Mechelle pov
"Thank you for the offer, but I can take the car myself," I said.
"Well, okay then! I won't insist," he replied.
"Oh, by the way, Louis, you remind me of someone, a movie star..."
I tilted my head, carefully examining him, but I couldn't remember which movie character he resembled.
"Madam, our Louis is indeed a movie star, and he just won the 'Best Actor' award," nanny suddenly chimed in, smiling mischievously.
Um... I stared at him blankly for several seconds before snapping out of it, my cheeks flushing red as I quickly lowered my head, stuttering, "Um, sorry, I don't usually pay much attention to entertainment news, so I didn't recognize you."
I bit my lip tightly, feeling annoyed with myself for not recognizing the big star standing right in front of me.
"Don't apologize to me, it's because I didn't do well enough," he said with a smile.
I forced a smile, feeling embarrassed, and quickly left the table, telling nanny that I was going out for a while and might be back late, so she didn't have to wait for me for dinner.
The early autumn noon had already faded the scorching heat of summer, replaced by a cool breeze, and the leaves on the branches were starting to turn yellow, with French sycamores shedding a carpet of dry leaves along the roadside.
I walked for a long time without seeing a bus stop, and there wasn't a single taxi in sight, but occasionally, a few luxury cars zoomed past me.
Glancing at the time, I still had an hour before the time I agreed with Melody, but if I couldn't catch a ride soon, that woman would probably call to hurry me up again.
Annoyed, I stomped my foot and continued walking forward, completely unaware that there was a car following me from behind. Louis Duncan slowly rolled down the car window and called out, "Mechelle Diaz, get in the car!"
I froze in shock, quickly stopping my steps, turning around to face the man who was right in front of me, unsure of what to say. He should have called me "little mom," but instead, he called out my name.
"Mechelle Diaz, if you don't get in the car now, you'll be late," Louis Duncan said with a grin. "Thank you," I quickly opened the car door and got in.
"I've told you before, no need to be polite."
Louis Duncan gave a casual smile and pressed the accelerator, the scenery on either side of the road swiftly retreating, making me a bit dizzy.
"Mechelle, do you mind if I just call you by your name?" Louis Duncan suddenly asked, still looking straight ahead at the road.
"Why would I mind? I'm probably a few years younger than you, so there's nothing wrong with you calling me by my name," I replied unconsciously, turning my head to look at his incredibly handsome profile, momentarily lost in thought.
Louis Duncan smiled faintly, remained silent for a moment, then said, "There's something I've been curious about, but I was afraid you might take it the wrong way, so... I didn't dare to ask."
"Louis, are you wondering why I married your father? And whether I'm the kind of woman who would sell herself for money?" I chuckled helplessly, lowering my head and covering my face with my hands. Even though I hadn't done anything wrong, my body was already tarnished beyond repair...
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to know if it matches the answer in my heart, because from the moment I saw you, my intuition told me that you're not that kind of woman at all."
"Thank you for seeing me that way, but I'm afraid to disappoint you."
I raised my lips, smiled lightly, and gazed into the distant horizon. My life had been destroyed by that demon, with no future, no aspirations.
"Mechelle, no matter what reason you married my father for..."
Louis Duncan's words were interrupted by me, even if my marriage to Daniel Duncan was fake, so what? My body no longer belonged to me, tainted by the demon's touch, how could I have the right to love him? He was so pure, while I was filthy...
"Louis, I think you should still call me 'little mom' in the future, to avoid gossip from others."
Louis Duncan blinked slightly, a fleeting look of astonishment in his eyes.
"Louis, just drop me off at a place with a bus stop. After all, you're a big star, and if the reporters catch wind of this, it could affect your career."
"I don't mind," Louis Duncan said, smiling at me.
I bit my lip tightly, keeping my head down, too afraid to even look at him. "Louis, I do mind. I mind people gossiping behind my back."
"Mechelle Diaz, you're not that kind of person at all. If you did mind, how could you possibly marry my father? You're just trying to spare me, aren't you?" Louis Duncan said with a slight smile.
"Whatever you say, just drop me off at the bus stop," I replied, too tired to engage in pointless arguments.
"Tell me the address, I'll take you there," Louis Duncan parked the car by the side of the road, silently watching me.
I reached out to push the car door, but it wouldn't budge.
"I locked the door, you can't open it," Louis Duncan said helplessly, then chuckled and added, "If you don't tell me the address soon, you really will be late."
Unable to resist Louis, I reluctantly gave him the address.
Silence filled the car as we drove.
Before long, we arrived at our destination.
In the distance, I saw Melody waiting for me under the shade of a tree, anxiously kicking pebbles with her feet, clearly in a hurry.
"Melody!" I waved to her and hurried over, apologizing, "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. It's just that getting a ride from where I live is quite difficult."
"Forget it, you're always like this. I'm getting used to it," Melody said, giving me a sarcastic look, then quickly grabbed my hand and started comforting me eagerly before getting to the point.
The two of us sat in the cold drink shop, each ordering a cup of pearl milk tea. Melody took out the straw and said to me seriously, "Mechelle, are you really not planning to finish the last two years of your course? I remember on your first day of school, you told me your dream was to become a jewelry designer. Now suddenly you want to take a break. What about your dream? Don't you want to pursue it anymore?"
"Things have taken a turn, and if everything goes well, I'll be back to regular classes in a couple of days, but I won't be able to stay in the school dorms," I explained.
"Well, that's great news then," Melody exclaimed, suddenly cheerful again.