When Rufio arrived, with ten minutes to two o’clock, he was about to be scolded by Susanna.
“All your groomsmen are here, and you, the groom, are the last to arrive.”
Rufio blundered, “The old forest is in The Holy City, a twenty-minute drive from the office, can I get there that fast from Imperial?”
They both scrambled.
Paula Rouco sat down to take a sip of her iced Americano and was spotted by Severo Laris.
Severo Laris said, “Iced Americano hurts the stomach.”
“…” Paula Rouco doesn’t bother and continues to take a sip.
Severo Laris couldn’t look away and took the glass of iced Americano out of her hand.
“… Severo Laris, are you being too broad?”
Severo Laris handed the glass of iced Americano, right in front of her, to the clerk standing to the side and indicated, “Please throw it in the trash.”
Clerk: “…”
Paula Rouco: “…”
Severo Laris stared at her and said, word for word, “As long as it’s your business, I’ll take care of it.”
Paula Rouco stood up and said to Susana: “I’m going to the bathroom.”
“I’m going too, Paulita.”
The two girls went together to the bathroom.
Rufio went into the fitting room to try on the groom’s suit.
At that moment, Paula Rouco’s cell phone, which was placed on the small round table, rang.
Severo Laris had no intention of intruding on her privacy, except that the phone kept vibrating and the caller ID was Dr. Albarran Bail.
Curiosity and concern led Severo Laris to take Albarran Bail’s call.
He did not speak first, but waited for the other to say.
Albarran Bail said, “Paulita, have you been better lately? You’ve been off your medication for a while, are you okay?”.
Medication? What medication?
Severo Laris’ brow furrows.
Albarran Bail, seeing that nothing could be heard on this end, said, “Paulita, can you hear me? Bad signal?”
Severo Laris hung up the phone for fear of emitting a sound that would give him away.
Then, opening Paula Rouco’s cell phone with her password, which she opened by directly entering her date of birth, Severo Laris then erased that call from Albarran Bail’s record.
No trace remains.
Closed and put in place.
…
Trying on wedding dresses all afternoon.
When he finished, Rufio put his arm around Susana, looked at Severo Laris and Paula Rouco and said, “We’re old school friends, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, it’s almost dinner time, why don’t I invite you to eat together?”
Paula Rouco was not in the mood and said, “Rufio, I’m not in the mood, there are other things.”
Excuses are shallow and obvious euphemisms.
Rufio is a man of the people and wanted to set up Severo Laris and Paula Rouco, but he didn’t expect Paula Rouco’s reaction to be so lukewarm, so he was a little sad.
But Severo Laris could see her lack of interest and told Rufio, “Go back to Susana. ”
Rufio hurried out with his arm around Susana, “Okay, old Lin, remember to take Paulita home!”.
Susana tried to push Rufio’s hand away and glared at him, “What are you doing? Paulita didn’t come by car, I’m taking her home!”.
“What’s your turn to do with old Lin around? Be a good boy, don’t cause trouble, let’s go home to see our old husband.”
When Paula Rouco arrived, she was picked up by Susana in her car.
So now she’s home and she doesn’t have a car.
But she didn’t want Severo Laris to drive her, “I’ll take a cab home myself.”
Severo Laris did not force the situation and accompanied her in the cab.
When the cab arrived, Paula Rouco had just gotten in when Severo Laris approached from the other side of the door, with a long legged stride.
Paula Rouco: “… What are you doing in the car?”
Wasn’t he driving?
Severo Laris: “Since you don’t want to take my car to go home, I’ll accompany you in a cab to take you home, anyway.”
“…”
How can he be so shameless?
On the contrary, a certain shameless person acts with particular righteousness.
…
Severo Laris called Salvino when he returned to Villa Moon Lake Road.
“Check on someone for me.”
After hanging up the phone, Severo Laris opened the album on his phone and glanced at the new photos taken today at the bridal store.
She looked good in her wedding dress, really good.
Severo Laris took that photo and clicked on the collection.
…
Late in the evening, Severo Laris received an email from Salvino.
The email contained information about Albarran Bail.
“Albarran Bail, thirty-two years old, a psychology graduate from Harvard University …”
Severo Laris’ eyes scanned the information and discovered that Albarran Bail was his former student and had graduated at the same level as him.
Severo Laris remembered someone and quickly contacted him.
“Hello, this is Severo Laris.”
“Old Lin, why are you calling me all of a sudden, are you in America or at home?”
Severo Laris said, “I’m in the field and I need you to ask for someone for me.”
“Who is it?” Fang He asked.
Fang He, a former student of Severo Laris, is one level above Severo Laris and is considered the half-master of Severo Laris, who also graduated in psychology from Harvard University.
Fang He runs a very large counseling office in New York, which is quite well known in both foreign and Chinese circles.
“Albarran Bail from your department, but in my year.”
Fang He laughed, “It’s a small world, Albarran Bail is my big sister, there were not many Chinese at Harvard, we had a Chinese circle at that time, so we knew all nationalities in school, as we often joined for parties. But what do you want with Albarran Bail?”
Severo Laris said quietly, “I went back to my country and met the person in my obsession, and she, most likely, had counseling at Albarran Bail. ”
Fang He suddenly became serious, “So, are you trying to find out your ex-girlfriend’s medical history from Albarran Bail?”
“Yes.” said Severo Laris bluntly.
Fang He hesitated for a moment and said, “Severo, in our line of work, as you know, we have ethical rules and restrictions, a qualified psychiatrist is not allowed to disclose a patient’s consultation record and condition to outsiders.”
“I know. But it is very important to me, so please help me.”
Fang He froze, “It’s the first time I’ve heard you pleading like this. It seems that ex-girlfriend of yours is really your kidnapping.”
Severo Laris’ eyes deepened as he looked at the moon from floor to ceiling and said, “Yes, I give up the treatment, I’d rather stay with the obsession.”
Fang He sighed, “You are the first patient I have neither cured nor treated worse. On the other hand, you are still my friend. I’m too much of a failure myself.”
“It’s not because of you, it’s because of me, for not wanting to.”
Fang He had no choice and said, “Tell you what, I’ll send you Albarran Bail’s contact information. You tell him you are my friend and he will accept you.”
“Thanks.”
Fang He burst out laughing, “Saying thank you is an understatement. Come back and pour more money into my practice.”
Severo Laris was delighted to do so.
…
In the middle of the night, Severo Laris, sleepless, contacted Albarran Bail.
After a few words and getting to know each other, Severo Laris offered to meet Albarran Bail.
Albarran Bail said, “Miss Severo, you are a friend of Fang He and I respect you, but is it too much of a stretch for you to try to get something out of me that is against the doctor’s rules?”
“I know I’m imposing, but I have to. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay, now that I know the hospital you are in, I can be the biggest shareholder of that hospital. I think, as a shareholder, I have a good enough reason to go through the attendance records.”
Albarran bail: “…”
What a geek this Severo Laris is.
He comes on strong and, well, he’s a must.