"Hmm.... Hm..."
Frightened, Molly groaned struggling to keep her eyes open and frantically fighting to pry away the
hand that covered her mouth. The horror of it all felt surreal, like a bad dream you wished you'd wake
up from. From somewhere, she heard someone say in a low voice,"You are such a stupid woman!"
The tone of those words tasted like salt and bile. Bitter, malicious words, but unmistakably a familiar
voice. When she finally stopped struggling, the oppressive hand over her mouth was removed.
"Humph! Do you want everyone to hear you scream?" Brian took a contemptuous, sarcastic glance at
Molly.
Glaring at him, Molly said in a huff,"Since you suddenly drew me, I was very frightened."
"Are you such a coward?"Sarcastically, with a straight face, Brian continued,"You only put on an
intrepid face when you know it's me!"
Already, Molly had given up on her idea of making an apology to Brian. She bit her lips, stared him
straight in the face and asked through clenched teeth,"Didn't you leave just now?"
In response, Brian snorted coldly,"I won't just leave you here alone. I would have to rescue you if you
were to be abducted by others. I wouldn't want to let such thing happen again and be involved by any
means."
"You could just stand by!" Angrily, Molly probed, her mood sour as green gooseberry.
The words made Brian sneer. With a raised brow, he asked,"Do you think Edgar will rescue you if I
don't?"
Those words took Molly by surprise. She couldn't put her finger on a plausible answer. After a short
silence, she spoke in a measured voice,"I think, it's you who's always thinking about him, not me!You're
such a crazy man, Brian Long. I think you suffer from not only schizophrenia but also IAD! Illness
Anxiety Disorder," she remarked.
When she was done speaking, Molly draped on Brian's suit jacket more tightly and walked straight on,
nostrils flaring in anger.
If she kept on reacting to his provocations, she feared her fuse would blow. She didn't fancy pitching a
hissy fit. Just the same, Brian was intentionally driving her nuts. And he was working hard at it. In these
last few days, she really wanted to get on well with him. Also, she was mindful of his few random
gestures of candor and civility.Whichever little hint of kindness she noticed in him, she'd concentrate on
that. As flawed as he was, it wasn't lost on Molly that her own father had done her and the entire family
untold injustices. It was on account of the indolent old-man's debts that Molly now found herself in
Brian's hands. Unable to pay off the debts, she had agreed to being Brian's demi-mondaine for a
month. A last-ditch, desperate means to financial settlement. But what other chance or means of
payment did she have? As well, Molly's mother was now in hospital, receiving costly treatment they
could not afford, all on Brian's account. That particular gesture was something for which Molly would be
forever grateful.
"Ah!"
While Molly was so engrossed, Brian suddenly grabbed her arm again. Without a word, he pulled her
and she almost tripped over.
With no word still, he pushed her into the car and followed her right in. Tony cast a glance in the rear-
view mirror and then started the car and drove away from the Moonlight Street.
Tony remembered what had happened earlier. Their car was just cutting a corner when Brian told him
to stop. From there, they could see Molly still standing where they had left her, but Molly was oblivious
that she was being watched.
In the noisy, crowded street, Molly stood among revelers, but she easily stood out from the crowd,
looking so contemplative. She was completely out of place like a square peg in a round hole.
In the night wind, she was wrapped in Brian's coat, the waitress uniform underneath. The cold wind
must have been harsh on her, but she still stood there.
Tony noticed Brian pulling a long face when he saw Molly. Ever since childhood, Brian had stayed with
Shawn. From those early days, his quick temper had stuck to him like glue. It had been only when he
was with Wing that he was willing to show his emotion like this. In public, he always looked aloof and
detached. Even while he was staying with his parents, indifference was his signature. Neither had he
been keen on mingling, nor willing to confide in anyone. A loner ranger, an island.
Now Tony had no idea of what was on Brian's mind. Perhaps, Harrow was right. Something had
changed.
Many days passed by, but Brian still didn't take any action to look for Becky. Tony had thought before
that if Becky knew about Brian's philandering, she'd come back within half a month.
However, until now, she still hadn't come back. Moreover, Brian also seemed to forget his original
intentions.
Sitting in the backseat, Brian and Molly didn't talk to each other. Brian looked morose. Likewise, Molly
kept a straight face, pensively taking in the neon lights through the car window, as if those lights were
crystal balls that contained clues to the puzzles of her life. In her mind, she kept simulating possible
alternate scenarios of surviving the following ten days without incurring his unreasonable anger. She
also got a bit excited because she could leave Brian after ten days.
Suddenly, a beaming smile spread across her face, as if she'd hit the jackpot. Even the corners of her
eyes lit up, although she was cautious, knowing Brian was watching. At that, her shoulders tightened,
her face turning pallid as she slumped back into melancholy.
The atmosphere inside the car was oppressive. Right at that point, the awkward silence in the car was
broken by her phone ringing.
At the second ring, she pulled out the phone, the morose expression on her face giving way to surprise.
Right away she answered, casting a dubious glance at Brian who was looking at her with interest,
almost like he wanted to eavesdrop on every word of the phone conversation.
"Little Molly..."
On her mind, Molly knew that only Brian and Daniel had her phone number. Now that Brian sat beside
her, she thought it must have been Daniel calling. Without bothering to check who was calling, she was
about to speak, when Eric's voice came through instead.
"How did you know my phone number?" The mischief in his voice was irksome, Molly thought.
A naughty smile on his face, Eric kept driving, while on phone. A rather reckless idea ran through his
mind. Grinning to himself like an idiot, he slowly replied,"Do you think it is difficult for me to get your
number?"
Not interested, and not in hurry to reply, Molly muttered something under her breath. Then impatiently
she asked,"What's up?"
The starry sky looked spectacular tonight. Eric briefly gazed up to savor the heavenly beauty. With a
satisfied smile, he answered,"I've been busy the whole day and I haven't had dinner. Would you go out
with me?"
Upon hearing his words, Molly frowned. Through gritted teeth, she shot back,"Find someone else. I
don't have time!"
"Are you staying with my brother? " Already sure that Molly was with Brian now, Eric's questions were
annoying and calculated for effect. With an impish smile on his face, he continued,"Where are you
now?"
Meanwhile, Brian, seated right next to Molly, seemed unusually calm and unconcerned about the
conversation. He looked askance at her, which made her uneasy and frightened. Frustrated at Eric's
desultory and tasteless blabber, Molly pouted, wondering where the bugger was heading with all this.
Coldly, she answered,"It has nothing to do with you!"
With a mischievous smile on his face, Eric leisurely said,"I will pick you up later!"
After that, he hung up the phone, without giving Molly the chance to say anything.
Anger flashed in Molly's eyes as she looked at the phone now. Just how twisted was Eric? An
otherwise handsome and charming young man, yet stooping lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut.
He was just a creature falling off the ledge of humanity.
As soon as he hung up, Eric threw the phone aside and sped up, driving like a maniac, his mouth
twisted in a pernicious smile.
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