Chapter 5: The only friend still around.

Mikey was surprised to see Elena's eyes were still closed, but her mouth still couldn't stop crying bitterly:

- John, don't go, I beg you to stay with me. If you go. I won't want to live anymore, I'll die. John, please come back.

Mikey hastily grasped Elena's shaking hand, his other hand gently patting the girl's thin shoulder. A moment later, Elena silently continued to sleep as if nothing had happened, her hand still clutching the man's hand, still holding it in her lap.

Mikey sighed, heartbreak and helplessness hidden deep in his eyes.

The question “Why did you forget me?” kept hovering in his mind. It was like an acid that was eating away at his heart little by little, miserable.

Mikey raised his hand to draw the lines on Elena's face, there were times when he thought that maybe he got the wrong person, but it wasn't. This is his woman, Alex's mother. Wonder what his young son would think when he learned that Elena had forgotten about him.

Mikey doesn't know what he needs to do now?

The man who took Elena away. Where is he now?

What happened to Elena two years ago?

***

The sound of the alarm woke Elena up. She opened her eyes and was about to reach out to turn off the alarm when she suddenly realized that her hand seemed to be tightly grasped by someone. She opened her eyes, surprised, and a second later opened her mouth and almost screamed when she saw Mikey dozing on the edge of her bed.

Elena frowned confused, she gently removed her hand from Mikey's and then sat there trying to remember why he was at her house like this. Nolan brought her back last night, she fell asleep in Nolan's car but why does Mikey end up at her house now?

Elena put her hands on her hands and lowered her head to look at Mikey's sleeping face. He's so handsome, unfortunately he is not a good person. Elena pursed her lips and stretched out her hand to slap him in the face when suddenly Mikey opened his eyes and glared at her.

In a split second the man grabbed Elena's hand and pulled it hard. She fell face down on the bed, their faces right next to each other. Elena was startled and embarrassed.

- Boss… Ah… general manager. Why are you sleeping here? How did you get into my house?

Speaking of this, Mikey felt annoyed again. If it wasn't him yesterday, but in exchange for another bad guy who sneaked in here, what would Elena do? How long has she been living like this?

He sat up straight with his hands on his hands and said grumpily:

- I saw a man carrying you back to your house. The door wasn't locked either, so I just walked in.

Mikey did not forget to glance at Elena with disdain. She pretended to be stupid, unable to say a word, stood up, and hugged the pillow in her lap.

That kind of situation was so shady, did she know how to explain it to him? But she didn't even need to explain to this person. He's nothing to her.

Elena sighed, hiding her guilt. She smiled sarcastically and said:

- So you were at my house all night last night. For a noble person like you to come and sleep in this shack of mine?

Mikey sarcastically:

- You left the glorious place to come to a slum like this, I thought you were living a very happy life?

- Hm?

Elena looked at Mikey confused, she didn't understand what he just said. But she didn't want to continue talking to him either. Anyway, now the difference between the two is too great, Elena has become a poor person, long since she is no longer qualified to slap her chest and refreshingly scold others. She got out of bed, gently went to open the door, and extended her hand to invite Mikey out. Her movements are polite like that of a hotel receptionist.

- Thank you for staying here last night to keep me awake. Now, please get out of here.

Mikey still didn't pay attention to Elena who was chasing him.

He glanced at her and then turned to walk into the bathroom. The loud knock on the door made Elena jump. She thought for a long time and still couldn't find a way to deal with this man. Elena plopped down on the sofa sadly, glaring at the bathroom door. Behind that door was her perverted big boss.

While Elena was stupidly thinking, when did Mikey come out, he walked up to her and asked:

- Do you still remember our transaction?

Elena was startled. Only now did she remember that the deadline for answering to the god of death had come. She was embarrassed to find a way to buy time, so she slipped past Mikey and ran into the bathroom.

Elena hid in there for a long time until she could no longer hear the sound that she came out. Unfortunately, before Elena could breathe a sigh of relief, a strong pull was overwhelming the wall behind her. Even the man's body encircled her. The two bodies were close to each other, even their heartbeats, even their breathing was in the same rhythm.

Mikey angrily asked:

- Do you want to quit your job? All right, write your resignation letter from LX. I'll sign it for you.

Elena puffed up her cheeks and argued:

- Don't be so unreasonable. I don't have to quit my job. I have not broken the contract. If you want to fire me, you must pay me a sum of money for breaking the contract.

- Sharp tongue. I am based on the reason you do not comply with the company's decision to change personnel that forces you to quit. Not only that, your salary may not be received either.

In a panic, Elena asked:

- You… can't you give me another choice?

Mikey pouted.

- I gave you three options.

[Fuck!] Elena cursed indignantly. Then she replied curtly:

- No matter which one I choose. It is also the way of death.

Mikey's eyes flashed with joy, he smiled and grabbed her slim chin and pulled it up:

- That means you have agreed to my conditions.

- No, you're just being unreasonable. Why do you want to force me so much?

- Oh! Are you arguing with me?

Mikey laughed dangerously sarcastically and said:

- At company. Haven't I always been famous as a capitalist boss who always wants to squeeze out the labor of his employees? Everyone knows my personality. What I want to do is to be able to do it. Furthermore, we are all traders. It was in his nature for a merchant to make the most of the power of his workers. Have you ever studied economics without understanding it?

Elena had no way of refuting Mikey. He was very reasonable. She wasn't in the mood to chat with this man either. Because up until now, Elena's whole body was still being held by Mikey in his strong arms. This made her unable to move, feeling very embarrassed. She had to make up a reason to escape:

- It's time to go to work, can you give me more time to think? I promise to answer you, please!

Mikey smiled and lowered his head, placing a kiss on Elena's cheek.

- You are a fool. Today is Sunday. We are all off work.

After saying that, Mikey also suddenly remembered that he had an appointment today.

Elena laughed mockingly.

- A person like me has no concept of days off work.

She looked at him begging:

- Can we go to the chair and continue talking? My legs are very tired.

Mikey laughed at Elena's struggling look. It seems that because she was afraid of losing her job in LX, she was more obedient, not swearing and getting angry at him anymore. In her green eyes, there was only his silhouette. Look at Elena's eyes now as clear as a cat's with thick, curling eyelashes. It is bewildered like a lovely baby cow looking for its mother. The smell of milk and loneliness. This image made Mikey very flutter.

- I'll give you the end of the day today. If you still find an excuse to hide tonight, I will officially fire you tomorrow, remember.

Mikey said loudly, grabbed his vest, and hurriedly left Elena's apartment. Mikey's hasty action surprised Elena. Was his unspeakable illness so severe that he urgently needed her for treatment?

Elena shook her head in confusion, she smacked her lips and ignored it.

On Sundays Elena often works part-time as a psychological counselor in a private hospital.

Elena's schedule is very busy today. As soon as she arrived, she did not have time to drink water and rushed to work. It wasn't until Elena's throat was painfully dry from talking too much that she stopped. After that, we only receive consultations for regular customers and have booked an appointment in advance. Yet her room was still busy with people going in and out. It wasn't until nearly six o'clock in the evening that Elena received all of her clients. She stretched and stood up, just walking out of the office when she saw Mikey's figure walking in the distance. Elena quickly hid in the room and watched him silently. She immediately saw Mikey walk into the head doctor's room. She is very curious, what is he here for? Is he sick?

Elena looked around to make sure Mikey didn't come back right away. At this time, she went to the front desk and asked in a low voice:

- Are there any other customers who have signed up for a consultation in my room?

The girl at the reception softly smiled and replied:

- There's no one else. Today, many people have come to ask for advice. What happened? Is their life too stressful? I think we are too. There is a lot of pressure to make money. Oh, and just now, there was an extremely handsome patient who was consulted by the head of the department personally.

Elena had already guessed who the girl at the front desk was talking about, but she deliberately asked more curiously:

- What did he come to consult about?

- I don't know, I just saw him waiting for the order number when the dean called to invite him into his room.

- Why don't you give him a consultation card?

- No, it's probably an exception.

Elena was afraid that if she was still standing here talking, Mikey would come back and see him and he would know she was working part-time here. If she's forced to leave the LX, at least she has this job. Heaven knows what madness that man can do.

She said goodbye to the front desk girl and quickly returned to her room to clean up and leave.

Now Elena remembered that a colleague at the NT cafe asked to change shifts with her. So Elena rushed to the bus stop again. Luckily it was just in time for the bus. She quickly sat in the empty seat of the bus.

Elena leaned her chin against the window and watched City A go dark. She looks so lonely. Since her family's incident happened, she has had no free time to watch the sunset or sunrise. Nor is she a romantic girl who often roams the streets to take pictures good photos or visit a coffee shop.

A bit of nostalgia, along with a feeling of regret for the past, immediately flooded Elena's thoughts. She remembers the most beautiful time of her life when she lived happily with her parents. Even in a dream, Elena did not think that there would be a day when she would have to bend her back to earn every change, eat instant noodles every night, and only have three hours to sleep every day.

Elena has resentment but is not too pessimistic. This life is inherently impermanent, anyway, she thanked life for giving her the strength to be able to overcome everything. Elena always believes that all her efforts will eventually be rewarded. God will hear her prayers and help John recover quickly.

Therefore, every day, when she wakes up, Elena encourages herself to live to the fullest and work hard, while still having health and time, she still has to work hard to earn money.

Today is Sunday, so right from the early evening, the NT cafe was crowded and bustling. Customers came in and out, making her and her colleagues extremely busy. Elena was busy working, busy ordering customers' orders, so she didn't have time to pay attention to a small corner of the shop where a man was sitting, holding a cup of coffee and looking at her without blinking.

It's been a few days since Elena came to the hospital, not on duty today, so Nolan went to this cafe to sit, this is also where he met Elena again who he used to like very much before but didn't dare to say.

The girl with a small body that worked as quickly as a falcon, even though she ran back and forth, never rested for a moment, but her smile was always on her lips. It was this energy of hers that left a very deep impression on Nolan's heart. He enjoyed watching Elena while she worked. At that time, Elena exuded a very attractive power and it always inspired him.

From the first time he met him, he wanted to learn about Elena and it was fate that he knew that Elena was a family member of the patient he was treating.

When the customers had filled all the tables, some guests who came later did not have a seat, so they regretfully returned, so that Elena had time to stand around and observe.

She immediately saw the boy sitting in the corner of the room. She grinned, her eyes shining, and walked out of the order area. Elena approached Nolan's desk.

- When did you sit here? I'm so busy I don't know.

Nolan smiled, pulled out the chair beside him, and handed Elena a bottle of water:

- You sit down and drink water to relieve fatigue. I haven't seen you drink since sitting here.

Elena waved her hand, and shook her head slightly, her face still bright with a smile always on her lips:

- Thank! I just came over to say hello. It's still working time, so I'm not allowed to sit. Why did you come here alone? Where is your lover?

Nolan laughed, looked at Elena with gentle eyes, and replied with a hint:

- I'm looking for my lover here. When you have time, please help me find her!

Elena laughed at Nolan's witty and warm way of talking.

- Okay, I'll try to help you find her. I need to go to work now.

- Today I will wait for you to finish work, then let's go to dinner together! I just learned that the Vietnamese neighborhood has a very good nightlife.

Elena smiled and nodded in agreement. She is very fond of Vietnamese food. She hasn't eaten in a long time.

And now, besides her, there are no other friends. Nolan is the only friend who has been with her for the past few months. Although they used to go to the same medical university in Italy. But at that time, the two were not studying in the same department, and they had an age difference. Although they knew each other at some parties, they never spoke until Elena learned that Nolan was John's doctor.

***

Elena heard Nolan say that this night restaurant is owned by an elderly Vietnamese man. He's a very good cook. Today Nolan invited Elena to eat roast beef offal, which is the best dish in this restaurant.

Nolan took the food into a porcelain bowl and gave it to Elena and reminded her:

- You should try it, the taste is very good.

Elena brought a small piece to her mouth. It was delicious. She admires praise.

Nolan happily laughs:

- You eat a lot to have the strength to still make money.

- Do you also realize that I am a person who loves money?

Nolan burst out laughing.

- Everyone likes money, and so do I. Without money, nothing can be done. Without money, you can't help the person you want to help.

Hearing that, Elena covered her mouth and smiled brightly. This laid-back way of talking and the choice of casual eateries like this were enough for her to realize what a refined man Nolan was. If he had invited Elena to a fancy restaurant today, the two of them wouldn't have been this happy.

Elena was very happy. She even ordered white wine to drink with the roast beef offal.

- When I go to Vietnam, to eat this dish must drink some wine. It's great.

Nolan also did not object. He took the bottle of wine and poured a small glass in front of Elena, and smiled lovingly:

- Okay.

Elena took it. The two clinked cups, eating and laughing non-stop. Neither of them knew that in the distance a man was sitting in a car looking at them with displeasure.

After eating, Elena was a little drunk. She and Nolan decided to walk back to Elena's apartment. On the empty street, Elena mumbled a song. Her voice is sweet and pure, mixed with joy. She said and laughed non-stop to her friend walking beside her:

- I ate a lot today.

Nolan put his arm around her shoulder jokingly:

- From now on, whenever I have free time, I will take you out to eat.

- I don't have money, but I won't refuse if you invite me.

Elena laughed and answered, making Nolan laugh too.

He walked next to her, putting his hands in his pockets, sometimes turning to look at the beautiful girl who stretched out her arms and looked up to breathe in the air.

- Elena.

She heard Nolan call and turned around, her eyes widening at him, her face still smiling:

- What's the matter with you?

Nolan shook his head with a smile, dismissing what he was about to say. He just whispered:

- Live happily ever after! If you have any problems, tell me. I will help you.

Elena nodded at him with grateful eyes.

- Thank you, having you always by my side makes me very happy.

At the bottom of the apartment complex, the two stopped. Elena looked at the other person and smiled.

- Thank you for the dinner. I laughed so hard. I'm coming home! Good night.

Nolan raised his hand and patted Elena's head.

- Sleep well, too! Whatever you need, just tell me. Do you remember?

Elena nodded happily, turned, and walked away, waving at Nolan.

Seeing Elena enter the stairs, Nolan left.

The apartment stairs that go up to Elena's apartment are old-fashioned. It's very dark. But since Elena was used to it here, she could easily go up without having to turn on the lights.

But she had just reached the third floor when suddenly her whole body was grabbed by a hand and pulled.