A Call That Changed Her Entire Life

"Umm? Who were you going to call?" Beryl stared at the mobile phone screen and asked curiously.

Emily was afraid that Jacob would answer the phone call and hear Beryl's voice, so she reached for her phone quickly, hoping to cut the call as soon as she could. "Beryl, stop it! Give the phone back to mommy. Do you hear me? Come on, don't be so naughty!" Emily scolded anxiously.

"Nope," Beryl disobeyed her order jauntily. Having noticed the cared look on Emily's face, Beryl began to giggle. She hid the cell phone behind her back and made fun of Emily, "Mommy, why are you so nervous?

Who are you calling?"

Tiny beads of sweat appeared on Emily's forehead as the thought of Jacob answering the call loomed over her head. Emily's stomach knotted up, and she urged, "Beryl!"

Afraid of her mother's anger, Beryl made a face to Emily and gave her the phone back. "You're such a snowflake, mommy," Beryl groaned.

"I'm not angry because you took my cell phone, but because you are being impolite. You see?" Emily scolded. Just when Emily was about to cut the call, she was surprised by the familiar sound of a man's voice from the cell phone. That low and pleasing voice. She was so familiar with it!

"Who is being impolite?" asked the man on the phone.

Unfortunately, Emily was too late to cut the call and Jacob was already on the line. Flustered, almost immediately Emily felt her mind went blank for a second.

Jacob... Did he hear Beryl?

Beryl didn't notice Emily's anxiety. Her eyes lit up as she heard a man's voice on the phone. She opened her mouth wide and was just about to say something for fun, when Emily reached out and covered her mouth tightly with her hands. "Umm..."

Who was her mother calling? Why didn't she let her talk?

"Shh...Be quiet, Beryl, okay?" Emily pleaded in a very low voice, almost under her breath. Emily didn't loosen her hands until Beryl nodded her head firmly to promise. Relieved, Emily cleared her throat and responded to the man on the phone, "Nothing."

"Did you miss me?" Jacob asked with an expectant smile on his face.

Beryl, however, wasn't going to let Emily end her fun so quickly and easily. As if an idea had sparked light in her eyes, she looked at Emily guilefully and cried out, "Woof, woof."

Beryl barked like a dog deliberately to attract the man's attention. Emily tensed up immediately as she wasn't prepared for such a surprise. "A dog?" Jacob's curious voice resonated from the phone.

"Woof, woof!" Beryl was thoroughly amused by the frightened look on Emily's face, so she barked a couple of times again. Suddenly, the puppy rushed to Beryl excitedly as it heard Beryl's barking. The puppy ran around them and barked to respond, "Woof woof!" All at once, the house echoed with the barking of the dog and Beryl.

house," Emily bit her lip and lied cravenly. Emily got upset with Beryl's disobedience, so while talking to Jacob

choices, Beryl unwillingly quit the game and took the dog to the

gave you?" Jacob asked inquisitively. Although Jacob knew that it wasn't his place

notice it. Instead, she asked, "How did you know? Did you send some

sent them to protect you, not spy on you,"

idea of someone hanging around her, especially to keep an eye on her, even if it was for her own

wouldn't compromise on her personal safety, so he ardently insisted, "Take it easy, I sent them to protect you only because I

you should worry about yourself, not me," Emily retorted

about me?" Jacob asked, exulted

she blushed at Jacob's words. Therefore, hoping to discourage Jacob, she denied his words instantly, "Not at

further, hoping to force Emily to confess her concern for him, "If you are not worried about me, why did you call

went back to the point and raised her tone for emphasis, "Send your people back.

her, Jacob, who was in a war torn place, would have better use of people he

Jacob exposed her lie flatly as he realized that Emily was

been foolish to lie to him because those men had most likely reported everything to Jacob already. She swallowed, trying to find a way to ease the tension. Her heart was racing so fast that it felt like it would pop out of her chest at any

anything more. Both of them simply listened to each other's breathing on the phone and enjoyed each other's company

herself down and said coldly after

reality by Emily's words. "Oh," he paused for

trying to sound uninterested, she blurted, "Okay." Then, she waited silently for Jacob to hang up the phone. Little did she know that

just waited awkwardly for each other to hang up. When Jacob realized Emily was still on the phone, he felt so pleased that

to her chagrin, when Emily realized that Jacob had succeeded in proving her concern for him, she jabbed at the phone screen

the phone in her hands, embarrassed by her foolishness. When she drew her mind back to reality and turned around, she saw Beryl standing

said impatiently, "didn't I tell

said and asked, "Who were

about so

She firmly believed that her mother was talking to her beloved "future boyfriend", so she was in no mood to talk to Emily. Her tiny little eye-brows furrowed, and then she turned around to walk back to her room with

but she didn't know what to say to Beryl as she didn't understand

window to relax herself and let the cold breeze kiss her face. However, the silver, pearl-like moon hanging from the calm night sky reminded her of

in love with my boyfriend! What can I do?' Beryl thought anxiously and

actual boyfriend, Beryl was angry with Emily for kissing him and talking