“Why step back?” He glared at the guard. “I want to see my daughter!”
In an instant, all eyes were focused on me.
“Laura…” He spoke each word deliberately, pointing at me. “Did I not tell you to get your old man out? You don’t listen, huh?”
“No-”
I screamed, rushing out the door.
In the distance, thunder roared, followed by a gentle rain.
Raindrops hit me, causing some pain, drowning out my hysterical cries.
In that moment, I hated Cameron thoroughly, and I hated myself even more.
Why am I Laura?
Why do I have to be the daughter of such a man?
I just want to live quietly. Is that too much to ask?
Why does everything have to be so cruel to me?
My phone rang, and it was Cameron’s voice, colder than the rain, “Come out, I’m at the entrance.”
…
Cameron and I were back in that apartment. It was still the room, meticulously arranged by him. Wrapped in a thick towel, I sat on the swing, while he leaned against the sofa, holding a glass of red wine.
“Cameron, what do you want?”
He remained silent.
“You did this on purpose,” my voice sounded like a ghost.
“You used your connections to pull the program, arranged for me to interview a prisoner… You made everyone know that I’m the daughter of a murderer!”
“Cameron…” My emotions finally collapsed, and I shouted desperately, “You bastard! Bastard-”
Cameron suddenly stood up, grabbing my wrist. I was pressed against the wall. He knocked over the hydrangea on the windowsill, and the petals fell into the mud, appearing tragic and beautiful.
“You’re right; I am a bastard!” He roared in my ear, “You should know why I did this… because I hate you! Laura, I hate you to death! If I were to be even more of a bastard, I should make you accompany my sister in death!”
“Then kill me!” I screamed, crying out loud, “I thought you might spare me, but you still exposed my identity! Cameron, is humiliating me so amusing to you? Did you satisfy your sister’s revenge by watching me suffer?”
His large hand choked my neck, and I gradually felt the agony of suffocation.
I closed my eyes, my mind blank, and the only remaining shred of survival instinct completely destroyed by Cameron.
At that moment, his fingers slowly moved upward, and his palm tightly gripped my jaw. “Laura, if I were to be even more of a bastard. you would be dead. But I can’t bring myself to do it.”
“I fucking fell in love with you… I fucking fell in love with you!”
My head was spinning, but that word “love” pierced into my ears suddenly.
Before I could react, Cameron held my jaw, giving me a wet and hot kiss.
His tongue tangled with mine, his hands wandering on my body…
“I want you…” he took off his clothes, “I want to love you… But I want to ruin you even more!”
I’m caught in an endless whirlwind of desire. I’ve forgotten who I am; all I know is that my body thirsts, and my heart feels empty. I want him too, I want to love him, but I can’t bear to ruin him.
I didn’t know how long that madness lasted. If possible, I hoped it would never end. The joy that surged through my body, combined with the union with the man I loved, was incomparable to anything else in the world.
I fell asleep in extreme satisfaction, waking up in a daze. The morning light was already dazzling outside the window.
After the heavy rain, the air was exceptionally fresh.
Cameron’s whereabouts were unknown, but his scent lingered everywhere in the room.
Breakfast was arranged downstairs with a note pressed under the plate.
Only a simple word, “Goodbye.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. Goodbye, never to meet again. There was no possibility for Cameron and me.
He wanted to kill me, he wanted to ruin me, yet he ended up falling in love with me. The only choice was to exit.
We became strangers, two parallel lines that would never intersect.
After packing up, I wrote a resignation letter. When I arrived at the TV station, it was close to noon. The chief editor stared at me for a while with a strange look, then sighed softly and put my resignation letter into the drawer.
Walking out of his office, I started handing over my work.
Every colleague looked at me with peculiar eyes, then gathered together to whisper.
Except for Holly, who silently walked over and helped me pack my personal belongings.
“Thank you, Holly,” I said with my head down. “I owe you a meal.”
“Let’s not talk about that for now,” she hugged my shoulders and whispered, “They are all talking about you…”
I chuckled, “I don’t need to listen to know what they’re saying. It’s probably something like ‘So, Laura is the daughter of a murderer’ or ‘She doesn’t have the background we imagined.'”
“Laura,” she patted my back.
“It’s okay. I’m used to it.”
“Let’s go out tonight?”
I was taken aback.
“Okay…”
Since I have nothing else to do, why not go out and relax with Holly? She mentioned last time that she had something to discuss with me.
…
In the evening, Holly and I went to a restaurant. She handed me a file with a smile.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Just take a look,” she replied.
As I opened it, I was surprised. “A business plan?”
“Yes,” she said, looking at me. “I’m also planning to resign! This is the business plan for my magazine. What do you think?”
“You, you’re going to start your own magazine?”
“Of course,” Holly shrugged, “The self-media industry has great potential, and I don’t want to miss out on this opportunity to make a fortune. However, I studied journalism, and I still want to do something related to my profession. My idea for this magazine is, in simpler terms, similar to some online stores, with a combination of online and offline operations.”
“How are they going to combine together?” I became interested.
“We’ll do online news while also producing a physical magazine!” Holly looked at me and smiled. “Do you want to join me? Laura, I really think you’re capable. Your articles are very well written.”
I looked down, feeling a bit hesitant.
“I know, did the unspoken rules of the workplace I told you about last time scare you?” She laughed. “I couldn’t stand them either, that is why I want to start my own business!”
“But I…” I smiled. “Holly, you know, my father is a murderer.”
“But you haven’t killed anyone, right?”
I looked at her and shook my head.
She slapped the table, “You’re a journalist, what does it have to do with your father?”
“I’m worried this identity will cause trouble for you.”
“If you don’t agree, then I’ll be in trouble!” She looked at me sincerely. “Honestly, this magazine is a collaboration between me and a few senior colleagues. They provide the money, and I provide the effort. They’ve heard about the short play you wrote and think you’re very talented. I’ve also assured them that I’ll definitely bring you on board!”
I was both surprised and delighted, not knowing what to say.
Holly held my hand. “Laura, heroes don’t ask about origins.”
My nose tingled, and tears streamed down my face.
Actually, I really enjoy being a journalist. It broadens my horizons and allows me to encounter many new things. Because my life, up to now, has felt like being trapped in a cage. I wanted to break free from that cage and shake off all constraints. So I agreed to Holly’s invitation to work at her magazine.
I excitedly told Carter about it, “Her magazine is called ‘Gnote,’ which sounds quite nice, right? It covers a wide range of topics, from economics to entertainment, from military to society, everything! It’s not just news, but also commentary, because news is too time-sensitive, while commentary isn’t. People can take their time to read… But I’m not very good at writing commentary yet, so I’ll have to learn from experts in that field in the future.”
Carter glanced at me. “Who is this Holly?”
“She’s a former colleague from the news department. She’s a very capable person and very generous.”
“Stay away from people like her.” His expression turned sour. “They’ll only lead you astray!”
My heart sank suddenly.
I watched Carter’s expression carefully. “What’s wrong? Are you… upset?”
“What’s there to be happy about?” he sneered. “I thought you quitting your job at the TV station meant you’d finally stay home peacefully… Who would’ve thought you’d get involved with that Holly again! Can’t you just stay content at home?”
“Carter,” I felt a bit disappointed. “Weren’t you supportive of me working outside before?”
“Before is before, things are different now!” His tone became more intense. “Before, I thought you were devoted to me!”