319: The afterparty III

The afterparty III

Paula couldn't stop her hand from trembling as she picked up another glass of wine to drink. Just now, some men took Heaven while the man who was behind all of this winked at her before he followed those who took away Heaven.2

'I'm sorry,'she whispered to herself as she chugged down the entire glass of wine. 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Heaven.'

Looking around the event hall, everyone was still having fun. They were all having the time of their lives that her worries were far too invisible to them. Well, Paula was a nobody. Who cared if she was alone? No one was interested in her. 

However, it was different for Heaven.

Paula already lost count of how many times she heard people looking for Heaven, or how they thought they missed her. Heaven hadn't left the building. She was still here, probably getting dominated by that madman. 

'I didn't mean to,'Paula told herself, pouring herself another glass in an attempt to intoxicate herself to the point she would forget what she had done to her friend. 'They threatened me. I'll just explain it to her or maybe… maybe she will not know.'

Her mind kept going back and forth from guilt to optimism it was almost making her lose her mind. Again, Paula chugged down another glass of wine. But alas, even if she felt a little kick from all the alcohol intake, it wasn't enough to intoxicate her. 

Why?

Why, when she needed to be drunk, she couldn't?

Another glass of wine was emptied, only for her to fill it up again. And then once again, she drank it in one go. Paula had lost count of how much wine she had drank tonight, but she felt so alive and energetic. Her brain was not only keeping her awake and active, but also her heart was racing. Yet, she was unable to discern if it was because of the drugs in her system or the overwhelming emotions in her heart. 

"I should do something," she whispered, turning her head to the exit where they took Heaven. "I should do something. Heaven… she… she…"

Paula's breath hitched as her face crumpled, clutching her hand to her chest. 

'If she was ruined, then I don't have to live in her shadows anymore.'An intrusive thought suddenly invaded her mind, paralyzing her in her seat instead of asking for someone's help. 

"Heaven…" The corner of her eyes turned reddish as tears slowly coated her eyes. "... I'm sorry."

All her thoughts about saving Heaven from that man gradually faded. Yet, tears still rolled down her cheek while a subtle yet bitter smile momentarily flashed on her beautiful face. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered once more, pouring herself another glass of wine. "Don't worry. I'll still love you, even if you're ruined."

The determination behind her teary eyes slowly took form, as if she had already decided. Compared to all the bad things that happened to her, Heaven would only have to suffer once. And Paula had just decided to be there for her friend so the latter could recover. 

But for now, Heaven should give Paula some chance to shine. 

If Heaven was not in the way, the people would notice Paula. The latter didn't realize how much she loathed Heaven just as much as she admired her until now. It wasn't the drug, but Paula knew deep in her heart it was the opportunity she had been unconsciously waiting for. 

An opportunity that would force Heaven out of her way. 

'As long I keep my mouth shut, I…' Paula's thoughts trailed off as she felt a vibration on the leather seat. 

Her eyes shifted to the small bag near her, furrowing her brows upon recognizing whose bag it was. It was the purse Heaven used tonight.

Curious, Paula reached out for it and brought it to her. When she took a look inside, all she saw was Heaven's phone, a pressed powder, and lipstick. The bag was small, so there wasn't anything much in it.

'Who's calling?' wondered Paula, fishing the phone out to see who it was. 

Deep lines instantly appeared between her brows, recognizing the phone name that was on the screen. It was the hospital where Heaven's father was admitted. Since Paula had almost practically lived with them, she didn't hesitate to answer the call. 

"Hello?"

"Is this Miss Liu?"

"Uh…" Paula hesitated for a second. "Did something happen to Dad?"

"Miss Liu…"

Paula's irises slowly dilated as she listened to the person on the other end of the line. Without thinking twice, Paula picked up Heaven's bag and rushed outside the venue, forgetting about Heaven with the emergency that came up.

*

*

*

"I'm sorry for calling, Miss Shen. I thought Miss Liu was available…" Heaven's father's attending doctor apologized to Paula, which the latter dismissed politely. To avoid any further questions, Paula simply told him that Heaven was working and couldn't come, so Paula went without worrying about Heaven. 

Since Paula was almost basically Heaven's sister, the doctor bought this excuse. After all, Paula regularly visited the patient more than Heaven. Paula got more free time on her hands while Heaven was just making time for her father a few times a week. 

"Although he is fine now, we still need to be careful," said the doctor, sighing heavily. "He can't have another heart attack or else, I'm afraid that would be very dangerous for him."

"I see." Paula heaved a sigh of relief, almost sober at this point. "Thank you, Doctor. I'm glad that he is fine now."

"For now, he's still under strict monitoring."

"Can I come to him?"

"Yes." The doctor nodded. "But he still needs more rest as much as possible. So I advise you shouldn't disturb him."

"Alright." Paula smiled in relief, listening to the doctor's advice before the latter left.

Paula stood outside the private ward. Since Heaven was now earning well, she moved her father to a better hospital and got him a private room. It was the reason Heaven didn't have a single real piece of jewelry because she allotted most of her earnings to her father's medical needs. 

She gazed at the door, standing outside. Paula balled her hand into a tight fist, huffing out the heaviness in her heart, before slowly coming inside the private ward. The moment her eyes fell on the man lying on the bed, a lump instantly formed in her throat. 

"Dad…" she whispered, gulping down the tension in her throat, knowing what she did to this man's daughter. "... I'm sorry."

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