Evelyn: Hey, not a good time to talk.
Phoenix: Li Li! Happy Anniversary! I'm so happy for you!
Evelyn felt a stab of pain go through her as she read the words. Her thumbs paused over the buttons. She was biting her lip trying to decide what to tell her.
Evelyn: We're getting divorced...
Immediately after that her phone chimed with alerts.
Phoenix: What?!?
Phoenix: Why?
Phoenix: Are you okay?
Phoenix: What do you need? Are we burning his house?
Evelyn gave a short laugh at the last one. As appealing as the idea was she wouldn't resort to arson.
Evelyn: He said he didn't love me anymore. He's dating someone else now.
Phoenix: That bastard! Forget burning his house down. I'm going to castrate him.
Evelyn: That's not going to fix anything, Phoenix.
Phoenix: It'll make me feel better.
Evelyn: haha, well as long as you'll feel better.
Evelyn took the umpteenth deep breath for that day before blowing it out.
Phoenix: Li Li, what do you need right now?
Evelyn: Many, many drinks.
After Evelyn sent that she realized how much she wanted alcohol at that moment. She just wanted to drink until she stopped feeling. She was never a big drinker, she hated how it lowered people's ability to think properly. But at that moment, she really wanted it. Evelyn didn't want to think she wanted to be blissfully numb.
Phoenix: I can make that happen. Do you want to come to the restaurant? We can chat over dinner and drinks.
Phoenix's family owned many restaurants. They had three branches that were specifically run by her family and a few others that they bought out.
When Phoenix turned twenty-four and graduated with her masters in Business and Finance her father gave her her own restaurant.
Phoenix was a marketing whiz. She paid attention to what trends and carefully planned signature dishes, monthly specials, as well as special events to bring people back. It was situated in a good area and had the ambiance for all sorts of events.
Evelyn: 6:30?
Phoenix: See you soon. Hang in there.
Evelyn got up and went to go exchange the towel she had for a bathrobe, that hung behind the bathroom door.
She then unwrapped the towel around her head and gently shook her hair out. Tossing her towel onto the bed she went back downstairs to look through her bags to find something to wear.
She opted for a pair of faded looking black jeans and a soft red colored elbow length sleeve top with a scoop neck. She went through her bag of undergarments and settled for something black and lacy.
Grabbing the clothes and brief case she went back up the stairs. She put her clothes on the bed and went to the safe to empty the contents of her briefcase into it. She again hesitated over the box with the necklace. Without opening the box she shoved it inside the safe, before closing the door.
Straightening, she turned back to the bed to put her clothes on. When she was dressed she went to take a seat in front of the mirror and started applying her moisturizers. She was a natural beauty, with big doe eyes, full lips, and a perfectly shaped nose.
She did a light layer of BB cream and used a pink lipstick to accentuate her lips. When she finished she went to blow dry her hair. She styled it so that it framed her face like a perfect curtain.
When she finished she went to check her phone. It was 5:30. She had half an hour left before she needed to leave. She opted to wait downstairs on the couch.
She had just gotten to the bottom of the stairs when she heard a knock. Frowning she went to take a look through the peephole at the door.
When she saw who it was she gasped and took a step back. Her hand covering her mouth. She couldn't believe it.
Another knock on the door brought her back to her senses. She unlocked the door and pulled it open to reveal, Jinhai.
He stood at the door with his hands clasped behind his back. When she opened the door neither of them said anything. His gaze swept over her, slowly. She froze. He was every bit as handsome as she recalled him to be. He was a bit broader than before, his jet black hair hanging slightly in front of his left eye.
"I'm sorry." He finally said. Before he could say more her hand flew out slapping him hard across the face. The sound was met with deafening silence. Her heart slowed, shocked that she actually hit him.
When her hand connected with his face he looked away.
"I deserved that," he said calmly, turning back to her. He looked her in the eyes but her eyes were blazing with fury. Quite sure that she would hit him again, he bravely taunted her.
"Are you going to let me in, or are you going to keep hitting me." He said. He hadn't flinched nor did he reach up to touch his reddening cheek.
Evelyn stiffly jerked her head, moving to the side to allow him in. With her back to him she closed the door and took a second to compose herself before turning around to face him.
"Why?" She asked.
"Evelyn," he said taking a step toward her. She stepped back and her back met with the door. 'Crap.' she thought. He had her cornered and by the way his eyes darkened he knew it too.
"Why?" She asked again. She looked up at him unflinching.
"I wanted you to be happy," he said after a long moment of silence.
"How did you figure you were doing that by ignoring me?" She asked defiantly. She glared at him.
"Because," he said, he placed a hand on the door next to her head. He placed the other on the door by her waist, effectively trapping her.
She stopped breathing, he was so close. She momentarily forgot why she was angry.
"If I didn't, I would have been very tempted to do things like this." He said.