Mr Carlos Huo, She's Your Wife

"Who is the 'old man' you referred to?" Hayden asked as he was surprised by Debbie's response when she answered his call.

"Never mind, I was referring to no one in particular," Debbie replied casually. "What made you call?"

"I've been in Y City for a couple of days now. I have no plans tonight, so I'm thinking maybe we can have dinner together."

"Oh, sorry. I'm out of town. I'm on a trip."

Hayden hadn't expected her response. For a moment, he was in a daze but soon realized that Debbie was such a travel gal. He remembered how much she enjoyed going to places. She had visited different tourist destinations, more than he ever had. He envied her determination and her free spirit.

"Oh! I see. It's okay. Anyways, my schedule will be cleared out early next month. How about I take you to England for a vacation then?"

"No, thanks." Debbie turned him down immediately. "I've been busy lately. I have all these different classes every day. I had to make time for this trip."

Debbie was telling the truth. When her trip was over, she would once again be occupied with dance, yoga, English, and other classes.

"Debbie, don't lie to me. I know you. You always hate studying. You're just trying to blow me off by making up those classes."

"No, I'm not. That's the old me. People change. Now I have yoga, dance, English, Advanced Mathematics, and so on, but I don't learn martial arts anymore."

For a moment, there was only silence at the other end of the line. "You used to say you will never quit martial arts. My mom and I once asked you to quit, but you refused. Why now?"

Hayden knew how much she used to hate those classes she just mentioned.

Debbie smiled and said, "Because I don't have to protect you anymore." One of the reasons why she had worked hard on martial arts was to protect Hayden and his sister, Portia Gu, who was frail like a willow leaf.

lasted for two years. Just a few days before her 18th birthday, for some unknown reasons they broke up. During those

"You are not womanly

what we had. I've regretted it. I've missed you for the past three years. Can we start over?" Hayden apologized, his

had left him, but none of them

cook, to make sure he ate well,

for him. She was perky, but when she learned that Hayden's mom liked quiet girls, she had always reminded herself to be quiet in front

Hayden's family was wealthy, he got kidnapped or blackmailed a lot, or sometimes into some other kinds of trouble.

but every time Hayden had to drink at a dinner party, she drank his alcohol for him, just because drinking was bad for his health and she wanted

had done so many

Hayden had lost her, that girl who had loved him like a fool. Now he was back, and he wanted her back. He promised himself that he would never let her

one who gave and gave in their relationship, but in the end, all she got was

her when she reminisced about their past, but she was over him now. She had moved on. Except

happened. When she passed by a dessert bar, the delicate desserts in the glass cupboards drew her attention. There was cake, icy pudding, and multi-layer steamed bread. Durian flavor was her favorite. She remembered how Hayden hated it. Every time Debbie ate a durian snack in front of him, he would say it smelled disgusting and that she would get fat from eating too many snacks. He had even told her

nowhere, Debbie suddenly recalled that night when she was with Carlos. She could tell that Carlos hated durian's smell too. But he had eaten the snack with her even though he despised it. She knew by the look on his face that he was just forcing himself to eat the durian snack.

other day when they were eating on

in many things. He would ask Julie to make durian dishes or desserts at the villa now

had caught her immediately. After that, she had tried to sneak into his room again, but he never busted her. To think about it, Debbie thought maybe it was not that

she was young, Debbie was afraid of thunder and lightning. She had come to Portia Gu's bedroom in the middle of the

roared and lightning flashed. She was too scared to sleep. But she couldn't go to Hayden's room. That would be inappropriate. So she

had warned her. She

all this, all of sudden, Debbie missed Carlos, that overbearing, arrogant,

was one missed call from Carlos. She made up her mind that if

days had passed. Carlos