Anxiety disorder

"No, not at all," she replied firmly shaking her head vigorously while avoiding his gaze. She wondered if he had some underlying mental illness she might have let loose. It might not be that extreme. Perhaps he was a wounded animal trying hard to protect its domain.

"No, you do," he argued strongly and his grip tightened around her hand.

She winced and that did not help the situation at all. She seriously wanted to ask him if he was under the influence o any substance but she could not dare in her situation. "I am sorry," she apologized. "I am sorry, that I made you feel that way. I have no right to do so."

He paused and watched carefully as though searching for the lies in her words and he released her hand before taking shaky steps back.

She bowed hastily before rushing out. She ran to her office not caring about her appearance as she passed a few clients and her colleagues. She closed the door and pressed her back against the wall.

She took deep breaths and exhaled to calm her racing heart. She bit her lower lips to prevent crying as her eyes got misty. "It is okay," she murmured and sniffed.

She raised her wrist and his five fingers had left red bruising marks on her hand. She swallowed down the strong sensation she felt to scream out in frustration.

Holding back that urge made her feel very pathetic as tears ran down her cheeks. She swallowed a sob. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and called that man.

"Hello, I don't think I can do this anymore," she cried as soon as he picked up her call.

"I have warned you about saying such words to me. You have started, complete it," a deep emotionless voice came from the other end.

"No, I feel endangered. This is dangerous," she went on her knees and pleaded. "Please, I cannot go on. I am scared. He is a psychopath. I make not make it out of it alive."

She sniffed but she did not bother to mop her tears as more streamed down her cheeks.

" . . ."

Silence like this scared her more than hearing him reprimand her. She hated it.

"Please," she begged as though her life was hanging on a thin thread.

". . ."

Another silence . . . she was dying inside. She felt a strong urge to jump down to her death but death was not an option. She had so much to accomplish for her dad and her sister.

She snapped. What did she just do? Who did she think she just called? She felt there was a need for her to begin treating this new anxiety disorder.

"I am sorry, this was a mistake, I am sorry," she apologized and pressed her shaky lips together as she waited for his response.

"I will pretend I never heard that. I don't even know what you are talking about," came the cold indifferent reply from the other end before she heard a beep to indicate he had hung up.

She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and looked at the marks on her arms. She mopped her tears and stood up. She walked to her seat and sat down as dignified as ever.

She laughed softly and shook her head. "I must be losing my mind lately. What is wrong with me?" she murmured as she carefully mopped off the tear stains from her cheeks.

*********

Lu Tian could not ease that feeling of tightness in his chest that began after he met her. he would have gone that day even after seeing her flee but he could not accept the fact that she ran from him.

Why was he bothered by that? now that is the question left unanswered for him. He has spent two weeks battling the feeling and the anger he felt about it all.

"Women are all the same," he remembered his father's words as they rang like bells in his mind. Was she the same?

The new question was why did he care if she was like that woman or if she was different?

**********

"What happened to your hand?" Shen Yan asked for the nth time.

"I said nothing you should be bothered about," Lin Jing replied firmly as she avoided his gaze and stood up.

"If you and I are going to be in this relationship, don't you think it is wrong for you to be with someone else?" he asked sounding insecure.

"I know. I got attacked but it is nothing you should concern yourself with. I can take care of myself," she replied firmly.

He looked down at her hand and exhaled tiredly. "If you insist, I won't ask you about it again but if you are into such things, I have no right to stop you."

She laughed softly. Was she into such things? Not!

"Don't let anyone else see him for now, he could be a perfect reason we would fake a break up in the future," he told her with a trace of anger in his voice.

"Maybe," she murmured and took his empty glass of juice. "Do eat grapes?" she asked him as she began walking to the kitchen.

"I do, I could use a glass of whiskey if you have," he told her seriously as he leaned against the backrest of the chair and massaged his brow.

It was not worried that he was scared for her, right?

"You should be careful with the men you hang out with," he warned her when she returned with a plate of grapes and a glass of whiskey.

"I know. I should be careful around you too, right?" she joked.

Her beautiful smile had him swallowing and sitting up. "I am the first man you have been with who did not cause you harm."

"I have been friends with your brother for more than half a decade now," she replied to him as she sat down. She knew what he meant but she chose to feign ignorance.

"You know what I mean," he said before taking a sip of the whiskey she served him.

She laughed softly. "I have survived it all," she reminded. "I will continue to survive it all."

"If this relationship leads to a marriage, you would have to cut off those relationships."

Marriage? She smiled dreamily; how beautiful it would be if she gets married to a gentle loving husband? She snapped, they were only dreams, very far from her reality.

"You don't believe I will protect you?" he asked her.

"I am still figuring out how gentle you are. I want a gentle husband," she said.

He nodded without offense. "Do you want to watch a movie with me?"

That was so random but she nodded in agreement. Well, who wouldn't?