"Debbie is right. If James is determined to separate her and Carlos, he will probably threaten her with Piggy. She can't take the risk. Debbie, you must think thrice before acting. After all, James is an old fox. Not only do Wesley and Damon trust him, but Carlos is also loyal to him," said Curtis. He had seen with his own eyes how loyal Carlos was to James.
He didn't think Debbie could win against James.
"I know, Uncle Curtis. I've hired a private detective to look for the evidence of the crimes he had committed. Besides, I have to clear my name. I don't want Piggy to be laughed at because she has a notorious mother," said Debbie firmly. She was not the old Debbie anymore.
She wouldn't go soft on those who dared to hurt her and her family again.
The three of them had a nice lunch, chatting and laughing.
During the lunch, Curtis suggested, "It's not appropriate to have your friend's mom take care of Piggy all the time. How about this? Why not take her back and let her live with Jus? We have two babysitters. I believe Jus will like Piggy very much."
Colleen nodded, "That's right, Debbie. After all, Carlos is in Y City, while Piggy is in Z Country. You can't always fly between the two places, can you?"
Debbie was tempted by their offer. If Piggy was in Y City, she could have more time with her. She really missed her a lot. But…
Curtis sensed Debbie's hesitation. He pushed his glasses up his nose and assured her, "Colleen and I don't live in the Lu family's house anymore. We have our own. The Lu family rarely visits so you don't have to worry about them. As for James, Carlos and I rarely see each other and I don't have any business with James."
'That sounds great, ' Debbie thought to herself. "Aunt Colleen, don't you need to go to work?" she asked.
"I quit. I'm a housewife now. Your uncle Curtis is well paid, and he can support me and our child. We even want to have more children." Colleen turned to look at Curtis and gave him a sweet smile. She was willing to quit her job and be a housewife for her beloved husband.
Her cheeks were rosy and she was glowing with happiness. Debbie was so envious of her. 'When will Carlos get back together with me?' she asked herself in her mind. "All right. Then I'll bring Piggy back when I get the time. Uncle Curtis, Aunt Colleen, thank you so much."
"No worries. If the two babysitters are not enough, we can always hire more. After you and Carlos get back together, I'll ask him to pay double for the babysitters," Colleen said playfully.
Debbie was amused—she realized how many of her friends wanted to rip Carlos off since he was rich.
This included Ivan and Colleen.
While Colleen and Debbie were chatting happily, Curtis wondered whether he should tell Debbie about the Lu family. He opened his mouth, but decided against it. 'I might just ruin Debbie's mood. I can always tell her next time.'
After lunch, they left the private booth and walked towards the elevator. Debbie held Colleen's arm and joked, "Another friend of mine also wants Carlos' money after we get back together. Turns out Carlos doesn't know what he's in for when he gets back together with me. Boo-hoo, I kinda feel sorry for him."
"Curtis, look at your niece! Mr. Huo is so rich, yet Debbie still worries about his money. Hey, Debbie, we are your family!"
Curtis walked in the front with Justus in his arms, while the two women followed, bantering with each other.
At a corner, they met a group of people, who were also heading for the elevator.
It was Carlos, Stephanie, Damon and Adriana.
They all knew each other which made the entire situation awkward.
Debbie noticed Carlos right away—he always had a handsome face. When their eyes met, she was taken back to their encounter earlier that morning—her face reddened in response.
Carlos glanced at her blankly before looking away.
Debbie assumed that he was acting that way because Stephanie was with him.
Carlos had always been the quiet type. It wasn't unusual that he wouldn't greet Curtis. Damon, however, was angry with Curtis and Debbie. He snorted and acted as if he didn't see them. Adriana walked towards them and greeted them, "Hi, Colleen, Curtis. Debbie, when did you come back?"
Damon rolled his eyes and pulled his wife back. He reprimanded her, "Honey, you should be careful. Not everyone deserves to be friends with you."
Curtis and Colleen were left speechless.
Debbie shifted her gaze from Carlos to Adriana and gave her a warm smile. "Hi, Adriana. I just came back. Did you just have lunch?"
Adriana shook Damon's arms off and came over to Debbie again. "Yes. Were you guys eating here too?" She tickled Justus.
Curtis also shifted his gaze from Carlos and Stephanie to Adriana and said, "Yes. Where's your son?"
Adriana cast a worried look at Debbie as she thought talking about their kids would make her sad. "He's in kindergarten, and we'll pick him up in the afternoon. Debbie, Colleen, it's been so long since we last saw each other. Are you in a hurry? Would you like to have tea first?"
Colleen and Debbie exchanged glances. Then Colleen rubbed Debbie's hand and told Adriana, "Sure. I'm free this afternoon. I know a nice tea house just nearby. We can go there if you want. Debbie, are you joining us?"
Debbie had nowhere to go too, so she nodded, "Sure."
Before Damon could say something, the three women had already left.
Stephanie, whose arm was still linked through Carlos', felt a bit isolated and embarrassed. She felt like an outsider.
An awkward silence rung in the air when Curtis took a few steps towards Carlos and offered, "Carlos, Damon, do you have anywhere you need to be? We can go to the Orchid Private Club if you like."
Damon shifted his glance to Debbie's disappearing figure and complained, "She just came back and she's already stealing my wife away from me. She's still so annoying. I guess nothing's changed. Anyway, yeah, I'm free. What about you, Carlos?"
Carlos nodded and then turned to Stephanie. "I'll have the driver take you to the office."
"All right. See you tonight." Stephanie bid Carlos and the others goodbye as she headed for the elevator.
Curtis, Damon, and Carlos were now left alone. Damon looked at Justus, then turned to Curtis. "Are you sure you want to take your son to the club?"
Curtis was a bit irked, and snapped at him, "Of course not. I don't want my boy to follow bad examples. My son will be a loyal boyfriend and husband in the future, not a playboy like you. Let's go. I'll ask the babysitter to pick him up."
