Against All Odds (I Still Love You) (Complete)

Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Chapter 1

Vicki shivered involuntarily. Sometimes it still came back to her; that terrifying nightmare, the horror which had swept through her when the doctor told her that she was paralysed. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
“Hey, sweetie.”
Immediately her muscles relaxed and she turned to see Alec, her husband. “Hi. What have you bought?” she asked, eyeing the brown paper bag he held. “You’re worse than a dog,” Alec said in mock disapproval. He noticed that her face was very pale and understood at once. “Are you still thinking about the accident?” he asked.
Vicki nodded. “And thinking of Alice.”
“Come on, Vicki, you can’t blame yourself for Alice’s death. No one wanted that accident to happen. All right – fine. You were in England, it was winter. You skidded and had a bad crash. That’s all! Alice died, you came out alive. Don’t think about it anymore. It wasn’t your fault.”
Vicki’s lips turned up into a smile. She reached and snatched the paper bag from him. “French fries!” she exclaimed with childish pleasure. “Hmm, still as immature as ever, huh?” Alec teased. Vicki pinched him and he yelped. “Ow! Women shouldn’t torture men, especially guys who take care of them.”
At once Vicki’s face darkened and he knew that he had said the wrong thing. “Look, my dear wife, I didn’t mean it in that way – don’t be mad, ok? You know that I can’t bear it when you’re angry with me.”
“Hmm, you always forget,” Vicki said, shaking her head at him. “Ok, I won’t be angry. You will have to rush back to work soon, right?”
“Yup. My lunch break will be over in about twenty minutes so I’ll have to run.”
“Oh.” Vicki looked a little disappointed, then smiled. “Take care of yourself,” she said, and Alec laughed. “M y dearest, I’ve been working in that office for years! I know exactly how to treat myself!” He pinched her cheek, then kissed her forehead. “Ok, love, I’ll have to fly now. YOU take care of yourself, you hear? I’ll tell Anna to prepare some porridge for you.”
“Ok. Don’t worry about me so much, I’ve been an invalid for three years and I know how to take care of myself, too,” Vicki said. “Bye, love.”
Alec gave her another kiss and went off, humming as he went. Vicki finished her chips and called for Anna, her faithful maid who had been working by her side for as long as she could remember. “Anna, throw this away, please. Oh – and tomorrow you may have a day off because Alec’s taking leave.” Anna nodded. “Thanks, Mrs Su dear. Do you want to take a nap now?”
“I don’t feel tired,” said Vicki, shaking her head. She studied Anna for a moment, then a bright, impish light came into her eyes. “Anna! Yesterday I met a very nice lady who has an unmarried son about your age. What do you think?”
Anna blushed. “Mrs Su dear, please stop thinking about things like that! I don’t want to leave you.”
“Oh, Anna, you’re the most loyal helper I’ve ever had, but – after all, you’re only in your early thirties. You shouldn’t be looking after me, you should be having a family of your own and some adorable kids. Oh yes – not to forget a handsome husband. You’ll be the sweetest wife ever. Consider it, will you?”
“But mistress, I really don’t want to leave you. I want to stay with you and serve you forever,” said Anna truthfully.
Vicki sighed and reached for her crutches. Anna helped her to get on them and gave her a hug. “Thank you, mistress, for having taken care of me for so long,” she said. Vicki laughed. “Anna, I should be the one thanking you. YOU have taken care of me for so long. But right now I’ve suddenly got this craving for watching the TV.” She hobbled to the other room and sat down thankfully on the sofa while Anna brought her the remote controls. “Come, Anna, sit down with me. There’s nothing to do in the house today, and I want to have a nice girl talk with you.”
Anna grinned cheerfully and sat down beside her beloved young mistress. “I’m so glad you married someone like Mr Alec, mistress. He cares about you so much.”
Vicki grinned as well. “Isn’t it nice to have someone caring about you so much? Which is why, Anna, you must get married!”
“Oh, mistress!” Anna protested in mock horror and the both of them burst out in giggles.

That night Alec gave Vicki a bath, for he allowed no one else, not even Anna, to do that. He considered it as his own particular job and he enjoyed rubbing the soap over his wife’s soft tender skin. As he washed her, Vicki talked enthusiastically about Anna and her most recent friend’s son.
“Yeah, dearest, I know you’re very interested in making Anna’s life as wonderful as yours,” Alec said, “and I know you want to find her a husband who is as good and loving as yours, but…”
“Humph! Who ever said that you were good and loving?” asked Vicki, wrinkling up her nose and pouting at him. Alec burst into laughter. “What? You mean I’m not? Ok! I’ll just leave you here in the bathtub!” he said, standing up.
“Oh – hubby, I’m so sorry. You know I didn’t mean it,” said Vicki sweetly. Alec pinched her nose as a sign of affection and dried her with a towel which had floral prints on it. “Did you tell Anna to take a day off tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then I’ll have you all to myself,” said Alec in supreme satisfaction.

Chapter 2

At five, Alec left the house and went out to buy food. When he came back he was practically bent over with all the packets. Vicki hobbled out to help him.
“Nah, I can handle!” Alec said in amusement. “Love, get yourself inside the house. Don’t bother about me.”
“What did you buy?”
“Oh, pork, chicken, vegetables, the usual thing…” Alec shrugged. “Sit down, Vic. I’ll handle it.”
Vicki gave him an anxious look and sat down on one of the armchairs. “Careful, Alec, don’t mess up the kitchen. Don’t put anything into the fridge, lay the food out on the table and cover it…”
“Yes, madam!” Alec said with a grin. “Boy, you’re worse than a nagging wife.”
“That’s what I am!” Vicki retorted. “Now get moving! One, two, three!”
Alec sprang into action and Vicki watched carefully as he put the food into porcelain dishes and laid them on the table. “How old is your boss’s daughter?” she asked interestedly.
“Hmm? I’m not too sure. I think she’s around twenty-four.”
“My age? I’m dying to meet her.”
“Ah, dear, you can’t die so soon!” Alec protested, and Vicki laughed at him. “You!” she said.
After much jesting, Alec was finally done, but before Vicki could praise him for his efforts the doorbell rang. “Oh mon - it must be Mr Fan,” he said, going to the door and opening it. “Good evening, Mr Fan. Please come in,” he said, automatically putting on his ‘polite, respectful’ voice. “Good evening, Mrs Fan, Miss Fan.”
Miss Fan was a young woman of middling height with a sharp face and catlike eyes. She smiled and walked gracefully into the room. As soon as her eyes settled on Vicki, the latter disliked her immensely. Vicki was usually not a person who disliked people without getting to know them better, but in this case she was at odds with Miss Fan at once.
“Alec, meet my daughter, Fan Bing Bing,” said Mr Fan loudly. Alec shook hands with Bing Bing. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Fan.”
“Same here,” Bing Bing replied. “Is this your invalid wife?”
“Yes,” Alec said. “Mr Fan, this is my wife Vicki.”
“Good evening,” Mr Fan said to Vicki. “May we skip all the politeness now and turn our minds to more important affairs?”
“Like?” Vicki asked.
“Dinner,” said Mr Fan with a smile, and Vicki warmed to him. Mrs Fan went over to Vicki and asked, “Can I help you in any way?”
Vicki looked at Mrs Fan and something about the motherly-looking lady reminded her of her own mother, who had died five years before. “No thank you, Mrs Fan. I have my crutches. I’m so used to having them that I can’t support myself on someone else’s arm,” she said apologetically.
As Bing Bing walked past Vicki, she gave Vicki a sidelong look which spoke of scorn and amusement at Vicki’s helplessness. This enraged Vicki, but she didn’t dare to say anything. Instead she got on her crutches and went to the dinner table.
Throughout the whole dinner Mr Fan was talking about giving Alec a raise in salary, and Mrs Fan agreed. “Your husband is so capable,” she said to Vicki, “that he is one of the best workers in our company.”
“Thank you, Mrs Fan,” said Vicki. “He’s a good husband, too.”
“When did you meet him?” Bing Bing asked.
“I’ve known him for a very long time, Miss Fan,” said Vicki courteously. “I have known him since both of us were children.”
Bing Bing smiled captivatingly at Alec, who swallowed hard and looked uncomfortable. “So Mr Su was there when you had – ah – the accident?” she said. “It was an accident, wasn’t it?”
Vicki flushed and did not trust herself to speak. Alec looked annoyed. “Yes, it was,” he said crisply.
Mr Fan felt embarrassed with his daughter’s imprudence. “Bing Bing, we didn’t come here to talk about Mrs Su’s car accident,” he said shortly. Bing Bing subsided, but not before she gave Vicki a dirty look. Vicki stopped herself from returning the look and continued talking to Mrs Fan, who was evidently very indignant with Bing Bing’s behaviour. *No, I don’t have to give this cat a dirty look. Her parents will deal with her* thought Vicki, and the idea of Mr Fan scolding this proud-looking person was so funny and so delightful that she couldn’t help but let out a satisfied smile. Bing Bing saw it, knew exactly what it meant, and was so angry that she did not utter another word throughout the entire dinner.

Chapter 3

“What? Bing Bing is going to join the company?”
“Yeah. Her dad thinks it will be a good experience for her,” said Alec, busily cutting his fingernails. He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn’t notice Vicki’s dark expression. “Anyway,” he continued, “she’s a nice girl, and from what I hear, hardworking too. She might be an asset to the company.”
“From what you hear?” questioned Vicki.
“Oh, my colleagues,” Alec shrugged off-handedly. “They’ve all met her, of course, and they like her.” He put away the nail clipper, satisfied with his handiwork, then turned to face his wife. He was startled at the annoyance he saw in her face. “What’s the problem?” he asked. “You don’t like Bing Bing?”
“I don’t like her.”
“Why not?”
“She keeps giving me all those sidelong, amused looks and I feel that she’s putting me down every time she condescends to talk to me. She’s a pain in the ass.”
Alec shook his head. “You probably imagined it all. Sometimes you ARE too sensitive, Vic.”
Vicki’s temper flared up. “Oh yeah? And so you’re defending that snake of a girl? Fine! I don’t need your sympathy. I’ve lived this way for years and I should be used to all the strange looks people give me. Let me tell you something. I’m sensitive – yeah, I agree with you, I’m sensitive. And the pain doesn’t go away. I hate it when people put me down, I hate it when people think I’m abnormal. The problem with you is that you don’t UNDERSTAND me!”
Alec stared. “I don’t understand you? Let me tell you something as well. If I didn’t understand you I wouldn’t have married you! Heaven, Vicki, you’re so sensitive that it’s getting to be a burden sitting with you all day long and listening to your complaints! Who else would humour you like I do? And you say I don’t understand you? Then HOW should a person who truly UNDERSTANDS your highness act?”
Tears poured out of her eyes, and as she reached for her crutches she looked unbelievably pitiful. However Alec was too angry to care that she was crying. He turned back to his desk, took out his laptop and booted it. Vicki got out of the room and hobbled over to the TV room. She sat on the sofa, her eyes staring at the paintings hung on the walls. But what she really saw was the scene of the car crash again, what she really heard was the agonized screams of her friend Alice…who had screamed and screamed non-stop when she realised that she was dying. Alice, who had loved to live. Alice, who had been so vibrant, so bright , so - alive.
When would that accident stop haunting her? She had tried her best to be a cheerful, merry invalid no different from other people, had tried her best to remain her old self. She had tried her best to put the past behind her. But – at times – it came back to her…tires squealing, Alice screaming, the slamming on the brakes, the car totally out of control, shattering glass…
Unknowingly Vicki began to shiver. She still remembered the horror of lying on the hospital bed being told that she was paralysed from waist down. That she could never have any babies, that she could never walk again. She had thought that marriage was out of the question since no guy would want a disabled person like her. Then Alec had come along – showed her how much he loved and wanted her no matter what happened to her. Now they were quarrelling over a mere girl whom she had not known for two days!
Without turning her head to see, she knew that Alec was standing at the doorway. She never failed to sense him and know where he was.
“Vic,” he said. He came forward and knelt down before Vicki, taking her hands. “You won’t hold it against me, will you? I was silly to have lost my temper like that.” He looked up into her face and gave her his puppy-dog look. Despite herself Vicki’s face broke into a smile. “It was my fault too,” she argued.
“Ok,” said Alec. “It was your fault. End of story.”
Vicki laughed and hit him playfully on the shoulder. He pretended to feel a lot of pain and she laughed even more. How stupid she had been when she said that he didn’t understand her. Why, he understood her so much that he probably knew her better than she knew herself. He always knew what to say or do, how to react and how to pull her out of the depths of despair. He was her soulmate. Suddenly Vicki felt frightened that she might lose him. Of course, they were already married, but even so…in her mind came the picture of Bing Bing, perfect and flawless, so easy to fall in love with. She caught hold of Alec’s hands. “Alec, promise me you’ll never leave me.”
Alec was surprised. “Promise you that I will never leave you? Vic, I did that a long time ago when we repeated our marriage vows.”
“I want you to say it again.”
“Ok, ok, whatever. I’ll never leave you.” Alec still looked puzzled. Vicki, looking at him, knew that he was totally baffled and had no idea that she was thinking about Bing Bing. For once she was devoutly thankful that he wasn’t able to read her mind.

Chapter 4

"What? Alec's not coming home for lunch? What sort of husband is he?" said Sammi indignantly.
"A very good sort," Vicki answered swiftly. "That was a superb lunch, Anna."
"Thanks, mistress," Anna said. "I'll make sure that you get more of these lunches."
As Vicki and Sammi talked, suddenly Vicki felt very weak and tired. "Sammi, I think I need to rest a little, I don't feel too good. Is that ok with you?"
Immediately Sammi looked worried. She knew only too well how easily Vicki fell sick. "Are you sure you'll be ok just by resting?"
"Yes."
"Ok then. Anna, help Vicki back to her room."
Anna, with an anxious look, helped Vicki back to her bedroom to let her have some rest.

Chapter 5

Alec was busily working when the phonecall came about Vicki. Immediately he threw down everything and rushed back home to be greeted by a pale-faced Sammi and a doctor. "How is she?" he asked anxiously.
"Mrs Su has pneumonia. I have prescibed some medicine for her and have sent for an experienced nurse," the doctor replied.
"Thanks, thank you very much," said Alec impatiently. "Where's Vicki? Is she in the bedroom?"
Sammi nodded and he ran past them, heading directly for his bedroom. He found Vicki lying on the bed in a semi-conscious state while Anna placed an ice-pack onto her forehead. He sat down beside her and took her hand. "You'll pull through this, sweetie. I know you will." He turned and faced Anna. "Where's the medicine?"
"Here." Anna brought some bottles of pills.
"When did the doctor say she must take them?"
"After her meals."
"Ok. I'll take care of that. Please call up my boss and inform him that I won't be going to the office tomorrow since Vicki is sick."
"Yes, master." Anna went out of the room and Alec hung over Vicki, his loving eyes noticing how white she was.
Later on when the doctor came in to check on her he shook his head sadly. Alec saw it and instantly became very frightened, but he didn't dare to ask the doctor why he had shaken his head.
The doctor shook his head more than once in the coming week. Vicki had developed double pneumonia. Alec never left the room, Sammi haunted the house and Anna cried in the kitchen. The doctor's sharp eyes saw how pale and tired Alec was getting and said to him, "Go out of the house and take a walk. When you come back you'll have additional strength."
Alec didn't even have the strength to protest, so he walked out of the house and took a few deep breaths. Strange, he had not noticed how stifling it had been in there.
"Hi, Alec."
He turned round to see Bing Bing approaching him. "I haven't seen you around in the office lately," she said, smiling. "Are you ok?"
"Hi. Yeah, I'm fine, but my wife is very sick. I have been taking care of her," Alec explained.
"Oh dear. I'm so sorry to hear that," said Bing Bing as sincerely as she could.
"I hope your father doesn't mind."
"Oh! I'm sure he doesn't. He hasn't commented in you taking such a long leave. Don't worry, my father is very understanding."
"Hi, guys. May I join you?" Without waiting for an answer, Sammi came up to them. "I saw you walk out of the house and decided to follow your example," she said to Alec. She looked very tired and red-eyed, and it was evident that she was under almost as much stress as Alec. She hardly gave Bing Bing a glance.
"I'm Bing Bing, the daughter of Alec's boss," said Bing Bing. "You are...?" she raised one eyebrow.
Sammi took a look at her and disliked her at once. "Sammi, Vicki's cousin. Alec, you should really rest yourself more. I'm sure Vicki wouldn't want you looking so white and worn-out. Have you been eating regularly? Oh no. I see so much leftovers in the fridge."
"I know, Sammi," said Alec impatiently, "but I can't think of food when Vicki is so sick. Look, I'll go back to the house now and take some of the porridge Anna boiled this morning, ok?"
"Ok. I'll stay out here a little while longer. Go ahead."
Alec walked back to his house and upon arrival discovered that Vicki had worsened. He carried a bowl of porridge to his room and sat on a chair eating slowly. "Will she be fine soon, doctor?" he asked, afraid of the answer.
"I'm afraid not, Alec. She's far too ill. If she worsens any longer, it'll be best if she could go to the hospital. However, if the tide turns, she may recover quite rapidly. We'll just have to see."
That piece of news dampened Alec's spirits considerably.

Chapter 6

Vicki did not recover by the next day, but she gradually grew better and better. At last she was so strong that she was able to sit up in bed and talk again. Anna and Alec showered her with loving care, indulging her every whim and making sure that she had every comfort. Sammi came and went as she had to go back home, and she spent most of her time entertaining Vicki. The rest of the time what she did Vicki didn’t know and didn’t care, but she supposed it should be helping Anna with the housework since Anna was so tied up with looking after her mistress.
Alec took a few more days’ leave and Mr Fan obligingly agreed to letting him off. However, he was to return to the office as soon as possible. Bing Bing came as well, and never seemed to mind that she was a very uninvited guest. She talked a lot to Alec, who seemed to enjoy talking to her, and paid Vicki many ‘compliments’.
So, by degrees, Vicki’s colour returned to her cheeks and her eyes began to shine again. But she was still not strong enough to even feed herself, so Anna had to feed her, clothe her and help her swallow her medicine pills. Alec stayed by her bedside whenever he could, laughing and joking and making a clown out of himself. Altogether it was a very pleasant time.
One day, Alec left the room with the excuse that he had to do some shopping for Anna. Vicki laughed at him heartily and said, “You better make sure that you’re not becoming Anna’s servant!”
“Aw, sweets, you hurt my feelings,” Alec protested. “Why don’t you go to sleep?”
“I believe I shall. Ok, you run along. Be back soon. I’ll miss you.”
“Miss you too,” said Alec and went out of the room. Vicki fell into a short doze, but since she wasn’t sleepy she opened her eyes and sat up in bed, ready to call for Anna to come and talk to her. She was just about to open her mouth when she looked out of the window and saw something which so literally stunned her that she could scarcely talk. (Alec is kissing Bing Bing? Bing Bing? Bing Bing has come between them to break up their relationship?! How can she do that? How can she be so heartless? How can Bing Bing do such a thing to Vicki?)
Vicki watched from her window as Alec and Sammi hugged each other tight. A feeling of deep disappointment and loss filled her as well as astonishment and incredulity. She had always hoped that Alec loved her even though she was paralysed, and when she married him she believed it, but now as she watched the tenderness in Alec’s face she felt that he had never ever truly loved her before. She was neither beautiful nor complete, nor was she healthy. Perhaps a mysterious prettiness hovered round her, but that was all.
And Sammi…she had trusted in Sammi, had loved her, had treated her like a beloved sister, had helped in spoiling her…
*Maybe he’s just hugging Sammi because he’s so tired and needs someone around* that thought quickly vanished when Alec bent down and started kissing Sammi, who responded.
Vicki felt like screaming her lungs out. She wanted to get to her feet, run away from this room, away from this house, away from Alec, away from everything…how could he betray her like that? Her mind shrieked. How could he do this to her, after saying all those words to her? How could he be such a liar?

Chapter 7

Vicki laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to calm the turmoil inside her. How should she react to this? A small part of her told her to let Alec go, while a big part of her was angry and told her that Alec shouldn’t be allowed such freedom after he had betrayed her.
She heard him entering the house and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. Alec went into the room and sat down beside her. He looked at her, and for the first time he noticed the faults in her appearance – her tiny wrinkles, her birdlike thinness, the hollows of her cheeks and her pale, worn-out look. Beside Sammi, she looked old and tired. What had he ever seen in her before? Why had he felt that she was a beauty before?
Vicki stirred and opened her eyes. She saw him immediately and sadness immediately washed over her. Alec pasted a bright smile on his face. “How do you feel?”
“I feel much better,” Vicki replied, looking at him with a queer look. Alec felt very uneasy under her silent scrutiny. Did she know? But it was impossible. She wouldn’t suspect him of such a thing, and anyway she had been sleeping when he left Sammi and came into the bedroom. “I’ll go and make some porridge for you,” he said, standing up.
Vicki nodded mutely. When he was gone, she closed her eyes again. A thought entered her head and for a moment she lay still, thinking about it. No! She couldn’t leave Alec, no matter whether he loved her or not! She loved him, and she wasn’t so generous as to give him up to Sammi! For a few minutes she hated both him and Sammi so intensely that she wished she could kill them.
After these feelings passed, sadder, more subdued feelings entered. Perhaps – it was right after all to leave him? She had always been a burden to him. If he didn’t want her, there was still the house her father had left her to go to – she could live there. As for money – she would have to beg her family to lend her some money, then go out and try to get a job even thought it would be a very difficult task. And there was Anna…Anna would follow her, she had no doubt of that.
Just then Alec came in with a tray in his hands. Setting it down on the table beside her bed, he said, “Do you want me to feed you, or can you feed yourself?”
Vicki looked at him once more with that queer look. “I’ll feed myself,” she said. “I shall have to learn how to take care of myself again.”
She ate silently, and the only sound that could be heard in the room was the scraping of the spoon against the bowl. Alec stood by the window, looking out and thinking of his dilemma. He had to tell her about Sammi. It could not be kept as a secret any longer. “Vicki,” he said, turning to her suddenly. “I have to tell you something.”
She paled suddenly – or was it his imagination? Alec decided to ignore it. “You know Sammi? Well, I’ve – we’ve fallen in love – and I’m asking you to let me go.”
Vicki was silent, looking at her hands. She felt totally numb inside. “How?” she asked softly at last. “How did it happen?”
“You were so sick and…Sammi was my ex-girlfriend,” Alec said, receiving an amazed look from Vicki. “I supposed it all – came together and everything happened. I don’t quite know how to explain it.”
Anger rose in her – that her husband, who had betrayed her like that, was sitting here and coolly ‘explaining’ to her why he had fallen in love with someone else. “You!” she cried out, “you! You dare – you dare say this to your wife! You – liar, you cheater, you – you BASTARD!” her head knocked against the wall and she burst into tears. Rocking herself and weeping, she was all mixed-up inside. Alec looked at her with increasing sadness. “I’m so disappointed in you – I hate you, I hate you, I hate you,” she wept. “I hate you so much.”
Tears came into Alec’s eyes as he remembered how much he had loved her at one time. “I’m sorry, Vicki, I’m so sorry.”
“You think ‘sorry’ is enough? Go!” she screamed at him. “Go! Get away from me! Don’t ever come near me again! I hate you! Don’t let me see your face!”
“Vicki…”
“GO!” she shrieked. “LEAVE ME ALONE!”
Alec left the room. Vicki slumped back on her pillows, crying herself into a frenzy. Anna had heard her screaming from the kitchen and now rushed in. “Mistress! What’s the problem?” she asked worriedly, quickly bringing her some tissues. Vicki almost screamed in her anguish. She tried to soothe her by patting her shoulder and eventually she calmed down enough to talk. “It’s Alec, Anna. He told me he’s in love with Sammi. I – I don’t know what to do!”
Anna was shocked.
“He asked me to let him go. At first I was willing to, then I grew so angry – now I’m confused, so bewildered. I was so stupid, Anna, I was so stupid! I believed him, I thought he loved me. I married him against my own will, but I married him because I thought he truly cared for me. I was so happy at one time – stupid little idiot I was – such an idiot, so naïve – now this has happened – I’m not surprised! I am so useless – such a burden – I’m amazed at my own stupidity! I always knew it, always expected it; I should never have let him – let him make me love me. I married him – Anna, do you know how I feel? But then I should have known – I was never attractive, never complete, never good enough; I was so full of defects – I hate him now, but I hate myself even more!”
Anna ached for her young mistress. How could the master have bullied her like that? How could he have done this to her? “No, mistress, you mustn’t hate yourself! You’re attractive, you’re far more beautiful than any of those flamboyant girls, and you’re far more complete than anyone else! Mistress, don’t curse yourself!”
Vicki stretched out her arms. “Anna, hold me, I need someone to hold me.”
Anna held her mistress and sobbed with her. Gradually Vicki’s sobs quieted, and she looked up at Anna. “Oh Anna!” she choked, “thank you so much for crying with me.”

Chapter 8

Alec, I can't bear the thought that you don't love me anymore, that you care for Sammi and not for me. I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly and without a word, but...
I've taken Anna with me. She'll take care of me and help me. So don't worry. I - know that I shouldn't do this, shouldn't leave like that especially since I'm your wife but...look, Alec, I just want you to be happy. You've been such a great husband to me that I feel - indebted to you. I was furious at first, I wanted to kill you; now I don't blame you, not really. Tell Sammi that I'm sorry we've come to this point, and that...oh, just tell her anything you like. I haven't much to say to her.
That's all for now. I'm sorry.

She hadn't even signed it. Alec read it over and over, then crushed it in his hand and threw it into the dustbin, digging his nails into his palm. He dug so hard that blood spilled out, but he didn't feel any pain. He took the note out of the dustbin, smoothed out the paper and read it again.
She was gone.
The thought was so devastating that he doubled over as if he had been punched in the stomach. Yet why shouldn't she go? He had used her badly, had wounded her deeply. She had every right to leave him.
He didn't notice Sammi who had silently entered the room, and started violently when she said concernedly, "Alec, what's wrong? Where's Vicki?"
He didn't turn to look at her. "She's gone." His voice sounded dead even to his ears. "I drove her away."
Sammi's jaw dropped. "Gone?" she repeated. She came forward and saw that he was holding something. Stretching out her hand, she asked, "May I see it?" She made an attempt to get it, but he snatched it roughly away from her. "Leave me!" he cried, "leave me alone!"
Sammi was startled and shocked, at the same time angry. No one had ever done this to her before. "Do you think I'm not worried about her?" she exclaimed; "I'm her cousin! I love her every bit as much as you love her! She matters to me as much as she matters to you! Why can't I see it?"
Alec turned on her. "Get out of this house! I don't want to see you! Get out of here!" he felt a strong sense of guilt as he said those words and saw the expression on her face. What right had he to speak so roughly to her, when everything was his fault? He dropped his head heavily onto his hands, groaning. Heaven, he didn't know what to do. He really didn't know what to do.
Sammi saw what a state he was in and her heart softened. "I'll look for her and find her, I promise," she said. "Alec, I love her too; she means a lot to me as well. I'm concerned for her well-being. She has Anna, but how much can Anna do for her? Alec, I promise you, I'll search for her and I WILL find her."
"Go away," Alec muttered, "just go away. Please."
Sammi left the room and he sat in the silence, blaming and hating himself more and more as the time passed. So - now what? Now that Vicki was gone, what was to become of him?

Chapter 9

"Where shall we go now, mistress?" Anna asked.
It had been two days since they left. During that period of time they had stayed in a very cheap hotel and hadn't budged from their hotel room. Anna witnessed Vicki's grief the whole day and felt exceedingly sad for her young mistress.
Now, however, it was time to talk about what they were going to do. They couldn't stay in the hotel forever.
Vicki put her finger on her lips and thought hard. "I can't go to Esther's house, or Frances, or any of my friends," she said. "Alec will call them up and ask them if I'm there. Worse, he'll go over to their houses and check. Isn't there anyone I know whom he doesn't know?" She slapped her palm on her forehead. After a few moments of hard thinking, she looked up with a brilliant smile. "Jimmy Lin! Of course! Jimmy! Alec doesn't know him, I've never introduced Jimmy to him!"
Anna stared. "Jimmy Lin?? Mistress, isn't this person a guy?"
"Yes, why? Are you having cold feet?" Vicki asked, laughing. Anna was pleased to see Vicki laugh and shook her head violently. "No, mistress, no! But - if the master finds out won't he be very displeased?"
"I shouldn't think so, because he won't find out," Vicki said firmly.
"Where does he live?"
"Not too far from here. We can take a taxi to his house. The fare will hurt, but not much. I know that Jimmy will take care of me."
"Why is it that you never mentioned him before?"
"I don't know. I think he slipped my mind. I haven't seen him for ages - that day that he told me..." suddenly she stopped and blushed. Anna looked suspiciously at her. "Mistress, what did he tell you?"
"Oh, nothing. Forget about it. We'll leave this hotel tomorrow, Anna, and head straight for his house." Vicki smiled again, and Anna, seeing her spirits so much higher, was delighted and asked no more about Jimmy Lin.
************
"Mr Lin, there are two women in the hall waiting for you," said the housekeeper, Mrs Betty Chiu.
"Two women?" Jimmy Lin looked puzzled, then said, "I'll go down and meet them." He got up from his desk and walked down the staircase to the hall. Two women were there, one woman sitting on a chair while the other stood next to her. Jimmy stared hard for a while, then his heart seemed to take a ride up to his mouth.
Vicki looked at the face of her childhood friend and smiled. "Jimmy, hi," she said.
"Vicki?" Jimmy couldn't believe his eyes. "Vicki, is that you?"
"I see you remember me." Vicki stretched out her arms and in a moment both of them were hugging tightly. "Heaven, Vic, what brings you here? I thought I was never going to see you again!" Jimmy said as he released himself and studied her face. "Are you ok? You don't look too happy," he said, his sharp eyes noting the sad look in her eyes.
Vicki introduced him to Anna, then told him why she was here. Jimmy listened silently, then said, "You're paralysed? No wonder you're sitting down. Well, that's all right. I've plenty of servants here to take care of you. Come, get on your crutches and I'll lead you to a room you can have on this level, so you don't have to climb up the stairs all the time."
Anna helped Vicki up, and bowed her head to Jimmy. "Thank you, Mr Lin," she said.
"Oh, that's ok. It's the least I can do for Vicki," Jimmy said, and led them across the hall and across plenty of rich-looking rooms to a big one right at the end. "Two beds inside. You and Anna can each have one," he announced. "Think you'll be satisfied here, Vic?"
Vicki looked round the large, beautifully-furnished room and nodded. "Anna, please take the bags in and pack in the clothes," she directed, and then turned to Jimmy. "Thanks, Jim. I won't forget this."
Jimmy looked at her intensely for a while, then said in a low voice, "Vicki - I still love you! Ever since you went away all those years ago I haven't been able to think of another woman."
Vicki's face was white to the lips, but she smiled. "You're still the 'bestest' friend I have," she said, "and you'll always be the closest, most loved friend of mine."
Sensing that Anna was giving them a few queer looks, Jimmy straightened his back and said in his normal voice, "You can stay here as long as you want, Vic. It's fine with me."
"Thanks," Vicki replied, but she didn't miss the look in his eyes as he went away.
************
Ring, ring.
"Hello?"
"Esther, I..."
"For heavens' sake, Alec, I've already told you for umpteen times that no, I'm not harbouring Vicki in my house and no, I don't know where she is. If you're so worried about her, go to the police, ok? Stop bothering me. Besides, you don't have to be so anxious about her. She's got Anna with her and that maid would lay down her life for Vicki." Esther put down the phone and the line went dead.
Alec slammed the phone back on the cradle in frustration. Who else was there to call? Absolutely no one. He'd called every single friend of Vicki's he could think of and none of them knew where she was.
Vicki, Vicki, where are you? He groaned. *It's all my fault. Man I hate myself. Vicki, where can you be?*

Chapter 10

Sammi stopped her car right outside the house and practically flew up the path to the front door. Unlocking it, she ran inside and looked around her. It was totally empty. “Vicki? Anna?” she called, walking down the short passageway and looking in at every room. Absolutely no one.
Frustrated, she threw the keys on the floor and kicked one of the walls. “Great, so you didn’t even come to the house that your father left you, huh? You really don’t want to be found huh? Even your own family doesn’t know where you are, you know that?” she told the wall angrily.
She glared at the innocent-looking wall for a minute, then tears flowed out of her eyes. Turning round, she leaned on the wall for support and rubbed her eyes. “Vic, I’m so sorry. God knows how sorry I am. Don’t do this to me. Don’t do this to Alec. He’s going mad trying to find you. Vic – come on, you’ve got to come back.”
Her voice echoed in the house, and hearing the lonely echoes even more tears rolled down her cheeks.
************
“Shut up lecturing me, man! Just tell me, do you know where she is?” Alec shouted into the phone.
“Look here, big guy, I know you’re upset but you don’t have to yell like that, ok?” his good friend, Nicky Wu, said in an annoyed voice. “I don’t know where Vic is. It’s not as if I keep track of what she does every minute of the day, you know. And I’m not surprised she can’t be found either! If I were her I would simply disappear as well! I hope you’re glad about this, Alec,” Nicky said sarcastically.
“Fine, fine, lecture me all you want. I won’t listen.” Alec slammed down the phone and kicked the legs of a nearby armchair. He glared at the telephone. “RING!” he yelled. To his amazement, it actually rang. Snatching it up, he said, “Hello? Hello?”
“Good afternoon, may I speak to Mr Alec Su please?”
Alec sucked in his breath through his teeth. “Speaking.”
“Yes, I’m from the L&C Corporation (I have no idea what this is, I made it up) and I would like to introduce our newest product, a wonderful torch which has a radio and…”
“Shut up, I don’t want to listen to all this crap,” Alec snapped and put down the phone. He knew he was being crabby, but he didn’t care. How could he when for five days he hadn’t heard a single thing about Vicki? No news came from Sammi, who was driving round the world searching for Vicki, and the equal amount of news came from Vicki’s family, who seemed to do nothing but scold him.
The doorbell rang loudly and he went to answer it, pitying the person who would receive the full blast of his aggravation and frustration. He threw open the door and before he could open his mouth the person opened hers first. “Alec, is the news about Vicki disappearing true?”
He stared. “Nancy!”
Nancy, Vicki’s grim nurse during her illness, nodded. “May I come in?”
“Sure.” Alec stepped aside and let the lady enter the house. She put down her bag, looked around at the state of the room in disgust, and turned to Alec. “Is it true?” she asked again.
“It’s true. She just disappeared. I’ve been calling up practically everyone I know, and yet no one knows where she is.”
“Hmmm,” said Nancy, shaking her head. “What exactly happened between you and Vicki, Alec?”
Alec told her, and she shook her head even more. “Now, I suppose, you’re blaming and hating yourself?”
“You know me, Nancy,” said Alec with a faint smile. “I hate myself like crazy. I wish I could kill myself!”
Nancy went to the kitchen and took out a knife. Holding it out to him, she said, “Go ahead. Do it.”
Alec stared at it and laughed weakly. “Look, Nancy, I don’t have time for this. I’m going mad with worry. I want to kill myself, but not until I have seen Vicki and know that she has forgiven me. But then – I suppose I wouldn’t want to kill myself.”
Nancy went back to the kitchen to return the knife. When she came out, she saw Alec punching the poor abused armchair. Knowing that he had to let his feelings out in some way, she didn’t stop him. Sitting down on the sofa, she looked at him squarely. “Why did you do that with Sammi?”
“I don’t know!” Alec said, grounding his teeth. “I just don’t know.” He clenched his fists hard, so hard that blood came out again, but he didn’t care at all. “I was mad, Nancy, I didn’t think!”
“When did it start?”
“Oh, around the fifth day of Vic’s sickness. I was – somewhere around the house with Sammi, and we started kissing – I’ve forgotten how I could have started kissing her. And it just happened – just like that! I think I was so frightened that Vicki would die, that…something might happen to her and…” he came to a complete full stop.
Nancy nodded understandingly. “And I take it that you’re still in love with her?”

Chapter 11

“Looking at me, Nancy, do you think I’m in love with her?” Alec said, laughing bitterly. “I love her more than my life. Heaven, I’d do anything, endure anything right now just to have her back with me. I was insane at that time. How could I have asked her such a question, hurt her so much? I HATE myself!” he slapped his face and clenched his fists.
“Stop doing that!” Nancy said sharply.
“Huh?” he looked at her, bewildered.
“Balling up your hands into fists. Stop doing it. There’s enough blood.”
Alec spread out his hands and looked glumly at the little wounds on his palm. Nancy put some plasters on them and said, “Don’t make that a habit.”
“So, are you going to help me find her?”
“I’ll try to do that, but I don’t guarantee it. And even if I do find her, I don’t guarantee that she’ll come back to you, or even want to see you.”
“I don’t care. I just want her to be found. I simply want to know that she’s ok, that she’s not sick and that Anna is taking sufficient care of her. That she’s provided for. That will satisfy me, Nancy.”
“All right, then I will try my best.” Nancy looked round the room again. “Alec, I think I’ll drop by more often. This place is like a pig-sty, you know that?”
“Yeah, sure. But I haven’t got any heart to clean up anything. Nancy, I haven’t even eaten properly these five days, all I can do is sit and stare at the phone.” Alec looked so listless that Nancy’s heart ached for him. “Ok. I’ll go back home now. Have you notified the police?”
“I don’t want to.”
Nancy sighed, but said nothing.
************
“Ok, Vic, it’s your turn.”
Vicki and Jimmy were playing chess, Vicki because she wanted to get Alec out of her thoughts for a while, Jimmy because he knew that Vicki loved chess and that she needed to get Alec out of her mind.
Vicki held the seed between two fingers and surveyed the board ruefully. “Jimmy, you’ve nailed me left right and center,” she complained.
Someone knocked on the door, and Mrs Chiu came in. “Ms Nancy is here, Mr Lin,” she said respectfully.
“What?” Jimmy said, his eyes on the board.
“Ms Nancy is here,” Mrs Chiu said a little louder.
“What?!” Jimmy asked, startled.
“MS NANCY IS HERE,” shouted Mrs Chiu.
“Ok, ok, woman, you don’t have to shout. Vicki, excuse me.” Jimmy rose and went out of the room. Anna came up to Vicki and studied the board. “Mistress, I think you should go here. If you do, Mr Jimmy will be in a difficult situation,” said Anna, pointing.
Vicki looked and her face brightened up. “Anna! You’re a genius! I love you! Yes, I’ll put my seed there when Jim comes back.”
Suddenly they heard sounds of running feet and Jimmy burst into the room. “Vicki, someone is asking for you!”
Vicki started. “Who?”
“My aunt Nancy.”
“Nancy?” The name was vaguely familiar. She thought harder and the picture of the nurse came into her mind. Was it possible? “Can she come in?” she asked.
Jimmy disappeared and within seconds the face of the nurse appeared. Vicki sat and stared at her, thunderstruck.
Nancy looked at Vicki and saw how sad and tired she looked. “Good afternoon, Vicki. I believe that you remember me?”
“Nancy!” Vicki exclaimed. “How ? You’re Jimmy’s aunt?”
“Right! I’m Jimmy’s aunt!”
Vicki could scarcely believe her ears.
“Alec told me what happened,” Nancy said gently, coming into the room and sitting down on Anna’s bed. “You’re not going back to him, Vicki?”
“No!” Vicki said at once. “Don’t tell him I’m here!”
“I promised him that I would tell him as soon as I found you. Vicki, let me tell you what I saw when I went to see him yesterday. I saw a broken man, full of self-hatred and frustration, kicking at chair legs and clenching his fists so hard that blood came out. He wanted to kill himself. Vicki, listen to me. I know he has hurt you horribly. I know he has wronged you grievously. But he still loves you a lot. These were his words: ‘Looking at me, Nancy, do you think I’m in love with her? I love her more than my life. Heaven, I’d do anything, endure anything right now just to have her back with me. I was insane at that time. How could I have asked her such a question, hurt her so much? I HATE myself!’ ”
Vicki’s eyes were filled with tears. “You remember so clearly.”
“Of course. I have a perfect memory. But let’s return to the main subject. Alec needs you, Vicki. The house is in a complete mess; unwashed dishes, dirty clothes, dusty floor, magazines and books all over the place…he said he hadn’t the heart to clean up the house. He’s been calling up all his friends and asking them whether they knew where you were.” Nancy reached forward and took Vicki’s hands. “I’m not asking you to go back to him immediately, but perhaps, some time, you will be able to forgive him and take him back. Do you think you will be able to do that?”

Chapter 12

“Vic, there’s a letter for you,” Jimmy said, walking into the room with an envelope in his hand. Vicki, who was sitting by the window, looked up and smiled wanly. “A letter for me? I think you have read the name wrongly.”
“Hmm, let me check. Vicki Zhao. You’re Vicki Zhao aren’t you?”
Vicki held out her hand and looked at the handwriting on the envelope. Her heart stood still and her blood flowing in her veins turned to ice. Alec.
Jimmy watched her face curiously. “Who is it from?”
Vicki’s face was white to the lips as she handed it back to him. “It’s from Alec. Send it back to him.”
“You’re not reading it? I think you should, Vic.”
“No. Please don’t force me. I’m not ready to read his letter.”
“Oh well – whatever you say.” He gazed at her, and for the first time he noticed how white she was. “Why are you so white?” he asked suddenly. “You never looked like that before! So white and sickly – as if you’re about to go at any second – Vic, are you sure you’re okay?”
Vicki shrugged. “I feel okay now.”
“Yes, yes, it’s been years since the accident, there’s nothing wrong with you, right?”
Vicki smiled. “Yes, there’s nothing wrong with me, of course there isn’t.”
Jimmy believed what he wanted to believe. “And – him?”
Vicki looked at him gravely. “Because you are my best and closest friend, Jimmy – because of that – I won’t pretend. When you left the room yesterday inside me there was this turmoil, and my head was aching like mad. I felt dreadful, awful – I was all alone; it was so quiet that I felt scared, so alone. I’m alone now, really, no one’s by my side – oh, you and Anna won’t leave me, of course, but – you know what I mean, don’t you? Jimmy, I feel as if – I rather die than live right now; I’m living without a reason.”
Tears were running down her face, something in her throat was choking her. He put his arms round her and patted her shoulders, wishing to know the right things to say. “You live for us,” he said, very softly. “We couldn’t bear to lose you.”
Vicki finally stopped sobbing and wiped her eyes with a smile. “I’m so stupid!” she said gaily. “Let’s not talk about it anymore. What have you been doing?”
Jimmy chatted on in a cheerful way, but inside him he was aching terribly for his friend. When he left, the ache went with him, and he knew that Vicki felt exactly the same.

Chapter 13

“Alec! Snap out of it, will you?”
Alec glanced up at Nicky’s annoyed face. “What?” he said confusedly.
“Snap out of your dream! What’s the matter with you? You’ve been so weird since – I don’t know! During the entire discussion with the client you’ve been so silent and I don’t think you were listening! Aren’t you interested in your work?”
“Ok, ok! I’m not feeling up to it, that’s all!”
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re feeling up to it or not! We HAVE to satisfy Mr Chen!”
“Ease up, will you?” Alec said, annoyed. He began looking through the colour schemes that Mr Chen had picked out, but his heart wasn’t in it. Ever since Vicki left him all he could think about was her, and of their good times together. He had tried emailing her, but she didn’t reply; he sent her dozens of letters, but they were returned to him, and he called her up, but each time she was too busy to come to the phone. He was beginning to think that he would never see her again, and that idea scared the wits out of him.
He knew that his friends/colleagues weren’t happy about the idea of him and Sammi, which was why Nicky had spoken so roughly to him, and he regretted it, too. Sammi loved him, he knew; but he didn’t love her. The only person he’d ever loved was his wife, and she’d left him because – he had asked her to. Or rather, he had pushed her to leaving him. He knew that if he wanted her back he would have to prove to her that he truly loved her. But how? How? What else could he do? Visit her? He had an idea that no matter how long he waited for her she wouldn’t see him.
He snapped out of his thoughts to realise that Nicky was talking to him. “Mr Chen wants pale blue, and desks for five people and…” his voice trailed off when he realised that Alec hadn’t heard what he had said. “ALEC! I think you’d better go home and get some sleep! You aren’t listening to me at all! What’s the use of working when you’re like that?” Nicky said in irritation.
Unexpectedly, Alec’s temper rose. “Look here, you don’t have to be so rude about it, ok?” he said, throwing down the files he held.
“So where are you going now?” Nicky said. “I suppose you’re going to your Sammi again?”
“No, I’m not! You know jolly well that I don’t care for her!”
“Oh yeah? You sure have a nice way of putting it!” Nicky sneered. “I hope Vic will never go back to you, because she’ll be better off if she doesn’t after what you did to her!”
“I didn’t ask her to leave!” Alec yelled.
“You didn’t ask her, that’s right! You forced her to! I’m not surprised that she’s avoiding you now!”
Their colleagues working in the other section of the office heard them quarrelling. With a sigh, Greg, who was also one of Vicki’s close friends, got up and walked over to them. “GUYS! Stop it!” he yelled. “Nicky, stop picking on Alec! You know he’s going through a hard time now. So can you guys COOL it and let us have some peace!”
Nicky flashed Alec an angry look. “Since when were you on his side?” he asked Greg.
“I’m not on any sides, there aren’t any sides to be on,” Greg said in exasperation. “I didn’t like what Alec did, either. I was furious for a few weeks, then when I saw you guys putting him down so badly, I became sorry for him. Ok, maybe he has to learn a lesson from all this, but it isn’t necessary to come down on him like a ton of bricks. Sammi caught him for a while, but now he’s beginning to repent of what he did, fine?”
Nicky refused to listen. He rose and stalked off to his own desk.
Alec stood up, too. “Thanks, Greg.”
“No problem.” Greg turned and went back to his desk as well. Alec was left staring out of the window. *Vicki, if only you’ll come back, I’ll never ever do this to you again*

Chapter 14

Vic [it said] I’m really sorry for what I did to you. I know it must sound so lame since I’ve written that on every email and letter I send to you; well, I don’t know if you ever read them and I don’t know whether you’ll ever read this, too. If you send this letter back to me, I won’t write to you ever again – I promise you that. But I want you to know that I love you, and that Sammi was just a passing attraction because you were so sick at that time and I was so down; you know how it goes. Vic, I’m sorry! I love you, I really do. I desperately want you back, but I know it’s impossible; unless you’ve already forgiven me for being such an absolute beast to you.
The guys are giving me a hard time about all this, and I don’t like it but I deserve it. I’m not vying for your sympathy, I’m just telling you this because – after all – you’re still my wife; we haven’t divorced and anyway, even if we have divorced, you’ll still be my wife in my heart. I’m not trying to be phony or corny, I mean every word I say.
So if you can find it in you, forgive me for what I’ve done. I never meant to hurt you, and I was truly upset when you just left me like that. Sammi doesn’t mean a thing to me, she never has. You’re the only girl in my heart, I love you and I’m sorry. Alec Su

Vicki’s lips tightened and tears filled her eyes as she silently read the letter again. When she finished she put it down, turned to Jimmy and put her arms round him. Jimmy held her, feeling her body shake with sobs. “I don’t dare to believe him,” she whispered. “He can’t love me. When you love a person you don’t do something like that.”
“What I can make out is that he was in a terrible state about you when you were so ill. He was so scared and upset about it that he found distraction in Sammi, and he thought, for a few days, that he loved her when actually he didn’t.”
Vicki wiped her eyes. “I – I can’t go back to him.”
“Do you love him?”
Her eyelids dropped. “Well – yes, I do love him; I suppose I never stopped loving him; which was why I left him – to Sammi even though I knew it was the wrong thing to do.” She raised her face to his imploringly. “Jimmy, he hurt me so badly; so terribly that nothing can ever heal that wound except him – and I don’t want to go back to him! I love him, but until he has proved to me that he really loves me, I won’t give myself to him again. I don’t want him to write to me anymore, I don’t want him to do anything.”
“If you don’t want him to do anything, how is he supposed to prove himself to you?”
“I don’t want him to prove himself to me, I just want to cut him out of my life completely!”
“But Vic, after all is said and done, he is still your husband, and you still love him. Why don’t you take a risk and go back to him? Maybe – just maybe you could start a new life with him, and both of you will be happy again.”

Chapter 15

Dear Alec,
Well, I read your most recent letter and I’m replying to you now – but please don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t want to go back to you, because I don’t trust you. It’s as simple as that, I don’t trust you. I have to admit that I still have some feeling for you, but I don’t wish to go back to you. So don’t write to me any longer. It will just be useless, I’ll send back all the letters like last time.
As for Sammi, I’m not going to interfere with your relationship with her. I’m totally ignorant with what you do with her, but it’s not my business.
I’m not playing hard-to-get, I don’t think that this is an issue to be joked about. Well then – I don’t know what I’m writing, I’m going mad. All I can say now is don’t think about me anymore because nothing is going to happen between us. It’s a pretty brief way for ending a letter but – well, there’s really nothing for me to say anymore.
Vicki Zhao

Alec read it again and again, trying to read between the lines, trying to catch the hidden meaning behind her words, but there were lines in the letter which needed no interpretation at all, lines such as ‘I don’t trust you’, ‘Don’t write to me any longer’, ‘don’t think about me anymore because nothing is going to happen between us’, and ‘Vicki Zhao’.
They kept repeating themselves in his head, shouting at him, yelling at him. ‘I don’t trust you’ stood out the clearest amongst them. Things like ‘I still have some feeling for you’ tried to make its way through, but didn’t succeed.
*Lord help me* he thought. He was sick to the heart. He knew now that it was completely useless trying to contact her. She wouldn’t reply. *But my life is empty without you!* the thought burst out in his mind. *I can’t live without you, Vic, I can’t do anything without you. My life is meaningless without you*
Frustrated, he turned on the radio. The song ‘Without You’ by Mariah Carey blasted out at him. His hand automatically reached out to turn down the volume, but it stayed when the lyrics caught his ears. He knew the song very well, he’d known it for years and years. But it had never held such meaning before in his ears. ‘I can’t live if living is without you, I can’t live, I can’t live anymore…’
For a few moments he stood staring at the radio, then he nodded and started to search for his old Mariah Carey CD and a blank tape.
************
‘Vic, just open this, I beg you to open this’.
Vicki hesitated, then slowly opened the envelope. Inside was a tape, a note and a necklace. She hesitated again, then took out the tape and slipped it into her player. She turned it on and listened.
“Vic, I want to dedicate this song to you because it signifies my feeling for you, I hope that after listening to this song you’ll understand how much I love you.”
She shook with emotion at hearing his familiar voice again. When the song ‘Without You’ came on, she couldn’t hold back the tears and simply let them flow unheeded as she listened. ‘Without You’ ended and she turned off the player without taking out the tape. She sat there with tears slowly running down her face, then whispered, “Alec, how I love you; but I can’t go back to you yet.”
She took out the note and the necklace, and read through the note. ‘Vic, if at last you can find it in you to love me again, wear this necklace and I’ll know.’
Her tears had dried, but a tiny rebel tear formed in her right eye. She wasn’t ready to completely forgive him yet.

Well I can’t forget this evening
Or your face as you were leaving
But I guess that’s just the way the story goes
You always smile but in your eyes
Your sorrow shows
Yes it shows

I can’t live if living is without you
I can’t live I can’t live anymore
I can’t live if living is without you
I can’t live I can’t live anymore

Chapter 16

“Say, Vic, there’s a brand new restaurant not far from here. Do you want to go there today?”
Vicki stared. “Jimmy, you know that I don’t go out.”
“So?” Jimmy said, eyeing her. “You know, you should really get out of this house even if it’s only for two hours. You’re getting far too pale and thin.”
“No, Jim. Thanks, but no.”
Jimmy turned to Anna pleadingly. “Advise your mistress, Anna. Don’t you agree with me that she has to go out?”
“Yes, Mr Jimmy. Mistress, won’t you go? Just this once?”
Vicki refused, but Jimmy and Anna begged her until she gave up and consented. After all, the restaurant might serve good food and – what had she to lose?

“Alec!”
Alec turned and saw Bing Bing running up to him. He smiled faintly. “Hi, Bing Bing.”
“Where will you be going for lunch today?” Bing Bing asked.
“I’ll be going with Jimmy to ‘Deborah’s Kitchen’.”
“ ‘Deborah’s Kitchen’? Great! The food there is delicious. May I come with you and Jimmy?”
Alec turned to Jimmy, his eyebrows raised inquiringly.
“Oh, ok,” Jimmy shrugged. “Why not? Boss’s daughter.”
Bing Bing smiled delightedly. “Let’s go then!”

“Table for three.”
The waiter led them to a table by the window, and Jimmy helped Vicki to a seat. “I sincerely hope this restaurant serves good food, or I’ll have to bring you to somewhere else,” he said, surveying the menu.
“No! If this restaurant is lousy, we’ll go back home,” Vicki said.
“Home?”
“Yeah, your home is now my home.”
Jimmy looked at Vicki silently for a while, then smiled. “Let’s order!”

Alec rested his chin on his hand and read the menu. “Interesting. Prawns, crab, fried fish…are you sure this isn’t a seafood restaurant?”
“Nah, don’t be stupid,” said Bing Bing energetically.
Nicky coughed. “Uh, I need to go to the loo. I’ll be back soon.”
“Yeah. Come back soon or I’ll do the ordering for you,” Alec said. Nicky went off and a waiter approached them. “Would you like to order now?” he asked courteously.
“Yes, please,” Bing Bing said. “I’ll have the lasagna and…”
Alec lost her there. He had just caught sight of Vicki with another guy sitting by the table, both gazing into each other’s eyes. He blinked and looked again. It was Vicki. It was her. What was she doing with this guy? Who was he?
“Alec? Alec?” Bing Bing’s voice brought him back down to earth. “What do you want?”
Alec blinked at her. “Vicki.”
The waiter looked totally confused. “Vicki?”
Alec stared at Vicki again, and this time she happened to look away and caught his eye. She seemed transfixed.
Bing Bing put out her hand and shook his arm. “Alec, what’s the matter? Is anything wrong?”
The waiter gave up when Alec didn’t respond at all and walked away, shaking his head. Young people of nowadays! He shook his head even more.
“Alec! Look at me!” Bing Bing was growing alarmed. Nicky appeared. “Hey, why are you shaking his arm like that?” he asked Bing Bing. “What’s the matter with him?”
“I don’t know. Can you wake him up? I can’t!”
“Steady, girl. There’s no need to get so frightened. He’s just…hmm.” Nicky turned round to see who Alec was looking at and saw Vicki and – Jimmy? Nicky gasped and swallowed hard. Jimmy Lin? Vicki knew Jimmy? Impulsively he headed for their table and stopped before them. “Jimmy!”
Jimmy turned and looked at him. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “Nicky…?”

Chapter 17

Alec watched as Nicky talked to Vicki and the other guy. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. To him, she looked healthy and far happier than she’d ever been. Could it be that she had forgotten about him and fallen in love with another; the guy who was sitting at the table with her? He felt a fierce jealousy rising inside him. *She’s still my wife* he thought. *No matter what has happened, she’s still my wife*
Vicki looked across and caught his eye again. She said something to Nicky, who then helped her up and held her while the guy handed to her the crutches. After paying the bill, the two of them went out of the restaurant. Nicky came back to their table. “Why didn’t you go over to her?” he asked Alec in an accusing voice.
“Who’s that guy?” Alec asked, surprised at how angry he sounded. Nicky stared. “What’s the matter with you? You’re mad? At what?”
“I’m not mad at anyone. Just tell me who’s that guy.”
“Jimmy Lin. He was at college with me. He’s a cool guy, I never thought that he and Vicki knew each other. She’s been staying with him all the while. They’re pretty good friends.”
Alec scowled darkly. “She’s got no business staying with a guy!”
“What’s your problem? You kicked her out of the house. She had nowhere else to go to! And anyway, she’s only Jimmy’s friend. I think there was something between them last time, but I can’t be sure. Oh well, at least now you know who she’s staying with. You’re not as ignorant as last time.” Nicky gave him a hard look, knowing that Alec was up to his forehead with jealousy. Bing Bing was looking at Alec worriedly. He still loved his crippled wife? She frowned. This wasn’t good.
***********
“I felt so strange looking at him again. Jimmy, I’m so confused! I really don’t know whether I should wear the necklace or not.”
“What puzzles me,” said Jimmy thoughtfully, “is how he would know whether you’re wearing it or not.”
“I’m not surprised about that. He always knows everything about me. But Jimmy, I saw him with Bing Bing, and…” Vicki couldn’t go on anymore. Her beautiful eyes were clouded over. Jimmy glanced quickly at her, then switched his concentration back on the road. “I’m sure he isn’t having any affair with that woman, Vicki. Don’t think so badly of Alec.”
“I don’t know. If he could do that with Sammi, my most beloved cousin, why can’t he go with Fan Bing Bing? And I don’t even know what happened between him and Sammi after I left!”
“Vicki!” Jimmy said in exasperation. “Aren’t you getting paranoid? Didn’t you hear what Nicky said to you today? He told you how sorry Alec was, and that he’d broken up with Sammi the moment you left! He told you not to misunderstand Alec any longer, and to go back to him as soon as possible! Didn’t you listen to what Nicky was saying just now? Why must you continue to make yourself suffer like that? All you have to do is go back to Alec and you’ll be happy again.”
Vicki held her head and groaned. “I know, Jimmy, do you think that I don’t know that? But I’m so confused! You can’t blame me for feeling frightened after what happened! I was so sick and there he was, kissing my COUSIN! Do you know how much that hurt me? I mean, I wouldn’t have been so wounded if he’d been kissing someone else, but SAMMI, my beloved cousin! And to think that he could have behaved like that and deceived me when I was down with double pneumonia…” she broke off, shaking her head. “I know, I may sound incoherent, and I may seem stubborn and stupid to you, but you just don’t understand, Jimmy! You don’t understand anything!”
In his frustration, Jimmy failed to notice that the car in front of them had suddenly stopped, and in a second he had crashed straight into the car. Vicki felt a sharp pain shooting through her body, so sharp that her entire body shuddered. Into her mind flashed the picture of the other car crash, the screams, the shattering glass…she let out a cry as something hit her forehead. The blood blurred her vision, and she felt herself being transported into darkness, but still she heard the screams…the screams…
************
‘A terrible car crash on highway 34 (I don’t know what’s this, I made it up). An unidentified young couple was in the second car and they have been brought to Clement Hospital (I made this up as well).’
Alec listened idly to the radio for a while longer, then switched it off. He had no interest in car crashes with unidentified young couples.
His handphone rang and he picked it up. “Hello?”
“Alec,” it was Nicky. “Where are you?”
“I’m at home. Why?”
“You’ve got to go to Clement Hospital now.”
“What? Why?”
“Vicki’s maid, Anna, just rang me up and told me that it might have been Jimmy and Vicki in the car which was smashed up so badly. You’ve got to make your way to the hospital, man. I’ll be there in ten minutes. No – wait. I’ll check if the couple is really them, and if it is, then I’ll call you again.” Nicky rang off.
Alec was left staring at his mobile. His pulse began to race at a dangerous speed. *No, it can’t be Vicki, don’t call me again. Nicky, don’t call me, please don’t call me*
Fifteen minutes later, his mobile rang again.

Chapter 18

He sped all the way to the hospital, not caring that a policeman might stop him and fine him. All he thought of was Vicki. She couldn’t be injured! Nothing could have happened to her! He went over what Nicky had told him on the phone. She and Jimmy were undergoing an emergency surgery as both of them had been seriously wounded.
Nicky met him at the entrance of Clement Hospital. He looked very white and worried, and he was with Anna, who was shaking with uncontrollable sobs. “Any news?” Alec demanded, rushing up to them. “Any news at all?”
“No news. We have to go up at once in case the doctor comes out and we’re not there.” Nicky put a comforting arm round Anna. He led a dazed Alec up to the third floor where he deposited him on a seat and went to get him a cup of hot coffee to sooth him down a little. A few of Vicki’s relatives arrived soon, all anxious and not heeding Alec at all.
After what seemed an age, a doctor came out holding a clipboard. “Mr Alec Su?” he said.
“I am Alec Su,” Alec said, standing up and studying the doctor’s face worriedly.
“Mrs Su has a concussion, and is unconscious now. But don’t worry, she may wake up soon. However, she might be nauseous and very weak for many months. She has also been very severely injured; she has lost a lot of blood and quite a few bones have been dislocated.”
Alec dropped back down on the chair as if someone had struck him down.
Nicky then came forward. “Is there any news regarding Jimmy Lin, the young man who was with Vicki Su?”
“Mr Lin’s left arm has been dislocated and so has his right leg. He, too, lost plenty of blood and has been hit on the head, but his head injuries are not as serious as Mrs Su’s. He has several other scratches, bruises and injuries caused by broken glass, but other than that he will be all right in approximately a year’s time.”
Mrs Zhao rushed forward. “When can I see my daughter?” she asked desperately.
“I believe you will be able to see her quite soon,” the doctor said calmly. “Meanwhile, let me assure you that both their lives are not in much danger.”
He then went away.
Mrs Zhao swung round to look at Alec. “It’s all your fault!” she screamed. “If you hadn’t gotten into that affair with that hateful Sammi, this wouldn’t have happened to my daughter! It’s all your fault! I don’t want you to go near her again!”
She was screaming so loudly that Mr Zhao had to put his hand over her mouth to silence her especially since many nurses were looking disapprovingly at her. “You!” he glared at Alec, “don’t you ever dare to make my daughter go back to you. Do you understand me? Your foolish acts have caused this to happen to Vicki and to Jimmy! Do you know who Jimmy is? He is the son of my closest friend who is dead now, a trustable boy who has such a bright career! If you dare to visit Vicki, I will kill you!”
Alec didn’t answer. He was totally torn and tattered up inside. He covered his face with his hands and kept absolutely still.
Nicky patted Mrs Zhao on the shoulder. “Uncle, Aunty, please don’t scold and reproach Alec any longer. He’s feeling just as horrible now as you are. You don’t know how he has suffered and how much he has scolded himself for treating her like that. Please don’t be so hard on him anymore.”
Mr and Mrs Zhao might have held their peace if just then Sammi hadn’t run up and cried out, “How is Vicki? Is she ok?”
Mrs Zhao glared at her. If looks could kill, Sammi would certainly have dropped dead right on the spot. As it is, she didn’t, and she was so worried that she hardly even noticed how angrily Mrs Zhao was looking at her. She ran up to Alec and took hold of his hands. “Alec, how is Vicki? Will she be all right? Is she going to die?”
Impulsively, Mrs Zhao reached out and grabbed Sammi’s arms. “Get your filthy hands off Alec Su and get out of this hospital! You have no right to be here!”
Sammi turned round. “Aunty, I’m so sorry,” she cried, tears streaking her face. “I know I was wrong, I hate myself so much now. Aunty, don’t! Aunty, please forgive me…”
“Don’t ask me to forgive you! Ask Vicki to forgive you! You have wronged her, not me!”
“Sammi Cheng!” Mr Zhao shouted, “get the hell out of here and don’t let me see your face again or I swear you’ll die!”
A few nurses hurried up to them. “If you do not lower your tones now,” said one nurse, “we are very sorry but you will have to leave the hospital. You are disturbing the patients and the surgeons are distracted by your screaming and shouting.”
“We’re so sorry,” said one of Vicki’s aunts. “It won’t happen again.”
“I hope not,” said another nurse.
When the nurses were gone, Mrs Zhao turned on Sammi again. “You,” she said, her voice trembling, “don’t you dare to visit Vicki or say a word to Alec again.”
Sammi gasped. “But…”
“Hold your tongue!” Mr Zhao said sternly. “Get out of my sight.”
Sammi turned imploring eyes to Alec, who simply stared bleakly up at her. He wanted to plead for her, but he was really lost for words. Sammi realised that in double quick time. He didn’t love her at all, his whole life was devoted to Vicki. There was no point in staying here anymore especially since everyone was looking at her with such terrible hatred in their eyes. With a strangled sob, she fled from them.

Chapter 19

Despite everything, Alec somehow managed to visit Vicki, who was still in a coma. Mr and Mrs Zhao couldn’t be around all the time, so when they weren’t present he sneaked into Vicki’s room and sat by the bedside, holding her hand and looking at her pale face. Accept for the fact that her head was bandaged because of a deep gash in her forehead, her face was otherwise uninjured and unmarked.
Anna would keep vigil all day and all night, not willing to leave the room for even a moment. She took care of her beloved mistress in a way not even the nurses could.
Nicky went to visit Jimmy, whom he found quite pale and spiritless. However, when he told him the news about Vicki, and that she was in no danger, Jimmy cheered up considerably.
“Can you remember how the accident occurred?” Nicky asked.
Jimmy frowned, then winced with pain. “I don’t remember much. I can only recall that the car in front of us suddenly stopped and I crashed into it. That’s all I can remember.”
Nicky looked puzzled. “Why should the car stop?”
“I have no idea.”
“Could it have stopped on purpose?”
Jimmy stared. “You’re mad. Who would want Vicki and I dead? Don’t be stupid, Nicky. I’m sure it was just an accident.”
Nicky didn’t looked convinced.
Someone knocked on the door and opened it. Both looked round to see who had entered, and were amazed when they saw Alec walking in. “Aren’t you…Alec Su?” Jimmy asked. Alec looked hard at Jimmy. “What business have you with Vicki?” he said coldly.
Jimmy looked startled. “What do you mean?”
“Why were you keeping her in your house?”
Nicky stood up. “Alec, don’t make a scene.”
Alec paid no attention to Nicky.
Jimmy let out a cold laugh, then winced again. “I wasn’t keeping her in my house. She came one day and pleaded with me to let her stay there for a while. For a while – until her husband came to his senses and went down on his knees to beg her to come back,” he added spitefully.
“You know how many letters and emails I sent to her,” Alec said. “Why didn’t you ask her to come back?”
“I did. Don’t assume, Alec. It just makes an ‘ass of you and me’ (ass…u…me). No, let’s cut out the ‘you’ part.”
Nicky stared at them with horrified eyes, for he sensed that something was blowing up. He couldn’t understand why Jimmy was saying such hurtful words.
Alec turned white with fury and jealousy. “Did you do anything with her?” he snapped.
“What’s that to you?” Jimmy said rudely.
Alec glared at Jimmy, and Nicky immediately held him back. “Alec,” he said warningly.
“Let me go,” said Alec through clenched teeth.
“I’m not letting you go until you calm down.”
“I’m calm. Let me go.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Oh, stop it, it’s embarrassing,” said Jimmy. “Look here, Alec. You don’t have to bother about Vicki anymore. Don’t you think you’ve caused her enough hurt? I’ll never let her go back to you unless I’m absolutely, 100% sure that you’ll make her happy.”
“What right have you to allow her to do things?” Alec demanded, trying to snatch his arms from Nicky, who clung on tightly.
Jimmy met his eyes in a frosty look. “She listens to me,” he said. “And it’s good that she does.”
“Jimmy!” Nicky said. “How can you say things like that? No matter what, she’s still Alec’s wife! Stop being so – so bitchy to Alec, ok?”
Alec was by then so jealous that he would have bashed Jimmy up but Nicky continued to cling to him, holding him back. “Nicky!” he said furiously. “Let me go, for goodness’ sake! If you don’t you’ll forever be my enemy!”
“Let it be so, then, because I won’t let go. You needn’t worry about that.”
Alec breathed in deeply. “Let me go. I won’t harm Jimmy Lin.”
“No,” Nicky said firmly.
“I’m going out of the room. Let go of me!” Alec said angrily. “Do you think I mean to stay here and look at this frog-face anymore? He’s beneath my contempt!”
“Correction. YOU are beneath my contempt,” Jimmy replied. “Yes, Nicky, let him out of the room. I don’t want to see him anymore either.”
Nicky, with a groan of resignation, let Alec out of the room and shut the door. He then went back to sit by Jimmy. “Why did you have to behave like that? You were too much. You can’t blame Alec for getting exasperated. Don’t you think he’s suffered enough?”
Jimmy didn’t answer him. Then suddenly, his eyes brightened. “Nicky!” he reached out his right arm and grasped Nicky’s wrist tightly. “I remember something!”
“What?”
“Before I crashed, there was someone running away from the car in front of us…”
“What does that signify?” Nicky demanded.
“Are you stupid? That person knew that I was going to crash directly into the car!”
“But he might have been any ordinary person…”
“No. I remember something else as well. When we crashed, I was conscious for a few moments. I recollect hearing Vicki cry out and scream…and then I distinctly heard someone saying in low tones, ‘When Vicki is dead, life will be so much better’. Then I fainted.”
Nicky looked at Jimmy, and Jimmy looked at Nicky. Both of them wore an alarmed look on their faces.

Chapter 20

During the next few days Nicky talked to the police and got them to investigate the case while Anna and Alec waited and waited for Vicki to wake up. The doctor and nurses came to give her her daily checkup, and looked satisfied every time they finished, which was a good sign.
All evidence pointed to Fan Bing Bing, not only because she was the only one who could and would have done it, but because she kept contradicting herself and showing hatred towards Vicki. She protested her innocence, but the court took it with a pinch of salt. Her father, who was seriously disgusted with her, hired a lawyer for her, and although the lawyer fought hard and did extremely well, he lost. Besides, Bing Bing claimed her innocence in such a guilt-ridden way that no one would have taken her seriously.
Meanwhile, at last, Vicki woke up. Anna and Alec were in the room when her eyelashes fluttered and her eyes opened. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment, then saw Anna’s face. She muttered something which Anna couldn’t make out but could hear, and in excitement Anna called for Alec, who rushed up at once. “She’s awake!” he exclaimed. “Vicki! Do you know who I am?”
Vicki croaked out something and Anna ran to get her a cup of water while Alec went to fetch a doctor. Vicki sipped at the water, then leaned her head back on the pillow and looked at everyone with bewildered eyes. “Where am I?” she whispered.
The doctor, who was examining her, stood up with a smile. “She’ll be fine in a few months’ time now,” he said. “Young lady, you did give us all a fright when you first arrived here, do you know that?”
Vicki stared up at him. “Hospital?” she murmured faintly.
“Yes, you’re in a hospital. You were in quite a terrible car accident, but you’ll be ok now. Do you feel that you’ve gotten enough rest?”
“She should,” Alec broke in. “She’s been sleeping for nearly three weeks!” He bent down and caressed her face. “Vic, I’m so glad you’re awake now. You scared everyone, you know!”
“Alec,” Vicki whispered. “What – happened?”
“You were in a car with Mr Jimmy,” Anna said. “And then – you crashed into another car.”
Vicki’s eyes opened wider. “Jimmy?” she said, then looked frantically at the doctor. “Is Jimmy ok?”
Alec’s jaw tightened when he saw how concerned she was over Jimmy, but he said nothing. “Jimmy Lin is fine, much better than you are,” the doctor replied. “He’ll be alive for many more years, unless he’s in another accident.”
Vicki nodded slightly, looking relieved.
The doctor spoke to Alec. “She’ll remain in hospital until she’s well enough to go out. Meanwhile, we’ll be giving her checkups to see that there’s nothing else wrong with her. Is that ok with you?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”

In court, Bing Bing heard her sentence. The judge confirmed that she was guilty, and sentenced her to life imprisonment, since the lawyer had at least managed to secure her from hanging. Bing Bing’s eyes teared when she thought about staying in jail for the rest of her life, but she stood straight and faced the judge unflinchingly.
Mrs Fan was crying as she looked at her daughter. “Bing Bing, how can you do this to us?” she wept. Bing Bing glanced at her mother with an expressionless face as she was led out of court.

Chapter 21

As the doctor had come into the room to give Vicki yet another checkup, Alec and Anna walked out of the hospital room to get some refreshments. Alec smiled tiredly at Anna. “Thanks for taking such good care of Vicki, Anna. I feel super indebted to you.”
“Oh, it’s nothing, Mr Alec,” Anna said. “Mr Jimmy took good care of her as well.”
As usual, Alec’s jaw tightened, but he only said, “I suppose I should thank him as well. After all…” he exhaled slowly. “He did look after her almost as much as you did. I shouldn’t have yelled at him like that. Oh well, don’t let’s talk about it anymore. Are you hungry?”
“Not really.”
When they returned to the hospital room, the doctor met them excitedly. “Mr Su, I believe we’ve found out what was wrong with her legs!” he said. “And I believe that we shall be able to put it right!”
Alec stared at the doctor. “What?”
“Mr Su, at the time of the accident, Mrs Su was healed of her injuries and wounds, but she was paralysed from waist down. Back then no one could heal her. Now, however, we have discovered that we can actually operate on her and if the operation is successful, she’ll be able to walk again!”
Alec gasped. So did Anna.
“Is that right?” Alec said.
“Yes!”
“Then…then…operate on her NOW!”
The doctor laughed at Alec’s enthusiasm.
************
“She’ll be able to walk again?” Jimmy sat up as straight as he could and looked at Alec with surprise and delight in his eyes.
“Yeah. Isn’t that simply the greatest news of this year?”
“Yahoo!” Jimmy shouted. “The greatest news of the year? The best news in the century!”
Alec grinned cheerfully. “Jimmy, I’m sorry for having treated you so shabbily. You’ll forgive me, won’t you? It was nice of you to take Vicki in and look after her so thoroughly. You deserve my thanks and gratitude.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. After all is said and done, Vicki is still just my best friend. And I’ve heard about the court case. Is it true that Fan Bing Bing was the one who bribed the driver to stop his car in the middle of the highway?”
“No. Whoever said that she bribed the driver? No, the driver was her accomplice. Up till now, the police still can’t find out who the driver was.”
Jimmy thought hard. “I don’t know either. I’m not very well acquainted with Vicki’s enemies.”
Alec sat down. “Jimmy, I know that you were once in love with Vicki. Can you tell me exactly what happened between the two of you?”
Jimmy sighed. “It’s very long ago, Alec…I may not be able to remember the details. Besides, it wasn’t much; just another love story.”
“Please tell me. I’d like very much to know.”
“All right then.” Jimmy thought again, then started. “Vicki’s father and mine met at a business meeting. They got to know each other, and soon they were the best of friends. My mother became very close to Mrs Zhao as well, so naturally I came to know Vicki. We were friends from the moment we saw each other. I believe we were only five or six then…but when I saw her I knew that she would be my best friend. We grew up together, and went to the same schools. We were never too far from each other. Vicki was really popular in school, she made dozens of guys fall in love…and I think you were introduced to her then. I didn’t know you existed, of course, and honestly, I couldn’t care less. There were so many other guys after her.
“Gradually I began to fall for her. Not only because she was beautiful and vivacious, but because she understood me so well and we got along so fabulously. I remember there were many boys who were REALLY envious of me then. I didn’t know how to tell her – I’ve always been shy of telling anyone of my feelings – and actually I didn’t even think of telling her how much I liked her. Then, one night when we were doing our homework together, I just spurted out that I was in love with her.
“She took it calmly, told me that she liked me only as a friend. I couldn’t take it, though. I was so disappointed and so out of my mind that somehow we got into a quarrel; I can’t even remember why we started arguing…and I stormed out of her house. When I arrived home I found out that my parents were planning to emigrate to America; so I followed them there and broke off all contact with Vicki. While I was still in America…that damned accident happened. I didn’t know, of course. My parents’ business in America suddenly went bankrupt and we returned. My father started another business, and just when it was beginning to be successful, my dad found out that he had lung cancer and died.
“My mother wasn’t very long in following. I was heartbroken, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. I discovered where Vicki was and wrote to her, but didn’t receive any reply. Then one fine day she appeared in my house.” Jimmy paused. “You know the rest of the story.”
Alec listened to the whole story in absolute silence. “So…you are still in love with her now?” he said.
“Yes, of course I am.”
“Then why aren’t you making any effort to get her back?”
Jimmy grinned. “She’s married to you, right? Besides, I gave her up a long time ago. Like I’ve told her before, it doesn’t hurt me to give her up again now.” He winked at Alec. “So we’re friends?”
Alec grinned as well. “What do you think? Of course we are.”

Chapter 22

On the day of the operation Alec, Anna, Nicky and a few others sat in the waiting room, all looking nervous. Alec ran his hands through his hair repeatedly and was almost white with the suspense. Anna was extremely edgy and jumped whenever someone made a noise.
The entire operation took about three hours. At last the doctor came out with a smile on his face and told all of them that within a few weeks of constant practice, Vicki would be able to walk as normally as she had done before.
The news was met with the utmost joy. Everyone could barely contain their excitement and talked so loudly that the friends and relatives of other patients looked at them in irritation and some hushed them. But no one cared. Alec, perhaps, was the happiest, but he simply sat and said nothing. His joy was too great to be able to be expressed in words.
The next afternoon, he went to Vicki’s room and found her in bed, watching TV. She smiled a little when he came in, and the first thing he noticed was his necklace round her neck, gleaming in the light. It was sparkling as if to say ‘I’m the sign of peace and reconciliation’. He gasped and looked at her tranquil face, which suddenly seemed to have acquired a singular, rare beauty; a beauty he had seen before all the complication began. “You forgive me?” he said, gazing at her.
With a smile, Vicki held out her arms, and in a moment he was in them. “You shouldn’t have left me; should never have left me…” he whispered in her ears.
“Yes,” she replied, “I should never have left you.”
“How did you get the necklace?”
“This morning Anna came and I sent her back to Jimmy’s house in double quick time to get the necklace. I couldn’t stand it anymore. Jimmy has been wonderful; a real tower of strength and support to me, but I was dead without you; will always be dead without you.”
Alec lifted his eyes to hers, and what he read in them was almost too incredible and marvelous for him to believe. She hadn’t stopped loving him. No matter what he had done to her, no matter how notoriously he had behaved towards her, she had continued loving him.
“And when I left you,” she went on, with a break in her voice, “I felt so ugly, so old, so useless – I think that was mainly the reason why I went – not only because of Sammi, but because of me, too.”
“No.” Alec stroked her cheek and smoothened out the lines on her forehead. “You’re the most beautiful girl I know, and the loveliest, sweetest, beautiful girl I’ll ever know.”
Vicki’s eyes sparkled and shone as they hugged each other again. All the tension was gone. She loved him and he loved her. They were together again. That was all that mattered.
Alec finally broke the embrace and, looking deeply into her soul, into her heart, said, “I love you.”
“Oh – Alec.” Tears rose up in Vicki’s eyes and she realised how much she had missed hearing him tell her that. “Alec – I love you.”
“Thank God,” he said again, and his lips met hers in a gentle kiss. “Vic, you can’t believe how much I missed you, I was almost going crazy at one stage,” he murmured against her lips. She smiled and kissed him again. “You can’t believe how much I missed you, too. I’m sorry for just walking out like that.”
“No, I’m sorry, I was insane, doing that to you, thinking about Sammi…”
She hushed him by kissing him deeply, and said, “Shh. We won’t think about that anymore. It’s okay, I’ve forgiven you, you’ve forgiven me, and it’s all over.”
“I want you and I to make a promise,” Alec said, holding her tight and looking very serious.
“What is it?”
“To always be there for each other, to love and to remain by each other’s side always. I promise you with all my heart that and also that I’ll never ever do such a thing to you again.”
Vicki smiled.
Alec looked urgently at her. He needed to hear her say it.
“I promise,” she said.
He was in the seventh heaven of delight. He had back his soulmate, his security, his home. He had back the most treasured possession a man can ever have: his wife.
***********
“Careful now…” Alec and Nicky helped Vicki as she made her way to the toilet. She laughed and shook her head. “Why do you treat me like a baby? I’ve walked before, you know!”
“What if you fall?” Alec said.
“What if you bang your head and lose your memory?” Nicky said.
“Oh, shut up!” Vicki retorted. “Get me to the toilet without further ado. So you want to follow me inside as well in case I fall into the toilet bowl and get flushed down?”
“I don’t think the toilet bowl will be able to accept such a fat person,” Nicky said, grinning. Vicki gasped. “You pig!”
Anna laughed and followed her into the toilet. With a sigh of relief, Nicky let go of his burden and collapsed into a chair, panting. Alec glared at him. “Hey, don’t insult my wife!”
“Hmm,” Nicky answered.
“You guys are such jokers,” Greg said disapprovingly, bending over the baskets of fruit that had been sent to Vicki’s hospital room. “Wow, look at all these fruits. I’m gonna have one.” He picked out an apple and started munching on it before Alec could say anything. “So has the driver been exposed yet?”
“No. They’re questioning Bing Bing, but she doesn’t seem to want to tell on her friend. Well, she’s loyal, for one thing,” Nicky said, wrinkling up his nose at the thought of Fan Bing Bing who had so nearly caused the deaths of Jimmy and Vicki. “I’m dying to know who this mysterious person is.”
Alec shrugged. “It’s a pity Jimmy isn’t here.”
“That’s SO off the subject, but I don’t mind,” Nicky grinned. “It’s pretty amazing how close you two are now, huh? I still remember holding back a certain Alec who wanted to beat Jimmy up because he was up to his neck with jealousy.”
“Make that forehead,” Alec suggested.
“Yeah – well, if you do something like that to Vicki again, you’ll be the one who’ll feel manpower at the end of my fist,” Nicky warned. “Oh, here’s the princess again.”
Vicki came out of the toilet, supported by Anna. “Where’s Sammi?” she asked. “Why hasn’t she come to see me?”
“If you had any sense you’ll know why,” Greg said, shaking his head at her. “Mr and Mrs Zhao have completely forbidden her to come. As it is, they’ve only just stopped yelling at Alec.”
Vicki sighed. “Sometimes my parents can be far too much!”

Chapter 23

So the next day, Alec, Nicky, Anna and Sammi were seated in the court and waited impatiently for the driver to be brought to the front. The judge was going to pronounce her sentence that day.
When the driver was led up, everyone gasped. Anna turned absolutely white. The driver looked exactly like Anna; was alike her in every single way. Alec turned to stare at Anna, then stared at the driver again.
“Marilyn!” Anna whispered through white lips.
The driver turned out to be Marilyn Choi, and she was to spend the rest of her life in prison. When everything finished Anna was so pale that she looked as if she was about to faint.
“Do you know her, Anna?” Sammi asked, dazed.
Anna swallowed hard. “She’s my twin sister!”
Alec was shocked beyond words. Nicky didn’t know what to say. Sammi was totally stupefied. “Your twin sister?” she repeated.
“Yes! I haven’t seen her for many years.” Anna started to shake with uncontrollable sobs. “I have to talk to her. I must find out why she did this!”

Chapter 24

“Marilyn Choi, there’s a visitor for you.”
Marilyn got up and made her way to the visitors’ room (is that what it’s called? Never mind). She gasped as she recognized a very familiar face – her twin sister, Anna, whom she had not seen in years.
Anna stood up and looked at her with tear-filled eyes. Marilyn gazed at Anna, not knowing exactly what to say. The two of them sat down and picked up the phone. “Why did you do this, Marilyn?” was the first thing Anna said.
Marilyn looked awkward.
“I didn’t even know you were friends with Bing Bing.”
“I did it for you!” Marilyn burst out. Anna was startled. “For me? What on earth are you talking about?”
“You were so young when mummy sold you off to be a maid for that Vicki Zhao…” Marilyn started crying. “You have slaved for her all your life! You deserve to have some rest! Bing Bing wanted to do it because of Alec Su, but I did it for you!”
Anna was too shocked to say anything. Marilyn looked at her pleadingly. “It was for you, Anna, I only thought of you. No one else.”
Anna could believe that. Marilyn had always been devoted to her for some reason. “But Marilyn…” she began. “My mistress Vicki has treated me so well; she’s been like a sister to me. I haven’t been slaving for her – in fact, I enjoy my times with her. Why didn’t you ask me for my opinion before you tried to murder her? Marilyn, what’s the matter with you?”
Marilyn’s eyes were red and she started shivering. “I – I’m an alcoholic, Anna,” she whispered. “I – tried not to be but…”
Anna’s eyes were wide with horror. “Alcoholic?!”
Marilyn nodded. “I’m dying here. I haven’t had alcohol for days.” She looked at Anna, and for the first time Anna realised how broken her sister looked. “Don’t worry about me. Get on with your life.”
“Marilyn…”
Without another word, Marilyn got up and walked away. Anna stared after her sister, feeling her heart break into a million pieces.
The next day news came that Marilyn Choi had committed suicide by hanging herself.
**********
(seven months later)
“All’s well that ends well,” Vicki laughed. She was able to walk as normally as any of them now.
Anna blushed and looked at Nicky, who smiled back at her. “Oh mistress, don’t tease me! I’m embarrassed enough.”
“Yes but…Anna, how can I bear to leave you?”
Anna put her arms round Vicki and hugged her tight. “I’ll come here every free moment I have,” she promised. Nicky looked startled. “Hey, what about me?”
“My mistress is more important than you!” Anna retorted petulantly and everyone laughed at Nicky’s face.
“Dinner is served,” Sammi announced, and everyone charged to the dinning table. “Wow, Sammi, you’re a dear!” Jimmy exclaimed, looking at all the food. “How long did it take for you to cook all this?”
“Oh, about six hours,” Sammi said nonchalantly. “I had nothing better to do!”
As they feasted that night to celebrate Anna and Nicky’s engagement, Sammi held up her wineglass. “I would like to propose a toast,” she said.
“To who?” everyone asked.
“To Nicky Wu and Anna Choi.”
Anna blushed even more. The rest held up their glasses and said, “To Nicky and Anna!”
“And their babies,” Vicki added, which made them laugh.
“And I would like to propose ANOTHER toast!” Sammi said loudly. “To Vicki and Alec, that they would live happily ever after!”
“What? Don’t you think that’s a belated toast?” Jimmy asked.
“Not at all! All of you know I liked Alec a lot last time, but now I’ve finally managed to stop liking him! So…to Alec and Vicki!”
Everybody held up their glasses once more and repeated, “To Alec and Vicki.”

Chapter 25

How can I just let you walk away,
Just let you leave without a trace
When I'm standing taking every breath
With you, oooohhh
You're the only one
Who really knew me at all

How can you just walk away from me,
When all I can do is watch you leave,
Cause we shared the laughter and the pain,
And even shared the tears,
You're the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now,
There's just an empty space,
There's nothing left here to remind me,
Just the memory of your face,
So take a look at me now,
There's just an empty space,
If you're coming back to me it's against all odds,
And that's what I've got to face.

I wish I could just make you turn around,
Turn around and see me cry,
There's so much I need to say to you,
So many reasons why,
You're the only one who really knew me at all.

So take a look at me now,
There's just an empty space,
There's nothing left here to remind me,
Just the memory of your face,
So take a look at me now,
So there's just an empty space,
But to wait for you is all I can do,
When that's what I've got to face
Take a good look at me now,
Cause I'll be standing here,
And you coming back to me is against all odds,
And that's the chance I've got to take.

Got to take
Got to take
Ooh Take a look at me now
Take a look at me now...

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