Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

Lisa's face turned serious. "I've told you before. If you keep bothering me, I'll report you for harassment." The man tried to explain, "Dr. Carline, I'm not harassing you. I really like you and want to be with you..."

This made me think of the flowers signed "Your Missed Lover".

The man went on, "Dr. Carline, I swear. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you..." He raised his hand, looking very sincere.

I interrupted, "Dr. Carline actually feels disgusted by you the moment she sees you."

I moved closer to Lisa, and Brandon stood up beside us. Brandon looked ready to handle the situation if needed.

The man turned to me and asked, "Who are you? I'm talking to Dr. Carline. Mind your own business."

Luckily, I hadn't eaten much. Otherwise, his attitude might have made me sick.

"Who do you think you are, thinking that Dr. Carline should listen to you just because you said that you like her?" I asked back.

"My feelings for her are pure and noble," the man said, looking down on me as if I couldn't understand his so-called great love.

I looked him up and down. His Adidas shirt, Calvin Klein pants, and Nike shoes were all brand names, but they were all clearly fake.

One shouldn't need to show off fake brands. A man should be honest, even if he didn't have much money.

When I first met Brandon, he wore plain clothes but seemed genuine. This guy showing off fake brands just seemed ridiculous.

I noticed the green Rolex on his wrist and almost laughed. I asked, "What makes you think that you have a chance with Dr. Carline? Do you even have enough money?" The man was speechless, not knowing how to answer.

Before he could respond, I said, "You complain about a small price increase for iced coffee and think that you can win over Dr. Carline. Why don't you look in the mirror when you get home?" People around us started laughing, and the man's face turned red.

"Don't look down on me," he said, pointing at me.

Brandon quickly grabbed the man's arm, stopping him from pointing. The man pulled his arm back, looking scared.

"Let's go outside and talk," Brandon said calmly. He took the man by the shoulder and led him out.

The man looked stunned as Brandon led him out of the restaurant. He was clearly in pain from Brandon's grip.

I saw Brandon let go of him outside, and the man immediately held his shoulder, which was obviously hurting.

Lisa saw this too and said calmly, "I see why Chris left. He was no match for Brandon."

"You're heartless, making jokes while he's in pain," I said, giving her a nudge.

Lisa laughed as she watched the man, who was now looking submissive and nodding to Brandon. "I don't think we'll see him again," she commented.

Feeling a bit proud, I said, "It seems like Mr. Marrow should treat us to a meal. We've helped him get rid of his rival."

Lisa teased, "If that's the kind of rival he has, Keith must be feeling pretty awful."

Remembering her call from yesterday, I asked, "Did Jewel abort the baby?"

Lisa's expression turned sad. "Let's not talk about it," she replied.

"What happened?" I asked, wanting to know.