Luna's palms flew across her face, hiding her embarrassment and fear. She bit her lower lip, expecting his rage to erupt in an instant. She didn't hear anything after a while. Danish had vanished as she peered through her fingers.
"Danish… I didn't expect you to be home so soon." Sandra was surprised by his arrival, as evidenced by her intonation.
"Could you please explain why that village girl is in my bathroom, Mom?" Danish began to argue with his mother about allowing Luna into his room.
Luna's feet were rooted to the ground, unsure whether or not to exit and display her face in front of them, gulping her confusion and dread.
"I requested that she clean your bathroom. Nothing is wrong with that, in my opinion. But she works as slowly as a snail. I'll drag her out right now."
"No, Mom...too it's late." Danish sighed before proceeding. "You... leave!" he yelled angrily at Luna. Now!" His booming voice filled the entire room; the consequences could be disastrous. Luna's hearing could be lost if she didn't cover her ears with her hands.
Luna jogged out, her gaze falling to the ground. She tiptoed carefully out of the door and back, avoiding slip-by due to the water that dripped from her pants, to get to her cabin, which was still a long way away.
When the maids saw her, they sized her up from head to toe in response to her pitiful appearance, which included walking barefoot with shoes dangling in her hand, soaking wet pants, and tangled hair.
She had never felt more embarrassed in her life than she did today. Danish's mother had humiliated her not only in front of Danish, but also in front of the maids.
She resumed her walk to her bedroom, ignoring the maids' pitying stare.
Luna showered and dressed before curling up on the bed, pondering and regretting what she had gone through today.
She felt stupid for trusting that woman and having her do what she told her to do. Danish's hatred for her must have grown stronger after finding her in his bathroom. And it would be more difficult for her to approach him.
Luna closed her eyes and exhaled her load. She couldn't get Danish's rage out of her head. His booming voice could still be heard clearly in her ears.
***
Danish clenched his teeth, suppressing his rage. Even though his mother had instructed her to enter and clean his bathroom, that girl had crossed the line. Why couldn't she complete her task more quickly? Or she did it on purpose to exploit the situation.
Just thinking about it made him sick of her. His hands balled into fists as he fumed even louder.
Unable to contain his rage, he grabbed his phone and texted his friend, inviting them to meet in the bar. Hanging out might help him get rid of his annoyance. It was also the only way to avoid that village girl. The presence of that girl heated up the atmosphere in the house.
His best friend, Yuan Xi, agreed to meet him in the bar. He dashed down the stairs in a blur, clutching the car key in his hand. Except for the maid, he didn't run into anyone. His grandmother did not appear to have returned.
Yuan Xi had been waiting for him when he entered the bar. Under the dim light, his waving hand directed Danish to him. Yuan Xi greeted him with a bright smile. Danish took a seat next to his best friend on the stool.
"Long time no see," a bartender said cheerfully, and Danis opened his mouth to order a drink, but the big man cut him off, "I know what you want, Brother." He quickly served him what he required.
"So, what makes you want to come out to see me? Is it about a woman?" Yuan Xi looked up at him as he shook the drink in front of him. He cleared his throat and tried to tell him what was on his mind in order to relieve his stress.
"My grandmother has arranged my marriage to the girl she has chosen, the stupid poor village girl." He stressed his final words. When he mentioned that village girl, his eyes widened in disgust, as his heart was only filled with dread.
"Village girl? You've never told me anything like this before. What about Ana, for example? Do you intend to marry her soon?" Yuan Xi's eyes squinted in disbelief.
"Of course, I'll marry only Ana. But that girl... she just came to our house a week ago," he paused, "When my grandmother announced that she would be my future wife, I felt a thunderbolt strike me. This is insane. How can I marry a stranger, let alone someone uneducated and unethical?"
"Wait! What exactly do you mean?"
"She crept into my room." Water gushed from Yuan Xi's mouth.
"What? She had the audacity to do so. She must really like you." Yuan Xi teased him instead of consoling him. Danish's face flushed in annoyance as a result. "Come on. You simply need to speak with your grandmother and inform her that you intend to marry your girlfriend." Danish averted his gaze.
"I did. Ana is disliked by my grandmother."
"It's strange. Who doesn't like a girl like Ana, who is beautiful, intelligent, and wealthy?" Danish shot him a questioning look on the spur of the moment, "except for me. She's like a sibling to me."
Danish did not say anything else. Before asking the bartender for more drinks, his hand fiddled with the empty glass in his hand.
He gulped the next glass of beverage, and the next, and the next, until his head spun with dizziness.
His head landed on the table, and his mouth ranted the muddled sentences. Yian Xi helped Danish out of the bar and shoved him into his car, ensuring that Danish got drunk.
After that, he was on the phone, calling someone. Danish's eyes flickered after a few minutes; the unknown man had already been in his car, driving him home.
***
"Did Danish inform you of his plans?" Grandma Li questioned one of her maids who had noticed Danish leave the house. They'd finished their meal.
"No way, Madam. He rushed out of the house, as if he was in a hurry." The maid confessed, her chin buried in her chest.
"You may return to your work." She shifted her attention to Luna, who was sitting quietly in her seat. "Didn't you meet him in the office this afternoon?" Luna shook her head in despair.
Meanwhile, Sandra, who sat next to Grandma Li, was unconcerned about her grandson's whereabouts. She attempted to conceal what had occurred. She would face her mother's wrath if she discovered Sandra had ordered Luna to clean the bathroom. Luna chose to close her mouth to avoid the problem.
"Sandra, how come you have no idea where your son is? His secretary informed me that he had left the office earlier than usual following the meeting." Sandra raised her chin to defend herself after her protest.
"Daniel is no longer a child, Mom. There is nothing to be concerned about."
"I'm very familiar with him. It's odd that I can't even reach him. Do you, as his mother, have any concerns?"
"I am his mother, Mom. Of course I do, but he is now an adult."
"All right," Grandma Li said, putting an end to the discussion. "Luna, you can take a break. Good night." She went upstairs without even looking at Sandra. Sandra trailed her.
Luna stumbled upstairs in the next few minutes, many thoughts racing through her mind. The incident in the bathroom stayed with her. Could Danish be leaving because of that incident? In shame, she bit her lower lip.
She was walking slowly down the corridor in a quiet environment, and she could hear everything around her, including the steps behind her. Looking back, she noticed Danish staggering down the corridor.
He tripped and almost fell head first, but he managed to keep his balance and continued walking in totter.
He was inebriated. Luna decided to help him because she was concerned he would have difficulty finding his room.
"Danish…" Her hands had reached out to assist him in straightening up and guiding him to his room. But his snarl put her off.
"You? I despise you!" Danish yanked Luna's body and pinned her shoulder to the wall in a single motion. Luna's eyes were filled with fear. However, she found it difficult to relax while under his control. Their gazes locked. Luna could only see rage in his raven eyes. Anxiety gripped her all of a sudden. "Why do you have to come into my life?" he enquired. His grip on her shoulder became so tight that it almost broke her bone. She grimaced as she endured the pain. His lips moved closer and closer to hers until they were only a centimeter apart.