Trapped with a Doctor

Once Arvin's Porsche had receded completely from view, Stanley patted Gage on the shoulder and said, "I'm afraid you get used to it. It's just the way he is. Let's go!"

They locked their arms around each other's shoulders, and divided up. Only Derrick lingered, looking on at Nita who stood motionless. "Nita, you should have... noticed his indifference a long time ago."

Nita simply shook her head. She touched her forehead with one hand and said, "Derrick, I thought...I don't know...if Rosa was gone for good, Arvin would choose me..." But a thought flashed through her mind. 'Even if Rosa doesn't return, he still doesn't love me! He's in love with someone else!'

Looking at her sad face, Derrick felt a little pain. "Nita, he only loves Rosa. Even if there are a lot of women around him, they are just passersby."

"Maybe I'm also a passers-by for him... but I don't want to be a passer-by! Derrick, what should I do?" Nita looked at Derrick with a deep and unrelenting sadness.

Derrick was almost thirty years old. He looked more mature than others. He was the president of a transnational group and therefore, shouldered more responsibilities and pressures.

He hesitated and told her, "Love him... and don't give up."

It may have been well-concealed, and he had taken pains to guard it so, but actually, Derrick loved Nita. He wanted to help her seize her dreams. So, could he do but demand she not give up, as he hadn't. He had loved her for about ten years. He still thought about her, never giving in to defeat...

" Nita! Derrick!" A sweet voice came to their ears.

Nita took a deep breath, turned over and smiled when she heard the voice. "Lulu, what are you doing here?"

Lulu took Nita's arms intimately, and announced, "I just went to the washroom! And when I came out, nobody was there? Why was the birthday party over when I came back?"

Nita and Derrick glanced at each other and they didn't know how to answer the question. Lulu's innocence was too great to handle. Finally, Derrick explained to her, "You know your brother doesn't like party."

Lulu's head made an ineffably comical movement that conveyed how intangible such a statement was to her. But when she found Nita's pale face, she asked her aloud, "Nita, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing..." Nita didn't want to give herself away to Lulu.

"The reason your brother left the party, " said Derrick seriously, "was because of another woman! "

"A woman?" Lulu was surprised. Since Rosa disappeared, she haven't heard any rumors about Arvin!

one girl! Last time, when she went to the hospital, she met a girl who

finally found that he had crossed a line he shouldn't have. Derrick made an impromptu excuse to leave, and slinked away as fast as he could.

Lulu. Lulu waved

nodded to them, and

said, "Lulu, the woman who

wasn't a cockroach on the planet that feared her kitten-soft hands! Nita knew this about her. So, to Nita, it only made sense to try to take advantage of their good relationship. She wished to keep her close so she could gain

Shengfeng Mansion

of well-cooked noodles on the place mat, basking in the hot steam. She was afraid that the noodles might get cold so she covered it

However, she only cooked one bowl

them up, I'll

but Arvin didn't show up. She looked at the box in her

got a call. "Nancy, " she

"Angela, how about the birthday party for

bewilderment. Arvin's birthday party? She looked at the quiet apartment.

photo of the birthday party! But I didn't find you there. So, I said I'd call you

like a loss of something vitally important and

there was no party! So, he had lied to her after

so quiet? Is

bitterly, "Nancy, send

had, because at least if she had handed it over before this, it would have

her head. Arvin haven't come back. There would be no

friend, Nita was there too. She looked beautiful. I would have helped you select one beautiful dress if I knew you were in the birthday

"Don't forget to send me the photo!" she said distantly.

have fun! I can tell you're a bit spaced, so

disappointment. She was thinking of everything and

bit her nails and paced around the living room apprehensively. Should she stay or leave? Either way she was resigned to a knotted stomach. It was ceaseless. Later, she

All her avenues were closing. She felt cast adrift from the world and its excitement. A minute later, amidst a swarm of humiliating thoughts, Angela's phone buzzed. It was Nancy again, who sent the photo to her

made out. Angela's eyes scanned around and landed on Arvin, his handsome face among the others. Oh, how he wished she could lump his face in with the mashed effect of the blurry ugliness, that it might