"Bri," Ling's strained voice called Brian's attention. "I'm a bit tired. I'll go back first. You drive her home."
"No," Brian shifted his eyes from Molly to Ling, "I'll take you home."
Ling's lips opened to say something, but was stopped by Brian's pointed look. She closed her lips and simply nodded her head, as her eyes cast a sympathetic glance at Molly. She then held Brian's arm and they left the bar together without a word.
A fresh set of tears instantly welled up in Molly's already reddened eyes. She just remained there still and basked in the pain of her broken heart as everything went in a blur around her.
"Hey, hey..." the bartender called her as he looked at the party crowd and waiters, "Miss Xia... Oh, Mrs. Long, shouldn't you chase them out?" He said in an attempt to placate her. He truly felt sorry for her, and murmured, "Ah, these third wheels are so high-profile. That Mr. Brian Long is no good either. Yes, he is wealthy and powerful. So what? How can he humiliate and desert his wife like this?"
He placed the drink he was mixing on the counter and gently pulled Molly's sleeve. He advised, "It's no use crying over the spilled milk. You should either slap the third wheel or teach your husband a good lesson in bed. He is a man, after all." He was about to continue, but he decided to stop when he saw Molly's tear-stricken face as she just stared at him.
In turn, Molly just pursed her lips, but she was still determined. She took a deep breath, thanked the bartender and went to the doors and out of the bar.
It was biting cold and the streets were carpeted in fluffy white snow as gales of frosty wind blew in the crisp winter night. Molly aimlessly wandered the streets in just her waitress uniform that was too thin for the weather, but no matter how much the cold nipped at her skin, she was too heartbroken to feel anything.
A gust of wind swept through Molly's long hair, messing up the strands a bit. She stopped at a sidewalk and her bloodshot eyes gazed up at the night sky. It was dark and no stars lit it up, except for the crescent moon that hung above like a single lamp. Its light was as dim as her mood, as if the moon joined her in her sorrows.
She sneered bitterly, before her vision went black and she collapsed on the pavement.
"Miss, miss..." a voice started to call in her ears.
"Call 911." "Wake up, miss.
Miss, wake up," the voice prodded further. When she fell, a growing crowd had started to gather around an unconscious Molly.
Brian had seen everything. They were in the car on the adjacent parking lot but they hadn't left yet. His hands grabbed the car door handle and was about to go out and rush to her side, but eventually he loosened his grip.
When he saw that more people continued to gather around her, he appeared less anxious, although the care and worry in his eyes gave him away.
Outside, some of the people covered Molly with their outerwear as others tried to wake her up. Ling watched them from the car window, then turned to look at her companion. Now he was the complete opposite of his aloof persona a while ago. He looked distressed and concerned. She spoke, "If you love her so much, why did you pretend to have forgotten her and try to divorce her?" The sirens of the ambulance were heard in the distance and it soon stopped at where Molly was. Ling cast a glance at the vehicle and added, "She is everything to you. I can see it."
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