"You are quite ruthless," Aidan started the car and merged onto the main road. Raven tried to make herself comfortable in the luxurious seat. It was her first time in such an opulent car, but his words caught her off guard.
"Why do you say so?" she asked, pretending not to understand his meaning.
"I was out there, sweating to death, while you were socializing like a hopping bunny," he gritted his teeth, his hand gripping the steering wheel tightly.
"I asked you. But you brushed me off. You claimed to be Raven Rain's husband. As far as I know, I am a maiden," she responded as calmly as she could. It was hard for her to keep everything inside.
The last time she saw him, he was standing in front of her hostel during her freshman year. She foolishly thought he was there for her and approached him, but he walked right past her to visit someone else—a smart and pretty girl, unlike her.
It was hard to act normal when he claimed to be her boyfriend. She lost her mind when he said "husband." But she knew he was joking in both cases. It was obvious he didn't recognize her. Again.
She was supposed to bring her clients to another place, perhaps beneath the tree, her usual spot. But she deliberately stayed to see if another Raven Rain would arrive—an actual girl who deserved that name.
"You could have corrected me," he blamed her. Just like any other man, his fingers pointed at her, a woman.
"I dare not be a busybody," she answered, looking away. Silence hung between them. She didn't want to speak to him, and he seemed uninterested, as always. She couldn't help but overthink. If she were the same person she used to be, would she have bored him to death by chattering nonstop, forcing a word or two out of his mouth?
She was glad she had disciplined herself.
Raven had a lot of questions. Why didn't her father come himself, as usual? Why did he send Aidan? Was he busy? If he was, he should have gone back without letting her know he was in town. It wouldn't disappoint her at all.
Were their fathers talking again? If they were, it wasn't a good thing. It was fishy. Were they going on another business venture? How much money would they lose this time?
She smirked, knowing none of her doubts had an answer, even if she asked her father face-to-face. It was useless to talk logically with him. He had his own ideology and wanted to change hers.
Suddenly, Aidan cleared his throat and asked, "You didn't verify with your father if he sent me for real. I might be a kidnapper."
"A kidnapper wouldn't admit that," she replied without turning to look at him.
"I might have some bad intentions. You shouldn't get into a car with a stranger," he warned her, sounding as if he was struggling to breathe, perplexed by how easily she got into the car without asking any questions.
"I will bring down your entire family if you do have any such thoughts," she said, turning to him, "Aidan."
He glanced at her for a millisecond, as if she had discovered his deepest and darkest secret. The car swerved, but he quickly regained control.
"You remember my name?" he asked in a breathy voice. "You... you recognized me?"
"I have a bad habit of remembering people," she answered, looking out the window again, disinterested. Not anymore. He had grown taller and more handsome than when she actually liked him. It seemed he had earned a fortune. Still, she didn't feel a thing.
She hadn't always been like this. She had waited for him. Four years. She talked to his sister, asking her repeatedly, "When will you visit us?...with your brother." But she made empty promises, just like he did.
Back then, when she was head over heels for him, she hadn't realized what she looked like or what he looked like. Though he wasn't tall then, he was slim and smart, similar to his fair-skinned sister. On the other hand, she was obese. She had many words to describe herself. At fourteen, she would say she was a painter, a writer, and a secret keeper.
Now, at twenty-four, she could describe herself with many things, but the fourteen-year-old her was just an obese, crazy girl with no sense of propriety. Indeed, she was biased against herself. Because the fourteen-year-old her never realized how hated she was or how disgusted people felt when she talked of love.
When she was trying to get over him, she analyzed everything. Why did she have a stupid crush on him in the first place? It turned out that nobody treated her like a human. She was just a statue of a bull in their eyes. But he thought, as a lady, she shouldn't carry heavy bags.
He thought she would feel safer with a man accompanying her to the market. Not only did he think of her as human, but he also treated her like the lady she was supposed to be.
'Ah… The kind gesture of a gentleman made me think I could be loved,' she thought, sighing.
"You were talking a lot with your friends earlier. How come you are so quiet?" he asked, trying to brush off the awkward atmosphere that suffocated both of them.
"You said it yourself. 'With your friends.' Why bother poking me? Just drive," she replied coldly. It was her first time speaking to him in that tone. Who cares? As if he would remember how she used to talk.
"How have you been all these years?" he asked, this time sounding genuinely polite.
"Alive."
"Are you mad at me for something? I feel like I should be angry at you," he said, enraged by her simple answer. She had never seen this side of him before. She was glad she hadn't; otherwise, he would have been her arch-enemy.
"Then keep feeling," she blurted out.
He stopped the car and turned to her.
"I don't remember you being so unbearable," he said, genuinely complaining.
She had no words. Obviously, she used to be extra polite to him, making him feel special whenever he visited her home. He had the freedom to roam around the house and sit on her bed. No boy in the world had ever had that privilege. She was the same Raven. This was how she treated all the boys she met, except him. And now, he was no exception.
Seeing his eyes locked on her, she glanced at him and then turned away. "You look tired because of me," she said. Despite the air conditioning, he was sweating profusely. She was confused.
"Yes, I am!" he growled.
She wasted no time and got out of the car. "Viva Palm Hotel, right?" she asked. His expression confirmed her guess, though he appeared completely astonished.
"I will reach there by myself in half an hour," she informed him as if they were having a normal conversation.
She had almost reached the bus stop when someone grabbed her from behind. She turned, ready to slap the culprit, but then she saw him.
"Richard? Why are you here?"
Aidan was utterly dumbfounded when he saw Raven leaving; never in his dreams had he expected that reaction from her. Her father had described her as fat, rude, and arrogant, but he remembered her as a timid girl who was afraid of nearly everything.
However, as soon as his eyes fell on her again, she was already near the bus stop with a man holding her hand. For some reason, his blood began to boil. He rushed over, but before he could reach her, she jerked her hand away from the man.
"He is a scoundrel," Aidan thought.
When he got close enough to hear their conversation, she seemed more furious than before.
"I am sorry, but Selena told me that a random guy picked you up, and perhaps you would be in danger, so I rushed here," the man spoke.
"Richard, even if I am in trouble, you shouldn't leave your class and come here like this. People are already spreading nonsensical rumors about us; this act of yours would prove them right," Raven's harsh words, delivered in an angry voice, sounded like music to Aidan's ears. He stepped forward, but Richard pushed him back and turned to him.
"How dare you try to mistreat her?" Richard grabbed Aidan's collar, his eyes blazing with rage.
"I didn't mistreat her," Aidan said without raising his voice. "Were you going to stalk us all the way to our place?" he asked genuinely.
"You threw her out of the car in the middle of the road, and you dare say you didn't mistreat her?" Richard avoided the latter part of the question and tightened his grip.
"Richard, leave him alone," Raven intervened, stepping in and glaring into Richard's eyes. Despite taking Aidan's side, her eyes seemed distant toward him and intimate toward Richard.
"Look, your boyfriend is assaulting me," Aidan teased, hoping to confirm their relationship.
"Richard, leave him," Raven insisted, not taking the bait. It was clear she wasn't going to reveal the nature of their relationship.
Richard slowly let go of Aidan and straightened his attire. He looked like a handsome, rich nerd from the dramas Aidan's youngest sister watched a lot. He remembered Raven used to post a lot about a main lead from such a drama. This realization hit Aidan hard, filling him with a bitter and thorny heat.
Should he kick Richard? What if Raven took his side and asked him to stop? He doubted she trusted him enough to obey her as much as she seemed to care for Richard.
"My classes are all over; I have none until next Tuesday. Please go back to the university; I have some other matters to deal with," Raven convinced Richard. Aidan couldn't let Richard go unhurt after making fun of him in front of so many people.
Before Aidan could attack, Richard trampled his feet, giving him a valid reason to slap him. Aidan raised his hand and swung it with full force, aiming to imprint his fingers on Richard's clean-shaved face.
"Ahh..." Raven's feminine cry stopped Aidan's heart. She was on the ground, covering her cheek.
She had blocked his attack and taken it on herself. Why? Just because of this nerdy dog? Was Aidan so bad that she couldn't even hold his hand and stop him the way she did to Richard?
Richard rushed to help her, but she jerked him away. "Do not touch me, Richard."
An old lady rushed to the scene. "Gal, let me see," she said, removing Raven's hand from her cheek. Not only did Aidan's fingers leave a deep mark, but she was also bleeding, as if scratched by a lion's paw. Upon discovering the blood on her hand, Raven's eyes immediately turned on Aidan. She ignored the murmuring crowd that pitied her and scolded him.
Her oceanic eyes held a deep grudge, a strongly rooted hatred. The old lady picked her up, but her gaze remained locked on Aidan.
"Look at this poor girl; even her boots are torn. I wonder how she offended you rich bastards that you had to push her like this," the old lady brushed off the dirt from Raven's dress. Richard saw the opportunity and blamed Aidan: "He is the one who slapped her! Look at his killer thumb ring; it can even take the life of a person."
The old lady turned to Aidan, ferocious. "Beat him; beat him to death. How dare he assault a girl?"
The public began to surround Aidan, but he didn't move his eyes away from Raven. He knew she wouldn't forgive him after being hit so badly. In her heart, she must want to whip him.
"Granny, let's not hit him," Raven spoke up as a man raised his fist at Aidan. He paused and turned to her. "Miss, why do you say so? Even if you know him, you should let him be beaten, so he never does this again."
"Uncle, it is an auspicious day for me. It is my birthday. I don't want this to happen on this day. It was a misunderstanding," she said politely.
"I am so glad that you all came here to rescue me, despite your busy schedules. This is lunchtime; please don't waste it on me," she bowed her head. "Believe me, I am very touched. Thank you for helping me."
"Miss, don't say that; it is our duty to protect each other. Don't thank us. You are so kind. I wonder how you got such a man," The man's grimace made Aidan turn red from shame; it would have been better if she let them beat him.
"Gal, I understand you. Don't be disheartened. Here, take this." The old woman handed Raven an envelope loaded with cash.
"No, I can't," Raven refused firmly, but the old lady slipped it into her bag. "Take it as a birthday gift from me. Don't worry about me; I am rich," she whispered.
"Buy a good meal for yourself," she hurried to her car so Raven couldn't catch up and return the money.
The men dispersed to take the bus, leaving Aidan, Richard, and Raven alone. Richard turned to her. "It is my fault I didn't protect you."
She smirked. "I don't expect you to protect me. This is between Aidan and me. I'd feel guilty if you got hit because of me. I would have to care for you, and it would trap me in a vicious cycle."
"You fear the vicious cycle so much?" he asked, eyebrows curving in disappointment.
"Yes, I am a practical person," Her cold answer made Aidan freeze. She was warning not just Richard but also him. He should feel guilty but not pity her to the point that it changed the form of guilt.
"Wait, are you Aidan?" Richard turned to Aidan, losing his color.
"So what?" Aidan looked him over, but Richard glanced at Raven, who sat down at the bus stop, ignoring both of them.
"No wonder," Richard murmured, leaving immediately.
What did that mean? Richard's gaze lost its brightness, overtaken by disappointment, which frustrated Aidan. Why did he turn so pale upon learning Aidan's name?