Love Began with the First Meeting
Chapter 765 The Beginning Of The New Trial (Part Two)

Although the heat was too much to handle during daytime in South Africa, gusts of wind would blow every now and then from the north to bring in blissful cool moments, making the weather enjoyable and pleasant.

In a hammock tied down to two willow trees, was Shirley lying down and relaxing in the shade. Snug and cozy, she listened to the sound of the birds and crickets singing along.

Not long after, a sound of footsteps treading on the grass drew closer. Shirley did not rise up from her spot to see who it was, and kept swaying on the hammock until the person stopped in front of her.

"I didn't expect you'd enjoy your time here," came the person's voice.

"Why ever not?' questioned Shirley, glancing up at the person. "Listening to the birds and the crickets sing, you'd be surprised at how brilliant of a band they can be together. Truly, this is the song of nature. The most original and wonderful song," she complimented. Frowning, the indifferent person asked, "Shouldn't you be worried about Brian?"

"There's nothing to worry about at the moment," Shirley grimaced, "Molly and Mark have returned to him. I think they can handle him better this time. More importantly," her smile grew as she continued, "what can I do when I'm all the way here?" A glint of confidence in her eyes affirmed her belief in Molly's ability to settle things with Brian. Adjusting herself in the hammock, she resumed, "Now that I know that Brian's been faking about his Amnesia, do you think I should inform Molly?" She pursed her lips together while deep in thought. "Maybe I shouldn't. It'll only put all of Brian's efforts go in vain. You have no idea how depressed he was when they left. I remember him crying in my arms all night." She sighed. "It, quite literally, tore his heart out," Then she averted her face again, her eyes shining in an intelligent light as she continued her speech, "But you know me. I can't stand keeping a secret either, especially when I see that Molly's hurting just as much as Brian. This is why I'd rather wait a little longer here. beats staying in A city and watching them fight with each other. I'll just show up when my time comes," she said in a slow and determined voice.

"When your time comes? What's that supposed to mean?" the person asked, puzzled.

Thinking of her plan unraveling amused Shirley more than she expected. Although she could not wait to set it in motion, timing was of the essence to make her plan work. Grinning at the person, she rose to sit upstraight in the hammock. Her legs hung down, tiptoeing the ground. With eyes flickering a brilliant, sly glint, she said, "I can't reveal anything about my plan right now. Just bear in mind that when the right time comes, my plan would play a vital role in the entire situation."

The person was not impressed by her answer. "I just don't want you to push Brian too hard. The harder you push, the more rebellious his actions become," the person sighed, and sat on the tree stump next to Shirley. "Their relationship has fluctuated more times than I can count in the past six or seven years, and they've become more and more sensitive about anything that happens between them. One mistake or flaw could lead to a negative outcome," the person reminded.

"I don't think so. As long as they're still in love, I'm sure my plan will work," Shirley retorted, getting off the hammock. "I forgot to tell you. I'm leaving for London after tomorrow. Park Shin Chun is having his music world tour," she said in a casual tone.

"Are you going by yourself?" he asked with worry etched on his face.

"Of course not!" Appearing like a small kid that managed to snitch a candy from the candy store, Shirley grimaced at the person with glee, "I'm dragging Richie along with me."

Not far in the distance was the very space where they trained their men for combat. Every now and then, the sound of men screaming out in pain could be heard. Although it was a place which could easily stress any person out, the hopeful and sweet smile that liked to linger on Shirley's face made the place look vigorous and full of life. Her presence, it seemed, could wipe the uneasiness and stress away.

*

When dinner was arranged, Molly placed all of the food in the heat insulation box, and waited for Brian and Mark's arrival. While catching a breath, she looked around the room. Even though it was not the same villa where she used to live in, the similar style of the decoration and furniture reminded her of the old days. It didn't matter that her stay in that villa was short-lived. As those days involved Brian's company, she simply could not forget those memories, even when there seemed to be more hardships than happy days.

A weak smile appeared on her face. Sighing, she convinced herself to let go of her vulnerable side. In order to overcome the difficulties that she was fated to encounter in the future, she had to be strong. She clenched her hands into fists with a sense of determination, and went to the kitchen. Before she could take another step forward, however, her ears caught the sound of a door being gently opened. Even though she had been expecting their arrival, she could not help but still feel a bit nervous when she realized that they indeed were back. With both her feet stuck to the ground, she stared at the door while they entered.

On the way in, Brian was holding Mark's little hand in his. When he saw Molly, he was just as astounded. For a brief uncomfortable period, they just stood there and looked at each other with a cold expression. It was as if time had frozen and everything stopped in motion. The silence, both awkward and uneasy, was interrupted by Mark's happy voice.

"Mommy?" exclaimed Mark in wonder, freeing his hand from Brian's grip. He ran towards Molly. "Uncle Brian told me that he was taking me to see you. I doubted it at first. But turns out it's true! Mommy, why are you in Uncle Brian's house? What are you doing here?" Mark asked her with curious eyes.

At the time, Molly had not been able to regain her composure. Taken aback by Mark's question, she did not know how to respond. Her lashes flickered a few times, her cheeks flustered. After a long pause, she asked in a baffled voice, "Uncle Brian?"

"Yes, Uncle Brian," Mark answered in an elated tone, his finger pointed towards Brian. "He took me to lunch. Guess what we had. McDonald's! You know how much I wanted to dine there. After our lunch, we went to Uncle Brian's casino and played some cards. He taught me a lot of neat tricks there. It was a wonderful day. He told me you'd be here. But mom, I don't understand. What are you doing in his house?" he asked, seeking for an explanation.

His inchoate and vibrant voice resonated in the silence of the room. He seemed puzzled while delighted as if he was really out of his memory.

Troubled by his question, Molly's eyes shifted between the two before asking, "Mark, why are you acting like this?" Her lips trembled in bewilderment.

"I just don't understand, mom," Mark said, with no intention to drop his pretense. "Uncle Brian took me here. But, how did you get here? Why are you here?" he persisted.

"Well..." Molly drawled, wracking her mind for an appropriate response. "That is because..." But words failed to help her in that situation. "That's because..."

"She's here because I hired her to be my housemaid." To her relief, Brian intervened and helped her come up with an excuse.

Relieved, Molly's eyes lit up as she thought up more details about the cover story. Hastily, she winked at Mark, "He's right. I came here to do house chores. Since you need to eat and go to school, someone needs to make money to take care of you. And I thought I was qualified for the job. Don't you agree?" she asked, trying to let the tension pass.

With eyes that seemed to remain just as baffled, Mark looked at her face. "Mom, are you here for part-time or full-time job?" he inquired. The boy appeared to have entered an amusement park that he had never visited before. There were mountains of questions in his mind, a lot of 'Whys' and 'Whats' fighting for his attention. DDDD