Grace walked down the bed the next morning and stood by the window, the episodes of yesterday replaying in her mind.
She palmed her face, retracted her phone from charge, and dialed Mr. Xu's number, but it went straight to voicemail.
"Was I too hard?" She now felt bad for what she said to him yesterday: "He was kind to me, and what if the only way to save me from Sarah was by stabbing her?"
She started finding excuses to justify his act, and then there was a knock at the door.
"Miss Chen" Jen stood there with a glass of warm milk.
"Thanks," she said, took the milk and sat on her bed. "Did Mr. Xu come this morning?"
"No," she answered before she left.
She freshened up for school, and even though the principal told her not to show up, she decided to go either way.
Once she got downstairs, she found a cat on the table. "Oh, my..." her eyes beamed with happiness as she hurried to the cat.
"What's your name?"
"Who placed you here?"
She held the cat in her arms, and Mr. Wang walked to her. "Miss Chen, the driver is waiting outside."
"Whose cat is this?"
"Yours"
"Did Mr. Xu bring it?" Her eyes lit up, but he shook his head in denial.
"Seb brought it."
"Oh"
Then she dropped the cat and stared at the breakfast on the table. Suddenly, not in the mood to eat, she walked to the car.
"Good morning, Miss Chen." Mr. Li greeted her, and she smiled at him.
"Did you go back to pick Mr. Xu after you dropped me?"
"No"
She sent him a message: [Did you catch a cold?]
Still no response.
Then they arrived at school, and she walked in. Grace walked to class and felt everyone's gaze on her.
The news about her hiring thugs to kill her stepmom had spread around school. "I can't believe she will still show her face here."
"Why isn't she behind bars?"
"She disgusts me."
They chattered loud enough that she could get them. Steph waved at her, and she walked over and sat next to her.
"I thought I was the most popular in school, and now you beat me to it."
"It's not funny, Steph; you were popular for taking a photo with Ancaan, and I am popular for being a criminal." Her voice was low, filled with sadness.
"Did Mr. Xu stab your stepmom?" Steph asked; she had heard the rumors that Grace hired someone to do it, but she knew Grace would never do such a thing.
"Yes, but he did it because they hurt me. I could have died if he didn't show up" again; she had to find a reason to defend him so she wouldn't lose her mind.
"That's true; do they have any idea what that woman did to you? He should have done worse," Steph scoffed.
"Wow, Steph" Ken, who had heard their conversation, stood there, shocked.
Steph rolled her eyes. "Such a busybody," she thought.
"Grace, do you think what happened to your stepmom is great?"
"Shut up, Ken; it's not like you are some saint." Steph scolded.
"But at least I am not a murderer," he blurted, and Grace's eyes widened in shock.
"Did you just call me a murderer?"
"No, not you," he tried explaining, but Grace didn't spare him a listening ear.
"Wow," she didn't even have words to say.
She was hurt, and then her mind drifted to Mr. Xu. "Was he this hurt when I judged him and told him I didn't want to see his face again?"
**
On the other hand, a heavy sound of blows could be heard.
The boxing ring wasn't something people normally watch on TV; it was bloody, with no rules, no referee, just Raymond and his unlucky opponent.
"Cut, stop" Ancaan jumped into the ring and held Raymond. "He is already down; do you plan on killing him?"
Raymond sighed, "Then let's fight."
Ancaan took a step backward. "I am to represent China soon; even if you don't like me, I am sure you like your country, right?"
"I hate the country."
"Then you must like the ladies of China who love me, so spare me."
"But why so much anger? She told you to never show your face again. Then what? There are other whores out there."
Raymond glared at him and he cleared his throat. "I mean, all you have to do is protect her; it doesn't matter if you see her or not. And you can't possibly be in love with her; love is for people with hearts."
He took another step backwards. "How about Yoyo? That woman is fire."
"Okay, you don't like Yoyo; what about Lingye? She just won the Miss Universe award."
Raymond took off the boxing gloves and walked down the ring. "I am not in love with her; I am upset that she dares judge me when her mother is..." He didn't have a word to define her.
"But you only stabbed the woman; she should be grateful." Ancaan picked up a bottle of water and threw it at him before he caught it.
"Grace is different; she might look alike to her mom, but she is different," he muttered. She was innocent, very naïve, and soft-hearted.
"So, will you never go see her again?"
"Hm, Seb will be in charge of protecting her for now."
"Good, you are a hard guy. You don't fall for whores."
"She is not a whore."
"All women are," Ancaan reminded him of his words years ago.
"Italy right? That's where Lingye is now."
Ancaan chuckled. "Yes, she is in Italy."
"Then let's go to Italy."
"Copied dude, banging Miss Universe is an achievement. Trust me"
"I am going for her father, not her," he frowned at Ancaan.
"So you are going to use her to convince her dad for a favor?"
"I will follow you; I want to get back into the business."
"Why? Does boxing not pay enough?"
"It does, but where is the pleasure when they don't let me kill my opponent?"
"Boss," Seb called as he walked toward them. He shoved his phone at Raymond and said, "It's Miss Chen."
Raymond frowned at the video. "Is she fighting?"