"Go…." Luna insisted on the man in front of her, who gave her a puzzled look, wondering what was going on.
"What?"
"I said go...leave this place," her assertive urge drove him to stride while still questioning Luna about what happened on the way to the parking lot.
"Now tell me why you're in such a hurry." His brow furrowed in perplexity. "And who is the elderly lady who mentioned your name? What is your connection to her? And why did I get the impression you were avoiding her?"
"Could you please stop asking me questions? I'll explain when we get to your house." Silence muffled his voice for a while before he relented and got in the car. Luna took the passenger seat next to him.
Luna sank into her seat, her gaze fixed on the road in front of the car, as if wishing they could arrive at their destination in a flash of time.
Felix, the man beside her, was intent on the road, his hands clutching the steering wheel. Even though his heart was still filled with questions about Luna's strange act, no words came out of his mouth to satisfy his curiosity.
The car screeched to a halt, jarring Luna out of her reverie. To avoid the accident, she shielded her head from the dashboard.
"Are you all right?" Felix, feeling guilty, assured her that her head had not hit the dashboard.
Her nod indicated that nothing bad had happened to her. Luna stormed out of the car after scanning the surroundings. Her only thought was to go as far as she could because she had promised Ana she would leave the city.
"What are you doing?"
"Sorry...I have to go," she said as she scrambled across the aisle between cars.
"Wait a minute...you need to tell me where you're going."
"I can't wait!"
"Why? I don't get it."
Luna closed her mouth, ignoring his curiosity of her unexpected act. Her stumbling limbs paved their way through the long lane, exiting the apartment building's parking lot. Her hands occasionally held one of her aching arms.
Her head spun as unbearable pain struck her legs in the middle of her journey; her body staggered in frailty, slowly collapsing to her knees.
"Luna!" he shrieked in concern as he watched her totter and dock to the floor all of a sudden. It was fortunate for her that his hand extended and wrapped around her torso just in time, saving her from collapsing on the rough tiles.
***
It was Grandma Li's first day home from the hospital. The Li family, like other wealthy families, had planned a welcoming ceremony for her arrival.
Sandra Li had been working on the preparations since early in the morning, aided by the servants and other family members.
Jangmi, with a pout on her face, sat quietly facing the maids who were decorating the wall with flowers and balloons. Her heart was pierced with grief because Luna's whereabouts were unknown until today.
According to the maid's report, she had not returned from the hospital since grandma Li's operation day. Nobody was interested in finding her.
Jangmi was worried not only about Luna's safety, but also about her mother discovering the problem sooner or later. This would have a significant impact on her health.
"Sister..., what makes you daydream all day?" Sandra admonished her younger sister after she realized she was drowning in reverie. "Please don't tell me it's because of Luna's disappearance."
"Aren't you concerned about her? It's been two weeks since we last saw her in the hospital. What if our mother discovers she is not present? Mother adores her, and losing her will break her heart. What should we do now?"
"Why are you bothered, sister? She fled on her own volition. After all, she is an adult. What do you think we can do if she chooses to leave?
"However, I bear responsibility for what she did. If I hadn't told Ana that mother would accept her into the family, she would not have…,"
"Enough already, sister! It has absolutely nothing to do with you. It is entirely her decision, and we must respect it. Now, put your sadness aside and smile. Mom will arrive in a few moments. The driver informed me that they had arrived at the gate."
Jangmi nodded in agreement. She stood up and followed Sandra to the front of the house, where she waited for her mother.
Grandma Li, dressed in a thick fur coat, climbed out of the car with the help of her grandson, Danish. Her animated expression showed how much she missed home and the people who lived there.
Jangmi didn't have the courage to give her an intense look because she noticed a genuine smile on her happy face. Her mother could see her anguish through her eyes, so she quickly averted her gaze.
Grandma Li was greeted enthusiastically and cheerfully by all family members and maids as soon as her shoes entered the room. They all congratulated her on her successful recovery.
Danish led Grandma Li to the living room sofa. Her gaze darted around the room, as if she wanted to ensure that nothing had changed in this house. She was so taken with the wall decorations that she couldn't stop the pearl of joy from falling on her cheek. She was overjoyed that she was loved by those around her.
Danish and the others took a seat next to Grandma Li, their smiles never leaving their lips. Grandma Li muttered her thanks to the entire family and her maids for such a warm welcome, which she had not expected.
Sandra then gave her a big hug, followed by the others in return. She didn't realize Luna wasn't with them until her eyes were searching around and she couldn't find the girl anywhere in the room.
"Why don't I see Luna?" she wondered after settling into a comfortable position on the sofa and inhaling the joy. Being confined in the hospital for weeks had bored her; being able to return home and relax would be so exciting. And she liked having her presence in the house. "How come none of you respond to me?"
Grandma Li's suspicion grew as she exchanged glances with the other people in the room, hoping that someone would voluntarily speak on their behalf.
"Luna...she…."
"She escaped, Mom." Jangmi jerked her chin up, stunned, as Sandra cut her off, slandering Luna.
"What do you mean, "escape"?"
"She duped us all; she fled with a man she confessed as her boyfriend."
"Are you telling the truth?" Grandma Li's squinted eyes indicated that she was skeptical of her report.
"You might not believe me. However, this later may be able to persuade you. One of the maids discovered it in her bedroom." Sandra handed the object to Grandma Li after pulling it from her dress pocket. "Tell my mother how you got this, Wei Xi." That maid almost said something, but grandma Li's hand signaled her not to.
In curiosity and impatience, she slowly opened the envelope's seal to read the letter. Everyone was nervously waiting.