I ran to my room and jumped onto my bed smiling and giggling to myself, however. I turned my head around to face the table in my room and noticed something white on it. I got off the bed and went to sit at the table to see the napkin. It had Jiro’s silly drawing on it.

“How’d it get here?” I questioned myself then shrugged as I placed it under my pillow and leaned back against the bed. It felt good…this felt good. I giggled again as I imagined kissing him again.

It was all the same the following days. Either I was off work and we spent time together or that I worked and he spent time at the restaurant, but I never noticed that we were being followed and I never thought we’d lose our hold of happiness in such a short time.

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“Sir,” reported a man in a black suit walking into a large room with walls of marble. By a large brown desk a man stood staring out of the window with his hands behind his back.

“Mmm…” the man grunted.

“I’ve confirmed why he’s been coming home late these days,” the man explained.

The old man turned around. Mr. Wang didn’t look too happy and the deep frown on his face showed it all.

“He’s been seeing a girl of lower class,” the man told.

“A girl?” Mr. Wang seemed a little interested in this subject. “Who is she?”

“She lives with only her mother and younger sister because her father passed away in an accident when she was very young,” the man began but Mr. Wang cut him off with a wave of his hand.

“I got it, I got it,” Mr. Wang hushed. “Ah Cai get me those papers to that piece of land for me and pick up Miss Ren after school tomorrow. Make sure it’s before Jiro meets up with her.”

“Yes sir,” Ah Cai replied.  

****************************************

The following day before I could get to my last class a man had called me from the bottom of the stairs I was just passing. I turned back to look and saw a man in a black suit kindly waiting for me. Well, at least he looked nice when I approached him.

“Are you Miss Selina Ren?” he questioned.

I looked at him debating whether I should answer him or not. I nodded after a second or two after deciding it wasn't alright to lie to him.

He smiled and old man kind of tired smile, “Would you please follow me to the car.”

Now I got serious and looked up at him with questioning eyes.

Noticing that I didn’t believe him he added, “You’ve got a plot of land waiting for you.” Did he hope that would get my attention?

I frowned, “I didn’t buy any piece of land. I think you've got the wrong person.”

“If I’m not wrong your dad’s name was Matthew Ren?” he questioned.

I looked at him strangely. What was going on? Who was this man? What did he really want? He’d he know father’s name? Then I realized that he must want money, that’s why he’s playing this trick.

“Sorry, I don’t have any money no matter how cheap that plot of land is,” I replied in a straightforward tone.

“Miss, this plot of land is free,” he continued.

Ok…this was getting suspicious. Who in this whole world ever gets anything free without working for it? I knew it. I shouldn’t trust this man.

“Let me put it this way whether I have to pay or whether it’s free I’m not really interested. I’ve already got a comfy house right now so if you will excuse me I have a class to attend,” I said turning around and walking away.

“This concerns your family too so if you pardon me please get in the car,” he threatened.

I turned around to stare at him. Whatever kind of game this was my family should never be involved. I gulped back my urge to fight back and got into the car. The door closed and off we went.

We were now on the highway. I watched as cars drove pass us quickly they all looked like a blur. Would they notice that someone inside this vehicle was being taken somewhere she didn't want to go? I did not talk along the way and luckily he did not try to create a conversation with me because I was sure I'd send piecces of glasses at him. Within a half hour or so the car was making it’s way along a long concrete driveway surrounded by very rich trees on either side of the road. In what felt like five minutes the car finally came to a stop in front of some shiny stairs leading to two really really wide doors. I knew this house…was too good to be true.

It was huge. Inside the floors were all nicely tiled and there was a large dining room to this side and a large room with a tv in the other. A large staircase in the middle of another room and then just rooms leading into other rooms.

The car door opened and I looked up to see the man who’d taken me from school. I got out of the car slowly holding onto the strap of my bag allowing my eyes to look around.

“This way,” he said leading me in.

As I made my way through I found that I could see my own reflection on the ground. It amazed me at how clean this house was then wondered how many people it took to clean. I walked into a large waiting room to see that the floor was half carpeted in white and the other tiled. There were large comfy couches around and an expensive table in the middle of the room. I was so absorbed into the room that I hand’t noticed that the man had gone and another had entered. I turned around as I heard a loud cough. To my surprise someone I’d seen somewhere before stood by the doorway.

“Hi,” I greeted respectfully.

He rolled his eyes as if I was being pathetic.

“You might not remember me but we’ve met almost a month ago,” the man told.

I kept looking at him trying to bring back my memories. It was there, but I just couldn’t figure it out.

“I’m Mr. Wang, Jiro’s father,” he introduced.

“Oh! Hi!” I said as my first encounter with him appeared in my mind. “My name is Selina…”

“I know, I know,” he said coldly. “I want to talk to you about something.”

I looked back at him in silence. What did he want to talk about?

“This house…don’t you think it’s amazing?” he asked looking around.

I looked up at the ceiling and moved my head around as my eyes darted to look at every inch in the room. It jumped back to me that the man from earlier had said that this plot of land was free…for me. Why me? What did I do?

“You…” I began.

“Would you like it? You can have it if you like it,” Mr. Wang said.

I looked at him and replied, “This house is too high a price for me to live in and I’ve never thought about leaving my present home.”

Mr. Wang gave a laugh and I watched refusing to let myself feel low.

“This…this house can’t compare to the Wang mansion,” he added. “But if you want to compare it to Jiro you might be a little closer.”

Jiro’s name rang an invisible bell in my heart. What’s this? What was his father getting at?

“I don’t understand,” I told him.

Mr. Wang smiled and walked forward circling me, “How can an ugly duckling catch up to a silver phoenix?”

“I’m not sure where you’re getting at,” I responded honestly.

“You’re a great actress,” he commented, “even now you can keep yourself under the covers. All you want is an easy life, right?”

“I’m sorry, but what are you talking about?” I questioned. He kept going from one thing to another and his sentences didn't connect to one another. Was I supposed to understand this puzzle of his?

“You want the money Jiro will inherit from the Wang family don’t you?” he questioned. “Jiro is the solution to your money problem. You’ll want him only for money and when you get the money you’ll run off with it. You’ve been holding his hand laughing with him to get to this, right?”

It jumped out at me and I couldn’t believe it. Jiro’s father thought I wanted him for money. He thought money was all I ever thought about. I bit my lip and tried not to take it as an offense, but the anger was obviously slowly beginning to grow its own fire within me.

“Mr. Wang,” I began, “my family and I are in a stable condition right now. We’ve never asked for money. Everything we have is from all our hard work and for an instance even if I am poor I don’t always think about money.”

Mr. Wang clapped his hand, “An excellent speech of honesty. Really where did you find it? On the internet?”

His remark made the fire in me grow. We hadn’t gone deeply into the conversation but what he was thinking about was perfectly pathetic. I noticed that whatever I would say he would somehow twist my words back to me make me look bad. He’d done it before because the first time I’ve met him he’d done it.

I took a sigh, “Please don’t look upon us like that. You want me to admit money is all I want but I apologize I’m not going to say it.”

“You…” he stuttered. “It’s impossible for you to become rich. If you stay away from my son you will live in a house that’s worth more than your life.”

“And what would that bring me? I really want to thank you for the offer but to live in a house with the same environment as the Wang mansion is not worth my lifetime,” I spat out the words at him.

I figured if he always twisted your words back at you then all you have to do to annoy him is keep on insisting your way. Simple but it seemed to work.

“I’d like to go now,” I said and walked pass him quickly heading out of the doors re-entering the car.

I gave a huge sigh of relief as the car drove off leaving behind Mr. Wang who was probably scowling at my back by now.

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