Since they broke up, Gail didn't pretend to be sweet and refined anymore in front of Victor. So she readily took him on in a shouting match.
In a few minutes of the altercation, Victor's words got filthier. He was going to hit Gail. Debbie couldn't watch anymore.
She drove the car forward and stopped beside the two fighting people. The brand-new Cayman drew Gail's attention immediately. When she saw Debbie getting out of the car from the driver's seat, she asked with widened eyes, "Debbie, whose car is this?"
It sounded as if Debbie had stolen the car. Standing by the open door, Debbie ignored her and looked at Victor. The one-time vice general manager of the Shining International Plaza now looked every inch a lazy slob. His hair looked like a roughly built bird nest, his clothes wrinkled. From the length of his stubble, he must haven't shaven for two or three days.
Upon seeing Debbie, Victor found another outlet for his frustration and anger. He stalked towards the Porsche Cayman and demanded, "Hey, you! I've been looking for you for days on end. You got me canned, so you must compensate me for my loss!"
Debbie rolled her eyes. "How is your losing the job our fault?"
"If Gail and you hadn't fought the other day, she wouldn't have called me. If she hadn't called me, I wouldn't have gotten involved and thus fired." As a result of that incident, Victor was fired that evening, and Gail broke up with him within two weeks.
As soon as he finished his words, Victor kicked Debbie's car furiously, leaving a big footprint impressed on the red Cayman.
'Son of a bitch!' Debbie cursed inwardly. 'The car cost my husband a pretty penny, you idiot!' The sight of that ugly footprint gripped Debbie's heart so forcefully, you'd think she was going to have a heart attack.
Gail grabbed Victor's arm and spat, "Hey, idiot! This car has premium equipment. It's worth nearly two million. If you damage it, do you think you can even afford the fee for repairs with your jobless ass right now?"
Of course Victor was aware that the car was pricey. He loosened his tie carelessly. "It's just a car. Of course I can afford the fee."
Debbie limbered up a little by wriggling her wrists, seeing which, Victor already regretted what he had done. He was scared, but it was too late. Debbie already came to him and clutched his collar.
Memories of the last time when she had beaten him to a pulp flashed before his eyes. He started shouting shrilly, "What are you doing? I'm warning you— Ahhh—"
Debbie hauled him to the car, held his head, pressed his ugly face against the footprint, and rubbed it back and forth until the mark was gone.
Gail, who had been watching the whole time, was stunned. For the millionth time, she felt lucky that she was Debbie's cousin and had never been treated so roughly.
When the footprint disappeared, Debbie looked at her car. Seeing no sign of damage, she pulled Victor up and thrust him to the ground.
Sent sprawling out on his stomach, Victor lay there in a crushed heap for a moment. He groaned painfully, rolled, and struggled to stand up. "If you dare touch my car again, I'll beat the living daylights out of you!" Debbie threatened, holding her fist up high.
Victor was so afraid that he ignored his hurting face and started to run before he could even stand straight.
In the Mu family's house, Lucinda was watching TV in the living room. She walked to the door as soon as she saw Debbie walk in with Gail. "Debbie, I wasn't expecting you to come today." Debbie changed into slippers and walked into the living room.
"Aunt, I'm going to New York tomorrow, so I came to say goodbye. Is Uncle Sebastian home?"
"He's still at work. Why are you going to New York suddenly?" Lucinda asked a housemaid to serve some fresh fruit.
Hardly had Debbie sat down on the sofa when Sasha, in pajamas, came down the stairs excitedly. "Debbie, you're here! I heard your voice."
In ecstasy, she ran into Debbie's arms so forcefully that they both slumped into the couch. "Debbie, I missed you so much. Did you come here alone? Where is my cousin-in-law?" Sasha asked after giving Debbie a peck on the cheek.
Expecting Carlos would be there too, she looked towards the door after breaking from Debbie's embrace.
Recovering from the surprise, Debbie got up from the sofa and straightened her clothes. "Stop looking. He didn't come. He has work to do."
Sasha pouted her lips in disappointment. "Fine. It's normal for Mr. Huo to be busy. Even Dad comes home late from work, not to mention Mr. Huo."
Gail, crunching on her snacks, suddenly stopped. She looked at Sasha in surprise. "What did you just say? Who?"
Sasha blinked her eyes in confusion. "Mr. Huo. Gail, don't you know? Debbie married Carlos Huo."
'Debbie married Carlos Huo?!' Gail had suspected that, but every time she dismissed those thoughts as far-fetched.
Even though now she was hearing it, she still felt it was surreal. 'How is it possible for Mr. Huo to marry someone like Debbie?'
"Sasha, your head must be muddled from sleep. Go back to sleep and don't come down until your head is clear!" Gail snapped.
'Debbie married Carlos Huo?' was the only thing lingering in her mind. 'Debbie married Carlos Huo?' The question lingered on.
Her breathing became hard, her words slower, as if a lump had stuck in her chest.
Memories flashed through her mind. Over and over, Debbie had shouted, "Carlos, I love you!" in the grove, but she wasn't punished at all. Instead, Gail was the one that had gotten expelled.
When Debbie told her that she was married, Gail had never taken it seriously. Actually, she had never believed a single thing that Debbie said.
She remembered that when she said that she would marry to a better man than Debbie would, Debbie had retorted "No need for that, because you already lost."
It also occurred to Gail the day when they came back from Southon Village, Carlos had sat with Debbie the whole time. Now everything made sense!
Every one of her questions was answered.
"Aargh! " Gail suddenly screamed so loud her voice startled the other three women in the villa.
Debbie looked at Gail, astonished, but Gail screamed at her again. "Debbie Nian, why did you get to marry Carlos Huo?! Why? Aargh! That relationship must fail!"
'Gail must be crazy!' Debbie thought.
Lucinda knew that Gail was acting unreasonably because she couldn't take the news well. She felt physically and mentally exhausted. Even she herself didn't know how Gail had turned out to be like that.
Sitting on the sofa listlessly with red eyes, Gail mumbled to Debbie, "When we were little, Grandpa often bought you princess dresses. When you wore your pretty little dress and ignored me with other kids, I swore I would marry better and be happier than you when we grew up."
Gail's maternal grandpa, that was, Debbie's paternal grandpa, had spoiled Debbie when he was alive. He was always buying new clothes for her.
On the other hand, Gail's paternal grandpa was biased in favor of her male cousins and treated her indifferently. Therefore, every time she saw her maternal grandpa spoil Debbie, she felt jealous.
