"Continue," she ordered without batting an eyelash.

"An Ning, this is not what you think," Richard said, closing the distance between them and trying to take her in his arms.

"Eww, dude, you smell of p.u.s.s.y," she said distastefully. "Keep your hands to yourself, okay?"

"An Ning, listen to me..."

"Just sit over there and don't touch me. The smell is making me sick. Is that your perfume, Maya?" An Ning said, turning to the now sobbing girl.

"An Ning, Richard and I have been lovers for years. He loved me before you but he married you in the end because it was expected of him..." Maya said, her beautiful face crunched up in total misery. "I hope you can forgive us."

"Sure, sure. I understand," An Ning said distractedly, almost gagging from the smell. "What the f.u.c.k is that awful, obnoxious perfume? It's making me really, really sick. Don't mind me if I throw up later, k?"

"An Ning, I'm sure you're shocked about all this. Richard and I...we didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't. You make me want to throw up with that disgusting smell."

"Shut up, you dumb b.i.t.c.h!"

An Ning's brows arched questioningly.

"Not you," Richard ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I mean her. Listen to me, An Ning.

I couldn't sleep so I came here. I fell asleep on the sofa and she came in here. I thought it was you. I really thought it was you. Then I woke up and..."

He stopped because An Ning ran past him towards a huge flower pot and emptied the contents of her stomach inside. Richard and Maya both watched her completely stupefied. An Ning continued retching in the pot. Richard reached her side and held her as she continued to heave and gag.

When she finally stopped, he led her gently to the chair.

An Ning was exhausted. She leaned against him weakly.

"It was the perfume," she said, running a hand on her mouth. "Your b.i.t.c.h wears a sickening scent. How can you stand it?"

"Listen, you..." Maya was enraged.

Richard flung a hand towards her. But this time, Maya was really, really p.i.s.sed off. Richard was looking at her like she was a bug who had dared crawl on top of his salad. And An Ning was mocking her, laughing at her like she was nothing. Envy, jealousy, an unfulfilled sense of ent.i.tlement that had been boiling up inside her for years finally erupted.

Maya lunged at An Ning with a furious cry. An Ning, who was waiting for her to do just that, leaned back on the chair, gripped the arms with her hands then let loose with her leg. The back of her foot caught Maya on her stomach. The force of the kick sent Maya staggering backwards, her arms flailing wildly as she landed with a thud on the ground.

It happened so fast that even Richard was surprised. An Ning casually leaned back on the chair and watched amusedly as Maya tried to stand up, looking shocked and disheveled. The sheer teddy was not enough to cover her ample curves so that she looked like a doll who had been s.e.xually attacked. Her legs were parted and since she wasn't wearing anything under the sheer fabric, she was horribly exposed.

An Ning leered at the sight.

"I don't blame you for wanting to mount her," she chuckled, turning to Richard, who averted his gaze with a blush. "I would do her anytime. Don't you love that thick bush?"

Richard looked at her as if she was insane. He dithered between the two women but chivalry won in the end. He took a step towards Maya, who was sobbing loudly and shrilly this time, when a voice sounded loudly at the door.

An Ma and An Yu Yan stood there, gaping at them.

"What the h.e.l.l is going on here?" An Ma demanded. "You," he added, turning to Maya, "put some clothes on. You look like a cheap s.l.u.t in that getup."

"That's rather unfair, dad," An Ning protested, as she watched her mother hurry to Maya's side. An Yu Yan pulled a plush blanket draped on a chair and covered Maya's sobbing figure with it.

"She looks smas.h.i.+ng and you know it."

"What did you do to your sister?" An Yu Yan asked, directing the question to An Ning with a pale, angry face.

"I didn't do her," An Ning protested. "Richard did that on his own. I just came to watch and cheer them on."

"Stop with that supercilious mockery already," An Yu Yan continued in a hardened tone. "Don't blame your sister for your man's shortcomings."

"I'm not blaming her. She tells me she and Richard had been going at it for years. Seemed they're in love but I got in the way," An Ning shrugged. "But Richard is now a free agent so up to him."

"An Ning, what are you saying?" Richard cut in harshly. "I've never been involved with this woman. She's lying."

"Since I can't remember anything, I think that's a moot point, don't you?"

"I'm telling you the truth," Richard was adamant.

"Are you saying you caught these two together?" An Ma was enraged.

"You mean were they humping? Oh ya," An Ning grinned. "And Maya tried to attack me so I kicked her hard."

"She attacked you?" An Ma turned furious eyes on Maya. "I always knew you were a mean, treacherous snake. Who the h.e.l.l do you think you are? You come to my house from G.o.d knows where and you try to hurt my daughter? I've had it with you! You leave this house right now and don't ever come back!"

"You can't do that," An Yu Yan said, her eyes frightened. "An Ma, please. She has nowhere else to go."

"Not my problem," An Ma said.

"I'll leave you," An Yu Yan threatened, her eyes narrowed with anger as she stared her husband down.

"You've been saying that for years and yet you're still here," An Ma shrugged indifferently. "You can leave with that s.l.u.t for all I care."

"I mean it this time," An Yu Yan was angry.

"Whatever."

"Oh, leave her alone dad," An Ning said, surprising everyone. "It wasn't entirely her fault. Besides, as I said, Richard is a free agent. He can do whoever he likes without me being angry about it. That's only fair, right?"

"An Ning," Richard said, shocked, "what are you saying?"

"I'm saying you're free. If you want Maya, then you can have her. This sneaking around behind my back is both demeaning to you and to me. It's not good for my health."

"I told you she's lying," Richard was pale. "I don't want her. I don't want anyone. I only want you."

"Sure. But both you and I know that's not entirely true, right? This happened before. Is she the same woman or do you have another stashed somewhere I don't know anything about?"

"What?" An Ma shouted, glaring at Richard. "This snake cheated on you before?"

"I don't exactly remember, dad," An Ning said wryly. "I guessed something like that must have happened because of the divorce."

"Of all the...." An Ma was incoherent with anger. "You traitor! I should have known better not to trust you!"

An Ning yawned.

"You sort this out, all of you," she said. "I'm going back to sleep. I still need to go to work tomorrow or rather this morning."

"An Ning! An Ning, you must listen to me!"

"Later, Richard. I'm beat."

Without another word, An Ning left. She woke up a few hours later, her stomach feeling hollow from hunger. She got up and went to the bathroom to wash and brush her teeth. After putting a light robe on over her thin nightdress, she padded to the kitchen still yawning sleepily.

Richard was flipping eggs on a pan when she entered. An Ning hesitated when she saw him. She then advanced to the fridge, poured milk on a gla.s.s, sat down on a chair and waited. After a few minutes, the eggs were done. Richard transferred the steaming food on a plate and put it down in front of An Ning.

An Ning scarfed down the food in silence. Richard went back to the stove and fried bacon and ham. He also sliced some watermelon and put them all down for An Ning to eat.

"Aren't you going to eat?" An Ning asked, eyeing the watermelon hungrily.

"I had coffee. I don't usually eat this early in the morning." Richard said, sitting down and watching her.

An Ning reached for the watermelon and put a slice in her mouth. It tasted sweet and succulent. She gave a little purr of contentment and finished the fruits in minutes.

"Did you sleep well?"

"So....so," An Ning answered, finally looking at him. "You look like h.e.l.l though."

Richard smiled bitterly.

"Had a very rough night. It was impossible for me to sleep afterwards."

"Hmnn…"

"I didn't mean for you to see that...last night," he continued awkwardly. "I thought it was you and...I woke up and was about to push her away when you...I'm really sorry, An Ning."

"I'm not blaming you," An Ning said, waving her hand. "She's a very beautiful woman and we're not exactly the ideal couple, are we?"

"We are a couple," Richard insisted. "We've made a baby together."

"I think both you and I know this baby is the only reason we are together," An Ning said. "It's not exactly the ideal situation either, is it? I think in our past, we've also made similar decisions like this without thinking the consequences. I don't think we should insist on being together just because I'm pregnant and you're the father, do you?"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we should rethink this," An Ning said, indicating the two of them. "Step back for a bit and rea.s.sess where we're going."

"What if I feel the same way afterwards?"

"Honestly, I don't know, Richard."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"What do you really feel about me?"

An Ning studied him in silence.

"I think you are important to me. I think I can trust you. I believe you when you say you care about me."

"But?"

"I feel that I should know you but I don't. I think I care about you but it's like I'm seeing you on a two-way mirror and it confuses me. I like you but at the same time I feel this inexplicable anger when I look at you. I don't understand it myself."

Richard was still, staring at her with something like panic on his face. An Ning frowned and was about to ask what was wrong when Richard suddenly reached for her hands. He kissed her fingertips one by one, his expression still panicked and agonized. An Ning was stunned. She didn't know what was happening but she suddenly felt worried for him.

"Richard? What is it?" she asked, frowning.

Richard buried his face on her soft hands. An Ning just watched him, still worried, still confused.

"I love you, An Ning," Richard whispered, leaning forward and taking her in his arms. "Remember me."

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, releasing her. "Go and get dressed. I'm driving you to work."

"Is Daddy okay with you being here? I mean..."

"We talked and I explained my side of the situation. He's still angry but I think on my behalf not me per se."

"Where's Maya?"

"Gone. So is your mother."

"Is daddy okay?"

"He said he was going to talk to his lawyer. I didn't ask him what he intended to do only asked permission to continue being here with you."

An Ning nodded.

"I need to talk to him."

"Get dressed first. We'll both see him after."