I realized that I've neglected putting in bebu scenes despite the main couple of this story is Aaron and Hebe; however, I felt that the best way for the story to develop is the way it is. Though, I will try to incorporate more of the couple centric scenes in future chapters, that is my goal after all. But in the meantime, please do bare with me.

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Chapter Ten

It was a bit past lunchtime, and the entire office is emptied hence all employees had left for their lunch break. It is one of the golden times for all employees, the other being when they get off work. There might be not a single soul occupied in the many cubicles of the office, but there is still a diligent man working rigorously inside his personal office. That man is Aaron Yan. Apparently, the sacrifice for the one week trip is for him to pick up the mountainously load of work right after he comes back. It has been a week and more, and he has barely caught up with his workload. One could imagine how heavy his daily workload is to create such a mountain.

To: Aaron
From: My love, Hazel

Still working?

-Hazel

No matter how busy he was he just have to read the text, and unconsciously reply to it, smiling.

To: My love, Hazel
From: Aaron

Yeah, still got some work to catch on to.

-Aaron

To: Aaron
From: My love, Hazel

Did you eat lunch yet?
Don’t lie, I’ll know. I know magic (:

-Hazel

Aaron chuckled out loud at his girlfriend’s cute threat, and then decided to reply with a lie despite the cute warning that he had just received. He couldn’t bare to worry his cute lover.

To: My love, Hazel
From: Aaron

Don’t worry my little witch, I ate.

-Aaron

“Liar, I told you I would know.” His luxuriant door opened, and appeared his Hazel along with a strong aroma of French cuisine, “Lunch delivery!” she smiled excitedly at him.

Aaron emitted a crackle, and got up to wrap his girlfriend close by the waist, “I guess I got caught. What is my evil witch going to do to me?”

Hazel giggled at her boyfriend’s flirting, it never gets old, “I don’t know, what should I do?” She wrapped her arms around his strong waist, still holding on to the bag of French cuisine.

Aaron leaned closer to her, and nuzzled her neck; this is how things should be, he and Hazel.

“Aye,” she broke away from the hug gently, “Let’s eat before the food gets cold.” She led him to his desk, and he followed in silent while studying the woman. It is certain that she loves him, and he should love her just as much; she is perfect for him. There should be no hesitations.

They sat across from each other while she began to take things out and prepare his meal, and he continued to observe her, it was appreciation. It was ready for him to eat shortly, and this time, it was her turn to observe him, with love.

“You still haven’t told people about us yet, huh.” Her question took him by surprise; he never thought she’d ask this question.

“I told Chun and Ella already,” his reply was simple.

“You still haven’t told your friends though right?”

“Calvin knows.”

“Of course he knows, we meet each other through him.”

“That’s about everyone,” he took a sip of water. He doesn’t see the point of this conversation that they’re having.

“Hmm, true,” Hazel rubbed her chin, “You know, I met Hebe a few days ago in a café. I think she don’t like me.”

Hebe. She got his attention with that name, but he was quick enough to cover his emotion, “Why is that?”

“She doesn’t talk much, and she said something really weird too.” Aaron tensed, what did Hebe tell Hazel.

“What did she say?”

“We were talking about H’s Pen’s books, and she said those books are not for me to read.”

“That is weird.”

“Hey, did something happen between you two?” Aaron could feel his palms beginning to sweat, “She said you guys don’t talk much, it sees like she don’t like you.” Aaron could feel himself breathe again.

“Yeah, we’re not that close,” he decided to go along with that lie. It’s for the better, for all three of them, “Hey, why don’t you go home first? I still have a lot to catch up on,” he eyed all the paper works on his desk, “I’ll call you tonight okay?”

“Okay,” She got up and leaned over to give him a kiss. She never expects to spend more than lunchtime with him anyway. Her boyfriend is a busy man, and she understands that.

After Hazel left, he quickly cleaned the food off the desk, and attempted to work again; but it was all in futile. He felt the guilt and dilemma building in him.

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Another week has past since the Okinawa trip, and Hebe was rotting in boredom at home throughout the whole entire week. Her lovely assistant who happens to be going out on her own too much recently ditched her. Not that the novelist minds, since she can’t really expect Genie to be by her side 24/7, and have no social life of her own. She would be worrying about the assistant if that happens; however, at the same time the novelist found out that she is the one without a social life now that things has gone sour with Ella and Selina, with the addition of Genie going out too much. Hebe Tian began to pity herself.

With no surprises, Hebe Tian is home alone and thinking too much. Scenarios of Aaron’s rejection, confrontation with Selina, and the conversation with Hazel kept reoccurring to her. When Aaron had first rejected her, she didn’t know why he rejected her, because she knew he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. After finding out about his relationship with Hazel, Hebe Tian would rather be kept in the dark forever. She didn’t know it would hurt so much to know that Aaron belongs to someone else. It has never occurred to her that Aaron Yan is no longer hers for she had always thought he was hers. When she confessed to Aaron, she had thought they’d be together, because she thought, no she knew Aaron Yan would say yes; however, she was wrong. Hazel definitely gave the novelist a wake up call, a reality check: Aaron Yan is no longer hers.

And Selina Ren…

The doorbell echoed through the house, pulling the novelist out of her thoughts. She opened the door without bothering to guess whom the visitor is; the answer is just behind the door so why bother?

Ella Chen appeared, and Hebe Tian regrets opening the door.

“Hebe!” Ella was quick to stop Hebe’s closing door with a foot, and successfully opened the door wider.

“What do you want?” the novelist asked coldly, after she had lost the power struggle to Ella at the door.

Ella closed the door behind her, and followed the novelist into the center of the living room, “Hebe please, I just want us to talk.”

The novelist gave the married woman a grim contemplation, and allowed dire silence before finally speaking, “There is nothing for us to talk about.”

“Yes there is!”

“No there isn’t,” Hebe Tian was about to lose it, “Everything that needs to be discuss has already been discussed,” she meant their last conversation at Okinawa, “and that is the very truth and final outcome of everything.”

“No! Not everything has been discussed!” Ella could feel her heart beat skipping faster by the seconds, emotions are getting to her, “That was only a conversation between you and Selina; but, not once have you guys ever included me into the conversation.”

Hebe was speechless, because Ella is right. They didn’t.

Ella knew she got the novelist, and she’s going to continue and push forward, “What happened to our friendship Hebe? No matter what happened between you and Selina, that’s between you two; but why did you push me away? Why didn’t you tell me all that has happened? Was I not your friend? Why did you push me away? Tell me Hebe, why. “

It was inevitable, Hebe Tian’s eyes began to get glossy and so does Ella Chen’s. The day has finally arrived; Ella is making her face what she feared the most after her confrontation with Selina. She has to face Ella Chen. Indeed the dispute between her and Selina has nothing to do with Ella, but that doesn’t mean Hebe have the courage to face the woman. After all, she herself is far from innocent in this tangle of pique, simply starting from the lies that she has told to demonize herself in order to bring pain upon Selina. How can she ever tell Ella the truth? And if she can, where should she start? And if she did find a spot to begin, how would Ella react after she finds out about everything? And most importantly, Ella Chen did once assumed she was a home wrecker to Aaron Yan’s happiness; an assumption that she has been in debate ever since the conversation with Hazel.

“Talk to me Hebe.”

But the novelist could only look at Ella with the words dried at , “Get out,” irrationality took over the novelist, “get out, get out, get out!” The two struggle as Hebe forcefully trying to push Ella out of the house.

“Hebe!” Ella tried, but it was all in vain. The door was shut in her face.

The crestfallen Ella resigned and left soon after she realized there is no way for them to talk again as of current. She could only wait and try again in the near future, and of the right moment.

While the novelist only sat lifelessly in the living room, with dried tears at the corner of her eyes, but her heart never stop bleeding. In what it seems like forever, as the novelist had lost in a blank world of her own, the ring of her cell phone finally awakened her.

It was Genie calling, “Yeah,” but rather than hearing Genie’s expected voice from the other line, Hebe heard someone else talk. The next thing that happened was Hebe Tian rushing out of the house in frantic, and tears threatened to rush out again. Never had the novelist felt so much fear and anxiety, almost as if her own life was at the edge; but at this point, it probably is.

Hebe felt like cursing at God or whatever divine power there is when she tried to hail a taxi; every single taxi that past by has been occupied. Just how long would her punishment last? Anger and impatience is shooting off the roof for the novelist for she is about to go mad, she must get to the hospital, fast.

After her failed attempt to catch a taxi for a few minutes, tears has already began to flood down the novelist’s cheeks, and the last bit of rationality in her has ran out. Hebe Tian began to run. The distance from her house to the hospital is about a 30 minutes drive, but the novelist didn’t care, instead she continued to run, for how long, she doesn’t know. Her desire to get to Genie has numbed, and possessed her to do what she couldn’t do in any normal circumstances.

“Hebe!” she finally stopped for she had crashed into a broad chest, into Aaron Yan’s embrace.

The novelist gave Aaron a frantic look, then shifting to his car, “Hospital, get me to the hospital.”

“What? What’s wrong?” the businessman was confused and worried. He gave the novelist a thorough look, and found that she was in flip-flops, her feet was severely injured.

“GET ME TO THE HOSPITAL!” the novelist screamed; she couldn’t wait any longer, “Give me your keys.”

“What, no Hebe! Calm down first!” He shook her, “Tell me what happened first.”

More tears began to flow down, “Please Aaron, give me the keys, I need to get to the hospital,” Hebe felt herself crumble as if the world is ending, “Genie, Genie got shot.”

“C’mon, get in the car. I’ll drive.”

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Calvin felt the heaviest guilt dropped on his shoulder while he watched the fragile Genie being rolled into the hospital. If only he could just have Genie wait for him at the café instead of going into the bank with him, she wouldn’t have to witness the bank robbery. If he had taken better care of her, he would’ve stopped her from helping the kid, and resulting provoking the robber; because he would’ve helped the kid instead and get shot himself. Not her. The moment he saw the bullet pierce through her chest, he felt his heart stopped. The scene kept on replaying in his head, as he asked himself the same questions over and over again. What if.

“Calvin how’s everything?” Aaron was the first to ask when he and Hebe finally found Calvin.

“Where is she?” asked Hebe.

“I don’t know yet, the doctors are still with her.” Calvin turned to the shields behind him.

“What happened? How could you let her get hurt! What did you do?” Hebe grabbed Calvin’s collar and began demanding for answers rigorously. She needed someone to blame.

“We didn’t know that the bank is being robbed, and entered it. She tried to help a kid, and provoked the robber.” He felt his heart clenched while explaining.

“WHY DID YOU BRING HER IN THE BANK! WHY DID YOU LET HER PROVOK THE ROBBERS!” Hebe jabbed on Calvin continuously; she had lost all control.

“Miss, please quiet down you’re disturbing other patients.” A nurse warned.

“SHUT UP! YOU’RE NOT THE ONE WHOSE SISTER GOT SHOT!” the novelist rage at the nurse.

“Hebe! Calm down!” Aaron grabbed onto the hysterical woman firmly, “Calm down.”

The novelist looked at Aaron weakly, “But, Genie…” she couldn’t continue anymore, but to only cry on Aaron Yan’s shoulder. She hated this, she hated the feeling of being weak in front of the man, and she hated how only the man could relax her. She hated how dependent she is upon him, because he is not hers.

Calvin stared at the two in front of him in daze, not because Aaron Yan is embracing Hebe Tian; but because Hebe Tian said Genie is her sister. Did he hear wrong? And his question is quickly confirmed.

“Can I talk to Genie Zhuo’s family member?” the doctor finally came out from the shield.

“I’m Genie Zhuo’s sister!” the novelist broke away from the hug, and rushed to converse with the doctor, “She has con heart disease, you need to be careful!”

Sister. Calvin Chen’s doubt was confirmed, but then he and Aaron Yan were both shocked at the same time, con heart disease? Aaron Yan stared at the woman with foreign eyes. Just how well does he know the woman, how come he doesn’t know she have a sister.

“The patient has lost to much blood, and the bullet went in too deep. We must operate surgery for her immediately. Also, the hospital doesn’t have enough blood supply for the patience…”

“I’ll do blood transfer!” Hebe Tian didn’t even wait for the doctor to finish his sentence.

“Okay, please go with the nurse. We need to hurry.”

After the two sisters entered the operating room Calvin and Aaron waited outside in tense silence.

“If someone loves me, he’d have to love her respectfully as well.”

“What if your love wants to destroy her?”

“Then he’s going to get destroyed first.”

Calvin kept reminiscing his conversation with the assistant back in Okinawa, and finally understood what she meant, because they are sisters. He gave the operating room a long look as more guilt build inside him. Genie knows nothing of the tangle between the people that she knows, and she has nothing to do with what had caused this tangles. She is innocent, and definitely a great young woman. Yet, he had selfishly tried to drag her into this tangle of ugly schemes. He had tried to charm her into turning against Hebe Tian, against her very own sister. At the very moment, Calvin Chen had finally realized how nasty and selfish of a person he is. He should never have touched Genie; she is too pure to be tainted. And she can’t afford to be hurt by his schemes; her heart won’t be able to handle it.

He then shifted his attention to the spaced out Aaron. It was obvious that Hebe Tian holds a weighted spot in Aaron Yan’s heart regardless of what has happened, and what others says; Aaron Yan cares for Hebe Tian, too much. He had tried to influence the decisions that Aaron makes, however, he finally realized how wrong he is. If he really did successfully influenced Aaron to be with Hazel, he would be committing the same act as Selina Ren. No one would be happy, especially Hazel, because Aaron Yan might not love her wholeheartedly. He is going to ruin Hazel’s happiness, no, and Aaron’s.

Calvin Chen shook his head, and then left the hospital. It is enough to have his happiness being taken away; he doesn’t need others to suffer with him. He had almost cost Genie’s life, but perhaps more if weren’t for the bank robbery. He actually has to thank the whole unfortunate event.