Take My Breath Away

"I want you to apologize to Megan. She's very unstable right now," Wesley said bluntly. Talking obliquely was never his thing.

Raised at the military residential quarters and having grown up to be a serviceman, he was even less tactful than Carlos.

Debbie didn't know whether she should laugh or cry at his words.

"Colonel Li, Megan should be the one apologizing, not me." Even Carlos couldn't make her apologize. Wesley was just wasting his breath.

He said in a serious tone, "Megan is just a little girl. You should be more tolerant with her. Besides, she's the one in the hospital right now, not you."

"Wesley, you and your friends are all biased towards her. You don't even care who's right and who's wrong when it comes to Megan, do you?" Debbie asked with a glare. Just because he and Carlos treasured Megan didn't mean that they could cover for all her mistakes. And there was no way that Debbie would apologize to her.

Wesley cast Debbie a complicated look. Then he said, "I'm sorry, Debbie." With that, he trotted towards the military vehicle in a standard military style and opened the back door, as if saying, "Get in, please."

Debbie's anger grew. 'What the hell? Is he gonna force me to apologize to Megan even though she is the one who is in the wrong?

Does he think I will gladly get into the vehicle just because he asked me to? I don't even listen to my own husband. What makes him think that I will ever listen to him? How big a pushover does he think I am?' "Colonel Li, new semester begins in two days. I'm going to buy some new stationery. Show yourself around the manor if you want."

Debbie turned to walk towards her car.

Wesley, however, caught up with her after several strides and closed her car door which she had just opened. He stood rigidly in front of it.

"What? You want a fight?" asked Debbie. She didn't give a damn about his status or rank.

Wesley was about to say something when his phone rang. He took the call and simply said, "I'm at your manor."

"I know," responded Carlos, as he walked into the elevator. "I'm warning you, don't you dare harm a hair on my wife's head."

Wesley looked at Debbie and then replied, "Don't worry, I respect her. That's why I'm politely asking her to get into my car."

Debbie guessed it had to be Carlos on the phone. Hearing Wesley's reply, Debbie scoffed. 'Politely? Thank you, Wesley, for showing so much respect.'

The doors to the sightseeing elevator closed. The view of the city flashed before Carlos' eyes. "She does what she likes. Even I can't force her to do anything she doesn't want to. Your words are not gonna budge her," he continued.

Wesley's lips twitched scornfully. 'Can't force your own woman to do what you want? I'm sure you're just unwilling to force her, ' he sneered within. "She must come to the hospital with me today."

"If you take her to the hospital forcefully, you will only make her angry. She won't apologize to Megan. Instead, she will tear the ward down, and she will make you watch as she smashes the place into bits. Is that what you want?" Though they hadn't lived together for too long, Carlos knew his wife very well.

Wesley hesitated. 'Why are women so troublesome? She's just like that woman, the one that left me.' "Since I'm already here, I will take her to the hospital."

"Don't lay a finger on her. I'm on my way. Don't do anything until I get there." Carlos hung up quickly. He drove the car himself and sped towards the manor.

Wesley put his phone away and looked at Debbie, who was standing in front of him silently. "You can't deny the fact that you pushed Megan into the river. Now she's suffering from the aftermath trauma and is hospitalized. You must follow my orders. I order you—" When he saw that Debbie's expression was quickly changing into something ferocious, he realized that she wasn't one of his soldiers. He changed his tone immediately. "Debbie, you must apologize to her."

"What did Carlos say?" asked Debbie.

Wesley's face twitched. "He asked me not to lay a finger on you. So I won't. Please, get in the car yourself."

Debbie scoffed. Carlos wasn't a heartless asshole after all. "Even if I go to the hospital with you, I won't apologize to Megan," she declared.

"Get in the car first." Wesley felt that time was pressing. He was losing his patience.

Unfortunately, Debbie sensed his impatience. "You're the one forcing me to get into your car. What are you impatient about?"

Wesley was speechless. 'Women are so touchy.'

Without another word, he walked back to the military vehicle and opened the back door again for Debbie.

She snorted. After telling her driver to go back, she walked to the car and climbed into the big vehicle.

On the way, Debbie scanned the interior of the car. She asked, "Wesley, this vehicle is so cool. Can I borrow it some time?"

Wesley replied honestly, "Military vehicles can't be used for civilian purposes."

That was an expected reply from Wesley. Debbie didn't mind. She changed the subject. "Did Carlos serve in the same unit as you when you were in the army? Why did he leave the army?"

"We both served in the special force." That was all Wesley divulged.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Debbie asked again, "Why did he leave the army and become a CEO?" She remembered asking Carlos the same question. 'What was his answer again? Crap, I forgot.'

Wesley steered the vehicle as easily as breathing. "Why don't you ask him that directly? He can answer it better than anyone else."

Debbie felt defeated. 'Soldiers are so tight-lipped and vigilant,' she thought, sighing.

Silence engulfed them. After a while, Debbie asked, "You're unmarried, right? Since you liked Megan so much, why don't you just marry her?"

Wesley was caught off-guard by her sudden question.

The woman he had loved used to say the exact same words. Those words had rung in his head countless times even after she had left. Hearing them again, the words struck him hard. He said solemnly, "She's not the one I want to marry."

Debbie was intrigued. "Is there someone else you like? Who is she? Where is she now? Have you been dating her?"

Silence was the only reply she got from him.

Sensing the change in Wesley's mood, Debbie figured that she might have accidentally rubbed in a sore spot. She refrained from asking any more personal questions.

Both of them remained silent till they reached the inpatient department. It was Carlos who opened the door for Debbie when she got out of the vehicle.

She wanted to jump to the ground herself, but Carlos was quick to catch her as she jumped down.

He held her hand and wasn't going to let go, but Debbie pushed him away, blushing. "Don't touch me," she reprimanded.

Carlos grabbed her waist and said flatly, "That's not what you said in bed last night."

Wesley, who had walked around the vehicle to meet them, happen to hear what their little conversation. 'Why? All I did was bring his wife to the hospital. Did he have to punish me by making me listen to that?'

Debbie tried to cover Carlos' mouth, but it was too late. The words were already out in the open.

She shook off Carlos' hand and said sarcastically, Shall we go inside now, guardian angels?"