“If you have no relationship with Cameron, then why did he hit Patrick?”
Her face contorted with anger, “The entire company already knows! Patrick was confessing his feelings and sending flowers downstairs, and Cameron went and hit him! If you have no affair with Cameron, why would he do that? Do you take me for a fool?”
“Laura, you stole my husband, destroyed my family… you’ll get what you deserve!”
“Mrs. Lynch!” I looked her straight in the eye.
Others were now casting curious glances and whispering among themselves.
I felt resentment, shame, and injustice. I suppressed the trembling of my body and, with a calm voice that could be heard throughout the café, I told her, “Mrs. Lynch, you’ve misunderstood. Regardless, I reiterate, I have no relationship with Cameron!”
“But I would like Mrs. Lynch to manage your husband better, so he won’t act so impulsively. Patrick is our friend for many years. Patrick may let it go this time, but he may not be so lucky next time. Also… Mrs. Lynch, could you please tell your husband to stay away from me? Yes, I am The Lynch Family’s foster daughter, and we spent more than a decade together. But now we’ve all grown up, we have our own lives, and his unreasonable behavior is inappropriate!”
I took a deep breath and continued, “Furthermore, Mrs. Lynch, at most, I only have sibling affection for your husband. Technically, I should address you as my sister-in-law.”
Queenie glared at me.
“Sister-in-law,” I chuckled lightly, “Managing a husband is indeed a skill. I know Cameron is a decent man, good-looking and wealthy. Many women outside have their eyes on him. Even if he can resist temptation, those women will still try to get close to him!”
“So, whether you can keep your husband’s heart depends on your own abilities! Don’t you often hang out with those high-society ladies, shopping, and pampering yourselves? Haven’t you learned from them how to keep your husband’s heart?”
“Laura, you…”
“Mrs. Lynch, I have work to do and don’t have time to chat with you.” I stood up, looking at her coldly. “I think things should be clear by now. Goodbye.”
“Stop!”
Queenie called out to me. She circled around to face me, still wearing a contemptuous expression but with a hint of surprise.
“I didn’t expect that three years abroad would train you to be so eloquent!” she said sarcastically. “You’re indeed not the same Laura as before! The Laura who used to be beaten up by me and needed Cameron to intervene… Now you can fight back on your own, and every word is articulate!”
“Thank you for the compliment.” I looked at her, my fists clenched at my sides. “It’s all thanks to you.”
“Laura,” she straightened up, “I don’t believe a word of what you just said!”
“I’ve always known that Cameron likes you. Even when he’s sleeping with me, he calls out your name!”
“Mrs. Lynch…”
“But I also know that he only sees you as a plaything!”
Queenie looked triumphant. “He told me that you’re just a plaything!” She stared at me, “But even if you’re just a plaything, I won’t let you stay by his side!”
It felt like my heart shattered, and I couldn’t catch my breath.
“So Laura,” she continued, “No matter what he’s said to you, don’t take it seriously, and don’t think you can use it as leverage to ruin my marriage! Let me tell you, in these three years, Cameron and I have argued countless times, and divorce has been brought up countless times. But what’s the result? We’re still married!”
“We won’t divorce easily, so give up!” She smiled.
“I never intended to ruin your marriage,” My hands trembling, I took a deep breath and said to her, “Because I could never be with Cameron in the first place.”
“I have a boyfriend, his name is Patrick. I love him very much, and he treats me well.” I looked into Queenie’s eyes. “But I don’t understand why Cameron always meddles! Queenie, please tell Cameron to stay away from me and my boyfriend!”
“By the way,” I smiled, “Patrick and I are planning to get married in the future. Maybe I’ll go back to Canada with him soon to meet his parents… I’ll be very happy with him!”
Queenie looked at me, her expression shocked.
“I’ve said what I needed to say. Can I go now?”
She paused for a moment, then didn’t stop me.
I ran as far as I could in one breath, all the way to the rooftop of the company. The cold wind blew, causing my head to ache, but it also made me incredibly clear-headed.
I crouched down, tears finally streaming down my face.
I called Patrick. He was off duty today, just waking up. His voice was lazy and surprised. “Laura? What’s wrong?”
“I want to see you.”
“What happened?”
“I just want to see you, now!” I kept crying. “Right now! I want to see you!”
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then his gentle and steady voice came, “Where are you? I’ll come right away.”
Patrick picked me up and took me to his apartment.
It was my first time visiting there. It’s just a two-bedroom flat, provided by the police department.
There was a bit of mess in the room. Just before I entered, he hurriedly stopped me, asking me to wait at the door for a moment, then rushed inside. Not long after, he came out, awkwardly smiling at me.
I saw him roughly tidy up both the living room and the bedroom, but the shirts and socks were haphazardly stuffed under the cushions.
I smiled and grabbed a basin from the bathroom, gathering up his dirty clothes.
“Hey, Laura!” He blushed, looking like a little boy who had done something wrong, standing in front of me. “Those… don’t touch them!”
“I’ll help you wash them.”
“Put them down, I’ll do it myself!”
“Patrick Murphy!” I raised my voice, looking at him. He looked at me with a hint of surprise.
It was the first time I had called him by his full name, instead of just Patrick.
He looked so cute in his stunned state.
I burst into laughter and took the basin to wash the clothes. He stood behind me, wanting to say something but looking embarrassed. He tried to stop me several times, but I just glared back at him.
“This…” He scratched his head hard, squeezing out a few words, “This is embarrassing…”
“When we’re together in the future, I’ll wash your clothes and cook for you every day. Let’s see if you’ll still feel embarrassed then!”
“Oh.” He nodded, then raised his head, “What did you say?”
He looked at me with an expression of disbelief, a mixture of shock and delight. Gradually, his eyes moistened, and he laughed like a fool.
He hugged me tightly, looking into my eyes. “Laura… Laura, say it again! What did you just say?”
I took a deep breath, looking at him, feeling infinitely moved.
“I said…” I reached up and touched his face, “I said I want to marry you. Will you marry me?”
“You…”
“What’s wrong, you’re not willing?”
He opened his mouth for a long time, laughed foolishly for a long time, but couldn’t say a complete sentence.
Finally, I leaned gently into his arms.
The steady and strong beating of his heart gave me a sense of security.
“Laura…”
“Yeah?”
He smiled and gently stroked my hair. “I, I can’t quite believe it.”
“What are you thinking? Can you tell me the truth?” He looked at me. “A few days ago, you didn’t agree, saying it was too early. How did you suddenly…”
I lowered my eyes, deliberately avoiding his gaze. His eyes were clear and pure, and I felt like I wasn’t worthy of him.
Actually, even I couldn’t believe that I had decided to marry him in such a short time. I just knew that I wanted to escape from all this, to a place without Cameron.
I wanted to run away with Patrick before Cameron exposed that intimate video.
“It’s nothing,” I said softly, “I thought about it and felt that I’m at the right age to get married.”
“Did something happen?”
“No.” I shook my head, wrapping my arms around his waist. “If I have to find a reason, it’s just… you’re too good, and I don’t want to miss out.”
“Patrick, I don’t know if there will ever be someone else like you in my life. The longer we wait, the more uncertain things become. I’m afraid of losing you,” I confessed.
Patrick looked at me, his smile tender. He pulled me close to him and in his low, magnetic voice, he assured me, “Laura, I’ll hold onto you tightly. We’ll always be together.”
“Okay,” I nodded, tears dampening his shirt.
I wanted to gradually erase memories of Cameron from my mind. It was a painful process, but with Patrick by my side, I knew I wouldn’t suffer for too long.
“Laura, would you like to come back to Canada with me?” he asked.