Chapter 3: Planned meeting or date.

Chapter 3: Planned meeting or fate. 

He coughed and asked the audience to maintain discipline. He started explaining the research project and asked for someone to volunteer as an assistant. 

All the girls in the hall again went crazy and the hall was full with girls shouts. 

Even though he was good looking and caught my attention for a moment, such superficial things could never impress me.

I was sitting in my seat comfortably when the head of the research department came to the podium and announced my name as an assistant. 

"Why does it have to be me? ", I stood up in surprise.

The Head Of Department asked me whether I have any objection. I was about to decline it but suddenly that person named Brent smirked at me and I got scared that he might tell others what happened last night. So, I sat down silently waiting for the opening ceremony to end so that I could have a proper conversation with Mr. Brent. 

Finally the long and tiring ceremony came to an end and I followed Mr. Brent to have a proper talk with him. 

He headed towards his newly assigned office. I knocked at his office door and waited for a reply. "come in, Linda. You don't need to knock on my door. You can enter my office freely. "

I was confused after hearing his words and went inside the office. 

"Sir, I don't think I'm fit for the position of an assistant." I was still speaking when he suddenly interrupted me saying, "then why didn't you reject the offer in the auditorium."

I stood in front of him speechless for a while. The thing that I knew for sure was that he had the brain of a fox and it's better to keep a safe distance from him. While I was busy judging him, he called my name and said, " Linda, what happened yesterday at rooftop….." I interrupted him, scolding and shouting at him," I knew jerks like you very well who use others secrets to blackmail them." 

He carefully heard me and said," I was about to say that you don't need to worry. I'll keep it a secret for you. "

My face turned as red as tomato due to embarrassment. 

I apologized immediately and couldn't reject the position of assistant anymore.

He asked me to add his contact to my phone and to report at 8:00 am on working days. 

I couldn't figure out what was actually going inside his brain. Why would a successful neurosurgeon come all the way to Australia for a small research project? 

Immersed in my thoughts, I came out of his office. Ben was waiting for me outside the office and as soon as I came out, he asked, "Have you rejected the offer?".

"On second thought, I think it's worth a try.", I replied. 

Ben was not happy with my decision due to some reasons not known to me. 

Ben hurried towards the HR department and wrote his name for male assistant. 

But Ben had to spend a year in China for an internship and he was going to leave soon so there was no point in applying for a week or two.

Ben looked at me with concern, held my hand and said to keep a safe distance from Brent as he didn't seem to be a reliable person to Ben.

"Ben, you know I like to stay alone. Don't worry,  I won't let my guard down."

My hand was still in Ben's hand when the office door opened and Brent came out with anger and rage in his eyes and was continuously looking at my hand that was held by Ben. 

"Mr Ben Carson, it's such a huge surprise to see you here." Mr Brent said it while taking my hand from Brent and holding it tightly. 

I couldn't get the whole situation and tried to free my hand from Brent's grip but his long and strong hand was tightly but still gently holding my hand. 

Ben asked Brent to let go of my hand and grabbed his collar in anger. 

I somehow managed to free my hand and tried to stop Ben from hurting Mr Brent, "Ben! let go of his collar." I tried to remove Ben's hands from Mr Brent collars.

"Mr Brent! You need to respect me as a lady and also as an individual. I'm greatly thankful for your help last night but you don't have any right to hold my hand." I reminded Mr Brent to stay in his limits, and took Ben away to avoid any further trouble. 

As I walked away with Ben, I turned backward to look whether he was gone or not. He was standing there looking at us. 

Ben sent me to my home. 

I offered him some coffee. He went up with me to my apartment upon my invitation. As the lift stopped at my floor and the lift door opened, we saw Ben's father standing in front of my home. 

He shouted angrily at me," You b***h!  Why don't you leave my son alone? I will give you as much money as needed to satisfy your greedy soul. Just let him go."

Before I could prepare myself for the whole situation, Ben's father came towards me and slapped me as hard as he could.

A single slap was not sufficient to satisfy his anger so he tried to slap me again but luckily Ben held his father's hand and saved me from getting slapped again. 

I trembled in fear as his father's eyes were piercing through my heart and hid behind Ben's back. 

I was not able to defend myself. Ben started arguing with his father and took his father away. 

He sadly looked at me and asked me to go inside my house. 

My voice was trembling and my hands were shaking. I tried to hold my tears and opened the door of my apartment. My legs were no longer able to support me, somehow I reached my couch and sat down holding my chest because my heart was beating so fast as if it would come out of my chest. 

I laid down on my couch and started crying thinking that it was better to have died last night. 

Mr Brent who seemed like an angel to me a few hours ago, but now I was mad at him as he prolonged my sufferings and pain. 

It took me so much effort to take the decision of dying but he ruined all my plans. I would have been dead by now and my pain would have come to an end. 

I was suffering from psychiatric conditions called major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder simultaneously from the last 8 years. I was getting treatment from a senior and most talented female doctor of the city named,  Lexi Smith. 

Lying down on my couch, suddenly my chest started to feel heavy and I couldn't breath. My whole body started trembling. My clothes were soaked in sweat and my face turned pale. 

No, I was not dying. I was having a panic attack. My medicines were in my room and I was not able to get them. 

I tried to walk towards my room but suddenly fell on the ground and hit my head with a table edge. Blood started dripping from my hand as I tried to get up from the floor but failed to do so. I gave up and laid down on the floor.

Suddenly my doorbell rang. I shouted for help. Luckily, I didn't lock the door. The front door of my house opened and Mr Brent entered the house. He was the least expected person to enter my house. 

He suddenly ran towards me and held me in his arms, immediately took his handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the blood off my face. 

I saw his mesmerizing dark brown eyes from close. Genuineness was clearly visible in his eyes. I never have seen such pure and bright eyes before in my life. 

I told him to bring my medicine from my room, he carried me to my room,  took my medicines out of my drawer and ran to get me some water. 

I took my medicines and stayed still on my bed holding my chest firmly. 

He patted on my head as if he could feel my pain and misery. 

He was carefully looking at my wound when suddenly he saw a slap mark on my cheeks. His face turned red as if he was burning with rage and anger.

He didn't ask me about who slapped me and gently touched my swollen cheeks. 

He carried me in his arms and took me to hospital. 

He remained silent the whole time. 

Something about him was bothering me so much. He was so mysterious to begin with.

On reaching the hospital, He took me to emergency department and he himself cleaned my wound and put some ointment and bandage on. 

While he was cleaning my wound, He was so close to me. He was gently blowing over my wound. 

My heart started racing and my face turned red. I tried to move away but he held my arm to stop me from moving, and suddenly he lost his balance and fell on me. 

He was so close to me and our eyes met for a long time. Suddenly out of nowhere the door opened and Ben entered the room shouting," Linda! I have heard you got hurt………." 

He abruptly stopped talking and stood there for a while.

I pushed Mr. Brent away and got up.

"It's not as you think, Ben." I tried to explain myself. 

But Ben didn't pay any attention to my words and grabbed Mr. Brent's collar and punched him on his face. 

Mr. Brent also punched him back. They started fighting with each other.

Ben thought that Mr. Brent was trying to take advantage of me whereas Mr. Brent was angry as his father was responsible for this whole situation.

I stopped their quarrel by holding Ben.

Ben was sorry for the whole situation and couldn't look into my eyes. 

He kneeled down in front of me and apologized in place of his father. His eyes were filled with tears as he looked towards me. 

"OH Ben! It's not even your fault to begin with. Stand up my friend."

Ben was still embarrassed and kept looking towards the ground. 

I turned towards Mr. Brent and looked at him with suspicion as I never mentioned who slapped me and why he came to my home in first place. 

Both Ben and Mr Brent offered me a ride. I decided to go with Mr Brent instead of Ben as I had too many questions to ask him. 

Mr Brent went to take his car from the parking lot and Ben stayed with me. 

After Mr Brent left, Ben told me not to trust Mr Brent as he seemed as a person with hidden motives to him. 

Although Mr Brent never hurt me and was always helping me. I also was not sure about his motives or intentions. 

Ben told me that he was going to China a day after tomorrow for a medical internship and for further expanding his father's business there and that he will be back after a year. 

I asked Ben to go back home and to pack his stuff. Due to his father, I might not have been able to see him off at the airport so I said my goodbyes at the hospital. 

I went outside the hospital. Mr Brent was standing beside his marvelous car waiting for me. He opened his car's door for me and put his hand above my head to prevent me from hitting my head to the car's roof. 

I had so many things to ask from him like why he knew about what happened to me?  Why did he come to my house? Why did he care so much for me? 

But I couldn't think of a way to start a conversation with him. 

He asked me if there was something bothering me? Before I even started to ask my doubts, he started talking about himself. 

" Linda, I'm Brent. We used to be childhood sweethearts. My whole life, I have been longing to meet you again."

I interrupted him saying," childhood sweethearts! You said." I never remembered having any sweetheart. I couldn't believe a single word of Mr Brent.

"I know you don't have any memory of me and neither am I forcing you to remember anything. Don't be afraid of me. I'll never hurt you. " . He calmly started explaining himself without any question from me. 

I myself was well aware of the fact that I didn't have my childhood memories so I asked him whether he can prove himself. 

He suddenly stopped the car and came closer to me. 

"What…..What are you trying to do?"

He startled me. He kept on coming close to me. His lips were so close to mine. His cool breath over my face was making my heart race. 

He gently touched the left side of my forehead and asked me about my scar on  the left eyebrow. 

There was a huge scar on my left brow since childhood but I have no memory of how I got it. My parents told me that a male friend of mine pushed me from the roof and I hardly survived that fall. 

"Do you remember how you got it?" Mr Brent asked.  I remembered my father telling me a story about a childhood friend of mine who harmed and bullied me in many ways even to the extent that he sometimes tried to kill me. 

My face turned pale as I realized that he could be that person. My father always told me to stay away from him even though I had no memory of him. 

"No,  I don't remember how I got it. My father told me that I got hurt while playing with my friends." I replied in a shaking voice. 

"I guess you father lied to you to keep us apart."  he whispered with disappointment on his face. 

He then told me that I got this scar due to him. According to him, When he was leaving for America with his family,  I was extremely sad and wanted him to stay. I threw huge tantrums and even my parents weren't able to convince me. On the day, they were leaving. He came to say his last goodbyes but I still couldn't let him go. 

My father forcefully carried me to my room and locked me there. While Brent and his family were settling in their car, I jumped out of my room's window to stop him from leaving. 

I started laughing at his version of story and pushed him away from me in anger,

 "Do you take me as a fool?" 

I might have lost my memories but I was not a fool to trust a stranger's words over my father. 

My father told me that someone deliberately pushed me off the roof and that person had a scar on his hand as I injured him while defending myself. 

I held Mr Brent's right hand without his consent and started looking for a scar mark. 

I found a huge scar on his right forearm and looked at him with suspicion. I asked him how and when he got that scar and he clearly lied to me saying that it was from a car accident an year ago.