Debbie hadn't seen Hayden for more than two years. She had thought she had forgotten him, or that she wouldn't be emotional when she saw him again.
She was wrong.
After all, she had loved him once. It was impossible for her to feel nothing at all. You never quite stop caring for the other person, even if the other person turns out to be not who you thought they were. Something always lingers, always tugs at you. No matter how thin the thread that holds you, love is always the tie that binds.
There was a dull pain in her heart. That was all.
When Debbie remained silent, Hayden just smiled wider. "It's been a long time, Deb. You're looking hotter than ever." He'd been watching her ever since she walked in.
She had changed so much he could hardly believe this was the same girl that he'd been with for two years.
This meeting had brought memories of the old days rushing back into her head. Debbie fell into deep thought. Two years, it was a long time to be together, even if it didn't feel long while you were in the midst of it. And the memories it left—they last a lifetime. And when it's over, all the things you used to do, places you used to go, the feelings attached to those things linger. Debbie was lost in her head. It was not until Jared nudged her that she came to her senses. Back in the present, she turned Hayden down quietly. "Thank you, Mr. Gu. But I wasn't going to pay them anything."
The gentle smile on his face turned to a grim one at her response. How she could be so haughty was beyond him. She was only married to a secretary, after all. And she was even bold enough to offend so many powerful families.
"Deb, don't be like this..."
At this moment, Curtis and Colleen were at her side. Carlos insisted they show up. They were sharing a moment in the car earlier when he called.
The man had just straightened his suit. But his tie was still slightly crooked, his normally perfect hair a bit mussed. Not to mention his slightly flushed cheeks and the goofy smile on his face.
"Debbie, what's the matter?" he asked.
Before Debbie could say anything, the old lady of the Qin family saw Curtis and regarded him with a sour face. "Let me guess, Mr. Lu. you'll take responsibility for her too?"
Curtis smiled and answered politely, "Yes, Mrs. Qin. Debbie is young and made a mistake. I apologize for any trouble she's caused."
Hearing this, Emmett tugged at his sleeve and reminded him, "Remember Mr. Lu, Mr. Huo didn't call because he wanted you to apologize."
Having anticipated what Curtis might do, Carlos had asked Emmett to remind him at the right moment. That was Carlos, always at least one step ahead, and usually three. That was why he was successful at business and at Go.
Curtis knew how Carlos usually took care of things, but that was not his style. He preferred to solve problems the mild way. But if that didn't work and things got out of hand, heads would roll for that.
The others couldn't hear what Emmett was whispering to Curtis. They all thought that he was begging Curtis to help "his wife" Debbie out. Hayden was convinced that Debbie was Emmett's wife.
Mrs. Yan had always been pompous. Even in Hayden's and Curtis' presence, she was hostile. "I want her to apologize! And pay for the dresses! No—I want three times their worth. For emotional distress!"
"Right!" the crowd echoed.
Curtis didn't get angry. His mood remained steady. He looked at Debbie with a smile and asked, "Debbie, you bad girl, you. You okay?" He sounded slightly reproachful, but there was no trace of blame in his eyes at all.
Mrs. Zhang cut in, "Mr. Lu, it was our daughters who fell, not her."
Curtis turned to her. "I know you want her to apologize, but shouldn't we find out what happened first?"
Gail couldn't hold her tongue anymore. She pointed at Debbie angrily and shouted, "Mr. Lu, she poured red wine on us and pushed us! Everyone saw it! That's the truth! What else do you need to know?" 'Why? Why are so many wonderful men protecting this... this... tomboy? It's not fair!'
Lucinda was so mad at Gail's behavior she almost fainted. Her face was beet red now. "Shut up, Gail!" she reprimanded harshly.
Told off in front of so many people, Gail stomped her feet angrily, her cheeks burning, nearly as red as her mother's.
Ignoring her mom, she looked at Curtis with a smoldering gaze and demanded, "Mr. Lu, why are you taking Debbie's side? Who is she to you?" As soon as the question was out, all eyes were on Curtis. So many people had been dying to know the answer.
Curtis looked at Debbie and answered calmly, "I'm Debbie's principal. Of course, I can't sit idly when my student is in trouble. I'd be concerned too, if it were you." Of course, he wouldn't promise to do the same thing he did now.
The reason he had given sounded solid, sending everyone into silence. No one was going to question an august presence like him, and they knew the reason now anyway.
"Jared, I should have known you were at the heart of this!" a devil-may-care voice shouted suddenly. All heads turned back. A group of people walked in. Or rather, sauntered. Damon was in front, a herd of bodyguards in tow.
Curtis noticed that Damon's buttons were cattywampus, some buttons were in the wrong holes, others simply not buttoned at all. He couldn't help but smirk. 'He must have been with some woman too when Carlos called, ' he thought.
Jared was confused to see Damon here. 'Why's he here? What does he mean?' he reflected. After some consideration, he retorted, "Hey, they started it. What are you blaming me for? Debbie tried to ignore them, but they barked and bit like rabid dogs."
The daughters and parents were furious at his insulting remarks. They glared at him, wishing that they could just go up there and snap his neck. They wouldn't get very far. Damon's bodyguards would see to that.
The willful youngest daughter of the Qin family couldn't stand such an insult. She pointed a finger at Jared and threatened, "Who are you calling a dog? One more word and I'll cut your tongue out!"
With a sneer, Jared put the back of his hand to his forehead, assuming a dramatic tone. "Oh my God! Oh my God! I'm so scared. What should I do?"
Furious, the daughter of the Qin family started dashing towards him. Luckily, someone stopped her and grabbed her arms. Otherwise, Jared's face would have been covered with scratches.
Well, Jared might have dodged a bullet from the girl, but there was a second one. While he was riding high, Damon walked over to the flippant boy and kicked him in the leg. "Dude! Shut up! You got a mouth on you. Want me to take it from you?" he said.
Even a blind person could tell that that kick was just for show. It didn't hurt at all. Clearly, Damon and Curtis were protecting Jared and Debbie. And they weren't going to let anything happen to the pair. Looking at them, the parents and their daughters trembled with rage.
By now, Hayden thought Emmett had called Curtis and Damon to back him up. Of course, as Carlos' secretary, he was totally capable of that.
With that thought in mind, he turned to his assistant and said, "Quinn, cut every young lady a check for three times the price of their dress."
"Yes, sir." Quinn Yang took out the checkbook, and began to draft the requested amount.
But Debbie put a hand on the assistant's pen. She took a deep breath and said, "Thanks, Mr. Gu. But I don't need this. It's my fault."
As more and more people got involved, Debbie felt bad. She turned to face the parents and their daughters, ready to apologize. Knowing what she was trying to do, Damon beat her to the punch. "Someone told me what happened. It's not Debbie's fault. There were more than ten of you. Bullying a girl like that, hardly fair," he scolded. Carlos had found out the truth and told him about it. Damon wasn't afraid to offend any of those so-called important families.
'What just happened? A few simple words from Damon and Debbie isn't responsible at all? He even made her sound like a victim, ' the crowd wondered. 'Can I leave now?' Debbie mused. She just wanted this night to be over.