onto the girl standing before them, her lips pursed in a deep frown. Irene blinks, then smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Is this your little sister, Julian?” Aria gasps dramatically, releasing Julian just to s
Two days ago, Julian told her that he hated her for touching his homework. Now she is yet to get over from that shock. Julian barely stirs under the warmth of his blanket, his face half-buried in his pillow. The room is quiet except for the faint rustling of fabric as he tries to sink deeper into sleep. But Aria stands frozen at his bedside, her tiny fists clenched, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "He said he hates me…" Her lips tremble, but not from sadness—from determination. She knows Julian better than anyone. He can say all he wants, but the moment she starts crying, he’ll melt like an ice cream cone in the sun. Taking a deep breath, she clenches her plush carrot and prepares for battle. She sniffs. Loudly. A little whimper escapes her lips, followed by another dramatic sniff. Then, with precise control, her lower lip wobbles as she blinks rapidly, allowing fat, glistening tears to pool in her big eyes. Julian shifts slightly under the blanket. She s