Exposing the Charade of Deep Affection (PDF)

Chapter 14 Someone Picks Me Up

Rachel shook her head in disbelief. "Tabatha, I can't believe you just said that. If it were in the past, let alone Walter, even Ashley would have been screwed by you. Yet instead of getting back at them, you left just like that. And you even said those things. It's so not like you."

I knew what she wanted to express. I hated Ashley, so normally, I wouldn't have spared her. I sighed and looked at Rachel, feeling upset. I said, "Rachel, I wanted to screw her over as well, but she's pregnant. It's Walter's. So what if I mess with them? It won't change anything."

She looked at me, feeling sorry for me. She took a deep breath and said, "Tabatha, you are in love with Walter."

I froze for a moment and then subconsciously wanted to refute, "That's nonsense..."

"Don't try to deny it," she interrupted me. "We've been friends for over twenty years now, and I know you better than you do. If you didn't love him, you wouldn't have given a damn about whether Ashley is pregnant or not. Given your personality, you would have screwed her over a long time ago. You would never put yourself in a situation like this."

I choked on her words, failing to retort her at all. I ... couldn't tell whether I had fallen for Walter.

The night arrived.

Rachel had staggering wealth, and she booked a room at Wonderland Karaoke Bar after paying 148 dollars. She knew the bar owner and called several cute guys into the box to let me pick.

I was shocked. Seeing how astonished I was, she put her arm around my shoulders and said, "Well? Am I a good friend or what? They are the best here, and they can be so sweet. Take your pick, and let's have fun."

I looked at her and couldn't help but remind her, "Did you forget you're a journalist?"

She raised her eyebrows. "No. Journalism is my profession. What's that got to do with me having fun? Besides, tonight is all about you. What is it? You like them all? You want to have them all?"

I was stunned. "That's not what I..."

"Fine. You can have them all." She looked at the cute guys in front of the big screen and said to them, without giving me a chance to speak, "All of you, stay. Make Ms. Conner happy tonight. We've got money." In such a way, I was surrounded by them. They either toasted, sang, played games, or chatted with me. The music was loud in the box, and all I could hear was the voice of someone urging me to drink. Soon, I felt dizzy after having a couple of drinks. One was easily confused by alcohol, and Rachel was kicking up a fuss next to me. Somehow, I clinked my glass with Rachel and said to her, "Nothing in life is valuable but freedom. Love is bullshit."

Seeing that I was drunk, Rachel looked at me and said, "Yeah? Walter isn't the only cute guy in the world, right? Look at you, Tabatha. You come from a rich family, and you are so pretty. Finding a man is a piece of cake for you. Who the heck is Walter? He's just a playboy. He isn't worthy of you at all. Listen to me and forget about him. There are billions of men out there waiting for us!"

I nodded and said loudly, "You're right! Walter is a womanizer! I won't fall for him at all! The man I want is a tough, unique..."

Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and the door of the box was pushed open. It was so loud that all of us instinctively looked towards the door.

Walter's face was obscure under the flickering lights. I was stunned for a second, thinking that I had a little too much to drink. Why else would I be hallucinating?

I looked back at Rachel. "Darling, I think I've had too much to drink. I saw Walter's poker face. It was so scary."

Rachel looked at me with a stiff face. She reached out and took the microphone out of my hand. "I saw him, too," she said. Then she took a few steps back and said, "Tabatha, I'm going to the bathroom. You... I pray for you."

I frowned as she walked towards the back door of the box. Then I turned to look at Walter standing in the doorway with a sullen face and couldn't help but pat my face a few times. Whether I was drunk or not, I didn't really want to see him right now.

I said to him, "Stop standing there and blocking the way. Don't stop me from having fun. I want to drink more." Then I shook my head, tried to get rid of my hallucination, picked up the glass, grabbed one of the cute guys beside me, and was about to continue to drink.

Yet before I held up the glass, it was snatched away. Then my world turned upside down. Someone picked me up, and my stomach was pressed against someone's shoulder. I wanted to puke.

And I did.