Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong!
The constantly ringing doorbell could be heard by Collin even inside his dream. There was someone at the door, and even after knowing that, he couldn't get himself to rise from the couch that he slept on. His face was damped with sweat and he was contracting his body because of the chills that made him shiver. His flesh had turned paler and his skin was burning with fever.
Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong!
He felt worn-out and didn't have the strength left to attend the one who was aggressively pressing the doorbell. The person standing outside was also not willing to give up until the door was opened for them.
Collin slowly placed his feet on the ground and reluctantly got up. He was still wearing the clothes from last night, and even when he looked his worst in that condition, he still appeared dashing.
Ding Dong!
"I swear I am gonna..." he was cranky at the one outside.
He walked to the door with almost no energy and pulled the door open to find Ursula standing there.
"How long does it take to open the damn door?" she asked, pushing him away to barge inside.
She went to the sofa and sat leisurely on it. Giving attention on her face, it was visible that her eyes were wet and her make up was ruined; tears had left their trace on her powdery cheeks.
"What are you doing standing there? come here and sit! I have a lot to pour out," she said to him.
Collin sighed heavily and closed the door again and followed what she said. Ursula noticed the way he walked and looked: lethargic and pale; she asked him, "you don't look well. Are you sick by any chance?"
She touched his forehead and pulled her hand immediately exclaiming, "you're burning!"
"If you have finally figured it out then why don't you leave me alone," he murmured in his breath.
"Did you say something?" she asked.
"Forget it! I am a sick person. I say anything," he replied.
The devastation on her face suddenly turned into worries. "Did you take medicine yet?"
"Who takes medicine for a cold?" asked Collin."Taking a medicine for cold with water would be a waste of water."
"You're unbelievable!" she exclaimed. "Anyways, I came here to make you listen to my problems but now I am more worried about you."
"Am I supposed to be grateful for that?" he asked.
"I'm not going to listen anything. Go inside your room and wait for me to bring you medicine along with something to eat." She forcefully drove him inside his room even when he resisted.
"I am fine, why don't you just leave me alone!" he tried sending her away.
She didn't heed to his request and made him take the medicine. "You act like a baby sometimes, and you know how I much I love babies. So grow up already if you don't want to get treated like this." She handed him over a candy as soon as he gulped the medicine down his throat; he hurled the candy back at her.
While emptying the glass of water, Collin put a question before her, "I advised him to talk things out with you last night. How did it go?"
Ursula took the glass from his hands and placed it on the nightstand. She sat beside him, morosely staring outside a window in her view. "He wants divorce."
For a few seconds, Collin couldn't think of anything to say to her. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "Don't think about it too much. He must have said it in the heat of the moment. I am sure that he didn't mean it."
"Well, he has said such things in past and I knew that he never meant it," she uttered. "But this time... I am certain that he is serious as hell. Said he is glad that we don't have a child together and how he wants me out of his life."
Collin gently placed his hand on her shoulder as a gesture to comfort her. "Rest assured, he is not going to do anything like that."
Ursula turned her face towards him and looked directly in his eyes. "Do you know where he is right now?" she demanded.
-----
AMANDA COFFEE HOUSE, 9:30 am
Mr. Bruce and Oriel were in a cafe, occupying a table for two. "Why are you staring at me like that?" asked Mr. Bruce, getting uncomfortable by the unwavering stare of Oriel at his face.
"I am just a bit surprised. Why would someone like you follow around a girl like me," she inquired as she took a sip out of her cup of coffee.
"I will need some clarification on the term 'someone like you' or 'someone like me'," said Mr. Bruce.
"You are just pretending to not understand what I meant."
Mr. Bruce smiled looking at her. He was finding it hard to bring answers to her question. "You can say that I'm curious to know more about you, Miss Oriel."
"Looks like the most feared gangster in the city lacks interesting stuff in his life," she took another sip out of the cup.
"Nah! you're wrong. I have got amusing things in my life," commented Mr. Bruce. "But you, Miss Oriel, have managed grab my attention despite them which obviously makes you more interesting.
"Interesting?" she repeated. "I am a broke girl who sneaked in your party uninvited.
"You had confidential information to give me. Then it is fine."
She contorted her face in confusion, "You know that I lied about that, right? I was just going to make it up."
Mr. Bruce pursed his lips tightly in order to control his laugh. "I can't believe how honest you're being in front of me right now, like you have no idea what kind of a person I am." He reached for his cup of coffee and brought it near to his mouth for a taste. "How lovely," he said.
Oriel recognized the jackpot that was sitting before her. She thought that it was finally the time her fate was rewarding her for all the sufferings she endured in past. But as soon as she ventured the idea further, it struck her mind that this man in front of her was already married. This bothered her and prevented this idea to further grow in her mind.
She abruptly got up from her chair, attracting Mr. Bruce's attention. "Is everything alright?" he asked.
"Umm... I have something urgent to take care of. I will have to leave then." She was quick to walk towards the exit.
"Wait, I will drop you wherever you are going," he said, lassoing her feet from behind.
She turned and replied, "it's alright. I know I am not in a place to say this but I wish that things get better between you and your wife."
She turned and