Love Began with the First Meeting
Chapter 143 The Subtle Changes In Feelings (Part One)

"Are you going to threaten me too?" Shirley snapped and glared at her satanic son, as she gripped Molly's hand tight.

Brian was taken aback by Shirley's anger. Shirley seldom got so angry with him, as far as he could remember. Brian had really pushed her buttons this time. She looked genuinely furious, so Brian softened his voice and started to say,"Shirley..."

"Don't even say my name!" Shirley yelled at him. She was so mad at Richie and Brian. Both father and son had been bullying her one after the other. "I am taking Little Molly away from you people. I don't want her to suffer anymore under your atrocities. If you have any objection to that, you can come straight to me!"

After saying that much, Shirley cast one more outraged glance at Brian and then shifted her gaze to Eric and Frank Long. Finally, she left the three men behind and pulled Molly away with her.

Because of all the farce, the entire shopping mall was filled with a chill tension and there was pin-drop silence.

"I don't want to hear anyone discussing about this matter again," Frank calmly ordered. His eyes were still fixed on the spot where Shirley had been standing.

Hale Li nodded his head and arranged some men to handle the matter quickly.

At the end of all this, Eda Mi was fired without receiving any of her wages, and worse, she had to pay tens of thousands of dollars in compensation for the clothes. Eda stood at the entrance of Falloon Mall and stared at the Dragon Empire Group logo with pure resentment in her eyes. A gust of cold wind from outside pierced through her skin and chilled her bones. Narrowing her eyes, she gritted her teeth and swore, "Hmph! Molly Xia, you wait till I get my hands on you and when I do, I will definitely make you pay for what you did to me today!"

After spouting out these furious words, Eda Mi left.

But in reality, although Eda lost her job and was made to compensate for the clothes as a punishment by Eric, her life was actually saved by Molly's words. Molly had confessed openly to Brian by saying that she wasn't Eric's wife but Brian's woman. And to top it off, she announced it in front of so many people and not very gracefully either. Molly had actually saved Eda's life, but Eda didn't realize it.

Shirley took Molly to the dessert cafe where they had met for the first time. It was a rare sight to see Shirley in such an angry mood. She always displayed strength and tolerance in all kinds of situations due to her childhood experiences and due to the things that she had experienced with Richie. While under Richie's protection over the years, even though sometimes she had quarrels with him, she never lost her cool the way she did today.

Customers at the cafe were scarce at that time of the day. Shirley ushered Molly to the table near the window. When the waiter came to get their order, she asked him to bring all kinds of ice cream that they had.

Bearing the humiliation in mind about what had happened earlier, Molly forced a thin smile and asked, "Aunt Shirley, why did you order this much dessert? Would the two of us be able to eat them all?"

Seeing Molly's bitter smile, Shirley felt sympathetic and said, "A very wise man once told me that life is like different kinds of ice-cream. Each has its own flavor, color, and taste. He said that every incident or experience we come across in our life has its own meaning and, no matter how it makes you feel- sweet, or bitter, or sour, each experience that we face teaches us something. We should learn to enjoy different tastes of life without trying to escape from it."

Molly went silent. She looked at the colorful ice creams on the table.

"Little Molly, Brian is my son, but I've never intervened in his affairs. He is brilliant when it comes to his business, but even the best of them can make mistakes and bad judgements. He doesn't understand about the matters of the heart," Shirley added. Instead of her usual kind smile, Shirley continued with a serious face, "I don't know what kind of relationship exists between you and Brian or how your relationship is going to develop. I just hope that you can be strong. No matter what happens in the future, you should always believe in yourself and move forward, one step at a time. And as long as you keep moving forward, you are sure to replace the most beautiful scenery that has been waiting for you all along."

Shirley's words touched Molly's heart. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

Never in her life had she heard such optimistic words from anyone. No one had ever bothered to tell her how to live her life, not even her father or mother. It was as if she was unwanted and too insignificant to them. But now, Aunt Shirley was with her and she cared about her feelings and told her how she was supposed to live her life.

Deeply moved by her affection, hot tears instantly overflowed from Molly's eyes and poured down her cheeks. Her lips trembled slightly, yet she smiled through the tears. A strong and positive feeling began to set in her heart and she said in a choking voice, "Aunt Shirley, thank you! I am so grateful that you are always looking out for me. And thank you for encouraging me to be better."

"You silly girl!" Shirley said as she caressed Molly's cheeks. She looked at the variety of ice creams on the table and smacked her lips. After taking a deep breath, Shirley shrugged playfully and then grabbed her fork, saying,"Come on! Let's eat up and forget all those undesirable things."

After a sniff, Molly smiled happily with tear stained eyes and nodded in agreement. "Okay, let's eat them all. You are right. As long as I move forward one step at a time, there will be something beautiful waiting for me."

Shirley was satisfied with Molly's words. They laughed and talked happily, devouring all the ice creams they had ordered. They seemed like a pair of good friends despite the significant age difference. When other customers in the cafe curiously glanced at them, they would stare back together and then turn to look at each other and burst out laughing.

"The ice-cream cakes here are very delicious. Do you want to try some?" Shirley suggested.

"Um...I am not quite fond of cakes. I don't like sweet food," said Molly.

Surprised, Shirley asked, "Really? But last time I ordered mousse cake for you and you didn't refuse. Why?"

Turning a little red in the face, Molly said, "I was too embarrassed and didn't want to refuse your hospitality."

Shirley placed her fork on the plate and said with a serious look on her face, "Next time, don't let that happen. You should not feel embarrassed to tell me how you feel. Just be frank and tell me what's on your mind- whatever that is. Okay?"

"Yes, I will!" Molly nodded her head enthusiastically. She then looked around the shop once and lowered her voice, "Can I say that I don't like Brian?"

After a surprised pause, Shirley's lips curled up in a naughty smile and she said, "To be honest, I don't like that demon either."

"What?!" Molly's eyes widened in shock. 0000