What the hell was Charmaine doing with Ben Wong?  Fury consumed Raymond as he hastily closed the short distance between them.  Stopping directly in front of Ben, he asked icily, "What are you doing here?"

Charmaine saw the hardening of Raymond's jaw, a detached flint in his usually warm eyes, and the small tick at his temple.  In that split second she knew he was undeniably angry.  However, she was perplexed as to what could have caused it.  Looking imploringly up at him she asked, "Raymond, what's wrong with you?"

Paying no heed to Charmaine's question, Raymond demanded again of Ben, "I repeat, what are you doing here?"

Ben cast a glance at Charmaine's puzzled face and calmly responded, "Well Lam Sir, if you must know - I drove Charmaine home."

Raymond turned his gaze on Charmaine and seeing her questioning look softened his tone, "I didn't know that you two know each other."

"He is Kenneth's brother," Charmaine explained simply, not knowing why Raymond was making such a big deal out of this.

Raymond looked at Ben and in a very low voice said, "I didn't realize Kenneth had a brother.  And most shocking is that you're his brother."

By now Ben had already guessed their relationship.  Raymond Lam was the boyfriend.  This caught Ben by surprise and judging by the way Lam Sir was practically glaring at him, Lam Sir is very possessive of her.  Then again, if Charmaine was his girlfriend he would be too.  Maintaining his calm poise, Ben said smartly, "Small world isn't it?"

"Too small," Raymond muttered and for the first time noticed how close Ben was standing next to Charmaine.  He reached out and grabbed Charmaine's hand, pulling her unceremoniously to stand by his side.  Ignoring the quizzical look on her face, he then turned back to face Ben and said acidly, "Thank you for driving her home.  I can take it from here.  Goodnight."

"Raymond," Charmaine gasped at his rudeness.  She turned to Ben and gave him an apologetic look, "Thank you again for tonight."

Ben smiled triumphly when he saw Raymond's face darken even more with angry jealousy.  Giving Charmaine a tender smile, he said, "It was my pleasure.  I'll talk to you some other time."  Nodding cockily at Raymond, Ben his heels and jumped back into his car.  Seconds later the car pulled away from the curb with a loud screech and then disappeared around the corner.

Raymond followed Charmaine into the building without a word.  They entered the elevator and he watched with growing ire as she mechanically pressed the button to her floor.  Why wasn't she explaining herself to him?  How well does she even know Ben Wong?  When they reached the door to her apartment he finally broke the silence and asked the question that had been plaguing him since he saw them together, "Were you with him all night?"

Charmaine halted in the midst of opening the door to look at him, "Yes I was," she answered truthfully and then stepped into the apartment.  She heard Raymond close the door behind him and went swiftly into the kitchen to pour him a cup of tea.  When she returned to the living room he was still standing by the door with hands on hips, a taut expression on his handsome face.

Watching as Charmaine set the cup down on the coffee table, Raymond asked quietly, "How long have you known him?  Was tonight the only night you were with him?"

Charmaine walked up to him and gently touched his face.  She felt his jaw tighten beneath her hand and asked softly, "Raymond, what's come over you?  Don't you trust me?"

Seeing the tenderness of her face and the softness of her touch rapidly dissolved the raging jealousy that besieged him when he saw her with Ben Wong. .  He had nothing to be afraid of.  Charmaine was with him.  It was him that she brought up to her apartment and not Ben Wong.  More important, Charmaine was not the type to cheat.  With logic returning, Raymond pressed her hand into his face and turned his head slightly to kiss the palm, "I'm sorry.  I had an awful night."

"We all did," Charmaine corrected and led him to the couch.  "Let's talk."

"We have much to talk about," Raymond agreed and taking both her hands in his, he began, "I know what you're thinking about Mandy and me but it's not true.  I did not break up with her because of you.  You must believe me."

Charmaine looked deep into his eyes, debating with herself whether to believe him or not.  She saw the worry flash across his eyes and knew her answer will determine the outcome of their budding relationship.  Did she believe him?  At the end she chose to believe him because she wanted to be with him.  How they came together didn't matter as long as they were together now.  "I do," she said softly and was suddenly pulled into his embrace.

"Thank you Charmaine," Raymond breathed against her hair.  He wasn't even aware that he had been holding his breath waiting for her answer.  Now that he had it, he truly felt that everything will work out fine, even his mother's terminal illness.

Charmaine closed her eyes briefly, relishing the feel of being in his arms.  After a moment she pulled away to look helplessly at him.  "But your mom doesn't like me."

Taking her hands in his again, Raymond said, "There's something I need to tell you about my mom."  He paused to swallow back the lump that was forming at the back of his throat.  He could feel his entire being tremble as he prepared himself to give Charmaine the news about his mom.  "My mom… She…"

Charmaine saw the melancholy in Raymond's eyes at the same time she felt his hands shake.  Grasping tightly onto them she asked, "Raymond, what happened to Auntie?"

"She has stomach cancer," Raymond told her bleakly and went on in details describing what happened at the restaurant after she ran out and what he later learned at the hospital.  When he was done he bowed his head between his knees and cried out in anguish, "Why my mom?  She has never done anything bad in her entire life.  Why her?"

With her own heart aching at the news, Charmaine pulled Raymond towards her.  She held him tightly all the while wishing she could absorb some of his pain.  "Raymond, think positive," she urged softly, "Auntie will make it through this."

"How?" Raymond wept against her.  "I don't have that kind of money."

"We'll think of something together," she said.

Raymond lifted his head to look at Charmaine.  Never had he seen anyone as beautiful or as special as she was.  Somehow just seeing her eased away all his negative thoughts and for the first time since finding out about his mom's illness, he truly believed that his mom will be alright.  She makes him feel as if nothing can set him back.  Nothing at all.  Caressing her cheek lightly, he said, "With you by my side I know we'll find a way."

Charmaine nodded in agreement and vowed, "I'll always be by your side.  Forever."

--------------------------------------------------------

Ben returned home just as Kenneth was trotting down the stairs.  He saw the grim expression on his brother's face and asked, "What's wrong Kenneth?"

Kenneth grabbed his keys off the hook by the door and turned to face his brother, "It's my friend's mom.  I just found out that she has stomach cancer and is in the hospital now.  I'm going over to see if I can help with anything."

"Do you need a lift?" Ben asked as he walked with Kenneth out the door and towards the elevator banks.

"No thanks, Ron is downstairs waiting for me," Kenneth informed Ben and pressed for the elevator.  "He left the hospital to come and pick me up.  Said he needed a break."

Ben looked curiously at Kenneth and said, "I never heard you mention Ron before.  Is this a new friend?"  Ben was very cautious when it comes to friends of Kenneth.  Not that he didn't trust his brother's judgment but at times Kenneth is too nice, too soft and can be taken advantage of easily.  And Ben would never ever let anyone get away with that.  That's why he always makes it a priority to get to know all of Kenneth's friends.

The elevator arrived and Kenneth stepped in.  Barring the doors from closing he replied, "Ron is an old classmate.  We were in a few classes together when we were still living in Causeway."

"What does Ron do for a living?" Ben asked causally.

Knowing fully well where this was going, Kenneth glanced at his watch and said with exasperation, "I'm sorry Ben but I really got to go.  I'll tell you everything you want to know about him when I come back."  He released the elevator doors and stepped back to watch it close.

Ben stopped it from closing with his foot.  He saw the aggravation on Kenneth's face and quickly said, "Tell your friend Ron that if there's anything I can do to help then he should let you know."

Kenneth smiled with respect and gratitude at Ben.  "Thank you Ben.  But it's not Ron's mom who has stomach cancer.  It's our friend Raymond Lam.  You'll like him.  He's a cop.  I'll introduce you to the both of them soon.  For now, I really have to go."  Kenneth waved with relief when Ben pulled his foot back from the elevator doors.

Ben stared at the closed elevator doors in stunned surprise.  With a sinister smile forming on his lips he uttered, "Indeed it’s a small world."