Scheming Woman

I was thrown out of the venue, but I didn't try to get back in. I didn't even want to argue with Shawn. Instead, I rushed back to school to work on my thesis. Studying was how I would pull myself out of my misery.

Shawn's parents called me. They wanted to know where their son was, since he hadn't gone back the whole night. I played dumb and said I didn't know.

My agitation calmed down soon enough. Then, after I was done with work and came out of the campus, I ran into Helga. She was leaning against the entrance, waiting for someone.

And then she raised her head, staring at me. "I'm having dinner with Shawn. You coming?"

I ignored her, but she held up her arm and stopped me in my tracks. "Please, can you give Shawn to me?"

Well, that was an odd request. I grabbed her hand and swung it away. "You shouldn't be asking me. If you fancy him, win his heart back yourself."

It was just a slight push, but Helga took the momentum and fell to the ground, then she put on a crying mask. "I know you've been in love with him since forever, but love doesn't work like that. You're just mad he's breaking up with you just so he can date me, but that doesn't mean you can just put your hands on me!"

Furious, I raised my voice, "Don't you dare smear my name, Helga! You—"

"Queenie!" Shawn's voice echoed, louder and louder as he got closer. Angry, he shoved me away. "What are you doing?"

I stumbled, lost my balance, and fell down as well. A needle pierced my ankle, and the pain that shot through my leg kept me on the ground. I glared at him. "Are you mad? She fell down herself!"

With Shawn's help, Helga stood up and shook her head. "Yeah, I… I wasn't watching where I was going."

Shawn didn't believe her. "I'm not blind. You wouldn't be on the ground if she hadn't pushed you." He turned to me, his eyes filled with fury. "I can't believe you'd do this, Queenie."

"Calm down. I don't want you guys to fight because of me. What if your parents get mad at me? I don't want them to see me as a homewrecker."

Shawn held Helga's hand tightly. His heart went out to her. "My parents aren't stupid. They know right from wrong. And you!" He turned to me. "I've told you I'm holding her hand until death do us part!"

He came up to me and slapped on my face. "This is for Helga. You'd better know your place and stop stirring things up wherever you go."

My head tilted, and my ears rang. Blood was still spilling out of my ankle. The overwhelming pain was starting to numb me. "That wasn't what happened. You don't trust me, Shawn?"

Shawn snickered and answered coolly, "You've always been the troublemaker. Of course, I don't trust you. You won't get away with just a slap next time."

That was a subtle threat. I struggled to get back up, but I got back up in the end. With my head hanging low, I said, "Well, thank you, then."

Shawn frowned. "I hear no sincerity."

I held my tears back, bent over, and roared, "I'm sorry!"

Helga waved her hands. "It's alright. You don't have to do this."

She tried to pull me up, but Shawn stopped her. "You don't want to get too close to her, just in case she rubs off on you." He took her into his car and left me in the dust.

The exhaust choked me, and dust rained all over my skin. I stood in place, frozen like a statue for what felt like an eternity. The pain I felt was nothing.

What remained of my love for Shawn was smothered and burned to ash, leaving nothing behind.

The NDA

When I got back home that night, the military zone's compound was in a living state. Everyone was sitting around the bonfire, teasing Shawn and Helga, who was the center of attention.

My peers were giving me knowing looks. Someone asked, "Want to join in, Queenie?"

They just wanted to see me humiliated again, but that was the old me. This time, I ignored them and went back home. I closed the door, cutting off the noise outside.

"Mr. Weeks? About medical research… Yeah, I'm in."

Shawn and I were military families. My father was his father's most trusted lieutenant. Since I was a child, I would stay beside him, just like how my father guarded his father.

But during a mission a few years ago, my father was hit with a rare disease after shielding Shawn's father. There was nothing they could do, and he succumbed to his illness. It was my father's death that pushed me into medicine when I got into university.

Mr. Weeks was an old friend of my father's, but it'd been years since they last had contact. When he found out about my father's death, he swore he would teach me everything he knew. Every time he found any opportunities, he would give them to me.

I never took any of them, since I couldn't leave Shawn behind, but that burden was no longer mine to carry. Shawn did not need me. If I stayed around, it would only be humiliating for me.

This research could be the chance to leave this place and start over completely.

It didn't take long for Mr. Weeks to answer me. "Oh, thank goodness you're finally answering. The deadline's tonight. I was just about to sacrifice my dignity and buy you more time."

I laughed, but my eyesight was getting blurry. Twenty-four years. I spent twenty-four years living with Shawn, and nine of them were wasted on hounding him for a promise. But now, in just four days, I let him go. Cut him out of my life.

When Shawn and Helga were announcing their reconciliation together, I was packing for Imperia. Mr. Weeks told me to pack more clothes, since Imperia was in the north, and the weather there could be freezing.

When I was done packing, I turned on my phone and noticed a lot of news about Shawn. I usually never got any notifications, but I ignored everything this time.

Then, my mother came into my room. "Shawn's parents want us over for dinner, dear. They have something to say. Something big."

I was surprised. Well, I could have one final dinner before I left. When we got there, Shawn's parents weren't the only people around. There was another couple I did not know. They were chatting happily. When they saw me and Mom, they invited us over for a seat.

Then, Shawn and Helga showed up, hand in hand. The other couple waved at them. "Sweetheart, you made it!"

My mother couldn't believe what she was seeing. She exchanged a look with Shawn's parents. Shawn noticed us, and his face fell.

He chided, "Why are you here, Queenie? What, you found out I'm going to see Helga's parents and announce our marriage, so you're here to ruin that?"

I shrugged, nonchalant. "I had no idea about that at all. My mother just told me to have dinner with her."

Shawn's mother stepped in. "Yeah, I invited them. Don't be rude, Shawn."

Shawn was about to blow up again, but Helga held his shoulder and cooed, "It's our fault for not clearing things up. It's alright. Shawn told me Queenie is his family. She should share our happiness. She should know I'm marrying Shawn."

My mother's face fell. "This is how you're treating my daughter, Shawn?"

Helga's parents were about to applaud, but they froze. Helga's mother said, "What do you mean? My daughter told me your daughter's the one hounding Shawn."

My mother shot up from her seat in fury. "You don't get to talk here."

I pulled her back. "Mom, I broke up with Shawn this morning, and I'm not staying here either. I'm going to Imperia."

My mother couldn't believe what she was hearing. She bent over and whispered, "Are you mad, Queenie?"

I kept her hand down and shook my head. Just when I was about to talk, Helga interrupted, "You've looked after Shawn all these years. You are like his sister. I'd love it if you could bless our marriage."

I raised my head. Shawn was never one for fancy clothes, but now he was wearing a burgundy suit. It was obvious he took this seriously. This was the side of him I'd never seen before, but I didn't feel agitated or anything.

"Fine, have a long, happy marriage, until death do you part."

Shawn's friends showed up and set off party poppers all over them. "Congratulations, you two!"

Someone noticed me, and they were stunned. "Queenie? They're going to get married. Are you trying to ruin this?"

He looked at Shawn apologetically. "We weren't going to tell her about your marriage. Someone probably leaked it. You're obviously in love with Helga, yet she still showed up. She's really something."

These people made it look like I was here to ruin their fun. Shawn looked impatient. "I knew you'd never know your place." He massaged his head and pointed at the entrance. "Get out."

His friends started searching me. "She's probably hiding some surprise for Shawn."

"Maybe the object for her hundredth confession."

The crowd guffawed. Of course. Ninety-nine times I confessed, and every single time, I had to be the one to cheer Shawn up. For three years, I faced failure after failure, yet I never backed down.

Now, I had nothing left.

My mother teared up. "Get away from her!"

Shawn's friends ignored her and rummaged through my purse. They found the NDA and presented it to Shawn like it was some kind of treasure.

"Look, she's going to join some sort of national project. Medical research. And it's going to be for ten years."

"Wait, is she going to tell Shawn she can't be reached for a decade and use it to threaten him?"

I took a deep breath and said calmly, "Shawn, you know full well that seal is real."

Their family had a lot of business dealings with Mr. Weeks. Shawn was about to mock me, but after he went through the NDA, and his face fell.

His hands were trembling when his gaze reached the end of the NDA. He looked at me, his eyes red. "You're doing this for real?"