She smiles. "Believe it or not, I've got things to hate."
"Like?"
Thinking about it for a moment, she answers seriously, "Dreaming."
"Huh?"
Jacob is confused, as he thinks nobody hates dreams while sleeping.
"Because I had a dream that ruined my lifetime happiness."
"What kind of dream?"
"It's a secret."
She lowers her head and attentively scribbles a word on the white paper—NIGHTMARE.
She has had innumerous dreams in the last twenty years, but the nightmare this time is the only one
that comes true.
Therefore, she doesn't like dreams.
Jacob knows that's where he should stop asking more. After idling around in the park, he comes back
to her again, propping his chin up on one arm, and asks, "What does your boyfriend look like?"
"Are you curious?"
"Kind of."
Karin pulls her phone out of her pocket and finds a photo of herself and Troy at her birthday. Showing it
to Jacob, she says, "Here."
Jacob is shocked as his expression changes.
Looking at her gradually pale face, Karin asks, "Jacob, are you okay?"
"Jacob...Jacob…"
Her calling breaks through Jacob's thoughts, and Jacob shakes his head. "I'm fine, but your boyfriend
looks like my stepfather, which makes me feel bad."
"Your stepfather?"
Karin's mouth drops in surprise, as she never thinks that Troy can look so evil.
Yuma rushes out of the living room and happily exclaims, "Miss Karin. Miss Karin. Mr. Troy calls and
he'll be back home tonight."
"…okay."
Her response is indifferent as she's not excited about it at all.
"I've got to have a snap. I'm not feeling well."
Since Jacob looks so bad, Karin cares about him. "Shall I call a doctor for you?"
"I'm alright. Just need some me time."
"Fine. I'll let you know when it's dinner."
It's ten in late night. Karin stands in front of the French window of the bedroom, hearing the familiar car
horns, and she knows Troy comes back. Finally, he comes back after his leaving for three days.
Swiveling around, she slowly steps downstairs and finds Troy has already walked in the living room.
Noticing her presence, he walks up toward her in surprise, saying, "You haven't slept, Karin."
"Yep."
He holds her in his arms, saying huskily, "I miss you so much…"
She doesn't say a word, but her body gradually gets stiff. Noting her change, he asks, "What's wrong?
Aren't you happy seeing me here with you?"
"No."
"Why can't I see your smile?"
Karin didn't mean to question him, but now she can't hold back. "How can I flash a smile at you, when
you and the other woman took wedding photos together?"
Troy's heart skips a beat. "So, you know it?"
"I wish not."
"Sorry, I thought you might get sad if you'd know it."
"You don't have to. Nothing I couldn't survive."
Except his marriage with the other woman.
"Robert has found a new clue. We'll get over this soon…"
Karin doesn't give his any response as she can tell the difference between "soon" and "already".
Without any hope, never will she get disappointed.
"By the way," she redirects the conversation to another way.
"What?"
"I saved a man with bruises and scars and took him back here couple of days ago."
"I know."
"How?"
"Yuma called me."
She's shocked. "And you're not pissed off?"
"What for?"
She thought he'd reprimand her for being a stickybeak. Troy has so many enemies that her kindness
may be taken advantage of by the evil.
"When Yuma told me this, I felt it okay as you have done this before, to me."
Suddenly, Karin gets mixed feelings. If she can change back to three years ago, she wouldn't show up
at that time and place to save him…
"So, where's the man you saved?"
Noticing her silence, Troy asks her.
"He's in the study. I'll get him to meet you."
"Okay."
Karin swiveled around before stepping out of the living room, asking, "Could you please arrange a job
for him?"
"Of course."
"Thank you."
Gazing at her back, he feels indescribable anguish, as she's too polite to him as if they were strangers.
She used to hug him happily and exclaim, "Troy, you're awesome!"
However, what's done is done. Both himself and Karin can't go back to the innocent past.
Knocking on the door, Karin asks gently, "Are you sleeping, Jacob?"
She thinks he may get asleep as there's no response. She knocks on the door harder and calls him,
"Jacob…Jacob…"
Still, no one answers her. She twists the knob and opens the door, only to find nobody but a lit lamp.
Jacob is missing?
She gets shocked and frozen. When she's about to look for him outside, she glimpses at a note left on
the nightstand. "Miss Karin, thank you for saving my life. When it's the right time, I'll return the favor."
How familiar the words are! It's exactly the same as Troy told her when she saved him three years ago.
However, they'll never get it that she doesn't need their returning the favor.
"What's wrong? Where's him?"
Confused, Troy steps into Jacob's room, finding Karin hastily hides a crumbled notepaper into her
palm. She swivels to tell him, restraining her frustration, "He's gone."
"Why?"
"I don't know. After all, his home's not here."
"Alright."
He doesn't care about Jacob. He holds her hand and says, "Come upstairs with me. I've got something
for you."
Dumbfounded and confused, Karin follows his lead as she secretly puts the note into her pocket,
fearing Troy may see the words. She believes Jacob must have left for the same reason as Troy did
three years ago. Fate shall lead him to her again.
Stepping into the room, Troy closes the door. They both sit at the perch of the bed as Troy says, "Close
your eyes, Karin."
She closes them without a question.
Then she feels something cold is in her hand, which feels like an accessary. She doesn't know it's a
giant gem until she opens her eyes.
"Guess what it is."
"The Heart of the Ocean."
She answers calmly. She once saw it in the movie Titanic and hoped she'd own it someday. However,
here it is in her hand, yet she feels nothing.
"Yes."
"I don't think I want it."
"Why?"
Both confusion and disappointment paint his features.
"It's said that it'll bring disasters to its owners."
"Who said that?"
"The history."
"Nonsense! It's so rare that only ten are there in the world. Don't you ever think it's easy to own it."
Then he stands up. "Let me help you put it on."
Around her neck is a deep ocean-blue diamond, cold as sea water, dazzling as the bright stars at night.
"Troy, you're getting more and more cliché."
Caressing the defined diamond, she suddenly says.
"You think I'm being cliché, because I present you with a diamond?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"I mean you do this just to make up for what you have done with Mia in Paris."
"Please stop thinking that way. Nothing can pay for my guilt."
"Then why do you have to give it to me? Why is this evening? I'm forced to think that way."
"I take it back, okay?"
He angrily unfastens the necklace off Karin's neck and throws it away.
Then he steps into the bathroom.
Karin sits at the perch of the bed, tears in the corner of her eyes.
Quietly staring at the stars in the sky, she knows he sends her diamond for love and affection instead of
making up for her loss. She doesn't mean to hurt him purposely as she just wants to deny the
temporary happiness. He doesn't understand how much pain and pressure she bears on her mind. It
feels like she and he are walking on a fragile line, and she's afraid she can't take it anymore.
On the bedside, Troy's phone has rung for a while before the ring stops.
Now the phone rings again. As soon as she finds Mia's name on the screen, she gives up the idea of
picking it up.
But she underestimates Mia's perseverance as the phone keeps ringing. Finally, Karin picks it up. "Troy
is bathing. You can call him later."
She's about to end the call when Mia snaps, "Hold on!"
She stopped.
"Karin, why are you still in the Ziteng Garden? Don't you know that Troy and I are going to get married?
Why would you want to be his whore?"
"Relax. I won't show up in your life if you're married."
"You'd better keep your promise as we will get married soon. Do you see our photos? I'll send you
some if you don't. Never shall you ruin our marriage."
Mia hangs up with her gritted teeth, and sends a photo to Karin.
Karin's tears started rolling in her eyes as she knows how heartbroken she'll feel after clicking the
message open, still, she clicks it open.
In the message is a beautiful wedding photo. She finds Mia in a gorgeous white wedding dress, who is
held in Troy's arms. And her arms perfectly circled Troy's neck. Mia's big bright smile squeezes her
heart, and tears drip on the screen, on Troy's face, until she can't see his face in the photo
clearly.
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