"So, Dad, what do you think?" Camilla pouted after her long rant. Elliot's face darkened as if he wanted to devour someone; waiting for his daughter to finish talking was the harshest punishment for him."I need to make sure again because I still don't understand. So, are you pregnant or not?" Elliot asked. His question made Camilla's face flush with anger. Before that could happen, Elliot immediately gave an ultimatum."If you get angry again, I won't give you this," Elliot pointed, pulling out his ultimate black credit card. Instantly, Camilla's eyes sparkled, and her demeanor, which had been like a lioness, changed into that of a kitten."Oh no, Dad, I was just looking for excuses earlier," Camilla deflected."So how did you meet both of them at the gynecologist's office?""I was just having a routine check-up, Dad, a Pap Smear, you know, for the feminine area. I don't need to discuss that with you, do I? It's strange to talk about it with your own Dad," explained Camilla. She walk
"How is this possible?" I asked, disbelieving. "I saw your grave being lowered into the ground, and Mom and Dad crying for you...""It was a momentary death. I rose and dug my own grave. In the pitch-black darkness, I realized the foolishness of my decision. God gave me a second chance to seek revenge for what they did to me," Helen replied.I stood up from my kneeling position, embracing her, and she returned it warmly, though the feeling was strange. My subconscious had already considered her gone, yet here she was, suddenly appearing before me, alive and speaking."Finally seeing you in person after all this time, only communicating through the system," she continued, further surprising me.My mind instantly connected the history of our conversations, how there was an immediate connection, and her responses seemed more humane, more subjective when needed. I even suspected she was Kak Helen, but I dismissed it as wishful thinking."So, it's been you all this time? I've been talking
"Where were you when Mom and Dad passed away, sis?" I asked, recalling how I attended the funeral alone, hands cuffed, crying alone as their coffins were lowered and buried. How devastated I was to have no one to share the grief with at that time. Remembering it now, I feel manipulated by Helen.Helen took a deep breath, tilting her head towards the car ceiling. She seemed to swallow a lump in her throat before answering, "I was in my exile, Dan. I couldn't come back then because even staying alive was a struggle for me. But as soon as I could stand on my own feet, I came here to show my condolences and vows to them, to protect you, and to avenge their pain.""You didn't even bother to visit me, sis," I retorted. Somehow, I felt like blaming Helen for everything that happened because I was in jail, and Mom and Dad passed away—all starting with Helen."It all takes time, Danzel. Do you think what they did to me was easily understandable? Acceptable? So, you choose for me to return, acc
"Baaaby… Baby!" echoed a woman's voice throughout the house. Anne recognized the voice, waiting to see what the woman would do here.Alex was startled, seeing Camilla enter with such ease, as if she owned the house herself. "What are you doing here? Damn it, why did the guards let you through?" he grumbled irritably."Calm down, baby. Why do you react so strongly to seeing me? I just came here to tell you that I'll take you back if you regret it. I’ll forgive you," Camilla explained confidently. She tossed her long, artificially extended hair with long-nailed fingers adorned with excessive accessories that were entirely unappealing.It wasn't just her hair and nails that were patched; several parts of her body were also the same. Others could tell she was a walking piece of plastic from excessive plastic surgeries. Her attitude, utterly lacking in decorum, didn't help at all; it only made her overall demeanor worse.Of course, Alex compared the woman in front of him to Anne, shaking h
“You’re delusional. I don't want anything,” answered Camilla, her lips curved into a sweet smile for Anne. Of course, Anne didn't immediately believe her, convincing herself to remain cautious around Camilla.Throughout her life, Camilla had always treated her badly, harboring negative thoughts about her. Initially, Anne had always wanted to understand the reasons behind Camilla's behavior, until she realized it was futile—Camilla's judgment of her was already formed, no matter how hard she tried to show kindness. Camilla remained steadfast and eventually deemed Anne as a mere attention-seeker.Since then, Anne realized she didn't need to waste energy on people who hated her because they would continue to do so. She had to focus on those who loved her, not many in number but sufficient for her.Thinking about it made her heart ache once again; now those people were gone, Pops and Dr. Bertha, whom she considered as her own father figures. Meha, who had been like the elder sister she ne
Alex was furious, howling like a possessed person, ordering his men to search once again, this time more meticulously. Meanwhile, he returned to the room to interrogate Camilla.The woman was far too relaxed about Anne's disappearance, even seeming pleased. Camilla must know something! That's what Alex thought. This time, he was determined to interrogate Camilla until she spoke. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she didn't talk."You!" Alex barked, striding quickly across the room toward the startled Camilla, who was taken aback by Alex's sudden rage. She dropped the magazine she was reading and stood up. Alex approached her and immediately grabbed Camilla by the throat, her eyes bulging from the intense pressure on her neck."Tell me where Anne is! I'm not joking around. Your death is in my hands right now," threatened Alex, his eyes bloodshot, his hand muscles bulging as he tightened his grip around Camilla's throat.Camilla knew her chance to play around had ended. She also figur
"I paced back and forth in Erwin's office, anxious as I hadn't received any recent updates about Anne. Not from Erwin's informants, nor from the system or Helen. I disliked this feeling, my intuition restless, sensing that Anne wasn't okay.Erwin, engrossed in his book, glanced at me from the corner of his eye, growing irritated as I disrupted his concentration."Tsk! Take one more step, and I'll kick you out," Erwin declared, unable to contain his frustration. His book remained untouched, the pages unturned due to my actions."Do you really have no information?" I asked again, wearing a pleading expression as I approached him."No, if I had any, you'd be the first to know. Now, get out of my space, or I'll have to force you out," Erwin commanded firmly. He was actually waiting for information that hadn't arrived yet. However, he masked it by focusing on more productive matters, unlike me.Right after that, Ralph arrived, carrying a vial bottle filled with thick white liquid. He was s
Hearing the information from the system, I immediately headed to Jackie's place. Night was falling, the streets were getting crowded, and the city was brightened by decorative lights along the roads. Visitors from out of town, eager to witness the carnival in Dustown, flooded the pubs, hotels, and eateries.The city seemed to come alive again with stalls and food trucks lining the streets, creating long queues. It overwhelmed me to drive quickly through the chaos. While people were enjoying themselves, I was lost in thoughts about Anne's fate.*Honk* *Honk*My horn sounded at the drivers who parked recklessly along the street. I was truly impatient, especially with the drunken revelers who were barely conscious as night approached.I almost collided with a group of teenagers crossing the road without looking. I honked loudly, causing them to bang and hit the hood of my car. But I had no time to deal with them.Luckily, after passing the town square, the crowd lessened. I accelerated,