As soon as Debbie left the cab, the smoke filled her nostrils. She could taste the acrid vapors, stale, with a hint of bitterness. "Ugh...Carlos... ugh..." She coughed violently, tears threatening to come out. She hated the smell, hated the taste, and most of all hated not being able to breathe. Carlos did this deliberately. He knew she hated the habit, yet he exacerbated the problem. He couldn't stop playing pranks on her, and she walked into them all the time.
Carlos smiled mischievously.
The cab didn't leave immediately. The driver rolled down the window and stared at Carlos. After a while, he asked, "You look familiar. Are you Mr. Huo?"
Carlos nodded indifferently, at which the driver pushed the door open excitedly and rushed over to Carlos. He stammered out a request, nervous at finally meeting the man. "I...my daughter... my daughter worships you very much. Can I get an autograph for her? Her birthday's coming up. It would make an awesome present."
It was a request from a loving father. Hard to refuse. Carlos wanted kids, and his heart softened around them, indeed, at the very mention.
Carlos held Debbie tight in his arms and said, "Okay."
The driver ran back to the cab and rooted around in there for a long while, but he found nothing that Carlos could write with or on.
He turned back and looked at Carlos, eyes full of disappointment. "Never mind. I don't have a pen or paper. Thank you, Mr. Huo."
Carlos raised his eyebrows and released Debbie. He motioned the security guard to bring him some paper and a pen.
Then Carlos wrote, "Happy birthday! —Carlos Huo."
The driver was moved. While Carlos was writing, he took out his old phone and snapped a pic.
Carlos saw that, but he decided not to take it seriously. He was a fan, after all. What was the harm?
After handing the paper to the driver, he put his arm around Debbie's waist and walked back to the Emperor with her.
"Thank you, Mr. Huo! Bye, Mr. Huo!" the driver said. He watched the car drive into the manor. When the car couldn't be seen anymore, he spent a few minutes standing there to admire the grand house. There was a lot of square footage to be impressed with. He drank it all in with his eyes.
Inside the manor
Debbie complained in the car, "You blew the smoke in my face as soon as I got out of the cab. What were you thinking? If you hate me, just tell me. I can handle it."
Carlos leaned against the seat and looked at her silently while she threw her tantrum. The longer he looked at her, the cuter he found her. If he thought she was beautiful normally, he hadn't seen anything yet. This took her loveliness to a whole new level.
"What? Not saying anything? You don't want to talk to me, do you? Okay, then get out and go back to your precious Queen of Manipulation!"
"Queen of Manipulation?" Carlos wondered.
Debbie sneered, "See? You're interested as soon as I bring her up. I can't stand it anymore. Give me the ring back. I want a divorce! I want a divorce!"
With that, she started to grab for the ring Carlos was wearing. He grabbed her hands and said, "You're not getting this back. You already gave it to me."
"I will! Got a problem with that?" Debbie glared at him stubbornly.
"I do. Why did you say you couldn't stand it anymore? Stand what? Besides, you think we can get a divorce if you get the ring back?" Carlos wanted to laugh. 'How naive.'
Debbie slipped her hands out of his grip and sat up straight. "Of course. I'll give it to another guy. Then, off you go. Out of the picture."
Once she finished her sentence, the Emperor came to a sudden stop, and the driver killed the engine. Carlos grabbed her wrist tightly and dragged her out of the car.
The smile on his face was replaced by a look of intense gloom.
He dragged her into the manor and then upstairs. He didn't stop to make sure she was alright. Even though she stumbled, he simply lifted her up and continued his climb.
He had been so tender to her before. But right now, the fierce man holding her wrist so tightly seemed a different person entirely. Debbie wanted to cry, but didn't have time as he wasn't done yet.
'How did it come to this?' she thought sadly.
The door of the bedroom was thrown open violently, banging the wall on the opposite side. Debbie was tossed onto the bed. Luckily, the bed was soft.
She sat up. Before she could say anything, Carlos demanded, "Another guy? You already have someone in mind, don't you? Who is he?"
Debbie was shocked. She raised her head to look at the man standing over her. "Just because you have a mouth doesn't mean you can say whatever you want. Listen, I did some thinking when I was in the cab. Aren't you going to send me abroad to study after my junior year? I don't want to wait till then. I wanna go now." A new environment was what she needed right now. New faces, new places. She needed to stay away from Carlos, away from Megan. If she had to wait a few more months, it would drive her crazy.
Hearing what she said, Carlos stepped forward and stood right in front of her. Awkwardly, if she looked straight on, her eyes fell right on his crotch. That was uncomfortable, to say the least.
Debbie turned her head away immediately.
However, as if he hadn't even noticed her embarrassment, Carlos turned her head back to make her look at him.
Debbie's eyes wandered to avoid looking straight ahead.
He suddenly spoke. "Okay."
The anger Debbie had felt a moment before turned swiftly to sadness. This was crazy! Though it was her idea, she hadn't expected him to agree to it so quickly.
It sounded like he wouldn't feel sad that they weren't together. If that was the case, then what was she doing hanging around here?
"Oh, okay then. So, that's it. It's...it's all settled. I'll go pack," Debbie said, still in a daze. She couldn't believe this was happening. It was all too fast—all too real. She pushed Carlos away and stood up.
Carlos grabbed her wrist and demanded, "Can't wait to leave me, huh?" 'Leave him? Why does he think I want to leave him?' Debbie turned to look Carlos right in the eyes. She wanted him to know that she loved him, and he needed to hear this. "Carlos, I love you. I don't want a divorce. But we've been fighting a lot lately. I'm tired. Sick and tired. I think we need some space."
She loved him. Divorce was never really an option for her, no matter how bad the fight was. And she knew she belonged at his side. It was the only place she belonged in.
His grip on her wrist tightened. It hurt, but she didn't say anything.
Eventually, without a word, he let go of Debbie and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Quiet spread across the room. Debbie sat back on the bed.
Blankly, she looked out the window. But she really didn't see anything. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than sleep. Slowly, she lay down and drifted off.
To her surprise, for the next three days, she didn't even see Carlos once. The sun rose and set, just like it always did. But she endured. She prepared her meals robotically, not having much of an appetite.
She would have thought he had gone missing if Emmett hadn't re-posted a news article saying that Carlos had negotiated a contract with an overseas-funded enterprise.
This was the longest game of the silent treatment they had ever played.
In New York
Carlos' car sped into the Huos' residence. He got out of the car gloomily and went straight to the study on the second floor.
On his way, he saw Tabitha, but he only greeted her flatly. The grimness on his face told her that something was wrong. Her heart tightened. She followed him all the way up the stairs. She knew something was going to happen. Everyone could feel it—a tension in the air.
Sure enough, as soon as he saw James in the study, Carlos dashed over and greeted him with his fist.
Covering the side of his face that Carlos had struck, James glared at him and shouted, "Have you lost your mind? I'm your father!"
Carlos grabbed James' collar and stared at him fiercely. "How are you a father? Did you earn respect from your family? What kind of father would hurt his own daughter-in-law?"