"Good! I shouldn't have come to look for you in the first place. I'm just a God damn fool making myself ridiculous!" Edward had been worried. After about three hours of searching for her, he got really irritated. Daisy's words made him think that all the things he had done for her were unnecessary and she didn't need him or his efforts. He lost his temper and for the first time he cursed in front of her.
Daisy still didn't turn around to look at him. She tried to hold back the tears, but in vain. Fierce tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Watching her back, Edward felt she didn't appreciate his concern at all. He closed his eyes dismally. When he reopened them, he walked down the hill, alone.
As Edward's footsteps became thinner, Daisy turned around. She watched him go farther and farther away from her through tearful eyes. Grief ran through her.
She always knew that a distinguished and arrogant man like Edward wouldn't love her deeply enough to humor her all the time, and she had been reminding herself to be discreet. But when he got mad at her, the indifference he showed was still too much for her to bear. She felt as if she was reliving those painful days when Edward had treated her like no more than a stranger.
Edward slammed the car door and sped away, as if he had forgotten the woman he loved was still on the hill. He looked grim, eyes elusive. His mouth was a tight line. One single glance at him could give people chills.
"Luke, you don't need to look for her anymore. I found her," Edward answered on his vehicular telephone and slowed down his car. Luke had been trying to reach him.
"Mr. Mu, where are you? Do you need me to come over?" Hearing that Edward had found Daisy, Luke stepped on the brake and pulled over.
"No. You go back to the hotel." Edward frowned and made a U-turn.
"Okay, be careful." Usually Luke was at Edward's side. He and Edward were now separated because they had gone in different directions to look for Daisy. He was worried to leave him alone. His ultimate aim was to protect him. Only when he was with Edward could he stop worrying.
"I will." Edward hung up. The look on his face softened a little.
Luke sensed Edward's bad mood over the phone. He was worried and confused. Edward was supposed to be happy to find Daisy. Why did he sound angry? Had they been fighting? But since Edward always pampered Daisy, fighting seemed unlikely.
Daisy was still in the same place where Edward had left her. She was sitting on a rock, rubbing her sprained ankle, looking dejected just like the high heel lying aside.
She forced a wry smile. Edward had left without looking back, as if she were just a stranger to him. She had believed he would tolerate everything about her. Now, clearly, she was proved wrong. In his heart she was not as important as she had thought her to be. From what happened today, she realized that in this world nobody could love and tolerate her as much as herself.
She decided not to waste more time on self-pity. She took off the other shoe and started to walk down the hill with bare feet. The pebbles hurt the soles of her feet. It was much better than walking in high heels, though.
Reality was cruel, but she was tough. Despite the absence of the shoulder she could lean on, she would rather endure the pain than cave in.
She limped on the cobbled path. The passing by tourists gazed at her curiously. She looked embarrassed, but she kept walking, slowly and steadily. Years of military life taught her how to remain calm in difficult situations. This was just a tiny snag to her.
She wetted her lips with her tongue. After the fierce training at JC Military Academy, there was nothing she couldn't manage on her own. It was the mental pain that distressed her more. The mistake was mutual. She and Edward shared responsibility for the fight. For her part, she hadn't processed the matter properly. She wasn't understanding enough.
The Lamborghini parked at the gate of the park again. Edward stepped out and walked toward the park. His presence and appearance drew much attention among the crowd. But he didn't seem to have noticed people's gaze and strode urgently on.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: It'll Come Naturally