"Stop playing innocent. You know what you've done. Get out of here now!" Madeline didn't want to say
anything more to Mandy. Since she couldn't find out anything, she was getting more and more
suspicious about Mandy.
"Mom, don't be like this, okay? I really didn't do anything." Mandy gritted her teeth and stared at her
mom. She didn't know what to do.
"Really? You did nothing at all? Then why don't you move back home? Let me tell you something. Your
sister lives here, too. I don't want to mislead Nana, so I won't say anything in front of her. Now it's up to
you if you want to save your reputation."
Sitting awkwardly on the sofa, Fiona tried to stop the mother and daughter pair from arguing. She had
never seen them argue this badly since she had moved in. What on earth could have happened
between them? She didn't know if there had been a misunderstanding. She knew nothing at all!
"Aunt, you must have misunderstood Mandy. She won't do anything wrong. You have to trust her."
Fiona stood up and limped up to separate them.
Mandy felt wronged and disappointed. Since she had made up her mind to be with Nathan, she knew
there would be some backlash. But what she didn't expect was that the first person to criticize her
would be her mother.
"Mom, I'm sorry, I can't move back home so soon. I haven't finished my work at the hospital. I'll come to
see you again another day," Mandy said helplessly.
Glaring at her, Madeline pointed at Mandy. "You're out of your mind."
Facing Madeline's question and anger, Mandy didn't bother to explain. She was afraid that if she said
anything, Madeline would get upset. She would rather her parents and Nana knew nothing. She could
bear everything alone.
"Aunt, don't be angry." Fiona pulled down Madeline's restless fingers and patted her chest gently to
comfort her.
Madeline was relieved when she looked at Fiona. After she calmed down, she said, "Nana grew up to
be such a caring girl. I can't even begin to think where I went wrong with you."
Feeling hurt, Mandy bowed before she left without looking back. If her own mother couldn't find it in her
heart to try and understand her, who else could?
She just hoped that she could still live a peaceful life.
No. 520, Haibin Road
Nathan sat on the sofa as he waited for Mandy. He couldn't help but ponder on one realization he had
as he continued to wait for Mandy: why was he always the one waiting for Mandy? What was it with her
that made him do things like waiting for her for hours on end?
Today was a good day, though. Mandy had already let him know she was going to run late, so he didn't
get too irritated with her. But still, there was no one he would sit so patiently for.
"You're back!" he said as Mandy entered the villa. She looked different, a bit sad and forlorn. Nathan
squinted and wondered if something bad happened to her while she was out. 'She looks like she is
dead, ' he thought to himself.
Something in his chest ached at the sight of her. He couldn't bear seeing her sad and dejected.
"I am. Have you had dinner yet?" As she asked, Mandy kept her head down. She stared at the floor, a
frown on her worried face.
"Not yet. I'm waiting for you." Nathan stood up straight and walked toward Mandy with a stoic face.
Lillian had already prepared a table of food. Today she had prepared something Western. She had
thought that since Nathan and Mandy kept on having Chinese food recently, a change in taste might be
a welcome diversion for the couple.
In a trance, Mandy sat down at the table with Nathan. She ate her food absently, her attention
elsewhere.
Nathan couldn't stand it anymore. Righteous anger ignited his eyes.
"Don't eat if you don't want to," he said in an icy tone. 'Does she really know what she's doing? The
reason why I brought her home was to please me, not to annoy me. Why does she look so down? I
can't stand it, ' Nathan thought to himself.
At his statement, Mandy quivered before turning her sad, forlorn eyes to Nathan. She seemed so
unconcerned and depressed like something had broken inside her.
"Okay," Mandy said. Even as she agreed with Nathan, there was something wrong with how she said it.
As if her spirit wasn't really in the moment with Nathan. She was already used to Nathan's cold
indifference. She even learned how to talk in a similar fashion to Nathan's manner.
'Okay?! Fuck it!' Nathan thought to himself.
Extremely displeased, he frowned. "Why do you look like this? Do you know how you look like right
now?"
Mandy didn't know what to say. She knew that Nathan wouldn't say anything nice to comfort her.
"You look like a dying dog on its last breath." Anger was written all over his face. He had been starving,
but he was kind and patient enough to wait for Mandy to come back for dinner. He hadn't expected that
she would come back looking like something inside her had died. How could he enjoy eating his dinner
when she was so depressed?
Nathan had been busy all day long. Getting annoyed at dinner was the last thing he wanted to do
before the day ended.
Lately, it seemed like he spent more and more time with Mandy. He always tried to be as gentle as he
could to her. This wasn't a good sign. He had to control himself.
"How dare you say that about me?" She might have answered in a gentle tone, but a cold edge belied
her tone. She was already exhausted at having fought with her mother. She couldn't take Nathan's
stupid arguments right now. She was only human, and she could only take so much beating down
today.
Mandy just needed someone to look through her and understand. Why couldn't she show this painful
loneliness in front of Nathan? How heartless could he be?
"What? Mandy, don't forget your role here. I'm your master, and you are just my plaything, understand?
I don't care if you are sad. You should just choke it down and keep up the happiness in front of me. Or
else, you're useless to me." Nathan's gaze narrowed. A fearful coldness appeared on his handsome
face.
Mandy was a woman in the 21st century, and she had a master. She felt sad about herself. What was
the difference between her and a slave from ancient times?
Mandy was exasperated, but she did not say anything. Nathan was right. She had a role to play for
him. With him, she only had to look happy. She couldn't let her unhappiness show.
She was still angry, but she wasn't foolish enough to not take care of herself. The food Lillian had
prepared was so delicious it could be compared to food prepared in a Michelin starred restaurant. As
she started to calm down, Mandy gobbled up the food in a hurry.
As Mandy began to look more like herself again, the angry expression on Nathan's face softened and
gave way to a rare smile.
Mandy looked at the man opposite her, feeling complicated. The handsome, almost perfect face had
won the hearts of countless girls. There had been so many naive girls beguiled by his face.
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