"Debbie Nian!" Carlos called out her name with authority and it stopped Debbie from talking any further.
She lowered her head and her lips thinned into a grim line.
Megan picked up a steamed stuffed bun and said, "Aunt Debbie, please try this. This is my favorite bun stuffed with veggies. Uncle Carlos asked the chef to come here and cook them for me."
'Seriously? Are you not going to stop showing off his love for you? I'm sick of it!'
Trying her best to suppress her anger, Debbie replied coldly, "I'm good, thank you. I don't like buns. Why don't you give it to your Uncle Carlos?"
Aside from the fact that she was pissed, it was the truth; she was not fond of buns. Though she didn't really hate it, she would not buy a bun if it was her choice. Moreover, she had lost her appetite already.
Megan's hand came to a halt in midair as she pretended to be hurt by Debbie's words. "I… I'm sorry…I didn't know that you…" Her voice trailed off dramatically.
Debbie rolled her eyes secretly and stayed silent. Carlos, however, picked up the plate in front of Debbie and placed the bun on it. He then put the plate back and said in a curt voice, "Megan asked you to have it out of kindness. Eat!"
Unable to hold back her anger anymore, Debbie banged her chopsticks on the table. "Carlos Huo, you will do anything to please Megan Lan, won't you? If this is how it's going to be, then you don't need me as your wife. Why don't you just marry—"
"Shut up!" Carlos thundered, his face dark and gloomy. Silence befell the dining hall.
Then he stood from his seat and demanded coldly, "Follow me!"
"NO!" Debbie cast a burning glance at the girl whose eyes were red now, and brazenly walked towards the gates of the villa.
"Stop!" came the man's cold voice from behind her.
Debbie felt deeply wronged. She had worked so hard to make money to buy Carlos a gift, but now, she felt like he didn't deserve it. She turned around, looked him in the eye and said calmly, "After we've spent so much time together, I've realized that we do not belong with each other. Carlos Huo, we're done."
He was a proud man with a strong personality, and she was short-tempered as well. He was always nice and gentle to Megan, never letting her down in any circumstances. However, he had lost his temper a couple of times with Debbie. He had threatened her with her weaknesses and even left her alone in the cemetery at midnight. And just now, he had forced her to eat something that she didn't even like, all for Megan's sake.
Since he valued Megan more than his own wife, Debbie decided to give up the position to her. Tears streamed down Debbie's cheeks, but she turned around so that he wouldn't see it.
She opened the gate and rushed out of the villa.
Carlos sat back in his seat, his eyes closed. The veins on his forehead were pulsing visibly.
Megan, who was sitting opposite him, was too scared to utter a single word. She had never seen Carlos lose his temper before.
After several minutes of silence, Carlos calmed down and said to Megan in a flat voice, "Eat your breakfast. I'm going to work now."
"Sure. But Aunt—"
"Don't mind her!"
Megan shut her mouth immediately.
At Economics and Management School
Curtis poured a cup of tea and placed it on the table before Debbie. "What happened? You seem to be in a bad mood."
He had just run into a sad and dejected Debbie at the school gate, so he had asked her to join him in his office.
Debbie let her eyes settle on him, saying nothing.
Curtis was puzzled by her look and asked, "Did I do something to upset you?"
She shook her head and asked him, "Mr. Lu, why didn't Carlos marry Megan?"
Curtis was dumbfounded by her sudden question. After a short pause, he asked her a question in reply, "Why would Carlos want to marry Megan?"
Staring at the tea in her hands, she forced a bitter smile. "He is so nice to her. They would make a perfect couple."
Curtis suddenly remembered that his girlfriend had asked him a similar question in the past. Colleen had asked him, "Curtis, since you are so sweet to Megan, why don't you marry her?"
He shook his head at the memory and sighed, "Debbie, you've got it wrong. Yes, Carlos is indeed nice to Megan, but he treats her like his niece. Carlos, Wesley, Damon and I all treat her like a little girl. But his feelings towards you are different. Trust me, Debbie. I've never seen a girl who has dared to act so boldly in front of Carlos except you. Do you think that he is incapable of harming you? Or that he is no match for you in martial arts? I don't think so. You may not have personally seen his cruel ways, but I'm assuming that you've heard about it."
He paused, and Debbie complained, "He has done things to me! He has threatened me several times with my weaknesses."
Curtis chuckled, "You silly girl! I'm saying that he has never raised his hand on you or been cruel to you."
It was true that Carlos never harmed her physically. Nor did he do anything cruel to hurt her. But Debbie felt that what he had done was unbearable enough.
"I don't know what happened between you and Carlos today. But you really don't have to be mad at him because of Megan. To be honest, I never wanted you to get involved with Carlos from the very beginning. After all, you know, you two… well, you both are short-tempered. But I changed my mind after Megan's birthday. I saw the way he looked at you that day. His eyes were full of affections for you. There was no mistaking it. I've know him for years, but have never seen him like that before Trust me, he loves you. I don't believe that it's because you are his wife and his he is responsible for you, but because he's attracted to you."
Debbie's jaw dropped and she stared at the man in utter surprise. 'Wow. Mr. Lu is such a loyal friend. He has nothing but good things to say about Carlos.'
"Maybe you are right, but that's only when Megan is not around. When she's present, he has eyes only for her," she said with bitter smile.
Curtis shook his head. "Debbie, give him some time. He has know Meghan for more than five years now. That's not the case with you. Even though you've been married to him for three years, you two have only spent a few months together. Give him some time to understand the relationship between you and him, and his duties towards Meghan. I know Carlos well. He won't let you down."
When Debbie remained silent, he added, "Do you really think we are stupid enough to believe that Megan is a little girl who harbors no ill-will? We know that she is not as innocent as he appears, but we choose to ignore it. After all, Carlos and Wesley have a responsibility to keep her happy for the rest of her life. Of course, your happiness cannot be destroyed to keep her satisfied either. If you feel wronged, just feel free to say it out loud. And most importantly, whatever you do, Carlos and I will be there to support you."
Debbie's eyes widened. She didn't expect to hear such strong words from Curtis. She was beyond touched.
She nodded, "I finally know how you were able to become the principal of the university at such a young age. Mr. Lu, you really are a smooth-talker. I'm fully convinced."
Curtis rolled his eyes at her. "Don't make fun of me. I know that you are not a girl who is easily convinced."
With an embarrassed smile, Debbie pried. "Mr. Lu, I'm really curious as to why you are always so nice to me. What's the reason for it?" She felt that Curtis treated her as his own family.
Instead of answering her question, he said in a soft voice, "Go back home and make peace with the Carlos. He has done so much for you. And because of him, you are much more girlish now than when you were with Hayden Gu. Your only problem is that you are bad-tempered. You would be perfect once you learn to control your anger."
Debbie frown at him. 'He avoided my question and even mentioned Hayden Gu. How did he know him?" she thought.
