Angelina took the glass out of Ariana’s hand anxiously, and said:
-You can’t think like that. It’s your body. If you don’t want to donate the kidney, don’t do it. If they dare to force you again, call the police. Albina and I will help you. You are not alone, you will never be the lonely and helpless girl you were before. You have us now. They won’t dare force you anymore,” she began to sob as she spoke. So many people love you. Don’t ever say you want to harm your body again. That makes us sad.
Ariana stared at her dazedly, thinking of Albina, Macos, Santiago and her greedy parents. She felt all the injustices she had suffered. But she didn’t want to cry for fear that the others would mock her. So she put her forehead against Angelina’s shoulder, and began to sob.
In Angelina’s heart many pities arose, she leaned her shoulders and patted her.
-Oh, cry. You’ll feel better after crying. From tomorrow, forget about that woman.
While crying, she nodded her head.
After a very short time, Angelina’s shoulders were wet. Hot tears seemed to drip into her heart, which also made her sad.
After crying, Ariana’s eyes were a little red and puffy, but her mood was much improved and she did not continue drinking.
She looked at her watch, and said:
-It’s already getting late. If we take any longer, your family will be worried about you.
Nothing would happen to her, because she lived alone. No one would worry if she came home late. But Angelina’s case was different. Her parents loved her very much, they were afraid that Jaime would hurt her, for that reason they had made her stay at home for so many days.
Angelina nodded her head obediently and said:
-Okay, let’s go home.
She no longer dared to leave her drinking. If she really stayed drunk, she didn’t know if she would be able to send her back safely alone.
The two walked out of the bar and stood at the door to catch a cab. Now the weather was getting cooler and cooler and there was a nice breeze in the evenings.
After getting some fresh air and feeling the breeze, Ariana’s drunkenness dissipated greatly, and she sobered up.
A cab came, she stopped it, handed it over to Angelina so she could go home first.
Angelina said with concern:
-Get in too. I’ll walk you home first, then I’ll come back.
She was very worried because Ariana had drunk a lot of alcohol.
Hearing her words, Ariana shook her head, her expression was sober, and said:
-Don’t worry. I have recovered a lot now. Besides, we live on two opposite sides. If you do that, you will lose a lot of time. Go first, then I’ll call another cab. If you can’t stay calm, when I get into the cab, I’ll send you the plate number.
Seeing that his mind was clear and his words made sense, Angelina was relieved.
She watched the cab drive away, Ariana stood there for a long time before trying to hail a cab.
After getting into the cab, according to her promise, Angelina was sent the plate number, she leaned against the back of the chair, thinking about what she had weighed today and her mother’s face.
Her decision remained the same, she would never donate her kidney to her damn brother, no matter how her mother forced her, even if she knelt in front of her.
She had been forced by her mother once before, at that time, she had sworn that she would never allow her mother to coerce her anymore.
-Miss, we’re here.
After a long while, the driver’s voice brought her out of her thoughts.
She looked out the window, realized that they had arrived near her community.
She paid and got out of the car, she didn’t know why her cheeks were a little hot now and the drunkenness returned.
But he didn’t care, he was close to home anyway.
It was her own house, for which she had spent all her savings, it was also her safe haven. No one had the power to throw her out on the street, and no one could threaten her. She no longer needed to put up with the bad attitudes of others.
Her steps were unsteady and she was in a daze.
The building she lived in was far from the entrance to the community and she had to walk through a small garden.
It was getting late and there were no people in the garden. Normally, many people gathered here. An aroma of the fragrance of flowers came from nowhere on the night wind, and she felt her intoxication deepening.
Her steps were mechanically walking home according to custom.
As she was about to enter the building, a person appeared and took her by the arm, and the two of them went straight to the utility room at the entrance of the corridor.
She was frightened by this, her drunkenness disappeared, her forehead was covered with cold sweat.
She desperately tried to escape, suddenly, she smelled a refreshing breath. And the man who embraced her comforted her with a familiar voice.
-Ariana, don’t move. Someone is following you.
It was Macos’ voice.
Immediately she relaxed, a layer of cold sweat broke out on her back, her legs became a little weak and she collapsed limply.
While protecting her head with one hand, Macos wrapped his other hand around her slender waist, almost had Ariana’s whole body on him and hugged her tightly.
This was the first time the two of them had stood so close, except for that one time so long ago.
He could smell the faint scent of her body, like an orchid, mixed with the soft smell of wine, because she had been drinking. This aroma made him feel smoky.
Smelling this aroma, Macos seemed to be drunk, his cheeks turned red.
After being held by him, Ariana’s body was very close to the man’s body. At first she felt nothing, but after realizing what was happening, her expression was a little strange.
The two of them were too close, as it was summer, they were wearing simple cloth clothes. Hers was a linen skirt, and Macos’ was a T-shirt and beige pants. They were of simple fabric.
They were so close together that it was as if there was no clothing barrier, and it was like being in direct contact with each other’s skin. An ambiguity arose between the two.
Macos should have taken a shower, the smell of his body was very refreshing. Her hair was a little wet, her breathing was a little ragged, and she was inexplicably sensual in this confined space.
She moved, trying to step back, but he hugged her again and the two of them stood even closer.
-Ariana, don’t move, they’re not gone.
Indeed, then she heard the voices of two men looking on the other side of the wall.
-Did that woman go upstairs? How is it possible for her to walk so fast? She disappeared in the blink of an eye. Which floor did she go to?
-I don’t know. -That’s weird. Maybe we were wrong. Maybe there was never a woman?
-What horror you say? -You think we’ve seen a ghost? If one is wrong, maybe it’s possible, but there are two of us!
Then the two said a few more words, and after confirming that they could not find Ariana, they left the building.
She poked her head out and looked outside.
The two men were dressed in baggy clothes, when they walked, they looked like two tramps, they didn’t look like dignified people.
She saw that they were finally gone, she breathed a sigh of relief and was about to give her thanks to Macos, suddenly, she frowned and looked at him in surprise.
It seemed that, I mean, she felt that Macos had….
She looked down and her gaze stopped at the part of their bodies that were glued together, in an instant, her cheeks turned red.
He noticed it too, jumped her hastily and turned his back to her.
-I’m sorry…
-Don’t worry, I can understand -her cheeks were super red, she lowered her head and mumbled.
She had vaguely heard before that the male body and the female body were different, it was very easy for this to happen to men.
Macos was a man of good health, and he was in his prime, it should be a normal reaction.
She consoled herself and the heat in his face went way down.
He tried to adjust himself so she wouldn’t notice him. Then he turned around and looked at her uncomfortably.
-Why were you back so late today? Did you drink alcohol?
-Yes.
As he answered her, Ariana came out of the utility room and walked toward the elevator.
He followed behind her, sensing that she was a little depressed.
When the two of them reached the door and were about to say goodbye to go back to their own house, Macos suddenly said:
-You have been working very hard lately. I saw that many of your paintings have been put up for sale. Are you short of money now?
I wanted to pursue her and had done a lot of research on her.
I knew she had a very good reputation in her circle, but she hadn’t sold many paintings. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to buy them, but she didn’t want to sell them.
However, what was happening lately was very strange.