Beautiful memories came flooding back to her as Debbie stepped on the stairs. Her heart raced.
Since Carlos was in the study, she made her way up there.
She pushed the door open. Carlos was typing something on the computer. He continued with his work, as if he didn't sense her come in.
"Where is Piggy?"
Debbie asked as she looked around the study, but didn't see her baby anywhere.
Carlos stopped working and fixed his gaze on her. "Come here."
She walked over to him and put the shopping bag on the table. "I bought this razor for you when I was in A Country. It didn't cost much, but I hope you like it."
Carlos threw a glance at the bag and then asked, "When will you stop doing bad things?"
"Huh? What did I do?" Debbie was baffled.
"Who drugged my father?" Carlos sneered.
Now, she understood. "Oh, that. I did. Are you going to get back at me for that?"
"You still haven't learned your lesson," Carlos said through clenched teeth.
Debbie simply shrugged with no intention of explaining herself. "This conversation will take us nowhere. Tell me where Piggy is. We'll leave right away."
"Sleeping."
Now that she had gotten her answer, Debbie turned to leave.
Her nonchalant attitude irritated him. "Wait!" he demanded coldly.
Debbie stopped at the door. Turning around, she blinked at him in bewilderment. "Yes, Mr. Huo?"
"You think I'm very tolerant?" 'Why else is she taunting me all the time?'
Debbie nodded without hesitation. "Of course. You doted on me and forgave me for anything I did. I was never worried about making trouble, because you would take care of it for me. People say you are cold and ruthless, but for me, you're always the best."
'I only asked a simple question, and she just had to start flattering me. She thinks she can get away with this.'
"Mr. Huo, is there anything else?"
"That was all in the past. You have gone too far now. Someone who claims to be my woman shouldn't have torn a family apart. Debbie Nian, leave. I don't want to see you again."
Debbie's heart shattered into a million pieces. "Sorry to disappoint you. You'll probably see me every day on TV."
The gloom on his face deepened. "Stephanie and I are getting engaged in one week. We'll be taking a trip before the ceremony. I hope you can focus on work during this period and contribute to the company."
Debbie's face went pale. 'He's speaking of Stephanie as if she's his lover and talking to me like I am his employee. Is this how he wants to get back at me?
Well done, old man. You know how to hurt me. You might not have stabbed me with a knife, but can you see my heart bleeding? Professing your love for another woman in front of me... You might have as well killed me!'
With a bitter smile, she said, "Duly noted. Carlos Huo, I hope you won't regret this."
As soon as Debbie walked out of the study, she leaned against the wall, panting for breath. The hurt placed on you by someone you love is unbearable!
She found Piggy in Carlos' bedroom. The temperature in the room had been adjusted to perfection, and Piggy was sound asleep. Debbie didn't want to wake her up. She lay beside her and held her in her arms.
'Babe, Mommy is so tired. I don't know how to go on. It's good that I didn't tell him who you were. Otherwise, I might have lost you too.'
A tear fell on Piggy's delicate face. Debbie wiped it away quickly.
Surrounded by Piggy's baby scent and Carlos' scent lingering in the room, Debbie drifted off to sleep.
By the time she woke up, dusk had descended. She sat up abruptly. Piggy was gone.
She got off the bed, put on her slippers in a fluster, and darted out of the bedroom. "Piggy! Evelyn! Eve!" she called frantically.
When she reached the stairway, she saw two kids playing in the living room. She sighed in relief.
Damon had come to visit with his son. He and Carlos were watching while Piggy and the boy played happily.
"Mommy, Mommy, you're awake. I'm playing with Sean!" Piggy said cheerfully when she saw Debbie come down the stairs.
Damon was pissed when he saw Debbie, but he liked Piggy a lot. The contradictory emotions made his facial features twist in a weird way.
After waving to Sean with a smile, she scooped Piggy up and said, "Good girl. Play with Sean for a while longer. Mommy will go pack our things."
Piggy, however, wrapped her arms around Debbie's neck and said with a pout, "Mommy, I don't want to go. I want to stay with Uncle Carlos."
Debbie felt a wrench in her heart. "You can see Uncle Carlos again later, okay?" she consoled her baby, giving her cheek a gentle pinch.
Piggy didn't fuss. Debbie put her down, and she continued to play with Sean.
Ignoring Carlos and Damon, Debbie went back upstairs. Before long, a housemaid caught up with her and said, "Miss Nian, Evelyn's things are in Mr. Huo's room. I'll fetch her suitcase for you."
"Thanks," Debbie replied with a nod and went back to Carlos' room.
She went into his walk-in closet and opened a cupboard. Her mouth fell open in astonishment. Inside the cupboard were all little girls' clothes, hanging in order. Dresses, little suits, T-shirts and shorts in all patterns.
At the bottom were shoes. Slippers, sandals, and princess shoes, also in every pattern.
The clothes she had brought for Piggy in the suitcase were nowhere to be seen.
'Did Carlos buy all these for her?' Debbie thought. Her emotions were all over the place. If that was the case, then Carlos really loved this child.
She was in a daze for a while, at a loss on how to pack or what to pack.
The housemaid came back with Piggy's suitcases. Carlos had bought a cute pink suitcase for her besides her old one.
Debbie didn't want to pack any of the things Carlos had bought for Piggy. Just then, Carlos walked into the room.
He looked at the empty suitcases and then said to her, "All those are for Piggy."