Take My Breath Away

When Debbie finally calmed down, Carlos set Piggy down gently. He looked at the little one and said tenderly, "Go to your mom, now."

Piggy didn't let go of him immediately. "Uncle Carlos, will you come to our house?"

Sensing the girl's unusually deep attachment to him, Carlos was confused. He didn't answer Piggy's question. Instead, he looked at Debbie incredulously, who had just thrown a tantrum, and wondered, 'Is she using the girl to get back together with me?'

"What are you looking at?" she snapped at Carlos, rolling her eyes at him. "Piggy, come here," she said to her daughter, disappointed at Carlos' reaction.

She recalled how he used to say he wanted a boy. 'I knew he wouldn't like Piggy.'

Carlos misunderstood her too. He thought Debbie was embarrassed because she had given birth to a married man's illegitimate child. But he eventually said indifferently, "This isn't about you and me. I like Evelyn." Then he turned to Piggy. "Evelyn, this is my card. Call me when you want to see me. Then I'll send someone by to pick you up, okay?"

Piggy's tearful face broke into a smile when she heard this. She took the card and gave Carlos a peck on the cheek. "Thanks, Uncle Carlos. I'll call."

"Glad to hear it. All right, I have work to do. Bye."

"Bye-bye." Piggy waved her hand and went to her mom.

Debbie could tell that Piggy liked Carlos a lot, even more than Ivan, Hayden, and her other godfathers.

However, Carlos was just as cold as always, and didn't show much warmth to the child, at least as far as Debbie was concerned. After Carlos left, Debbie scooped Piggy up into her arms and asked, "How do you know... um...Uncle Carlos?"

Holding Carlos' card in her hand, Piggy blinked and answered, "Daddy Ivan, at the dinner."

Debbie remembered how excited Piggy was after that dinner. So she liked Carlos from the first time she met him.

Debbie was so bitter she could taste it. She was not sure what to tell her daughter. Should she tell Piggy that Carlos was her father? Was it right to keep the truth from her?

After dinner, they walked out of the restaurant. Hayden had planned to go to the mall and do some shopping for Piggy, but the little girl was already asleep. So Debbie decided to take her back to Curtis' place.

Debbie's concert date was just around the corner. She had been quite busy lately and had almost no time to spend with Piggy.

She rang the doorbell, and the noise made Piggy stir. She fluttered her eyes and was struggling to wake up. A servant opened the door and greeted them warmly, "Hi, Miss Nian. And here is our little Piggy."

Piggy smiled at the servant and said, "Hi, Ruth." Then once again, she buried her little face in her mom's chest.

Debbie walked inside with Piggy in her arms. Then suddenly she heard someone talking in the living room. She asked Ruth Li, "Do we have a guest?"

"Yes, Miss Nian."

Debbie decided not to belabor the point any longer. She put Piggy down, changed into her slippers, and walked into the living room, holding Piggy's hand.

A woman in a seaweed dress sat elegantly on the couch drinking water. Seeing Debbie walk in, she nervously put the glass down on the table, hand shaking.

"Debbie, you're back," Curtis said.

Debbie smiled. "We were gonna go shopping, but Piggy..." Was asleep, she wanted to say. But her words were frozen on her lips when she saw the woman sitting on the couch.

It was...

Colleen walked over to Debbie with Jus in one arm, and took her hand and said with a smile, "I bought some watermelon. It's from Xinjiang. It's said to be as nutritious as milk. Let's try some."

But Debbie wasn't even paying attention to Colleen. 'Why is she here?' she thought with a pale face, feeling a little short of breath.

The atmosphere was suddenly painfully and awkwardly quiet, and tense as all get out. Curtis walked over to Debbie and urged, "Debbie, come and join us."

Debbie was still silent, staring at the face she had seen so many times on TV, yet it was totally unfamiliar to her. Then all of a sudden, she gathered up Piggy and started to walk to the door.

"Deb," the woman sitting on the couch called in a throaty voice, struggling to get to her feet quickly.

Debbie paused, resentment spilling from her gaze. The next second, as if she heard nothing, she walked on, intending to leave.

Curtis went to her anxiously, trying to persuade her to stay. "Debbie, your mom took some time off to visit. I know this is hard. I think you two need to talk."

"Talk? About what?" Debbie scoffed. "I don't even know her."

"Deb," Ramona called out again. Her heart ached every time she called her daughter's name. "I was forced to leave you and your dad. Now that the guy who tore our family apart is dying, I want to make up for the past. I want to spend time with you..."

"I don't know you! I don't have a mom!" Debbie yelled, startling Piggy and causing her to jump, despite being held fast by her mom.

Realizing she had scared Piggy, Debbie pressed her cheek against Piggy's, and rubbed her back to comfort her, "I'm sorry, baby. Didn't mean to scare you."

Colleen handed Jus to Ruth Li and took Piggy from Debbie. "She's your mom. Give her a chance."

Debbie turned around and looked Ramona in the eye. "I never had a mother, and I don't need one now," she said stubbornly. "You abandoned me when I needed you the most. I don't want to see your face ever again!"

Then, without giving anyone a chance to speak, Debbie stroked Piggy's cheek. "Sweetheart, I have to go. Have fun with Jus, okay?"

"Okay, bye-bye, Mommy." Piggy waved her hand sweetly.

Debbie kissed her on the cheek, changed into her shoes and left.

"Deb! Deb!" Heartbroken, Ramona ran after her and kept calling her name.

Debbie walked on resolutely, got in her car, and drove off.

'You don't have a mother. You don't. You don't...' she kept telling herself.

The car sped along the street. She floored it, hitting 90—it still was not fast enough.

She didn't slow down until the traffic lights turned red. But it was too late to brake. The car screeched along the roadway before a loud bang assailed her ears as she jerked to a stop.

'Ow! That hurts!' Her forehead bumped into the steering wheel. When she lifted her head, there was a red mark there.

She slowly raised her head and found her car had crashed into another car in front of her. And it was an expensive one.

'Could this day get any fucking better?' she thought bitterly.

As she tried to get her bearings, the driver in front of her got out of their car. Debbie had to get out of hers too. At the last second, she remembered to bring her purse too.

The driver walked towards her. Leaning against the car door, she said, "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. Let's settle this without bugging the cops. I'll pay for the repairs."

Frankie looked at the dent from the collision, then at the car which had crashed into the Emperor—a $300, 000 Cadillac— and at last at the owner of the car.

He tapped on the backseat window and said quietly, "Mr. Huo, the driver of the other car is at fault. She's offering to pay."