When There Is Nothing Left But Love

Immense envy for youth surged through me. The leniency that came with being a juvenile meant Joyce could speak without reservation and lash out at people as she pleased.

My gaze settled on the glass of water on the table. I stood up and approached her. There was no anger in my voice, but a cold indifference seeped through my words. “Indeed, I’m thirty now. That’s four to five years older than you. I wonder what I was up to when I was your age.”

Quirking an eyebrow, I continued, “I was a newlywed at that time, and my career had just taken off. The work culture back then was a lot more complicated than what you’re experiencing now. I, too, had my fair share of interactions with some older girls at my workplace. They were all my superiors, but I focused on working hard to reach their status instead of sabotaging them.”

“Witnessing your insolent behavior gave me an epiphany—that good upbringing is crucial. My parents taught me to look up to those who are better than me and follow in their footsteps, not defame them. Ms. Newton, your upbringing sure is… Disappointing.”

Objectively, these were not harsh words, but it was a different story altogether since I involved her family and character.

Joyce was still young and easily incensed. Fuming, she raised a hand to slap me.

I was not a naive lady in her twenties. In one swift motion, I intercepted her swinging arm, picked up the glass of water, and mercilessly threw the water in her face.

“Ms. Newton, you’ll get your tongue severed if you don’t watch it well. Remember to choose your words wisely the next time you decide to run your mouth.” I was in no mood to finish the forms and promptly left the office.

An enraged shriek pierced the air. “Scarlett, you vile woman! Just you wait and see!”

behind me, but I paid her no heed

lately, trailing behind me wherever I went. Perhaps my bout

behalf and plan an itinerary

voicing my confusion. “Why is a developer taking

near the hotel. R Province has been doing well in the past two years. Paired with the fact that we have

surrounding the city would be in full bloom,

at the edge of the province. Recent trends showed that more and more people from busy, bumbling cities wished to live in a tranquil environment after retirement. R Province, with

he arrive?” I inquired as I piled Summer and Michael’s plates with vegetables. The two children had identical preferences for food—both being meat-eaters with a strong aversion to greens. Their picky appetite warranted force-feeding

finished his food and set his utensils down. “Around noon. Make sure

While I had never been a hostess, I had been on the receiving end a few times before, back when I held a high position

had a good idea of

esteemed visitor. I barely bought any clothes in the last few years I lived in R province, and on the off chance that I did, the clothes were cheap items from night markets. It had been long since I last wore branded clothing, let alone customized

clothing hung in my wardrobe. Back then, I was carrying Summer and had

had been shoved in a box, never to see the light for years. The attire that was worth tens of thousands now smelled vaguely of mold, but its exceptional workmanship shone through. Even years of neglect could