“Yasmine, you’re a gem, way better than that rascal Anthony. You’re our little angel!” they exclaimed. Anthony, pushing thirty and still the family clown, pulled silly faces behind his mother’s back, trying to get a rise out of me. “Of course. Yasmine’s the golden child, and I’m just the stray you picked up,” he quipped … Read more
Two years on, Anthony’s stellar performance earned him a promotion to Chief of Staff. My business was booming, breaking into international markets. I had set up a pearl shop in numerous malls and toyed with the idea of launching my own brand. Anthony backed me all the way, but the long stretches apart were wearing … Read more
Instead, it was like the pickaxe was caught in a vice. I could not yank it free. I ditched the pickaxe, looking for anything else to use, but in my frenzy, I stumbled and ended up on the floor. The footsteps behind me were getting louder. A cold sweat drenched my back as I curled … Read more
A roughly tied bandage circled my forehead, my eyes struggling to focus through the haze. I pounded on the ce door with all my strength, once, twice, thrice. “Holly! Dad! Mom! Let me out!” My hands were raw, bloodied from the effort, when I finally heard a stir from above. “Yasmine, you’ve got two choices. … Read more
Holly gave me a once–over and said, “By the looks of you, you didn’t stick with the troops. You talk a good game, but really, you just left your hubby on the front lines while you lived it up.‘ “1 “Who says I didn’t stick with the troops? I was with Anthony on Darak Island.” … Read more
Darak Island was a stone’s throw from Lascora, its shellfish farming industry on the rise. In my previous life, I worked at the city’s Fisheries Bureau, rubbing shoulders with plenty of shellfish farmers. That was when I fell in love with the art of shellfish farming. If it were not for my early death, I … Read more
“Did you forget? You’re the reason Mom almost died. You owe our family big time. You’ll be paying us back your whole life, slaving away for us! “Talk to me like that again, and you’ll see what I’ll do to you!” Holly’s eyes were wild, like she wanted to tear me apart. However, Anthony held … Read more
“Yasmine, that workbook is a total waste of time, and the tutor Anthony’s mom hired is a joke. I can’t even answer half the questions!” Holly complained. My parents were quick to soothe her. “If you’re struggling, chances are everyone else is too. We Shaws have always been lucky, so you’re bound to ace it!” … Read more
Anthony had come back to life too. He confessed, “In our previous life, I didn’t marry you, it was Holly. Your parents claimed she was my savior, but I just couldn’t warm up to her. That’s why, when the time came to move on, I asked to be sent to the coldest, most remote outpost, … Read more
“He’s just light-headed with happiness about his new bride! Silly boy!” Anthony’s usual defiance melted away, and a blush crept up from his neck to his cheeks. Holly rolled her eyes, huffed, and took her seat again. The wedding proceeded without a hitch, but as it was winding down, Holly complained about … Read more