Memories Of The Night

Before Katrina closes the door, she warns, "Aaron, don"t make trouble for that taxi driver."

As a police officer devoted to maintaining the peace, Katrina is worried about the taxi driver. She cannot bear to see an ordinary person be punished severely for merely being rude. She knows what Aaron is capable of.

Aaron rests his hands on the steering wheel and looks at her coolly. "I"ll spare him if you give me a kiss. If you won"t then, I am afraid he"ll get what he deserves,"

Fury bubbles within Katrina at Aaron"s words, and she can"t believe he is actually blackmailing her like this. This devil is really getting into her nerves.

In the face of Katrina"s wrath, Aaron can"t bring himself to tease her anymore. "Fine, I won"t trouble him," he grumbles reluctantly.

Given his temper and personality, there is no way he can let someone who disrespected his woman go so easily. But he can"t bear to refuse Katrina even more.

Consoling himself with the thought that dealing with an ordinary person is quite boring, Aaron decides to let it go this time. He doesn"t want to spend his precious time with some boring activities.

***

Marcellus"s apartment is dark except for the light coming through the French windows. Sitting on the floor, Marcellus watches the night scene outside as he gulps a mouthful of beer. His face is filled with indescribable loneliness and pain.

At that moment, the main door opens from the outside, and the living room lights up with the flick of a switch.

Marcellus raises his arm to s.h.i.+eld his eyes from the harsh light.

Claire gasps in shock at the sight that greets her.

The living room floor is filled with empty beer bottles and cigarette b.u.t.ts. The air is so thick with alcohol that Claire can taste it in her mouth. In the middle of all the disarray, Marcellus is slumped over with a despondent look in his eyes. He is the epitome of a disheveled mess, his hair unkempt, and his s.h.i.+rt rumpled.

Until now, Marcellus has never indulged in smoking or drinking. He has always been conscious of his image and health, keeping away from vices at all times.

Seeing him behaving like this now frightens Claire a great deal. Recovering from her shock, she quickly runs to her son. "Marcellus, what happened? Why are you drinking yourself to death like this? You just left the hospital, and you need to take care of yourself!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Marcellus opens his bleary eyes. Although his mother"s figure is hazy, he can still recognize her.

"Mom," Marcellus slurs. When Claire brushes the hair out of his eyes, he suddenly sneers, "Katrina and I are completely over. Are you happy now?"

Claire startles at the harsh tone. She watches Marcellus"s face crumple before he buries his head against his knees.

He chokes with unspeakable grief, "There"s no chance for me anymore. She has a new boyfriend now."

Seeing Marcellus like this because of a woman is heartbreaking. Claire can"t bear to watch him suffer from a break-up so much that he would resort to drinking and smoking.

Overcome with motherly love, and she says gently, "My son, it hasn"t been long since you broke up. She must not be as nice as you think. She doesn"t deserve your love at all."

Marcellus quickly shakes his head. "No!"

Even if Katrina quickly found a new boyfriend after they broke up, he knows that she is not the kind of girl his mother is implying. He has known Katrina for so many years, and he knows what kind of person she is. Katrina is perfect in every way.

But now, she will never be his.

No one can understand the pain Marcellus is going through without experiencing it themselves.

Emotionally exhausted, Marcellus drags himself up from the floor and staggers to his room. He is too intoxicated to stand on his own, nearly falling over several times. He finally makes it to the bed after Claire supports him by his side.

As soon as his head touches the pillow, Marcellus falls asleep.

When Claire comes out of the bedroom, she sees Irene cleaning up the mess in the living room.

After Claire found Marcellus missing from his room earlier that day, she enlisted Irene"s help in searching for him. In the end, they found him back at his apartment.

Irene had been standing behind Claire when the older woman opened the apartment door earlier. Seeing the state of Marcellus and his apartment made her wonder if she should enter or leave. When Claire supported Marcellus on his way to the bedroom, Irene decided to clean up.

Claire gets an inexplicable feeling upon seeing the rich young lady Irene Harrison do menial work. Irene is not only such a good girl but also very attentive and good to Marcellus. What more does her son want? What"s so great about Katrina that he can"t give Irene a chance?

Feeling someone"s gaze on her, Irene looks up from her work and sees Claire coming out of the bedroom. The older woman looks extremely worried.

Irene rushes towards Claire to comfort her. "Mrs. Brook, don"t worry too much. Marcellus is behaving this way because the break-up is still new. He just needs time to move on, and then he will be alright."

Irene"s words deeply move to Claire. She sighs, "Marcellus is obsessed with that girl for some reason. It"s such a shame that he met her first instead of you. You"re perfect for him."

"Mrs. Brook, don"t say that," Irene says with a smile. "It"s already late. Please go home and get some rest, I"ll clean up here."

"But, it"s not proper!"

Marcellus and Irene are not yet together. Even if Irene is interested in him, it"s inappropriate to have her clean up Marcellus"s apartment.

"It"s all right," Irene says sincerely. "I"m young, so I can stay up and take care of him. Rest a.s.sured that I"ll look after him tonight."