Love Began with the First Meeting
Chapter 723 Add Insult To Injury (Part Two)

"Bri," Ling's strained voice called Brian's attention. "I'm a bit tired. I'll go back first. You drive her home."

"No," Brian shifted his eyes from Molly to Ling, "I'll take you home."

Ling's lips opened to say something, but was stopped by Brian's pointed look. She closed her lips and simply nodded her head, as her eyes cast a sympathetic glance at Molly. She then held Brian's arm and they left the bar together without a word.

A fresh set of tears instantly welled up in Molly's already reddened eyes. She just remained there still and basked in the pain of her broken heart as everything went in a blur around her.

"Hey, hey..." the bartender called her as he looked at the party crowd and waiters, "Miss Xia... Oh, Mrs. Long, shouldn't you chase them out?" He said in an attempt to placate her. He truly felt sorry for her, and murmured, "Ah, these third wheels are so high-profile. That Mr. Brian Long is no good either. Yes, he is wealthy and powerful. So what? How can he humiliate and desert his wife like this?"

He placed the drink he was mixing on the counter and gently pulled Molly's sleeve. He advised, "It's no use crying over the spilled milk. You should either slap the third wheel or teach your husband a good lesson in bed. He is a man, after all." He was about to continue, but he decided to stop when he saw Molly's tear-stricken face as she just stared at him.

In turn, Molly just pursed her lips, but she was still determined. She took a deep breath, thanked the bartender and went to the doors and out of the bar.

It was biting cold and the streets were carpeted in fluffy white snow as gales of frosty wind blew in the crisp winter night. Molly aimlessly wandered the streets in just her waitress uniform that was too thin for the weather, but no matter how much the cold nipped at her skin, she was too heartbroken to feel anything.

A gust of wind swept through Molly's long hair, messing up the strands a bit. She stopped at a sidewalk and her bloodshot eyes gazed up at the night sky. It was dark and no stars lit it up, except for the crescent moon that hung above like a single lamp. Its light was as dim as her mood, as if the moon joined her in her sorrows.

She sneered bitterly, before her vision went black and she collapsed on the pavement.

"Miss, miss..." a voice started to call in her ears.

"Call 911." "Wake up, miss.

Miss, wake up," the voice prodded further. When she fell, a growing crowd had started to gather around an unconscious Molly.

Brian had seen everything. They were in the car on the adjacent parking lot but they hadn't left yet. His hands grabbed the car door handle and was about to go out and rush to her side, but eventually he loosened his grip.

When he saw that more people continued to gather around her, he appeared less anxious, although the care and worry in his eyes gave him away.

Outside, some of the people covered Molly with their outerwear as others tried to wake her up. Ling watched them from the car window, then turned to look at her companion. Now he was the complete opposite of his aloof persona a while ago. He looked distressed and concerned. She spoke, "If you love her so much, why did you pretend to have forgotten her and try to divorce her?" The sirens of the ambulance were heard in the distance and it soon stopped at where Molly was. Ling cast a glance at the vehicle and added, "She is everything to you. I can see it."

"Shut up!" Brian cut her off, but his eyes never looked away from Molly, who was wheeled on a stretcher by the paramedics and brought inside the ambulance.

However, his serious tone didn't faze Ling even a little bit. Instead, she slumped further in her seat and held her chin on one hand, her eyes on Brian and quipped, "Wow, what a temper. But your anger just says how much you love her." She smiled and advised, "Mr. Brian Long, go check on her. It's so cold. She wore too thin clothes, and she was too heartbroken. Either one is too much for her."

However, Brian wasn't ready to take her advice, or any advice for that matter. His hands gripped the steering wheel as he turned his head to Ling and retorted coldly, "Ling, has anyone said that you are nosy?"

Ling thought about his question seriously for a moment before she shook her head and answered, "No."

Brian watched the scene outside. The ambulance had finished hauling Molly in and drove off, its sirens blaring once again.

It was at this moment when Brian squinted his eyes and looked at Ling again. He said in an icy voice, "I should let Victor dispatch you to those mountainous areas, then no one would be bothered."

"Mr. Brian Long!" Ling straightened up at his words. Gone was the graceful and charming lady seen in the bar awhile ago and was now replaced by a brash, boyish woman. Suddenly, the elegant gown looked out of place on her. "You can't just cross the bridge, then burn it. You should know, I'm the only one out of our team who is willing to help you put on a play," Ling pointed out.

"I don't mind turning you back," Brian said in a menacing voice, "and let Victor punish you for failing to get the job done."

That made Ling silent and she zipped her lips shut. She fixed her posture and looked out the window, and murmured, "Damn, I should have known better then to play along with you. I might as well train in the base."

Ling threw a pointed look at Brian who still sulked in his seat, and rolled her eyes. She just couldn't understand why on earth they complicated things -- after all, they loved each other so much.

She turned her head back to look outside the window again. Even an optimist like her felt a bit blue now. The atmosphere in the car was indeed saddening.

On the driver's side, Brian bent to the side and pulled the knob on the bottom to recline his seat, and lay on it. Molly's agonized and bitter face surfaced on his mind. His heart twisted in pain and if it could, it would drip blood because that was how much it ached. A bitter frown formed on his thin lips.

"Mr. Brian Long," Ling said with a stuffy voice, "If Molly doesn't sign the document in three days, what do you do then?" Her orbs turned to look at Brian, whose eyes were tightly shut as if deep in thought. After all, it was true that he didn't lose his memory; he still loved Molly deeply. If Molly still flat-out refused to sign the papers, what could he do then?

"She will sign it," Brian's voice was cold and aloof, but the hint of sorrow didn't escape Ling.

Ling only pursed her lips and disagreed with him, "I don't think so." Her brows rose up in deep thought before she continued, "My intuition tells me that weak though she might seem, she is definitely resolute. She wouldn't give up on you so easily. I'm sure she wouldn't just sign it." "She will," Brian pressed as he gradually opened his eyes. "There is but a thin line between hopeful and hopeless." His eyes went back to Ling and he added, "If you know a person well enough, it'd be a piece of cake to beat her down. "0000000