"Debbie, if you become a superstar, I'll go to your concert," said one of the people on the boat.
"Why did you waste your talents going to Economics and Management School? You should have chosen a music school. You could be a pop star," another observed.
But Debbie framed their comments as complimentary to Carlos.
She thought they were trying to suck up to Carlos, rather than actually praising her performance. They'd been seen at the party together, after all.
After an hour, the boat came back and docked, but the party didn't end until after midnight. That was when Debbie finally caught sight of her husband.
But he was not alone. Megan, who was at his side with a smile, was seeing the guests off with him. He handsome and she pretty, they looked like a couple.
The sight of them being together upset Debbie. But she managed to check her emotions. She walked over to them and took Carlos' arm. "I'm tired. I want to go home," she said.
Carlos checked the time—it was already past midnight.
But before he could say yes, Megan cut in with a smile, "Uncle Carlos, I didn't come here in my car. I was going to crash here tonight, but everyone's taking off and I'm scared staying here alone. Can you give me a lift?"
Carlos wouldn't say no to such a small request.
Debbie's heart sank when she heard Carlos say yes. She smiled wryly before sitting on the sofa and playing with her phone while waiting for them to say their farewells to the attendees.
Finally, it was 1 a.m., and all the guests were gone. They boarded a boat and started their journey back.
When Debbie finally saw Carlos' Emperor parked close by, she was relieved, and started walking towards the car. She took it for granted she should sit in the passenger seat.
Before she could reach the car, however, Megan skipped to the car happily and opened the passenger side door. "Aunt Debbie, come on. It's late," she shouted to Debbie.
Debbie was surprised by what she was doing. 'Of course I know it's late. But what does she think she is doing?
If she rides shotgun, where am I supposed to sit? I'm Carlos' wife. Shouldn't I sit next to my husband?'
While Debbie was pondering this, Carlos put his hand above Megan's head protectively when she got in the car.
After Megan got in, Carlos closed the passenger side door and opened the back door for Debbie. Standing next to the door, he stretched out his right hand towards the door in a gesture of invitation as a sign of chivalry.
Debbie was totally enraged. Her sleepiness had been banished. Why was Megan more important to him than her, his wife?
She wanted to scream, "No. I don't want to get in your damn car!"
But looking around, she found Carlos' car was the only one available at that late hour.
Ignoring him, Debbie opened the back door on the other side and got in.
Only then did Carlos notice his wife's bad mood. He walked around the car, craned his head into the car and asked, "What's wrong?"
Debbie closed her eyes and answered in a cold tone, "Nothing. Just sleepy."
"Okay. We'll head home after we drop off Megan."
After that, he closed the door and sat in the driver's seat.
Debbie watched him start the car and sighed. He didn't understand her at all.
The car sped down the road in the darkness. Sitting in the back, Debbie looked outside the window blankly, wide awake. The headlights of other cars knifed through the gloom. The girl in the passenger seat was giggling and speaking to Carlos. It bothered Debbie so much she wanted to plug her ears.
Carlos didn't talk much and only responded when it was necessary. He didn't seem all that perturbed by the situation. But he never embarrassed Megan by allowing awkward silence. He made conversation quite pleasant for the girl. And the way she was carrying on, you could tell she enjoyed every minute.
The car slowed down as it approached a large, fancy housing community. 'This must be where the girl lives, ' Debbie thought. There were tens of floors in each building. The skyscrapers made Debbie wonder whether Megan's apartment was a gift from Carlos.
When the car came to a halt, Megan was ready to get out. "Wait up. It's dark, and not safe for you to walk alone. I'll walk you to the door," Carlos offered.
Debbie was fed up. 'Son of a bitch! Is she your wife or am I? Why do you care so much about her? Her building is right there! Only a heartbeat away from the car! How dangerous can it be?!
And there are security guards patrolling the area, you jackass!' she cursed inwardly.
"Okay, thank you, Uncle Carlos," Megan said gratefully.
Carlos looked back at Debbie before exiting the car, only to find that she was in the back seat, back straight, eyes closed. Assuming that she was asleep, he got out without waking her up. In reality, she was as stiff as a board, and mortified.
Debbie waited in the car for twenty minutes, but there was no trace of her man.
She was so furious she started laughing. 'That bastard is probably sleeping with her!'
In the past, she would have exploded with rage by now.
Yet in front of Carlos, she held her tongue.
But staying in the car was impossible. She got out angrily and walked towards the entrance of the community.
Ten minutes later, her phone rang. It was Carlos. Debbie gave a sneer and picked it up. "Mr. Huo, your lady get in alright?"
"Where are you?"
"I left, of course! Do you think I should have stayed until after you two had sex? Or gone upstairs and watched?" Debbie blurted out furiously.
For a moment, the other end of the phone was silent. "Megan is a kid Wesley and I are fostering together. Don't overthink it." He finally spoke.
"Huh! Fostering! Mr. Huo, you ARE rich. I'm overthinking it? Mr. Huo, think about what you did. And ask yourself why I'm mad!"
Carlos ignored her sarcasm. "Where are you?" he asked again. He wanted to explain everything in person.
"Don't bother looking for me! Bye!"
She hung up.
Since it was a high-end community, it was in a remote location. At that hour, there were few cars on the road and a taxi was nowhere to be found. Debbie attempted to call a taxi through an app on her phone.
But as soon as she unlocked her phone, Carlos called again.
She hung up and logged in to the app, but Carlos called again. He kept calling and interrupting her. She gave up trying to get a ride.
Frustrated and angry, Debbie sat on the curb, glaring at the road.
Then her phone buzzed. It was a message from Carlos. "Go ahead, Refuse my next call.
See what happens," he threatened.
When he called again, Debbie thundered, "Mr. Huo, I never knew you had such thick skin to keep calling like that. When someone doesn't answer your call, it means they don't want to talk to you. Get it?"
Carlos' patience ran out. His face darkened. Then a familiar figure by the roadside came into view. He hung up the phone without a word.
Looking at her phone after Carlos had hung up, Debbie smiled wanly. 'This is unbelievable! Is he angry at me now? How could he, after what he did?!' she said to herself.
Soon, a car drove over. Debbie stood up. The headlights were so glaring she had to turn her head away and close her eyes while walking backwards. When the car stopped behind her, she recognized that it was Carlos' Emperor.
He stepped out of the car, walked over to her, and pulled her into his arms fiercely.
"Let go of me!" She tried to wrench herself free, but it was of no avail.
"Why are you doing this?" No woman he'd been with had dared to act so difficult, so determined to have her own way. On the other hand, he didn't understand what the woman was upset about. He thought she was just being unreasonable.
"Why? You know why! How dare I? Right?" Her sarcasm made Carlos think it was time for her to chill out.