Becky shook her head as she held back her tears, bitterness and frustration,"I don't want him to worry
about me...", she confessed.
"But your eyes..."
"I'll be fine." Becky interrupted Harrow's sympathetic words. She then forced a smile and said,"Let's go
now please."
"Okay, sure let's go." Harrow stood up and helped Becky walk out of the lounge, and into the parking
lot.
On their drive back, the atmosphere in the car was quite tense. Becky lowered her eyes and bit her lips
as she tried to control her growling anger and bitterness.
On the call he promised to pick her up, but he didn't show up and she was disappointed.
In the past, no matter how busy he was, he always made the time as she was his priority. But now he
didn't consider her important enough. Was it a punishment for her being self-willed?
Just the direction of her thoughts laced her eyes with tears. With a hard bite on her lips, Becky tried to
fight the urge of breaking down and letting her emotions get the better of her.
Since she decided to return, not a day went by when she was at ease. Her heart was full of
expectation, and at the same time, also with fear and anxiety. Yet despite the crippling emotions, she
was too proud to let anyone see her failure. She rejected Cindy's offer to accompany her. Instead, she
came to A City all by herself. Subconsciously, she hoped Brian was guilty and worried about her.
But... The reality seemed quite contrary to what she hoped and wished with all her heart.
"Bah..." a tear forced its way out of her delicate eyes, and dropped onto her hand. Hastily, Becky turned
her face aside to conceal her emotions. But somehow it did not help.
"Mr. Brian Long is too occupied with work these days...I'm sure he has a legitimate reason." Harrow
tried to comfort her, not knowing what to say. He glanced at Becky who hurriedly wiped her tears,
sighed, grabbed a tissue, then added,"There's a lot going in A City these days. And you know, Mr.
Brian Long's work drifts in between of the legal and dark areas. It is a lot of responsibility on one man's
shoulders. There were some urgent matters that warranted his immediate attention right now."
Upon hearing his words, Becky stopped crying, and instead turned around to face Harrow as she
asked with concern,"Is he fine?"
Harrow grinned through his teeth as he answered,"You rest assured that he is fine. You know what he's
capable of. Mr. Brian Long is simply occupied. You don't need to burden yourself with worrying about
him. But what about you? I'm sure he will be heartbroken to see you in such a precarious condition."
With a hint of sorrow, Becky asked,"Harrow, Brian..."
Harrow cast a look at Becky, anticipating her words. Yet she just stopped talking midway. Then Harrow
asked,"What about Brian? You can ask me anything."
"He..." Becky refrained herself from speaking further, and instead concluded,"Well, it's nothing really."
"Okay fine then." Harrow could sense that Becky was not in a good mood, so he didn't pressure her
into talking further. Though the rest of the ride, they just remained silent and awkward. As Harrow
dropped Becky off the Sophia Hotel, he called up Brian and said,"Mr. Brian Long, I've just dropped
Becky at the hotel. She is checking in."
"Okay, good I'm at the hotel now too."
As Brian responded on the other line, Harrow also heard the loud thud of someone closing their car's
door. Within moments, the hotel room's door opened and Brian walked in poise.
Becky sensed his arrival as she felt his familiar scent. She opened her mouth in an attempt to say
something, but in the end, she just remained silent. She just sat quietly on the edge of the sofa, with
her eyes lowered, seeming sad and angry.
Harrow first looked at Becky, then at Brian. He wanted to tell Brian all about Becky's eyes, but
eventually he just pointed at them, shrugged helplessly, and then said,"Well... I still have some things to
do at the moment. So I will take leave right now."
Then without Brian accepting his leave, he went out immediately. But just as he was closing the door,
he threw another look at Becky with a sigh.
Brian, meanwhile, just stood still, with his eyes fixed on Becky, the girl whom he held close to his heart
for over a decade. He tolerated her willfulness again, and again, and again and would do it forever. But
it just got worse with time.
Becky sat here silently dripping with concern. She felt overwhelmed by the cold atmosphere; she found
it hard to breathe in there. But she just remained quiet, as she fiddled with her hands anxiously.
As time passed it got more awkward in there. Becky was feeling embarrassed. Her eyes began welling
up with tears as she thought about what was happening. She panicked, and said,"Well, I'm quite tired.
It has been a long day." Then she stood up in one swift moment in a bid to leave forward from the
overwhelming space between them.
"Ouch."
"Bang!"
"Ugh!"
Because of her fast movement and blurry vision, she tripped over the tea table and fell onto the floor;
she hit her head hard against the tea set.
"Becky!" Brian lunged forward to protect her, but it was too late, she had already fallen down to her
fours. He held up Becky whose face was reflecting agony because of the growing pain. Upon seeing
swollen wound Brian's heart ached. "Do take care and be careful where you walk," he said
affectionately.
That comfort somehow induced Becky's tears. With incredible strength, she pushed away Brian, as she
broke down,"It's none of your business. If you don't want to see me, then well you shouldn't have come
in the first place."
Brian frowned slightly, squinted his eyes, and coldly asked,"Now what is it? Why do you insist on
throwing a tantrum with me every time we meet?"
Upon hearing this, her tears streamed down the face in a steady line; her lips began shivering; her
concealed fear and sorrow all burst out. She couldn't keep herself together any longer, as she yelled
out with all of her remaining energy,"Yes, yes. I am moody; I am peevish. If you think of me that way,
you shouldn't have come to see me in the first place."
Her words managed to incite Brian's rage. Furiously he stood up and left after saying,"Go take some
rest, maybe then you will get some perspective."
Now Becky just could not hold in her sorrow and tears. But instead of asking Brian to stay, she simply
stood up, refraining herself from exposing her emotions, she began tumbling towards the bedroom with
great caution. Yet just when Brian opened the door to leave, he heard another loud "bang", and then
the crash and break sound of glass shattering against the floor. He was overpowered with concern.
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