70th Birthday Celebration

Four years had passed since the events of the past. It was now the present, and Grandfather Go was about to celebrate his 70th birthday.

He had an exciting announcement to make on that special day—the impending marriage of Jeff and Claudia.

Jeff finds himself in a challenging situation as his streak of good luck comes to an abrupt end. Now, he must carefully consider his options in order to navigate the difficulties he faces.

If he doesn't come up with a solution soon, his marriage may be in jeopardy before he even has the chance to proudly introduce his wife to the world.

Grandfather Go came out of his long seclusion from overseas; he needed to ensure that Jeff and Claudia would not renege on the agreement. "Let's see if you two can avoid what is destined to happen. You will be married in no time, and my longtime dream will come true, or I will die trying." Grandpa Go mumbles to himself.

Jeff received a call from his grandpa." What did you say? You're arriving in an hour, and you want me to pick you up from the airport personally? Grandpa! I'm swamped right now; I can't pick you up. I will send Ronald on my behalf, alright?" Jeff told his grandpa, then hung up without waiting for a reply.

Ann heard the conversation and played dead-ma (dumb). She continued what she was doing. Jeff came from behind and hugged her. " Hmmm... Can I not go back to the office?" he whispered into Ann's ears, then started blowing just a little, enough to make her shiver down her spine.

"Jeff...stop it! Okay! I'm ticklish". Ann wiggled out from his hug and slowly made her way to the door. Jeff caught her hand and pulled her back to give her a passionate kiss full of honey. He then held Ann's face with two hands, making her unable to turn her head and escape.

Ann was getting hot and excited from the kiss, so she started responding by kissing him back. Her hands began moving towards Jeff's neck, and once they touched the back of his neck, she slowly caressed it with her fingertips.

When she started moaning, Jeff lost control; his kiss became eager and rapid, and a fire within him was about to explode when..." Jeff stopped! It's broad daylight. Lea and Ronald were just outside waiting." Ann was trying hard to calm herself as well.

"Let them wait!" Jeff replied in a loud voice. He was still hugging her and tried to continue where she had stopped him last, prostrating to the max.

"But...but they're going to wonder... You know!" Ann yelled back.

Jeff released Ann, then stepped back, looked at her, and yelled back: "Mrs. Go! Do you know what you're doing to me? You're driving me insane! You're like a shower and faucet knob with hot and cold!" Then he walked out of the door, slamming it close behind him.

"Ronald!!! Let's go to the airport to pick Grandpa up so he can marry me off," Jeff said, fuming.

Ronald: "...?" Scratching his head and shaking.

Lea: "...?" Doing the same thing as Ronald, then rushed to the room to check on her friend.

What Lea saw when she entered the room broke her heart; Ann was slumped on the floor, crying her eyes out. She ran to her friend and hugged her to comfort her, but she sobbed some more.

After a couple of minutes passed, Ann finally calmed down. The first words out of her mouth were: "Pack your things. We're leaving now!"...

Ann was crying her eyes out; she was so upset with what Jeff had just called her. "I'm not a shower or faucet knob. Did he think it's so easy to cool down after doing that!" Ann told Lea, barely audible in between her sobbing and blowing her nose.

Lea: "...?" Looking at her best friend, totally lost in what was going on. "Is this what it is all about? Did he call you a Shower or faucet knob? What is this about, hot and cold? I don't get it?" Lea looked confused.

"Girl! You need to make sense of what you're saying so I can understand what you're talking about, alright!" Comforting and scolding Ann at the same time.

"Anyway, as I said earlier, start packing, and we will be leaving!" She told Lea once again.

"I'm not staying another minute in this house. If he thinks he can bully me, he has got another thing coming!" She took out her luggage from the closet and started pulling out all her belongings, throwing them onto the bed.

"I, Ann Wen, am a free woman. I don't need to answer to no man. Just because we have that piece of paper called a marriage certificate, he thinks he can boss me around. Ha! He better think again!" Ann declared to Lea, who was slowly making her way out of the door, shaking her head.

As soon as Lea left the room, Ann sat down on the bed and started planning as if nothing had happened. 'This is not working out. It was fine and dandy while they were at the honeymoon stage, but she had a lot of plans that needed to be carried out. The only way to accomplish them was by moving out, ' she thought as she was finishing her packing.

===

In the back seat of the car on the way to the airport, Jeff was still fuming mad. Smoke was coming out of his ears, and his face showed every inch of his emotions for Ronald to see.

Ronald kept on looking in the mirror, shaking his head. 'I wonder what happened. They were lovey-dovey during lunch, then suddenly this! What's up with these two?'

He decided to make small talk: "Hey boss, what do you think will happen now that Old Man Go has decided to come out of seclusion?" he asked Jeff, who was in deep thought at the moment.

"I don't know what the old man is planning, but let me tell you, one thing for sure is not going to be my wedding with that little snot Claudia. She's so arrogant and spoiled to the bone." Jeff said nonchalantly.

"By the way, boss, when are you planning to tell the lady boss about your hidden fiancée?"

"I'm thinking about it right now. I'm just trying to find the right time, and I will tell her everything. I'm just worried that she will find out first before I get a chance."

"Well, boss, if you don't mind me saying, I think you better do it soon or else!" Ronald said it with concern in his eye for his boss.

==

In the grand mansion, Ann and Leah carefully packed their belongings, folding their clothes and tucking away personal items.

As they prepared to depart, their expressions were a mix of determination and nostalgia. Much like Jeff had done four years earlier, they planned to slip away unnoticed, without saying goodbye to anyone.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Leah asked with sadness in her eyes, looking around the big mansion they were going to leave behind.

"This is for the better; we're not married anyway. It's just a matter of time, and today is as good a time as any." Ann said with tears in her eyes.

She had decided, and she needed to leave now, or she may never be able to if Jeff came home. "Goodbye, Jeff. I wish it could have worked out with us!" she whispered to the house as she walked out the door.