4 Elena Kim (2)
Elena sat on the table by the window inside of Happy Cafe. It was only fifteen minutes away to 9 AM.
The cafe was located near Imperial University. It was also the place where Elena fell in love with Liu Tang at the first sight.
Despite the location that full of youngsters vibe, the cafe design was not as modern as their competitors. Instead, it had vintage touch. Some old newspapers cuts were on the walls. Black and white photos in dark colored frames hang on the walls. The walls were not plastered, showing the dark-orange color of the bricks. The tables and chairs looked rough with pattern of the wood's fiber that clearly visible, but they were actually well made.
The name of the cafe, 'Happy' derived from the wish of the owner of the cafe, a middle age couple that had been together for over 35 years. They hoped the existence of the cafe would bring happiness and joy to the customers as how they spent their days with each other's companionship in bliss.
Elena was one of the regular customers of the cafe. She was familiar with the couple as she spent most of her time in the cafe if she was not busy. sometimes, she also helped the couple despite their rejection. As the payment, they would told her their life story.
Elena ever asked them whether they feel bored for being together all the time, and surprisingly, they did not feel so. They even felt their bond got stronger each day to the point it was unbreakable. Elena confused after she heard the answer. Should they felt bored for being together so long like what was explained by the Law of Diminishing Return¹?
The more she thought about it, the more puzzled she was. The couple looked at Elena who was drowned in her confusion. Later, the couple told her that she would experience the same thing when she met the man that loved her.
The day when the couple told her was the same day she fell in love at the first sight. She saw a charming handsome man in white t-shirt and chino pants sitting together in the cafe with his friends, laughing at the joke that his friend told him. His demeanor was so elegant like a prized scholar in ancient times. His smile was so mesmerizing that it sent an electrical jolt to her body. She locked her gaze at him. She was really enthralled by his visual.
Sensing a gaze upon him, the man looked at his surrounding and found the person. He found a beautiful girl stared at him blankly that it amused him. Then, he walked to the table where she sat and asked amusingly. "You look at me for quiet some time. Is there anything wrong?"
Elena didn't answer as she got shocked by the man that suddenly appeared before her eyes. Only after half a minute she replied shyly. "Not... nothing." Elena looked down at her feet as she was too shy to look at that handsome face.
The man laughed at her and Elena could only smile sheepishly. The man introduced himself to her and so Elena. The man's name was Liu Tang.
They talked to each other for almost an hour before they exchanged their contact information. And from that day onwards, they began to interact more and ended up as a couple.
...
"You are here." After she waited for several minutes, Liu Tang arrived at the cafe. He sat on the chair in front of Elena. Elena had the urge to punch his annoying face.
"What do you want to eat? You favorite?" asked Liu Tang. He looked so attentively that it made other customers, especially girls jealous of Elena.
"No need to order. I want to break up." stated Elena succinctly. There was no hesitation in her words.
"W-what? Why?" He couldn't believe she asked him to break up out of the blue.
"I WANT TO BREAK UP!" she enunciated every word clearly, slightly angry.
"Why?"
"Just see." Elena gave him a green plastic map with some photos she found last night. Liu Tang grabbed the map and looked at the photos. His eyes flew wide open as he was caught unprepared. Liu Tang pondered 'When did she found this?' He kept everything under wrap. How could she find it?
"Is it clear now?" Elena looked at her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. Her voice was calm, as if what she was saying just now was not really matter to her.
"Please love, listen to me..." pleaded Liu Tang he tried to reach her hand but she avoid his touch as if it was a disgusting thing.
"No need to speak. I've already seen everything. Yesterday i saw you went to Emerald Hotel with a woman. Well, in my opinion she is indeed a beauty." Elena didn't want to listen to his excuses anymore. She had already enough of his excuses.
"It was just a business partner." Excused Liu Tang. He had never wanted to bring that girl to Emerald Hotel because it was near Elena's part time cafe. But, he finally succumbed to the woman's plead because coincidentally, the day the woman asked was the day off for Elena. So, she would never find it right?
"Yes business partner. You exchange benefits with her. You fuck her and she get your money." Elena smiled satirically. "Mr. Liu, from today onwards, we have no more relationship. I hope you can move on."
Elena stood from her chair and was about to walked out of the cafe, but Liu Tang hold her wrist. Elena frowned as she shook her hand. "Let go of my hand." Then, she continued talking as she remembered something. "Mr. Liu, if you have girlfriend in the future, do not leave any traces of your wrongdoings."
After she said those sentences, she walked out confidently. Now, he was only her past. There was no used to lament the past because what missed is missed. Moreover, it was not her who let him down.
Liu Tang could only see hee walked out of the cafe. He was at the end of the srick as he couldn't come up with any more reasons. The gullible woman had become a smart one. He slammed the table. "Shit!!!"
The other customers shocked by the sudden thud. They only looked at him curiously. The conversation between the man and the beautiful lady seemed to angered the man. After that, they ignored him and returned to their respective conversations.
Liu Tang ignored the curious gazes of the other. He sat and frustrated by Elena's decision. From the beginning, he became her boyfriend because of her business acumen. All of his achievements in the past one year was actually hers. She assisted him in securing some big deals. Moreover, she also did menial jobs for him. She worked for free. His only role was to sign the paperworks. Though it was just one year, she brought Liu International to a whole new level.
Now, his biggest supporter gone. How could he let her go? He would definitely lose everything. Moreover, her anger was momentarily. She still love him right? How could she bear to leave him? He decided to calm himself down because he believed she was momentarily angry at him.
...
"Liu Tang...Love? Hahaha. It was just your selfishness. You coat your selfishness with your so-called-love. How funny." Elena laughed dismally as as she mocked him. She never imagined that her first love would be a terrible scum. And the worst was the fact she was so blind and stupid. The proverb: Love is blind was too perfect to describe her. She was a genius yet she fell into a plight because of her stupidity.
Liu Tang indignantly roared. "You sl*t! Just be grateful because i fancy you. Which man want to fancy pauper woman like you? Moreover, i'll give you everything." Then, he walked out of the room in anger. 'The woman was too stupid. She didn't know which option is the best for her' Liu Tang thought.
Elena looked at the door where he exited. She laughed in disbelief. So, it was the real him? It was so terrible. Fortunately, Elena found it earlier. When she thought about what would happen if she found it later, she shuddered.
Elena scanned her surrounding. She was in a room. There was only one door without any ventilation. It was dim because there was only one bulb installed.
Elena looked at the door. The door was surely guarded by Liu Tang henchman. She needed to plan every meticulously because she knew, once she get caught in her attempt to escape, she would become even more miserable.
She was beaten by him but it was her limbs under her clothes. He didn't beat her face or her exposed body part. Her body was in pain but it was still bearable.
She nimbly cut the ropes with the knife hidden under her sleeve. Then she walked to the door and beat the guards with her precise fighting skill. Not long after, the bodyguards laid on the floor. Both of them groaned in pain.
Elena deftly escaped and ran to the busiest street as she hope there would be people strolled nearby. To he dismay, there was nobody, even there was rarely cars on the road.
She kept running to go to the other side of the roads. There were five brawny men chased after her. They were Liu Tang's underlings. She was in despair but she couldn't let them catch her. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep running.
She ran and passed the car that was waiting for green light. The five men almost caught her but the car blocked them and prevented them from catching her. Elena ran to the park nearby and hid herself behind a tree.
From the distance, she saw how those men tried to vent their anger to the car's driver before he escaped from them.
Elena looked at the car that gradually dissapeared from her sight. She said softly. "Thank You."
She hid behind the tree and escaped into the darkness of the night.
###
1) The law of diminishing returns states that as one input variable is increased, there is a point at which the marginal increase in output begins to decrease, holding all other inputs constant. At the point where the law sets in, the effectiveness of each additional unit of input decreases.
Simpler explanation: When you are thirsty, you'll drink some glasses of water. In the first few glasses of water, you will definitely feel relieve that you have quenched your thirst. But, if you drink additional glasses of water, you'll feel uncomfortable because you drink too much.
For more details you can visit: https://study.com/academy/lesson/law-of-diminishing-returns-definition-examples-quiz.html
