Jia wondered if she was really living with a human or an angel. Jim's kindness and patience towards her were already beyond the capacity of a normal human heart. It was almost unbelievable and was supernatural!
Jim accommodated her while she was torn in depression from running away from Anthon. He fulfilled one of her wildest dreams to finish a college education. He provided her with so much love and abundant life. He gave her child his name and loved him as his own. He provided the means of living in abundance through business engagements under her name. He did not deprive her son's right to know his own father. He did not give her rules or any restriction. She could freely communicate to Anthon if she wanted.
Above all, Jim highly respected her. In those six years they had been alone with each other, he did not go beyond the rules of sexual intimacies between unmarried couples. He did not share a bed with her except for that one night they both got exhausted. He hugged and kissed her multiple times but never did go beyond the belt.
What more could she ask for? Why was she stupid and fool enough to dwell on her affection with Anthon when he existed only in her fantasies? Just how strong is the power of the mind to enslave her?
Jia and Anthon only shared a special friendship during high school, but in the end, Jim hurt her by pretending he had someone else.
Jia's affection for Anthon only grew through her wild fantasies. She had created a perfect love story in her mind and dwelt with it for years. She created a perfect but delusional inspiration for him through her wild imaginations. And every day, she kept reliving it in her mind as if she breathed on it.
She actually waved those stories out of her spying moments with him. Like when she secretly followed him on his way back and forth to college. Such as when she secretly watched him from a distance in many of his basketball leagues.
She even watched him from afar when he climbed into the stage during his college graduation. She was so proud of him then!
Later on, when Anthon found a job, she spied on him in a few of his industrial sites. Then, she hired taxis and waited inside until Anthon arrived in his car. Her heart would then jump in seeing him dressed so well. Who would have thought that her special friend in high school was now on the pedestal of success!
Most of all, Jia was fed daily with many wonderful things about Anthon through Jay. Whether those were true or not, exaggerations or not, all she knew was the fact that those things successfully enhanced her growing affection for him. He was so real in her mind and so tangible in her heart.
She saw herself in Anthon's arm in candle-lit dinners. She felt his hands entwined with hers as they walked in the sand. She heard their waves of laughter. She felt his love for her; everything just seemed just so real.
Never did she thought that Anthon was also fed with good things about her. Most of all, the truth about her follies and her being head-over-heels in love with him!
Jay, perhaps, was gifted with mind-setting abilities. With the effect she had in both of them, she could be the most - sought motivational speaker worldwide. Or, a perfect matchmaker!
Who would ever think that both of them would get fixated on their love ideals that they only set in each other? And that was also why Anthon had never come up with any serious relationship though he had dated many women.
For Anthon, no woman was better than Jia. Only that, Jia's intimidating wisdom and intelligence, as to how he always remembered it, was unreachable. He swore that one day, he must be someone presentable enough for her to be proud of!
Jay had made a perfect plan. They would finally meet in Blue Whale Mountain Resort! However, the plan turned out to be a disaster.
And Jia, on the other hand, had never set her eyes on any man.
___
Jia suddenly remembered that she had to prepare Jim's dinner hurriedly. She was lost in her thoughts for so long and realized she was running out of time. She went to the kitchen and look for something she could cook faster. Then, after thinking about it for a few seconds, she decided to prepare chicken in pandan leaves, chop suey for his vegetable needs, and steamed - fish.
She then pulled out from the freezer her well-marinated chicken meat which she created in a wonderful blend of garlic, peppercorns, spices, seasonings, sugar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.
She then made pockets of cut pandan leaves and pinned them with the quarter cuts of chicken breasts inside.
While frying it, she also tossed into another pan the mixture of cauliflower and broccoli florets, Baguio beans, chayote, carrots, and red pepper bells after sauteeing the onions and garlic cloves in olive oil.
She simultaneously placed the fish fillet cuts for her steamed fish in garlic sauce, sesame oil, and bell peppers on a steamer nearby.
For the whole six years of preparing food for Jim, she had mastered the arts of cooking. And Jim would always look forward to her next menu for him.
After placing the food safely in meal boxes and preparing his cutleries, she hurried to make an iced tea for him with real leaves. Then she took a quick shower, applied light make up and changed into tight-fitting light-brown pants and a cream, sleeveless top.
She changed Jian into jogging pants, a sweatshirt, and rubber shoes. She also prepared him extra clothes and towels for changing.
After a few minutes, she dropped Jian in a playroom and headed to Catherine Fields Medical Center, where Jim worked.