In mid-July, Liora was stunned to encounter a familiar face—someone she had met three years ago.
His dreamy eyes and soft, innocent yet masculine face drew attention. His lips, thin and slightly red, added to his irresistible charm, complementing his strong, masculine aura. With perfectly cut hair and his signature silver watch wrapped around his wrist, he was hard to miss.
Those were the eyes that gazed at her with such warmth and love, stirring her heart in a way she couldn't ignore. His large hands, strong enough to wrap around her waist from behind, often found her when she was lost in her kitchen routine.
"Hmm."
"What are you cooking, hon?" he asked, sniffing her hair with a hint of obsession.
"I made your favorite soup," Liora answered, a genuine smile lighting up her face.
"What? The most delicious, mind-blowing soup in the entire universe?!" he exclaimed dramatically, causing her to roll her eyes in disbelief, followed by a soft laugh.
"Shut up, you jerk," she muttered, pouting her lips.
Dylan chuckled, kissed the top of her head, and carried the pot to the table. He poured the soup into a bowl and began setting up the table for dinner.
"Aren't you busy these days? You have a meeting with the international branch later," Liora said as she handed him his coffee.
"Who says I'm busy? I always have time for my future wife," he replied with a smile, taking her hand and kissing the back of it.
"Liar," she teased, sitting down across from him.
Just then, Dylan's phone rang, and he quickly headed to the bedroom, leaving her alone at the dinner table.
Liora was used to it by now; she understood his work. But what she couldn't grasp was why she felt left out, time and again, for reasons she couldn't explain.
Dylan returned and quickly finished his meal.
"I have to go, hon. I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you tomorrow morning, okay? Love you," he said, giving a quick goodbye before leaving.
Liora had grown accustomed to this routine, but something felt off. The suspicion lingering in her mind was the last thing she wanted to believe about him.
3 months later...
Something unexpected happened when a message came in at just the right moment. Liora, holding Dylan's phone, noticed a contact saved under a man's name. Since Dylan had forgotten his phone that day, she assumed it must be important and answered the call.
"Dylan, honey! Where are you? I forgot my umbrella. Can you bring it for me?" a woman's voice echoed from the other end, leaving Liora frozen in shock.
"Honey?" she whispered, her voice trembling as her hands shook and a wave of nausea rose within her.
The person on the phone hesitated before responding, making Liora feel even more uneasy.
"Give it to me," Dylan said, snatching the phone from her hand as if nothing had happened.
Liora stared at him in disbelief, but he ended the call and casually slipped the phone into his pocket.
"It's just a prank call from my mates. They knew I forgot my phone," he explained.
Liora was too stunned to speak at first, but she mustered the strength to ask, "For 25 minutes? And from the branch store? How would they suddenly know you left your phone when you never forget anything?"
She pointed out the holes in his excuse, her disbelief evident.
Dylan's expression darkened. "What's with that look? That's so unlike you. Do I look like someone guilty of a crime? Don't look at me like that—it's overbearing, and I hate it," he said, his tone edging toward anger.
"It's a woman," Liora said firmly.
"And you're overreacting. I just explained it was a prank. Don't you trust me, Liora? Do you really think I would cheat on you after all these years?" Dylan replied, pain evident in his voice as he looked at her.
"The issue here is the woman, Dylan. Why did she use our endearments? And overreacting? I heard a woman's voice on your phone, calling from a contact saved under a man's name, and you call me overreacting for finding it suspicious?" Liora said seriously.
"Did you just curse at me? You know how much I hate that. Why would you use that word? This is ridiculous—I haven't done anything wrong, and I've said everything I need to. Believe what you want. I can't handle this," Dylan said, his anger rising as he slammed the door behind him.
Liora covered her mouth and fell onto her bed, tears streaming down her face. Her mind raced with questions and suspicions, unable to reconcile the doubts with their long relationship.
The following days were excruciating for Liora. She constantly watched Dylan, even checking his phone to ensure there were no discrepancies.
"Liora, this is suffocating. Do I look like a criminal who needs constant surveillance? You're getting more paranoid by the day. I must be at fault for this—I already told you it was just a prank," Dylan said, looking exhausted from her constant suspicion and anger.
"You can't blame me! I wasn't like this before, Dylan. You've made me this way. If you would just be honest, I could understand. Is it really so hard to be truthful?" Liora replied, her exhaustion and sleepless nights weighing heavily on her.
She cried on her bed, questioning why he lied and feeling certain that something was off, but unable to figure it out on her own.
Despite her attempts to get a clear answer from him, Dylan firmly denied any wrongdoing and refused to give her a straight response.
"Are you out of your mind? Why would I admit to something I didn't do? You know what, this is it! I'm fed up. Get your head straight or something," Dylan said, attempting to leave.
"Are you really going to leave me here all alone? Excuses or not, you can't just leave us hanging like this. I need a clear answer, Dylan. A damn clear answer!" she cried, throwing his phone at him.
Dylan looked at her with a sharp, disdainful gaze, as if she were the most irrational person he had ever seen.
"You're too much! Paranoid and overbearing! If you can't trust me, then this relationship isn't working. I'm done," he said, placing the blame on her.
"No, Dylan, wait! I'm sorry. Don't leave. Please stay," she pleaded, grabbing the edge of his shirt, but he pushed her away.
"Liora, pull yourself together! Why am I dealing with this? I have a lot of problems already. You know me—I have so much on my mind. I can't break down now, so please, just stop," he said, tears welling up in his eyes, leaving her feeling overwhelmed with guilt.
"Think about what you've done," Dylan said as he left her alone in the room.
Over the next few weeks, Liora tried to reflect on everything that had happened, while Dylan made amends, assuring her that it wasn't as it seemed and apologizing for his actions. She began to think maybe she was paranoid and that Dylan hadn't been unfaithful, but her hopes were dragging her to a breaking point.
"Here are flowers for the only lady in my heart," Dylan said, handing her a bouquet of sunflowers.
"Really? I have a gift for the man who claimed I was his only one," Liora replied, her tone emotionless.
"You bastard! You just told me you were leaving her! I'm your wife, and we have a child together!" the woman shouted angrily, striking him.
Liora had managed to obtain the phone number over the past few days, using her photographic memory to recall the last two digits and reach out. She had called the woman and confronted her.
"You gave her a bouquet and only gave me one flower!" the woman cried out in anger, while Dylan stood in shocked silence, looking at Liora.
Liora stood up, using her last bit of strength to walk away, determined never to see them again. She didn't want excuses; she needed clear evidence to find some semblance of peace for her sanity.
Some people conceal their true nature, showing only what they want us to see. No one truly loves something harmful; we naturally gravitate toward what we find beautiful.
Lumen stood leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed, watching Liora scribble away on a notebook. She was muttering to herself, seemingly engrossed in what she was doing, but Lumen had already noticed the phrase she was trying to "improve."
"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered under his breath.
Liora glanced up, eyebrows raised. "What?"
"That," he pointed to her notebook, his face twisted in disbelief. "Are you seriously trying to rewrite 'hitting two birds with one stone'?"
She frowned, her eyes darting between him and the page. "Yeah. What about it?"
He pushed off the doorframe, walking toward her with an incredulous look. "You can't just change that. It's been around for centuries, and it's perfect the way it is."
Liora rolled her eyes. "Perfect? It's violent and outdated. Who wants to celebrate hitting birds? I'm saying 'feeding two birds with one seed.' It's nicer, more thoughtful."
Lumen scoffed, shaking his head. "Feeding two birds with one seed? That's ridiculous. The whole point of the phrase is efficiency, not playing nice with pigeons."
She gave him a defiant look, crossing her arms. "Why do you always have to be so rude? Just because something's old doesn't make it sacred."
"And just because you think you're clever doesn't mean you need to fix things that aren't broken," Lumen shot back, his tone sharp. "Why change a good quote just to sound all peace-and-love? It's about multitasking, not a nature documentary."
Liora huffed, her hands planting firmly on her hips. "Why do you care so much? I'm not sending this to the dictionary committee, Mister. It's just a tweak. A kinder version."
"Kindness doesn't get things done," he snapped. "What's next, rewriting history so wars are just 'loud disagreements'? It's stupid."
Her eyes flashed, and she stepped closer, her voice rising. "You know what's stupid? Thinking the only way to get things done is by smashing through them. Not everything has to be brutal."
"Oh, here we go," Lumen muttered, throwing his hands up. "Miss 'I can fix the world with a smile' is at it again."
Liora's jaw clenched. "And here comes the guy who thinks he's smarter than everyone, correcting me at every turn. Newsflash, Mister, you're not always right."
"Yeah, but this time I am," he said, his tone as condescending as it was confident. "Some things don't need to be fixed just because "you" don't like them. You're missing the whole point of the saying."
"And you're missing the point that language evolves," she shot back, her face inches from his now. "Why not make it more positive, more productive?"
"Because it's not about positivity. It's about effectiveness," Lumen retorted, his voice growing harsher. "If you want to change something, at least make it make sense. What are you going to do, feed two birds with one microscopic seed? You're being ridiculous."
Liora's cheeks flushed with frustration. "You're impossible, you know that? Always so smug, acting like you have the final say on everything."
"Maybe because I do," Lumen said coolly, raising an eyebrow. "Especially when it comes to logic."
"Oh, please," she said, stepping back with a bitter laugh. "You wouldn't know balance if it hit you in the face. You think brute force is the answer to everything. No wonder you're so alone."
That jab stung more than he'd admit, but Lumen wouldn't let her see it. Instead, he crossed his arms again, his expression hardening. "Better to be alone than surrounded by people feeding birds seeds and expecting the world to change."
Liora glared at him, chest heaving with frustration. "You know what, Mister? Maybe if you weren't so focused on winning every argument, you'd actually learn something."
He smirked, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I've learned plenty. Like not wasting my time on pointless debates. You want to rewrite the quote? Go ahead. Just don't expect anyone to take it seriously."
Liora's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that."
She stormed off, leaving Lumen standing there, the tension hanging in the air like a storm cloud. As the door slammed behind her, Lumen exhaled slowly, muttering to himself, "Feeding two birds with one seed… unbelievable."
Liora was fuming as she walked away from the encounter with the man she had met near the door. He could have just corrected her politely, but instead, he decided to turn it into a full-blown debate over those poor birds.
"That insufferable jerk is ruining my day," she muttered to herself as she made her way to the interview room.
Inside, a line of applicants was already forming, and Liora took her place among them. To her surprise, the man from earlier walked in as well, clearly there for the same interview.
"Well, well, look who's here. What a surprise. And how unfortunate," she said sarcastically, her eyes narrowing as he approached.
The man laughed, a sound that only fueled her irritation.
"Oh, I didn't realize I had such an effect on you. Poor thing, so fluffy and easily rattled by her *oh-so-important* ideas," he teased, his voice dripping with amusement.
Liora raised an eyebrow, her irritation deepening. "I hope you fail this interview, *Mister,*" she snapped before turning her back to him.
She heard him laugh again, his voice following her. "Careful what you wish for! Break a leg, sweetheart."
Grinding her teeth, Liora clenched her fists, muttering under her breath, "That man is a complete and utter moron!"
It was already 10 a.m. when the HR department posted the results of the interview.
"I passed!" Liora exclaimed joyfully upon seeing her name on the list. There were only two names, and the other was Lumen Duskveil, who had scored higher than her.
"What a disappointing result. I didn't expect to see you here again. It's truly dreadful for me," Lumen said, his sad expression making Liora's ears sting from the most annoying voice she'd heard all day.
"Well, lucky me. Now you have to live with that, Mr. Who-You-Are," she retorted in disgust, nearly sticking her tongue out at him.
"Ha! I'd rather die," Lumen replied, his face completely straight.
"You—! I can't believe you! What a scumbag!" she yelled, turning to leave. But before she could take a step, Lumen grabbed her collar from behind.
"Not that way, chickenhead," he said, grinning from ear to ear, which only made her blood boil.