Chapter 5
She's Already Dead
"Are you still sticking to salad?" Debby asked confidently, ready to beckon the waitress.
But Arvin gestured towards the waitress. "Two orders of pork ribs."
Then he remarked to Debby, "I've developed a liking for meat now."
That wasn't true. Arvin genuinely didn't fancy meat, but I adored it, especially pork ribs, and often made them myself.
I loved them, thus coaxing him into enjoying them as well.
He indulged me in these matters, assisting in dealing with pork ribs and relishing them together.
I recalled once that he stared at me absentmindedly, with a plate of pork ribs between us, asking, "Why do you both adore the ribs?"
I didn't pay much attention to his question, enjoying the ribs while thinking he might refer to someone who was not important. After all, who would hate such delicious food anyway?
But now, I just realized what he meant when he said "both."
He was referring to me, and most importantly, Debby.
Perplexed, Debby queried, "You used to dislike them. Your change is rather sudden."
Arvin popped a rib into his mouth. "They taste good now."
Debby appeared depressed.
After breakfast, Debby playfully complained about the starkness of my home, saying it lacked warmth, and expressed a desire to buy flowers for decoration.
Arvin listened absently.
"What's bothering you? Are you displeased being out with me, preoccupied with Letty?"
He promptly refuted, "Impossible! She's probably upset that I've been strict with her. She must be out enjoying herself. I won't let her win this time. It's just that my assistant is coming soon, and I have something urgent to deal with."
Nodding understandingly, Debby remarked, "Don't speak of Letty in that manner. Perhaps she just got carried away with the fun and forgot to check her phone. I tried calling her multiple times, but she didn't answer. She's likely switched off her phone to avoid interruptions."
While listening, Arvin recalled that he hadn't received any messages from me on our chat interface, his expression darkening.
"After I finish shopping, I'll locate Letty. You don't have to worry. Just focus on your work."
Debby's voice exuded warmth and concern as she gracefully left.
Cecil, Arvin’s assistant, came soon.
In the black SUV, with soothing tunes playing, Arvin clutched the document in his hand without turning a page.
After some time, he said to Cecil coldly, "May I use your phone?"
Cecil, driving ahead, widened his eyes as he handed his phone to Arvin in confusion.
Arvin dialed a number.
After a prolonged beep, he heard someone say, "I don't want a card, insurance, or loan. Please kindly block my number. Thank you."
The impatient tone and perfunctory words remained familiar to me, easing the tension I had endured all day. All of a sudden, I just had tears welling up in my eyes.
"I'm Arvin. Please don't hang up. I just wanted to tell you that Letitia should be careful and not indulge herself outside. She can't eat whatever she wants. Her due date is approaching."
There was silence on the other end. It was so quiet that Arvin thought Maggie had hung up.
Furrowing his brows, Arvin started to lose his patience. "Are you listening?"
"Arvin Owen, do you have any compassion?"
Maggie's cold words came through the receiver, slow and deliberate.
Before Arvin could react, she continued, "Letty had a severe hemorrhage yesterday. You were at home back then. Did you go see Debby again?"
Arvin frowned, arguing, "No, she..."
"I don't care why you left home for whatever reason. But it took you a whole night to think of looking for her. You're truly despicable."
Arvin hadn't slept all night. Now he was being scolded, he felt nothing but irritation. "No matter what I say, you'll probably think it's wrong. I went out to help with something. Besides, Letitia... She can stay outside as long as she wants. You know what, she shouldn't come back if she wants!"
He said the last sentence so loudly, sounding more like a threat. It was as if he was certain that I was beside Maggie.
Maggie sniffled, her indifferent voice tinged with sorrow and anguish.
"She can still go back? Do you think you'll ever see her again in your lifetime, Arvin?" Her voice was filled with sadness and bitterness. "She's dead. By the time I arrived, she was already dead!
"She was so fragile, lying in a pool of blood. I... Forget it. It's pointless to talk to someone heartless like you. It's completely futile."
Maggie's hoarse voice gradually faded, with occasional quivers hinting at her inner grief.
"You're the one who caused Letitia's death!"
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