61 Lina visits the given address

Lina sat on a bench on the seaside, as loads of negative thoughts entered her mind. The only way to find out all about everything that was happening.. was to visit the address that the stranger had given to her. After half an hour of sitting on the bench, Lina got up and walked towards the city area to hire a cab. She had made up her mind to pay the stranger, a visit.

After half an hour of travelling, Lina reached the place of the meeting. It was a small hotel on the outskirts of the city. She entered the hotel and asked if there was a room booked under her name. As guided by the stranger, Lina walked into the hotel room and waited for the arrival of the mystery man.

Her heart pounded rapidly as she sat on the couch waiting for the visiting stranger. He was unlike any stranger, as he seemed to know so much about Lina, including her deal with Mrs. Ning.

As her back was turned away from the living room window, there was a sudden light in the room.. as the sun rays got reflected from the glass screen of a car, that had just stopped outside the hotel room.. shining brightly on the wall in front of Lina.

Suddenly, the silence replaced the once roaring engine.. only a moment ago. Lina's ears concentrated on any sound to be heard; as she knew in her heart that.. the stranger had arrived. The silence then gave way to pounding footsteps so noticeably on the floor of the hotel corridor outside the room.

Lina's anxiety built even more as her eyes peered out the window through a tiny crack in the curtain. There.. the man stood.. his face still not clearly visible. A lady walked alongside him.

The man dressed very casual in Levis and t-shirt and held a leather suitcase. The lady wore a red jumpsuit and high-heeled black sandals.

As the man raised his hand in a fist like way, his sudden hesitation told Lina that this stranger was nervous too. His fist hit the door with a big chilling bang, and Lina jumped as though she hadn't been prepared.

"Come in, the door is open," Lina yelled out loudly.

As the man and the lady walked through the door, they looked around in surveillance of the place, before their eyes came to rest on Lina's eyes.

Lina was shocked!!

"Mom!!" Lina yelled out in surprise. "Wh.. what are you doing here? I mean.. ho.. how are you?" Lina stammered. She was surprised to see her mom after so many years.

Lina turned her gaze towards the man who escorted her mom. She was surprised to see another familiar face. "You! Jimmy!* What are you doing here? Oh My God! What is happening?" yelled Lina with her eyes wide open in surprise.

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*Jimmy, a spectacled man, with frowsy hair, who was aunt Ning's trustworthy employee. He had taught Lina everything about the office work. He had been giving classes to Lina at Aunt Ning's mansion. He also helped her in her office in setting up Wang's to-do list.

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Jimmy smiled. "Lina! Wasn't that very obvious? Who could have known so much about Mrs. Ning's plan.. besides me? I was the one to train you. I told you all about the company and the office work. Thanks to Mrs. Ning's blind trust on me.. she shared her plan with me. Alas! She shouldn't have trusted me. Haha!" laughed Jimmy.

Lina listened in surprise with her eyes wide open. "Jimmy! Were you the one who called me? How do you know my mom? I swear, all this anxiety is killing me," shouted Lina.

Mrs. Dongmei, Lina's mother, had left the family, after her husband - Lina's father, had died years back. Lina was surprised.. and angry at the same time, to see her after so many years.

Dongmei interrupted Lina's words. "Lina! Jimmy, is like your brother. After I left the family, I married the man I loved at my workplace. Jimmy is that man's son.. from his previous marriage," shared Dongmei.

Lina was speechless. Three of them stood silent for a few minutes as they looked at each others' faces.

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