Before Megan could respond, Colleen said, "What aunt? We're not married yet."
Curtis walked over to stand at her side and smiled, "Do you think you can get rid of me? You're stuck with me, woman."
Colleen blushed and made a face at him. "I need to borrow Debbie for a minute. You guys go ahead." Then she took Debbie's hand and led her away to the door.
After they walked out of the ward, Colleen looked at Debbie and said worriedly, "About Carlos saving Megan, don't overthink."
"Okay," Debbie responded. but she found Colleen strange.
When they moved to the safe passage, Colleen stopped walking and reminded her, "Debbie, you don't have to get angry with Carlos because of Megan. That will save you unnecessary stress."
"Colleen, what are you trying to tell me? I don't understand."
Colleen laughed and said, "Right. I was so anxious I forgot that you had only seen Megan a few times."
Then she lowered her voice and said to Debbie, "I don't know what that girl is up to. You know what? Wesley's girlfriend, well, sort of girlfriend, got engaged to someone else, mostly because of her."
Debbie was shocked by the news. She knew Colleen was talking about Megan.
"Afterwards, Curtis and I argued a couple of times too. All because of her.
I don't mean to talk about her behind her back, but she's too manipulative. You never know what she is thinking. Anyway, be careful. Don't get into disagreements with Carlos over her. Otherwise, you will only give her what she wants. Okay?"
Finally, Debbie understood what she meant. "If she is so awful, why can't the four of them see it?" It struck her as odd that a whole four men still doted on Megan, even with full knowledge of her manipulation. Were they blind?
"They are men. Only women can see through other women's deep buried dark thoughts. In their eyes, Megan is an innocent, adorable girl. An angel. They never think badly of her. Nor do they believe that she will stir up things among us," said Colleen, shrugging with resignation.
If what she said was true, then Megan was really a horrible person. "I wonder what she is up to," Debbie said honestly.
"Who knows? Sometimes she acts as if she likes Wesley, but she also keeps a technical distance from him. Sometimes it looks that she is into Carlos, but she never takes much initiative. But Damon and Curtis are almost old enough to be her father. She is unlikely to set her mind on them."
Debbie felt tired. Tired of trying to figure out what was on Megan's mind.
"Now is not a convenient time to talk. I will invite you to tea some other time. Think about what I just told you. Don't say a word to those four. Or else, they will think that we are scheming against their innocent, adorable little Megan," Colleen cautioned. Her last remark was full of irony.
"Ah, it feels great to finally get these words out of my chest. I have been dying to talk to someone, but there was no one. And now I can talk to you. Debbie, women know women the best. Between you, me, and Megan, you are the most innocent, adorable soul. I'd fancy having you for a friend, just to enjoy your polite company over a cup of tea, or even on a shopping spree."
Debbie was surprised by Colleen's comments. 'I'm innocent? And adorable?' "Colleen, you can't be more wrong. Anybody can be innocent but me."
"Okay, let's go back. And one more thing, you're really special to Carlos. Cherish what you have," said a visibly amused Colleen, to Debbie's surprise. When she first met her, Colleen was such an elegant socialite diva; Debbie's memory flashed back to how the girl had dazzled at Megan's birthday party—a hot cougar on the dance floor, Colleen was quite a name. But today, she was so approachable and witty. 'This girl has a whole mix of different graces, ' Debbie thought.
'What next surprise will I discover about her next time?' Debbie's mind ran on.
Gently, she shook her head and smiled.
When the two women went back to the ward hand in hand, Megan was lying in bed, surrounded by the four gorgeous men— every woman's dream.
Seeing the two women walk back in, Curtis and Carlos came to meet them. Carlos pulled Debbie away from Colleen to himself and asked, "Where were you?"
Debbie put on a smile and answered, "We went to the bathroom."
Curtis pretended to be surprised. "You two went to the bathroom together? Since when did you become so close?"
Colleen joked, "Debbie and I really hit off. We may wear the same pair of pants some day."
Whether what Colleen had said about Megan was true or not, Debbie felt comfortable around her, so she echoed, "Right. I'll try to lose weight from now on to fit Colleen's pants, if it comes to that."
Despite knowing they were just joking, Carlos still felt unhappy about what they had said. "My wife will never wear somebody else's pants."
Feigning a sulky look, he put his hand on Debbie's waist and pinched her. 'Lose weight? You should put on some weight, ' he thought to himself.
Amused at the serious face he was making, Colleen giggled and said to Debbie, "In Carlos you have a model husband. Someone worth keeping by any means."
"Really? I don't see it," said Debbie to Colleen, rolling her eyes at Carlos, whose hand was still sliding back and forth on her waist.
"I think you know it. You're just too embarrassed to admit it. The way you're blushing betrays you," Colleen retorted as she leaned into Curtis' arms, laughing.
Pretending to be angry, Debbie stared at Colleen and then said to Curtis, "Mr. Lu, keep your woman in line."
"No problem," Curtis promised crisply.
Debbie gave Colleen a cocky smile.
At this point, Damon put in curtly, "Can you two couples get lost as soon as possible? Why can't you just keep your lovey-dovey down a notch in front of the single?"
"Why don't you just bring Adriana back and floss on us with the sweetness between you two?" Carlos retorted.
That line didn't go down well with Damon. If anything, it cut him deep at heart like a knife. Although he didn't say a word, his face darkened.
Seeing the brooding look on Damon's face, Debbie felt bad. She tugged at Carlos' sleeve. Carlos knew what she meant. He looked at her with a frown. 'Is she feeling bad for Damon?' he thought unhappily, a little jealous.
Assured that Megan was fine, Carlos and Curtis left the ward with their women.
After their cars drove out of the hospital, they went in different directions.
In the next two days, Carlos didn't go to the company. He worked at home. Debbie had offered to take care of him at home, but he sent her to school. As he had demanded, Debbie didn't skip a single class.
On the third day, Debbie and Kasie waited on the playground for Jared and Dixon to come to the classroom with them. A few minutes passed, but the boys didn't show up. To kill time, the girls chatted as they were waiting.
Then all of a sudden, Debbie spotted two familiar figures in front of the office building. 'Is that Carlos? Isn't he supposed to be resting at home? Is he fit enough to teach already?' she wondered.
"Debbie, what are you looking at?" someone asked in a soft voice.
