Take My Breath Away

"Blair, I didn't know that you and Miller had broken up until recently," Gertrude continued. At this point, she sighed and glared at her son who was looking out the window. "Miller told me what happened. He was wrong, but you were too. You'd been engaged for two years, but you wouldn't sleep with him. Why do you think he cheated?"

Blair took a sip of water and said nothing.

Gertrude went on, "I heard that you were sweet on a soldier, but he didn't like you back; and that you got with Miller to make that guy jealous. That was also wrong. Now Miller has admitted his mistake. You can too. Give him a second chance, get married, and be happy. How about that?"

Her words made Blair feel sad. It was like the whole world knew Wesley didn't like her.

Gertrude secretly tugged at Miller's sleeve. Miller turned to look at Blair. "I'm sorry, Blair. I hurt you, and I regret it. Can we get back together? Can you take me back?" he said.

Miller would do anything his mom told him to. Blair knew that. His mom probably arranged the meeting, and ordered him to apologize.

Blair pursed her lips and said, "You're both right. I liked someone before I got engaged to Miller, and I got engaged to get back at him. But did Miller tell you I decided to forget that guy and spend the rest of my life with my husband-to-be?"

Hearing this, Gertrude glared at Miller. The son turned his head to look out the window again sheepishly.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he made it all Blair's fault when he had told his mom why he and Blair broke up.

"You know that I went to England after I got engaged to Miller. I never saw the soldier afterwards. I was out of the country and he couldn't see me unless he was deployed over there. I never called him, not even once," Blair said.

She did see Wesley during the Spring Festival, but that was an accident. She didn't see the point telling Miller and his mom about it.

"I never cheated on Miller. He did. Those are the facts. What he did was unforgivable. Cheating and abuse are the same. Once started, it will never end. Once a cheater, always a cheater. So, I'm sorry. There's no way. Things are starting to fall into place, and I'm happy now."

Rejected, Miller got sad and upset.

Gertrude continued to try to convince Blair. She wore an embarrassed smile. "Blair, I like you. Take some time and think it over. If you agree to marry Miller, I'll buy you a new house and a new car that is worth at least $100, 000. And I'll put both of them in your name."

Blair knew Gertrude's type. To bring up her children, she had been thrifty all her life. But now, to make Blair come back to Miller, she had promised her a house and a car; she was really making a sacrifice for her son.

Blair replied with a smile, "Thank you, but I've made up my mind. Miller should find a girl who really loves him. We're just not compatible."

Gertrude wasn't happy. She was almost begging Blair, but the girl wasn't budging at all. She felt humiliated. The smile on her face disappeared. She said in a hostile tone, "You used my son first. You flirted with another guy while you were with Miller. You wouldn't sleep with my son, so he went elsewhere for pleasure. But that wasn't just any woman, it was his boss. It was just a fling. Why can't you just let it go?"

Blair couldn't believe it. 'So it was my fault Miller cheated on me? I didn't want to have sex before marriage so that makes it okay?'

She took a deep breath and gave the mother and son a wry smile. "I already did. Miller and I have been apart for a while. In fact, I never brought it up. But you did. That was the whole reason you invited me over today. Never mind. We're done. Bye."

Blair had hoped to have a nice meal with Gertrude. Now she just wanted to be gone. She grabbed her purse and left the table.

Miller stood up abruptly and commanded, "Stop!"

Their table was in the lobby with many people around. His voice echoed through the room. Everyone turned to them when they heard Miller.

The curious gazes made Blair flush with embarrassment. Without turning around, she left the restaurant hastily.

She planned to take a bus home. But Miller caught up to her before she could go far after she left. He grabbed her wrist. Seeing who it was, Blair pulled away. "Dammit, Miller, we're done talking."

Blair's attitude in the restaurant made Miller angry. He had always been a gentleman, but now his tone had changed his entire demeanor. He glowered at her and demanded, "How could you talk to my mom like that? What? A house and car not good enough? Why won't you come back to me? You know that she has a heart problem? What if she had a heart attack?"

His angry face reminded Blair of Wesley.

Wesley was also loyal to his family, but not to a fault. Not like this. Miller, on the other hand, would turn into a different person whenever his mom was involved. It was like Jekyll and Hyde. In his world, nothing else mattered but his mom. Anything that went against his mom made no sense to him.

Blair sneered when she heard his words, "So what about when you slept with your boss? Did you think of your mom?"

Miller's lips hung apart, but he couldn't find anything to say. After a while, he changed the subject. "Why did you come home early that day?" Blair was a newbie employee. She needed to make a good impression on her boss and colleagues. She wouldn't ask for leave or be absent from work unless she had to. He couldn't figure out why she had come home so early that day.

Hearing his words, Blair flashed back to that day. Someone called her saying Miller had an accident.

She had rushed home, worried, only to find he was in bed with someone else. It was Wesley who took her away from there.

'Wait! Wesley! Why was he there? '

Blair's eyes widened. 'Could it be that he found out Miller was cheating on me, and then got one of his men to make up that bogus excuse?'

"It couldn't be," she murmured.

"Couldn't be what?" Miller asked in confusion.

"Nothing. Someone told me you were in an accident that day," she replied quietly.

"Accident? Why?" His confusion grew.

But Blair wasn't in the mood to talk more about it. She shook her head and said, "Doesn't matter. Let's move on. We can still be friends."