The man stopped in front of a tall glass building and hastily tucked in his beer smelling shirt and attempted to zip his too tight pant over the pouch he called stomach. He sauntered slowly inside the building whistling nonchalantly as if he had every right to be in there.He halted in front of the information desk and waited for the receptionist to acknowledge him. The receptionist glanced briefly at him with a frown. She pointed to a sign in sheet on the counter and asked,
“Did you sign in sir?”
The man thrust his chest out and said loudly,
“I don’t need to sign in. You tell Director Cheng I am the father of Ariel Lin and if he knows what’s good for him he will make time for me!”
The receptionist pointed to the sign in sheet and said,
“You still need to sign in sir. It’s company policy.” The man stomped his feet and screeched angrily,
“Let me see Director Cheng right now or you’ll regret this mistake for the rest of your life!”
The receptionist surprised at the intensity of the man’s anger took a couple steps back and nodded quickly. She lowered her hand underneath the desk and pressed a red button. A few minutes later two security officers headed toward the information desk. The man saw the two security officers and scowled at the receptionist.
“You bitch! You’ll regret this!”
The security officers grabbed the man on each arms and tried to drag him out the building but the man quickly turned his body limp on the floor and refused to move.
“Stop embarrassing yourself sir and get up!” One of the security officers hissed as more and more people gathered around the three men their faces filled with curiosity. The man on the floor grinned smugly and replied,
“Let me see Director Cheng.”
“Director Cheng is a busy man.” The other officer answered.
“Not too busy to hear what I have to say. How much do you care about this company’s reputation and Director Cheng’s honor?” The man asked. The two officers looked at each other, silently communicating. Finally one of the officers grabbed his cell phone and called Director Cheng.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Director Cheng was a short plump man with a big slightly red nose. The plumb man carried an air of friendliness about him that put other people at ease, he had a way of calming the enironment. However the atmosphere in the room today was anyting but calm. Director Cheng sat behind his desk and eyed the man in front of him with a perplex frown on his face. What the man told him was preposterous, it couldn’t possibly be true.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying…please repeat again.”
“Your son Director Cheng knocked my daughter up. She’s pregnant with his child.” The other man said gleefully. There was a greedy gleam in his eyes as his eyes traveled around the office taking note of all the expensive artifacts and antique in the room.
“I need to confirm this with my son first. Bring your daughter to my house tonight; we’re going to talk this through.” Director Cheng said as he quickly jotted down the main family house address. The other man pocketed the paper with the address and lazily walked out the office with a gleeful expression on his face.
After the man left his office, Director Cheng dialed his son’s cell phone number. After a few rings, Joe finally answered.
“Son, I need to see you tonight. It’s very important.”
“What is it about?” Joe asked wondering if his father was feeling ill.
“Promise to swing by the main house tonight for dinner.”
“Okay, I’ll stop by.” Joe promised.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Please don’t make me go inside!” Ariel begged as her father dragged her across the Cheng’s yard. She glance furtively side to side hoping to grab hold of something but there were not a single tree in sight or sturdy objects to hold on to. Ariel could hear her mother’s hesitant footsteps following from behind.
“Shut up bitch and let me do the talking you understand?” her father snarled. The man dragged her up the steps and finally they stopped in front of the house and her father rang the door bell. Ariel felt her whole body shaking as she waited for someone to open the door. This couldn’t be happening; this is just a dream…a nightmare. The door swung open and Ariel saw HIM…the man she prayed never to see again standing in front of her. He smiled and pushed the door back wider.
“You must be the dinner guests, right?” He asked and grinned at Ariel glad that there were someone close to his age at the dinner table. His face so carefree and relaxed, she felt a twinge of guilt. Ariel’s father grunted and askws,
“Joe Cheng?” The young man nodded his eye browse rose in question.
“Do you know who this is?” The older man grabbed the young girl and yanked her in front of him. She lowered her eyes her face blushing in embarrassment and anger. Joe stared at the young girl, she seemed very familiar…he’d seen her before…but where? Slowly the girl lifted her face and her eyes glared into his…a hot molten glare that dared him to remember. Those eyes, he’d seen those eyes before. As if the world suddenly stopped, Joe Cheng realized he’d met her before…that night…that night on the beach.
