The Second Measure

"Mum, I have to go. Talk to you later," Anna said. She couldn't wait to put the phone down and get far away from her mother.

"All right. I will speak to your manager this evening to see if you can meet her this weekend. I have been trying to reach her, but it seems like she is very busy at the moment," Mrs, Carter said while checking the time on her expensive rose-gold wristwatch, a gift from her dearest daughter.

"I will be waiting for your call then," Anna replied. "Send my regards to your husband," her mother added at the end.

A deep sigh finally escaped from Anna's lips when she slipped her phone back into her bag. At least she was past that hurdle for the time being.

---

Back at the noodle shop, Sam and Susan were in a dilemma. They didn't leave immediately instead, they both stood next to the latter's car in after-shock.

"What are we going to do now?" Sam asked with his gaze staring into the distance.

"I have no idea," Susan replied without meeting his gaze. "Do you think she knows something about the gossip regarding us in town now that she has regained her sight?" 

She was talking about the messages in the G3 Socialite Group. Since others have found out about them and were talking about it on the same group chat Anna was in, she had her doubts. 

"How am I supposed to know that?" Sam's tone was a little on the edge as he tilted his head to the side to meet her gaze.

Susan took no offence to his reaction as she understood that he was equally worked up just like her. So, she proceeded to ask the one question that was already driving her crazy. "But how the hell did she regain her sight? I mean, she did not even give us a heads-up. She totally caught us off guard."

Susan was more furious because Anna did not inform her about her sight beforehand otherwise, how could she have witnessed a day like today?

If Anna had told her about the eye surgery or therapy that would help her regain her sight soonest, Susan would have sorted things beforehand and not made a fool of herself but right now, it was too late. She and Sam were as good as fucked.

"I guess she wanted to surprise us and we ended up shocking her instead," Sam said with no will in his voice. 

What was he going to do when his girlfriend caught him cheating with her best friend right in her face? 

Yes, Anna was a very kind girl, but he doubted if he would ever be redeemed from that sin against her.

"Are you not going to chase after her?" Susan asked as she folded her arms below her chest. With the V-neck blouse she was putting on, no one knew if she wanted to entice Sam with her body again.

"Chase after her?" Sam repeated as his eyes briefly stared at her chest before meeting her daring gaze. "If I wanted to chase after her, do you think she would have given me the chance?"

Susan held his gaze briefly before shaking her head. "You actually chased her from the restaurant which means you value your relationship with her compared to the great chemistry we have together," her tone suggested. And as she spoke, she used a finger to poke his chest gently. 

Sam captured her naughty hand and shut his eyes before opening them the next second. "You are speaking like you did not try to chase after her as well."

Since he put his words like that, Susan decided to drop her acts and not raise any argument. "Let's both pray that she doesn't prove those people right."

"I think I can try explaining things to her so it doesn't seem like we actually cheated," Sam tried to suggest.

"Are you trying to get back together with her?" Susan dared to ask while giving him a stare that suggested her annoyance.

At that question, Sam spread his arms out. "Well, Anna is my girlfriend."

Susan's gaze turned darker. She went over to the driver's side of her car and opened the door before turning to him to say spitefully, "Unfortunately your girlfriend just broke up with you."

Without waiting for words to form at the tip of his tongue, Susan turned on her car, put it on 'Drive' and drove away, leaving Sam to find his way back home.

---

Roy was sitting behind his office desk when his father tried to reach out to him through a call.

The first time, he swiped towards the red icon but once the phone started to ring almost immediately, he paused with the policy he was reading and directed his gaze towards his phone screen.

A deep sigh escaped from his nostrils and next, he put the file down and picked up his phone to swipe towards the green icon to accept the call before putting the phone on his left ear.

"You finally answered my calls?" There was a tinge of surprise and a hint of mockery in Min. Kim's voice when he responded.

"Of course, this was the second measure I took to stop you from blowing up my phone otherwise I would have either blocked your contact or turned off my phone." Roy sounded unapologetic. "But it wasn't worth the shot at the moment," he finished.

His father might even think that he answered the call just to spite him and anger him back to his sick bed. 

"Do you derive joy in raising my blood pressure?" Min. Kim took a minute to ask as three lines appeared on his forehead. He was so furious but was forced to hold it in and it was such a difficult task given his personality.

Roy tapped the tip of his fingers on his desk. "I don't have the time for that," he replied as he lifted his gaze and glanced at the door where a few knocks sounded.

"Come back home this evening," he heard his father say as Charles walked in quietly. 

Roy withdrew his gaze from the man in his early 40s and stopped tapping his fingers as he returned his attention to the phone conversation.

"Father, I want you to think carefully about the answer before replying. Was that an order or a request?"

Min. Kim did not respond immediately as he struggled within himself for a few seconds before giving in. "A request."

He knew that threatening Roy this way would never work and since he was the one who needed to see him urgently, he had to make the adjustment in his temper. 

"Good. See you by 6 pm." Roy dropped the call as soon as he gave his response and gestured for Charles to take one of the seats in front of his desk.