A nurse greeted them at the entrance, her face showing fatigue in a uniform that seemed worn off for a long time. “Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” she greeted weakly, her smile awkward. She looks at Glenn closely. Glenn glanced at his Mother, wondering if she noticed, too. But his mother seemed unfazed, returning the smile to the nurse and entering the hospital. Even at this moment, the hospital seemed extremely unfit to operate in, with outdated equipment, the squeak of rusty wheels on wheelchairs echoing through the corridors, and walls stained with handprints of those who had once touched them. Glenn approached his Mother and whispered, “Mother, remind me again, whose hospital is this? Do I know the owner?” His Mother whispered back, covering her mouth with her purse, “This is Ingrid Langfield's hospital, the widow of Klaus Langfield.” “Klaus Langfield has passed away?” Glenn asked, a bit surprised. He remembered the old man as someone kind and unassuming, who often engaged hi
"Ah, just leave them be, mate," Darren waved off, noticing Glenn's gaze.Darren then handed a can of beer to Glenn. "Thanks," Glenn said as he accepted it. They bantered before taking a sip."You didn't invite Amber?" Darren asked out of the blue, and Glenn just shook his head. Darren's eyes suddenly lit up."Thank goodness... It would've been chaos if she showed up," Darren sighed in relief.Darren gestured subtly towards Jason, the man still engrossed with the woman nearly twice his age.Seeing Darren's reaction to knowing about Amber and Jason's relationship, Glenn felt foolish. If he hadn't realised quickly, he would have continued displaying himself as Amber's lackey, and no one would have stepped up to inform him of his folly.But beyond that, Glenn also realised something new. Initially thinking that Darren would appreciate him bringing Amber, who seemed popular among guys, Glenn now understood a side of Amber that this particular person didn't favour.‘What else about Amber ha
In the car, Glenn was unaware when Hazel rode her bike back; her heart was deeply wounded. While four beautiful women with heavy makeup on either side of him conversed with each other, Glenn's mind wandered back to his earlier encounter with Hazel.As the image of Hazel's drenched clothes crossed his mind again, he unconsciously swallowed hard."Glenn, what are you imagining with that smirk on your face?" teased one of the women, his classmates."Are you picturing us serving you later?" another woman asked, followed by laughter, making the car lively."Who would've thought Glenn could be this wild?" quipped one of the women; Glenn lazily glanced at her."Amber is too greedy in exploiting you, Glenn..." added the woman, her hand caressing Glenn's bare chest.Glenn caught her hand."Shall we continue this later, hmm?" he asked playfully.The four women in the car cheered excitedly. Glenn opened a bottle of champagne for them, fueling their enthusiasm as they shared drinks from the same
Amber hurried back to the small room designated for her near the kitchen, cluttered with cleaning tools. The room was tiny, about the size of a bathroom at home.She shut the door a little forcefully, clearly frustrated. Anger still bubbling inside her, she growled, tossing and scratching at the small bed, kicking and clawing at the pillows to release her pent-up frustration."Men, that was so rude and despicable!""Argh!" she yelled in frustration, pacing back and forth in the room.*Creak*The door suddenly swung wide open, startling Amber and making her clutch her chest. Ms. Eugene stood there rigidly, glaring at her with wide, angry eyes, her displeasure evident on her face."Do you know what time it is?" she scolded coldly.Amber, often at a loss for words in front of Ms. Eugene, stuttered out a response. "Uh, I- I'm sorry, I thought no one else was in the back part of the house."She stepped back as Ms. Eugene approached, closing the door behind her. Ms. Eugene's eyes scanned th
"Damn it!" Amber shouted as she stomped on the stairs, frustrated with her bad luck.She then contacted Jason, her boyfriend, who she was sure would take her in for a while."Yeah, Amber..." Jason answered, his voice hoarse, indicating he had just woken up."Honey... Can you come pick me up?""Huh? Pick you up? Are you allowed to come home already?" Jason asked in succession.A woman's voice sounded affectionate in the background, making Amber tense."Who's that?" she asked, her chest burning.Amber could hear Jason moving and leaving the room wherever he had been earlier. She could even hear the sound of her boyfriend closing the door gently.Amber's heart was consumed by jealousy."That's Ma, Amber... You know I'm crammed in here," Jason reasoned.But Amber knew her boyfriend was lying. She knew the creak of Jason's studio flat door perfectly; even the distance from the bed to the door was ingrained in her mind.Jason had lied and betrayed her.‘And for God's sake, does he think I d
Glenn furrowed his brows at Hazel's reaction. He recalled their amicable parting the previous night.He retracted his outstretched hand.Amber seemed calm, continuing to fold and distribute blankets as if unaffected by his presence. Glenn took the initiative to assist.His jaw tightened as he contemplated his misstep.‘Was it because Mr. Lucas is here?’ he wondered.‘Yes, maybe. She doesn't want to upset her dad.’ He concluded.The memory of Mr Lucas's ultimatum from the other day about rejecting his arranged marriage to Hazel flashed in his mind. The unfriendly reception added to his thoughts.Glenn finally acquiesced, deciding to show respect to Hazel, even though it was difficult. His peripheral vision remained fixed on her, drawn like a magnet to iron."Here, take these up, Glenn," Mr. Lucas suddenly instructed.He piled high the blankets in Glenn's arms, obstructing his view.Mr. Lucas's glance made Glenn realise that Mr. Lucas was aware of where Glenn's gaze had been directed al
Mr Lucas looked at Glenn with a questioning gaze. Xavier and Hazel did the same.As noon arrived, people began bustling in, the buzz of conversations echoing from the cafeteria below."This guy," Mr Lucas patted Xavier's shoulder."He's the hardest working young man I've known, with a visionary mission far ahead. He doesn't see his current limits as stumbling blocks; moreover, he's sharp," Mr Lucas explained.Xavier seemed flattered by the praise.For some reason, Glenn sensed a hint of sarcasm in Mr Lucas's words directed at him.He remembered that Glenn, in the past, was known for his laziness and a lack of interest in business, happily squandering his family's money on luxury items.It seemed Mr Lucas still thought of him that way.Just as he was about to speak, to contradict Mr Lucas if he had changed, he caught the warm interaction between Mr Lucas, Xavier, and Hazel.Glenn fell silent, especially when Hazel smiled at Xavier.He immediately felt out of place and time.He knew def
"Father, I'll head back to my room," Glenn bid his father farewell.The elderly man resumed poring over the documents before him, deeply concentrating."Hm..." the father replied briefly.Glenn glanced at his phone screen again, typing and deleting the reply he intended to send multiple times.Once in his room, he lay on the bed and started typing a response, a smile lingering on his face since a while ago.He was busy plotting a prank on Amber. Shaking his head in disbelief, he couldn't fathom how shameless she could be.[You're right; I've gone too far. How can I make it up to you?] Glenn typed and sent it.[I'm hungry,] came Amber's brief reply.Glenn understood the underlying meaning behind Amber's message; years of living with her had familiarised him with her implied meanings.[I'll order food for you in a bit; wait,] he replied.[Wait! Send it to this address and order for five portions.] Amber quickly responded.Glenn furrowed his brow upon seeing the address Amber sent; he kn