It was the 22nd day of Dorothy’s disappearance and the night was darker than the depths of the ocean.
The man behind the desk was silent as he read the pile of urgent documents.
However, after reading it for a while, he started to smoke in irritation again.
He could not understand why his feelings of guilt and longing for her had increased more and more every day, despite only regaining a little of his missing memories.
When it was daytime, he had an incredible amount of affairs to deal with in the company, and he got so busy that he could not think of anything else for the time being.
However, at the dead of night, when it was deathly silent, he missed her so much that he could not sleep at all. Thus, he kept on tossing and turning on his bed.
If only he had given her more trust, then they would have never ended up in such a situation.
She was most probably dead, and he felt a strong sense of regret and pain. He could not climb out of this.
If only she were still alive.
If she was still alive, he would walk over to her happily, as if he had regained something he had lost. He would kiss her gently and tell her he had never hated her.
He would tell her that during the time of her disappearance, he had missed her so much that he could not sleep well every night.
He would tell her he had most probably fallen in love with her. He liked her stubbornness and her persistence. He would tell her how he liked her for still having feelings for him for so many years.
He would tell her that if she felt tired and mop longer wanted to like him anymore, then it would be his turn to continue fighting for their relationship.
He thought, “Dorothy, I’ve searched through all of Talco City, but I couldn’t find you anywhere. Where on earth are you?”
“I know I am wrong.”
“Stop being naughty. Stop punishing me, okay?”
Credence’s pale face was gradually engulfed by the white smoke emitting out from his thin lips. Reddish threads could be seen around his dark pupils.
Jonathan pushed the door open and entered, Marvin coming in after him. When they saw the haggard and thin man under the crystal chandelier, Jonathan was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out of his sockets.
“Credence, I haven’t seen you in a few days. Why do you suddenly look so lifeless?”
Marvin and Jonathan solemnly looked at each other. Ever since Dorothy had disappeared, Credence’s behavior had become extremely strange. Although there seemed to be no difference on the surface, on the inside, he was like a soulless zombie. From time to time, he would blame himself and feel guilty, just like a trapped animal in a cage who could not find a way out, left alone to suffer.
Anyone who saw the haggard look on his face would feel an immense fear in their hearts.
Before this, he would never think of her. Now, he was constantly thinking of her, yet still in pain.
That was Credence’s current situation.
Marvin did not know why that thought suddenly popped into his mind, but he reckoned it suited Credence’s feelings well at the moment.
He walked over and realized that Credence’s cigarette box was empty. He took out a box of cigarettes that had never been opened before and slowly handed it over to him, saying, “Credence, Jonathan and I have booked a private room for you. We know that you’re sad, and although we can’t help you with anything right now, we can still get drunk with you.”
When Jonathan heard that they could have a drink, he felt overjoyed. He shouted from the top of his lungs, “Yes, that’s right. How else should you release your worries? Credence, stop acting so lifeless. I feel distressed seeing you like this.”
“What if Dorothy suddenly comes back after we get drunk?”
“I mean, think about it. She loves you so much, so how could she bear to see you in such a sad state?”
The cold man who was leaning against the black executive chair had an icy expression on his face. Credence looked up, his face was filled with sarcasm as he retorted, “I have slept for so many nights, but she has never entered my dreams at all. I must have thoroughly hurt her heart, so how could she ever come back?”
As soon as he said that, tears rolled down his bright eyes.
At that moment, even Marvin, the iron-boned man, almost shed tears. Jonathan was no better. He had long turned around and sobbed, “Marv, in the past, we’ve always felt that Dorothy was pitiful since she was always bullied by Credence. Love is such a strange thing. I might never be able to master it. No, starting from tonight, I won’t touch a single woman anymore.”
That last part of his sentence made Marvin tilt his head slightly, and green veins throbbed in his temples. He resisted the urge to beat Jonathan up.
He scolded, “F*ck off! What you do has nothing to do with love. That’s just called f*cking around.”
With Jonathan suddenly interrupting them and making a joke, he also alleviated the solemn and silent atmosphere in the office.
Credence was still expressionless, but deep down, he was moved by their friendship.
He suppressed the lingering pain in his heart, stood up and walked out. He smiled and said, “Come on, let’s go for a drink. We are going to get drunk tonight.”
…
In the private room, pictures flashed on the big screen. The music really was terrible, making people feel solemn and uncomfortable.
Jonathan shooed the woman, who was clinging herself to him, away. He was the first to speak, “What the f*ck, did someone’s family member just die? What the hell are you singing? Garbage, that’s what it is. It’s awful!”
“C’mon, change it, change it! Let’s sing a passionate song that’s as lively as fire. Let’s sing a song that will make men hard and girls soft!”
Credence had been in a bad mood for a long time. If he continued to listen to such sad songs, he might fall into depression and finally spiral into insanity.
Marvin paid no attention to Jonathan. He just looked at Credence, who was sitting lazily in the corner. He watched as Credence drank liquor one after another like it was plain water, pouring it down his throat. It was already his sixth cup. He sighed deeply, stood up from the sofa and walked straight towards him.
“Credence, don’t be too sad. Our team has searched all over Talco River, but we couldn’t find Dorothy. This means that she probably isn’t dead, but must have encountered some trouble and can’t leave for the time being. Otherwise, she would have appeared a long time ago since she cares so much about her daughter.”
Credence sat in the shadows with an obscure pain on his face. His slender fingers clenched the rim of the cup, his face filled with exhaustion. “Even if she isn’t dead, she still hasn’t appeared for 22 days. If she won’t show up to meet her daughter, that can only mean one thing…”
“She hates me. She would rather give her lovely daughter up than to let me know that she is still alive.”
Marvin was taken aback, and he frowned tightly. “Credence, she is not such a cruel woman as to give up on her daughter to punish you for your mistake.”
He asked, “Why wouldn’t she be?”
Credence raised his head and drank the sixth glass of liquor in one gulp. His lips twitched slightly and his face was gloomy and miserable. “Marvin, when a woman is hurt by her beloved man, her body will be covered with wounds and blood. No matter how much love she has for that man, it will disappear and grow into a level of hatred more intense than the love she originally had!”
At this point, Marvin had no idea what to say to comfort him. He looked down at the beautiful cocktail in his hand and fell silent.
Jonathan and his female companion were singing passionately, but the corner of this place that they were in was filled with faint melancholy.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
Credence walked past Marvin and slowly walked to the door of the private room.
Just as he opened the door, a quick gust of wind swept by him. He was quick to react and hurriedly took a step back, his expression not changing in the slightest.
A loud bang could be heard!
A shining steel rod harshly hit the red wooden door frame.