In My Desperate Time

I dare not come up.
I am flustered to think of Frances Louis's last outburst against me.
Besides, I am so bold to hang up on him today.
I would die if I come up to see him, but if I didn’t, I would die awfully.
Nervously, I go upstairs to the President's office.
When I open the door, I see Frances Louis sitting on the sofa with his thin lips pressed together.
Steven Song sits at his computer desk and gives me a look of taking care of yourself.
“Where have you been?”
Frances Louis glances at me and asks in a deep voice.
He opens his mouth before me, which makes me know the seriousness of the matter.
“Nicole Snow asked me to go out and buy some materials. It is windy, so I come back late.”
I don’t dare look him in the eye, and answer his question evading the point.
It seems that Frances Louis doesn’t like Noah Jefferson. He would be angrier if I said I was with Noah Jefferson.
“Why turn off your phone?”
“It’s not me. It happens to run out of battery the time you called me.”
I keep lying.
I hate to tell lies, but after knowing Frances Louis, I have acquired a skill to wave a lie without hesitation. Gradually, I become
one of my most disdainful people.
A kind of bitter taste sprawls into my heart.
Frances Louis says nothing, but suddenly stands up and comes towards me.

I get panicked.
Last time in Santos, I went to the hospital, and he sensed the disinfectant smell on my body. This time, I stayed in the hospital so
long when Noah Jefferson is having an operated, I become disinfectant fluid myself. Although I have taken off my coat before I
came up, I could not guarantee that his bloodhound's nose would not detect it.
A smile grows bigger on his lips, but his eyes are full of danger.
He lifts his hand gently and rests it on my shoulder.
“Here, how could here have blood?”
I look over my shoulder and see blood on my right shoulder.
It must be from rushing to hold Noah Jefferson. It’s not big, the size of a fingernail. I am wearing a white shirt underneath, so the
spot of blood is distinct.
I should have looked myself in the mirror before coming up.
“What happened? Are you hurt? I'll take you to the hospital.” Steven Song says, standing up and coming over to me. He pulls me
up and tries to walk out.
I look at him thankfully.
But the other hand is pulled back by Frances Louis violently.
His strength is so great that he makes my wrist ache.
“Mr. Song, this is our family business. Please stay out of it.”
Frances Louis says lightly with an obvious threat.
Family business?
Why he and me is family business?
Before I could argue, Frances Louis pulls me out of the room.
Steven Song releases me for fear of hurting me.

“Jane Noyes, take care.”
That is the last thing I hear before I leave the office.
Frances Louis is attractive wherever he appears. Besides, he's holding my hand.
When we get the office gate, I bump into Nicole Snow.
I hear her snort as she passes.
I know that my life in the company would be more difficult.
Frances Louis drags me into the car. The heat is turned on inside, but I still feel a chill down my spine.
Obviously, it’s because the man’s gloomy face beside me.
He doesn’t drive or talk. The atmosphere inside the car is eerie.
I can't breathe under the heavy pressure, “Frances Louis, what do you want?”
“When I came back. I passed the movie theater.” He says suddenly.
No! He must have seen me at the movie theater with Noah Jefferson. No wonder he is so angry. I remember Noah Jefferson
helping fix my hair in front of the movie theater because my hair is blown int a mess by the wind. Now I can only hope that
Frances Louis doesn’t see that scene.
Knowing that paper can't contain fire, I chose to confess. I don't know if I can get his forgiveness if I tell the truth at this time.
“I was at the movie theater with Noah Jefferson, and I didn’t answer your call because...”
“Now you want to tell the truth?” Frances Louis turns his head, his cold eyes full of anger.
I gulp, too nervous to speak.
“Tell me, where did you go after the movie?”
Frances Louis clutches my shoulder with his hands, and the fire in his eyes threatens to burn me.
He must have misunderstood me for something that happened during the hours I spent in the hospital with Noah Jefferson!

“It's not what you think. After the movie, Noah Jefferson got injured by a billboard for saving me. Then I stayed with him in the
hospital.” Although I am telling the truth, his eyes still let me shrink back in fear.
“The hero rescued a beauty. Are you thinking about repaying him by marrying him?” The man sneers, his words full of sarcasm.
I am so fed up with his taunt, I yell at him, “Frances Louis, what’s wrong with you?!”