When True Love Comes Knocking

I got drunk and went to my boyfriend, hoping to get back together with him, and I woke up next to his uncle.

1 "You... you're pressing my hair," I stammered, my voice trembling uncontrollably.

The man slightly opened his eyes, withdrew his arm from under my head, and said in a hoarse voice, "You decided not to wait for him?"

My heart skipped a beat.

He was probably more drunk than I was.

In this situation, waiting for him would be digging my own grave.

"No," I replied and was about to flee.

In the next second, he said, "Could you fetch me a glass of water?" His voice seemed to come from deep within his chest.

I froze, unsure how to refuse. I reluctantly agreed, sneaked to the kitchen to pour him a glass of water, and then handed it to him.

His face was ashen, making me feel like he might need to go to the hospital any second. For safety concerns, I asked, "Are you... OK?" He took a small sip, sighed deeply, and said, "I'm getting old. Young women are too much for me."

I felt a shiver run down my spine.

I, Katie Mitchell, was guilty, so I had to flee.

2 Just as I stepped out of the room, I ran into my boyfriend Adrian Baxter.

"Katie, you have no shame!"

Adrian stood in front of me, his tone dripping with disdain.

My heart skipped a beat. My first instinct was that I had been caught.

I held my breath, waiting for his judgment.

He paused for a second and then sighed, "We broke up already. Don't come to my house without my permission again."

So, that was what he was talking about. I actually felt relieved.

I was about to argue with him. He had suddenly broken up with me without giving any reason, which was why I had come to find him.

But the next second, a girl slowly emerged from behind him.

"Hello, Katie."

Despite her attempt to keep a distance from him, the marks on her neck told the whole story. She was Chloe Haywood, the junior he had mentioned to me before.

I suddenly felt like I had been drained of energy. I didn't say anything more or ask him for a reason. I felt like a fool.

While changing my shoes at the door, I couldn't tie my shoelaces properly no matter what, and ended up crying out of frustration.

Eventually, I just threw my shoes aside and sat at the door, curled up and crying.

Adrian stood beside me, looking down at me without saying a word.

Maybe I was crying too intensely. As soon as Lyla Hampton, his mother, opened the door, she immediately asked me, "What's wrong?" Then she turned to question him, "Did you bully Katie?"

"No," he denied.

"She's crying her eyes out. You really expect me to believe you?" She glared at him and then came over to help me up. "Katie, don't cry. If this brat bullies you, I'll make things right for you."

I pinched my palms hard. It took me a moment to compose myself, and then I pulled my hand away. "Lyla, we broke up. I'm leaving now."

Just as I was about to leave, Lyla suddenly grabbed me tightly.

"Is that true?" she questioned him.

He didn't answer, which was as good as admitting it.

The atmosphere became deathly silent at once.

After a long while, Lyla took my hand again. "Katie, listen to me. Let's eat, and then we'll talk things through."

"Mom, if she wants to leave, let her," Adrian stammered.

I knew why he was acting like this. He was afraid Lyla would embarrass Chloe.

My heart sank. He was worried about her. What about me? Yes, I admitted that it was me who had pursued him, but did that mean he could treat me like this?

I had spent a year of my youth on him. Did that mean nothing to him?

The truth proved how heartless he could be. He dumped me just like this.

I must have been blinded by anger, which was why I agreed to Lyla's suggestion to stay for a meal.

I'd like to see how this deceitful couple would perform.

3 Lyla was smart. As soon as she saw Chloe, she knew what was going on.

She asked me to help her wash vegetables in the kitchen.

"When did it start?" she asked. "I don't know," I replied, keeping my head down.

She sighed, "I wondered why he hadn't mentioned you lately. He used to talk about you all the time..."

Noticing how depressed I was, she stopped talking.

I still kept my head down, silent.

After quite a while, she took my hand. "Katie, you're a good girl. It's that brat who doesn't appreciate you. Let him be. He'll regret it one day.

I like you. Even if you and that brat don't end up together, I will still treat you like my own daughter. Come over whenever you want something to eat, and I'll cook for you."

I didn't know how to react.

I knew Lyla liked me.

I had spent a year trying to win his affection, and I had tried to win over all his relatives, too, keeping in touch with them more frequently than he did.

They all said I was well-behaved, respectful, and likable.

I thought that would make him like me more.

But... While I was busy sending holiday greetings to his relatives and running errands for them, he was flirting with Chloe.

I couldn't describe how I felt right now.

"Lyla, thank you. You've been very kind to me."

I paused. "But after this meal, I won't come back."

I used to be a simp, but not anymore.

She sighed and didn't say anything more.

4 During the meal, the atmosphere was beyond awkward. Every second felt like torture.

I regretted it. I shouldn't have stayed.

I thought I could have justifiably confronted this deceitful couple, but after what Lyla said, thinking about how nice she had been to me, I actually couldn't do so.

"Where's Andrew?" Lyla suddenly asked him.

"He's here?"

Adrian obviously had no idea.

"Yes. He came back from abroad yesterday. He said he wasn't feeling well and came to rest at our place after getting off the plane."

Lyla continued, "I was so upset with you that I almost forgot. Go get him down to eat."

My heart skipped a beat.

My hands started to shake when that sickly face emerged in my mind.

And a few minutes later, that sickly man appeared at the dining table.

His hair was half-dry, and he looked exhausted, with the top two buttons of his shirt undone.

I didn't dare look at him. My heart kept pounding.

"Why is your shirt missing a button?" Lyla suddenly asked.

Andrew didn't respond. I peeked up to see him and saw him looking straight at me unflinchingly.

I looked away at once.

Then when I glanced at him again, he was still staring at me.

I felt embarrassed. Why was he looking at me when Lyla was talking to him?

"Oh. This is Adrian's girl..." Lyla was about to introduce me when she realized something and stopped abruptly. Then she rephrased, "This is Adrian's friend."

Friend?

I felt a pang of bitterness.

I had heard of Andrew. He was Adrian's fourth uncle and also Adrian's grandfather's youngest son, who had lived abroad for many years. I had never met him in person.

"Someone ripped it off," Andrew said nonchalantly.

As he spoke, he glanced at me meaningfully.

I was stunned.

He wasn't suggesting what I thought he was suggesting, right?

"One of your flings again," Lyla sighed. Then she persuaded him earnestly, "You're already 30. Be a model for Adrian. Find someone and settle down, OK?"

I felt a mix of emotions, and I didn't dare to say another word.

Andrew didn't retort. He smiled, "We'll see."

5 After that, everyone fell silent.

Only Lyla chatted with Andrew about some company matters, but Andrew didn't say much. He only occasionally responded, basically remaining lazy and relaxed.

Adrian kept peeling shrimp for Chloe, who had been silent this whole time.

Maybe it was the tension, or maybe it was the disgust at the sight of the two. Anyway, my stomach churned.

And then I really threw up.

Lyla saw my pale face. "Katie, are you OK? I'll have Adrian take you to see a doctor."

I quickly shook my head, fearing that seeing him would make me want to vomit even more. "No need. I think I got a bit of sunstroke yesterday. I'll just go back to school and rest."

"Andrew, you're going to the company later, right? Why don't you take Katie back to school on the way?"

She turned to Andrew.

"No need."

"Alright."

We answered simultaneously, and the atmosphere became awkward again.

"Let's go now. I have a meeting later," he said, grabbing his suit, completely ignoring my words.

As he walked up to me, he asked in a low voice, "You don't want to go?" Then he glanced over at Adrian.

I immediately understood what he was suggesting.

Of course, I wanted to leave. I didn't want to stay a second longer.

"Alright." I forced a smile. "Sorry to trouble you."

"No worries."

He said no more, carrying his suit and walking ahead.

I followed him nervously.

Certain things, once happened, couldn't be undone. This principle applied to both Adrian and me.

But I had to deal with it.

6 "You got dumped?" His first question after getting in the car made my heart skip a beat.

"Guilty as charged," I smiled bitterly.

It made sense. Adrian brought Chloe home for the meal, leaving me out in the cold. Everyone noticed it.

He looked at me for a few seconds and then said lightly, "You told me last night."

Oh... I had forgotten about that.

Last night, I went to his house, already wasted. I only remembered Andrew asking me what was wrong, and then I probably clung to him, spilling everything.

I just didn't expect that I would end up pinning him to the bed.

I opened the wine.

I clung to him.

I guessed I couldn't pretend to be the victim here.

"Last night, we..." I needed to fix this, but it was hard to say the truth out loud.

"Yes," he said, flipping through various documents on his tablet as if he was already used to this. "What do you plan to do with me?"

Was he really expecting an answer from me?

What did he think?

"Do you... need some kind of compensation?"

I asked tentatively.

It was my first time, and I was clueless.

He chuckled. It was a restrained laugh.

He stopped his work and looked up at me. "Alright. How much do you want to give me?"

He actually wanted money! I felt like I was in for a rough ride.

"Is ten thousand dollars enough?" I roughly calculated the balance on my bank card and the scholarship I had just received. I used some to buy a gift for Adrian, and ten thousand dollars was all I had left.

This time, he didn't laugh.

When he didn't laugh, he seemed a bit cold, which made me a little scared of him.

He ignored me, lowered his head, and continued working.

I was so nervous that I felt I was on pins and needles.

After a while, he suddenly said, "I guess I'm quite valuable."

I was speechless for a second. Anyone could tell he was being sarcastic.

Then I said honestly, "I don't have money."

Indeed, ten thousand dollars to people like them was like humiliation.

"Then you owe me."

"OK." I pinched my palm.

"Then... can I add you on Whatsapp?"

I wanted to friend him because it'd be easier to transfer the money to him.

He remained silent for a while and then freed a hand to grab his phone.

I friended him on Whatsapp, turned to look out the window, and decided not to speak anymore.

He didn't speak either. He continued to work.

After a while, he tossed his tablet aside. It seemed he had finished his work.

I felt a gaze on me, making me uneasy.

"Did it hurt?" he suddenly asked.

I was startled, unsure of what he meant.

He sized me up. "If not, why were you crying this morning?"

I was dumbfounded.

7 Honestly, this day had been so "eventful" that I felt like I was in a daze all day. I hadn't had time to think about it.

I lowered my head, trying to feel it.

Pain?

Honestly, I felt more nervous and scared.

And, maybe because I was drunk, the first time wasn't as painful as those on the internet said.

So, I even... couldn't tell if we actually did it last night...

But his question was hard to answer, so I stayed silent.

I was glad that he didn't ask again.

To avoid awkwardness, I started playing on my phone.

Suddenly, I had an impulse and searched how to tell if one had done it.

The top answer was, "You had sex with a less-endowed man, right? You poor thing."

I was a bit taken aback.

"Someone stole your soul?" A sudden voice startled me.

I was so scared I dropped my phone.

I looked at him and then at my phone, too nervous to react.

He put his phone aside and bent down to pick up mine.

My phone screen was still displaying the search page. Seeing that, I was scared out of my wits.

"I'll do it." I quickly reached out to grab my phone, and as I lifted my head, I bumped into something.

It hurt... My face scrunched up, and I saw his reddish chin.

"Sorry," I quickly apologized.

He gasped in pain, raised his chin, rubbed it, and sighed, "Are you trying to knock me out?" "I didn't mean to," I said sincerely.

He looked at me, his gaze playful, "Is that your catchphrase?"

I was confused.

"You said the same thing when you tore off my shirt last night."

I blushed completely at once.

"Then... do you want me to compensate you?" I was utterly mortified.

I couldn't believe it was me he was talking about. Did I really do something so shameless when I was drunk?

"You want to compensate?" "Yes."

He stared at me for a few seconds and then suddenly laughed. He said, "You owe me again."

I felt a lump in my throat.

Damn! After one night, I suddenly found myself in debt.

And my creditor was a man who was already showing signs of getting impotent even though he was just 30.

Thinking of those online answers, I looked at him with extreme sympathy.

Recalling his sickly face this morning, I couldn't help but shake my head.