Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Byron set down his glass of wine. “Why would I look for you?”

Candice was speechless in the face of his attitude.

Enos and the other guys watched the girls on the dance floor, making bets on how old each one was. Byron didn’t join in, simply smoking a cigarette off to the side.

Candice noticed his smoking addiction was quite heavy. He chained one cigarette after the other. Harry had told her that Byron wasn’t always a smoker or a drinker, as expected of a doctor. But Vicky had said that men who smoked looked cool. The director she liked often smoked when he was searching for inspiration. So Byron started smoking too. Then later Vicky often suffered for drinking at investor parties, so Byron started drinking so that he could take some of them to spare her.

People who knew them during this time said that Vicky completely enchanted Byron. How could a woman do that to a man?

Candice poured half a glass of the wine. One sniff was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

THE

Chapter It’s Impossible With Her

Byron glanced at her, then turned to Enos. “I’m tired. Let’s go.”

“You don’t want to drink more?”

“It’s too boring here.”

Candice grabbed her jacket. “Are you going back to the hospital for surgery?”

Byron stepped around her. “I’m going home.”

Candice felt uncomfortable and the way they seemed to be leaving her out of the conversation. She pulled herself together. “My friend will be here soon.”

She ordered herself a Coke with ice and found a seat at the

bar.

It wasn’t long before a young man approached her. “Are you here by yourself, pretty lady?”

Candice glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was handsome, with Asian features. He looked like a K–pop idol with reddish–brown dyed streaks in his hair.

She nodded, but didn’t say anything.

The man sat down. “Vodka? Whiskey? I’ll get you a drink.”

She frowned and waved her hand. “I’m just having Coke.”

The man looked her up and down. “Are you single?”

Candice felt reluctant to talk with him and looked away.

Immediately afterward, she saw a flicker of motion. She looked back, but didn’t see anything.

The man smiled. “See you later, beautiful.”

A large hand picked up Candice’s glass. Byron stood there, glaring daggers at the other man. The other man was shocked by his overpowering aura.

“Doctor Wilson?” She stood up in dismay. “Didn’t you leave?”

Byron ignored her. “What drug did you put in here?”

was

The man stunned, then erupted in anger. “What’s it to you?”

“None of my business.” Byron was sober again and didn’t see himself as a heroic rescuer. “I’m just here to play.”

The man cursed and darted for the door. Byron signaled to the security guard, who caught him and took a white vial from his pocket.

Candice thought about the flicker of motion she’d seen and everything became clear. The man had spiked her drink.

In fact, Byron had noticed him the moment he approached. Candice. The man looked like an old hand at his games. Byron hadn’t intended to care about what happened to her, but that would have been too much. He was cold–hearted but not totally indifferent.

On the other hand, Candice felt depressed. He was such a shrewd and stable man, but she was too simple or stupid to gain his affection.

In fact, she was usually quite clever. But every time she met him she seemed to embarrass herself.

“Thank you, Doctor Wilson,” she whispered.

Byron didn’t accept her thanks, breezily saying, “You shouldn’t come to such places so often.”

It was after ten, and Enos was ready to go. Candice stood in the lobby, leaning against a crystal pillar while Bryon washed his hands in the public sink.

Enos handed Candice a set of keys. “Give Byron a lift. He can‘ t drive.”

She looked at the keys, not moving to take them.

“Are you not brave enough, Candice?” Enos teased her.

It wasn’t a matter of bravery. Candice didn’t want to move the relationship too fast. Men didn’t take easy women seriously. The longer they delayed and the longer they got to know each other, the stronger their foundation would be.

“Being reserved doesn’t work with Byron,” Enos told her.

Candice exhaled, then reached for the keys. But just as she was about to take them, Byron grabbed them instead. “I’ll find a chauffeur.”

She paused, her hand suspended mid–air.

Enos clicked his tongue. “There’s a free driver right here. Why would you hire a chauffeur? Does your money grow on trees?”

Byron opened the car door. “No.”

Enos looked at Candice. Her thin frame was illuminated in the neon lights. She looked lonely and pathetic. He felt his

Chapter 9 It’s Impossible With Her

heart soften and moved closer to her. “Just get used to it. This is the first of many walls you’ll face in your future.”

Candice forced a smile. “He’s like that with everyone.”

“Pretty much.”

There were exceptions. Everyone in the lobby knew that.

Vouchers

***

Miranda cooked her a snack when she got home, but Candice had no appetite. She only had a couple of bites and went to bed.

Chasing Rufus wasn’t nearly as tiring as chasing Byron.

Her mom knocked on the door. “Candice, your aunt knows someone she wants to introduce you to. You should go on a blind date.”

“No.”

“He’s a nice guy. Unmarried, and works for the local court.”

Candice was annoyed. “I said no. I already have someone I want.”

Chapter It’s Impossible With Her

“You do?” Miranda rattled the doorknob. “Unlock this door

and let’s talk. Is it that Doctor Wilson? I saw the two of you together at the hospital.”

Candice turned off the light and silently rolled over.

***

The next day during lunch break, Byron returned to his office after surgery and saw Harry eating beef stir–fry.

The food and the box both looked familiar.

“Does the cafeteria have a new chef?”

There was oil around Harry’s mouth. “It’s what that woman. made for you. It’s very good.”

Byron took a couple of steps, then stopped again. “Candice?”

“She told me she’ll be responsible for my lunch for six. months. Where’s your lunch? Want some?”

Byron took off his scrubs and put them in the sterilizer. “I’m not hungry.”

“Your loss.”

Chapter 9 It’s Impossible With Her

He put on his white lab coat. “So it’s delicious?”

“Much better than the cafeteria food.”

Vouchers

Byron flipped through a medical file. He held out for a moment, rubbing his temple. “Can you not eat so loudly?”

Harry adjusted his glasses. “Am I bothering you?” He got up and took his lunch to another table to continue eating.

Byron was totally fed up. He grabbed his pack of cigarettes. and a lighter, then headed to the stairwell for a smoke.

A nurse was walking through the hallway whispering to a coworker. “The girl who brought Doctor Harry his lunch… is she his girlfriend?”

“She’s a patient’s family, right? She used to pick up medicine for Rufus all the time.”

“Ah, she’s looking for her next marriage, huh?”

Byron leaned against the wall as he listened to their conversation. Before he could light his cigarette, his phone vibrated.

It wasn’t a number he recognized, so he declined the call. It vibrated again soon after with a text message: “Doctor

Wilson, my mom asked me to go on a blind date. I said no.”

Byron stared at the phone for a moment, then stormed back and slammed it down onto the lid of Harry’s lunchbox. “How does she have my phone number?”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “We could ask the head of the company to investigate.”

Byron sat down across from him. “I’m telling you, Harry. There’s no way I’ll be with her.”

“You’re not happy with anything.”

“Nope.”

“Is it because she’s divorced?”

“It has nothing to do with that.”

“But you treat her more coldly than any of the other girls who chase you,” Harry wondered.

Byron ripped open a sachet of instant coffee and got up to get some hot water.

He wasn’t the sort to make easy promises to women. Even though he was surrounded by ladies, none of them had ever.

been able to call themselves “Byron’s girlfriend” except Vicky. If Candice had simply wanted to sleep with him, he might have invited her over the night before when he was drunk. But a serious relationship was nonsense.

What’s more, she flirted with him while making lunch for Harry at the same time. She was obviously casting a wide net to catch her next husband.

This woman wasn’t as she appeared. She looked pure and inexperienced, but her appetite was surprisingly wild. She came straight out of suffering to grow herself into the next queen bee.

***

Candice returned to the company after an extended period of leave. The project director had arranged for her to do some business out of town for a couple of weeks to find a few talented people in the financial industry.

Her job was officially called “headhunting” but really it was professional poaching. Group A was interested in Group B’s elites. She was familiar with the advantages of Group A so her job was to tempt them to jump ship and come to their side.

Candice had decided that wherever Byron went, she would go too. Otherwise, she’d have no opportunities to create more openings. She had also bribed Harry to send her

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Chapter 9 It’s Impossible With Her

periodic messages. As long as they interacted from time to time, they’d eventually fall in love.

She had just started to make some progress, and wasn’t about to leave.

Just as she was about to refuse the task, she looked up and spotted Patrick. Half of his face was swollen, and there was a layer of red across his pale face. He looked like he’d been punched.

She was surprised. “Did someone beat you up?”

Her colleague answered for him. “Rufus came in this morning and attacked Patrick from behind. He didn’t have a chance to fight back because he ran away right after.”

Rufus had always been suspicious that there was something between her and Patrick. Once they had a company dinner, and Candice’s car broke down. Patrick drove her home in the middle of the night. They were downstairs saying goodbye when Rufus stormed out and punched him.

At first, she thought it was a sign that Rufus cared. But when she learned about Rita, she understood it was just him looking for excuses. In his mind, Candice really wanted to cheat on him, and when she found out that he couldn’t please her he expected her to do it even more.

Chapter It’s Impossible With Her

Winchers

Now that they were separated, he was living in her house, squandering her money, and messing around in her personal. business.

Candice grabbed her phone and headed for the door, but Patrick called out to her. “Candice! This is nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“I’m going.”

Patrick froze as he watched Candice open the door and head up to the roof.

“Have you had enough?”

Rufus was in a nasty temper. “No wonder you left me so easily. You’ve already lined up your next husband, right? I’m sure you’ve been with Patrick for a long time. Am I a joke in your company?”

“Don’t try to put this on me, Rufus. You’re in no position to decide who I’m with!”

He didn’t let it drop. “How long have the two of you been together? Was it before me and Rita? You’re so good at playing innocent.”

Byron set down his glass of wine. “Why would I look for you?”

Candice was speechless in the face of his attitude.

Enos and the other guys watched the girls on the dance floor, making bets on how old each one was. Byron didn’t join in, simply smoking a cigarette off to the side.

Candice noticed his smoking addiction was quite heavy. He chained one cigarette after the other. Harry had told her that Byron wasn’t always a smoker or a drinker, as expected of a doctor. But Vicky had said that men who smoked looked cool. The director she liked often smoked when he was searching for inspiration. So Byron started smoking too. Then later Vicky often suffered for drinking at investor parties, so Byron started drinking so that he could take some of them to spare her.

People who knew them during this time said that Vicky completely enchanted Byron. How could a woman do that to a man?

Candice poured half a glass of the wine. One sniff was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Chapter It’s Impossible With Her

Byron glanced at her, then turned to Enos. “I’m tired. Let’s go.”

“You don’t want to drink more?”

“It’s too boring here.”

Candice grabbed her jacket. “Are you going back to the hospital for surgery?”

Byron stepped around her. “I’m going home.”

Candice felt uncomfortable and the way they seemed to be leaving her out of the conversation. She pulled herself together. “My friend will be here soon.”

She ordered herself a Coke with ice and found a seat at the

bar.

It wasn’t long before a young man approached her. “Are you here by yourself, pretty lady?”

Candice glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was handsome, with Asian features. He looked like a K–pop idol with reddish–brown dyed streaks in his hair.

She nodded, but didn’t say anything.

The man sat down. “Vodka? Whiskey? I’ll get you a drink.”

She frowned and waved her hand. “I’m just having Coke.”

The man looked her up and down. “Are you single?”

Candice felt reluctant to talk with him and looked away.

Immediately afterward, she saw a flicker of motion. She looked back, but didn’t see anything.

The man smiled. “See you later, beautiful.”

A large hand picked up Candice’s glass. Byron stood there, glaring daggers at the other man. The other man was shocked by his overpowering aura.

“Doctor Wilson?” She stood up in dismay. “Didn’t you leave?”

Byron ignored her. “What drug did you put in here?”

was

The man stunned, then erupted in anger. “What’s it to you?”

“None of my business.” Byron was sober again and didn’t see himself as a heroic rescuer. “I’m just here to play.”

The man cursed and darted for the door. Byron signaled to the security guard, who caught him and took a white vial from his pocket.

Candice thought about the flicker of motion she’d seen and everything became clear. The man had spiked her drink.

In fact, Byron had noticed him the moment he approached. Candice. The man looked like an old hand at his games. Byron hadn’t intended to care about what happened to her, but that would have been too much. He was cold–hearted but not totally indifferent.

On the other hand, Candice felt depressed. He was such a shrewd and stable man, but she was too simple or stupid to gain his affection.

In fact, she was usually quite clever. But every time she met him she seemed to embarrass herself.

“Thank you, Doctor Wilson,” she whispered.

Byron didn’t accept her thanks, breezily saying, “You shouldn’t come to such places so often.”

It was after ten, and Enos was ready to go. Candice stood in the lobby, leaning against a crystal pillar while Bryon washed his hands in the public sink.

Enos handed Candice a set of keys. “Give Byron a lift. He can‘ t drive.”

She looked at the keys, not moving to take them.

“Are you not brave enough, Candice?” Enos teased her.

It wasn’t a matter of bravery. Candice didn’t want to move the relationship too fast. Men didn’t take easy women seriously. The longer they delayed and the longer they got to know each other, the stronger their foundation would be.

“Being reserved doesn’t work with Byron,” Enos told her.

Candice exhaled, then reached for the keys. But just as she was about to take them, Byron grabbed them instead. “I’ll find a chauffeur.”

She paused, her hand suspended mid–air.

Enos clicked his tongue. “There’s a free driver right here. Why would you hire a chauffeur? Does your money grow on trees?”

Byron opened the car door. “No.”

Enos looked at Candice. Her thin frame was illuminated in the neon lights. She looked lonely and pathetic. He felt his

Chapter 9 It’s Impossible With Her

heart soften and moved closer to her. “Just get used to it. This is the first of many walls you’ll face in your future.”

Candice forced a smile. “He’s like that with everyone.”

“Pretty much.”

There were exceptions. Everyone in the lobby knew that.

Vouchers

***

Miranda cooked her a snack when she got home, but Candice had no appetite. She only had a couple of bites and went to bed.

Chasing Rufus wasn’t nearly as tiring as chasing Byron.

Her mom knocked on the door. “Candice, your aunt knows someone she wants to introduce you to. You should go on a blind date.”

“No.”

“He’s a nice guy. Unmarried, and works for the local court.”

Candice was annoyed. “I said no. I already have someone I want.”

“You do?” Miranda rattled the doorknob. “Unlock this door

and let’s talk. Is it that Doctor Wilson? I saw the two of you together at the hospital.”

Candice turned off the light and silently rolled over.

***

The next day during lunch break, Byron returned to his office after surgery and saw Harry eating beef stir–fry.

The food and the box both looked familiar.

“Does the cafeteria have a new chef?”

There was oil around Harry’s mouth. “It’s what that woman. made for you. It’s very good.”

Byron took a couple of steps, then stopped again. “Candice?”

“She told me she’ll be responsible for my lunch for six. months. Where’s your lunch? Want some?”

Byron took off his scrubs and put them in the sterilizer. “I’m not hungry.”

“Your loss.”

Chapter 9 It’s Impossible With Her

He put on his white lab coat. “So it’s delicious?”

“Much better than the cafeteria food.”

Vouchers

Byron flipped through a medical file. He held out for a moment, rubbing his temple. “Can you not eat so loudly?”

Harry adjusted his glasses. “Am I bothering you?” He got up and took his lunch to another table to continue eating.

Byron was totally fed up. He grabbed his pack of cigarettes. and a lighter, then headed to the stairwell for a smoke.

A nurse was walking through the hallway whispering to a coworker. “The girl who brought Doctor Harry his lunch… is she his girlfriend?”

“She’s a patient’s family, right? She used to pick up medicine for Rufus all the time.”

“Ah, she’s looking for her next marriage, huh?”

Byron leaned against the wall as he listened to their conversation. Before he could light his cigarette, his phone vibrated.

It wasn’t a number he recognized, so he declined the call. It vibrated again soon after with a text message: “Doctor

Wilson, my mom asked me to go on a blind date. I said no.”

Byron stared at the phone for a moment, then stormed back and slammed it down onto the lid of Harry’s lunchbox. “How does she have my phone number?”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “We could ask the head of the company to investigate.”

Byron sat down across from him. “I’m telling you, Harry. There’s no way I’ll be with her.”

“You’re not happy with anything.”

“Nope.”

“Is it because she’s divorced?”

“It has nothing to do with that.”

“But you treat her more coldly than any of the other girls who chase you,” Harry wondered.

Byron ripped open a sachet of instant coffee and got up to get some hot water.

He wasn’t the sort to make easy promises to women. Even though he was surrounded by ladies, none of them had ever.

|

Chapter It’s Impossible With Her

been able to call themselves “Byron’s girlfriend” except Vicky. If Candice had simply wanted to sleep with him, he might have invited her over the night before when he was drunk. But a serious relationship was nonsense.

What’s more, she flirted with him while making lunch for Harry at the same time. She was obviously casting a wide net to catch her next husband.

This woman wasn’t as she appeared. She looked pure and inexperienced, but her appetite was surprisingly wild. She came straight out of suffering to grow herself into the next queen bee.

***

Candice returned to the company after an extended period of leave. The project director had arranged for her to do some business out of town for a couple of weeks to find a few talented people in the financial industry.

Her job was officially called “headhunting” but really it was professional poaching. Group A was interested in Group B’s elites. She was familiar with the advantages of Group A so her job was to tempt them to jump ship and come to their side.

Candice had decided that wherever Byron went, she would go too. Otherwise, she’d have no opportunities to create more openings. She had also bribed Harry to send her

periodic messages. As long as they interacted from time to time, they’d eventually fall in love.

She had just started to make some progress, and wasn’t about to leave.

Just as she was about to refuse the task, she looked up and spotted Patrick. Half of his face was swollen, and there was a layer of red across his pale face. He looked like he’d been punched.

She was surprised. “Did someone beat you up?”

Her colleague answered for him. “Rufus came in this morning and attacked Patrick from behind. He didn’t have a chance to fight back because he ran away right after.”

Rufus had always been suspicious that there was something between her and Patrick. Once they had a company dinner, and Candice’s car broke down. Patrick drove her home in the middle of the night. They were downstairs saying goodbye when Rufus stormed out and punched him.

At first, she thought it was a sign that Rufus cared. But when she learned about Rita, she understood it was just him looking for excuses. In his mind, Candice really wanted to cheat on him, and when she found out that he couldn’t please her he expected her to do it even more.

Now that they were separated, he was living in her house, squandering her money, and messing around in her personal. business.

Candice grabbed her phone and headed for the door, but Patrick called out to her. “Candice! This is nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“I’m going.”

Patrick froze as he watched Candice open the door and head up to the roof.

“Have you had enough?”

Rufus was in a nasty temper. “No wonder you left me so easily. You’ve already lined up your next husband, right? I’m sure you’ve been with Patrick for a long time. Am I a joke in your company?”

“Don’t try to put this on me, Rufus. You’re in no position to decide who I’m with!”

He didn’t let it drop. “How long have the two of you been together? Was it before me and Rita? You’re so good at playing innocent.”

She had been blind to not see the bastard for what he was in the beginning.

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Chapter It’s Impossible With Her

“If you dare come to my workplace again, I’ll call the police!”

Rufus sneered. “How protective of you. I’m sure by the end of the year the two of you will be married with your own children.”

Candice punched the disconnect button, her head buzzing with anger.

Patrick pushed open the door. “Candice?”

She turned around, forcing herself to calm down. “I’m sorry, Patrick.”

He touched his swollen face. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious.”

She left the rooftop and he followed, hesitating. “Candice, are you really going?”

“Yeah.” She suddenly stopped. “I have a personal matter to attend to. Can I postpone the business trip?”

“Not really.” Patrick looked uncomfortable. “The boss asked you to go. The company is engaged in energy–saving chips, and we urgently need some tech talents. Everyone’s being sent out to dig from several similar companies.”

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(Vouchert

Candice didn’t say anything else. If she left things for half a month, all her progress would stagnate.

Patrick saw her hesitation. “Is there something wrong?”

“It’s fine.”

At the end of the day, Monica Jenkins told her, “Patrick will also be going. He asked the boss himself to let him.”

Patrick had a good work ethic so he usually led the team. Candice replied without giving it much thought, “That’s good.”

Monica raised her eyebrows. “What is he thinking, giving up his comfy days in the office?” Everyone knew that he had something else on his mind. “The whole company knows that he has a crush on you. You’re so stupid to play dumb.”

Monica swiveled her chair around and stalked away.

***

The day of the trip, Candice was sitting in the airport lounge, listening to music. Several of her colleagues had gone to get food. She suddenly spotted Byron and Harry sitting about. four rows away. One of them held a black briefcase and the other held a boarding pass as they chatted in the VIP area.

It looked like they too were off on a business trip