The sky was clear that afternoon while the sun burned a fierce brilliance. 

The large orange ball of radical warmth was seemingly collected on a clear-skinned beauty whose simple outfit did very little to downplay her physical charms.

Xia Yu by this time was completely bathed in her own stickiness, feeling utterly disgusted by her own appearance. The grey tank top she was wearing was now glued to her perfectly as though it were a second skin. She could feel a surge of itchiness warming up as she began to regret her choice of fabric altogether; her skin-tight jeans most especially. 

Inside the restaurant where Xia Yu had worked her morning shift, an illusion of a perfectly chilled environment had blinded her to the awareness of the angry blaze which graced the afternoon sky outside.

After walking on foot for some ten minutes brief away from her workplace, she finally decided to do away with the combat-grey coloured jacket which she had clumsily wrapped around her slender waist. Luckily for her, her backpack was all the help she needed to dispose of the material.

After doing away with the jacket, she then let her hazel brown eyes look ahead of her in search of a much suitable shade. An ice-cream van soon came into plain sight with a perfect shade-spot some minutes adjacent from it. Thinking that she should get there and catch her breath for a bit, she then sashayed herself in the shade-spot's direction.

Her silhouette was a dripping waterfall by now. Sunshine in B City was usually kinder than it was that day but for some unknown reason, the sun was unexpectedly cruel that afternoon.

"How much more unusual can the day get? Or is it just my ill luck today?" Xia Yu then sighed and unzipped her Backpack in order to locate a piece of some sort. Not finding anything, she then resulted in making use of the less acceptable option. 

'But who would notice, huh?' considered Xia Yu as she used the back of her hand in wiping the bands of sweat from her hairline which were now dripping on her jade-clear skin in a speedy manner. Unbeknownst to her someone not too distant from her was watching.  

The silent observer then decided to speak… 

"Ah! Missus, do you care for some ice-cream?" Xia Yu swiftly tilted her head only to see the man by the ice cream van wearing a bugous hat. It was he who had just spoken. 

The man looked older in years, possibly in his late forties but who was she to judge him for what he did to earn his keep? The man had his lucky set of brown teeth grinning at her after speaking. Even though it freaked her out in a way, she chose to ignore that fact.

"Thank you, senior but I'm not in the mood for fancy flavours. I also don't have that much money to spare" Xia Yu replied the man thinking that if she did have more change, then she could have boarded a bus instead to save her the stress of having to walk under such scorching heat to her next call of work—her second shift that day.

The man then pouted his lips visibly "Missus! Why are you refusing my show of affection? It is as a result of my love for you that I can't bear to watch you melt away under this heat!" The man cried out in frustration.

Xia Yu : " ... "

At first, she thought she was dreaming but it was crystal clear that she wasn't. 

"What do you mean by that, senior? And why are you yelling? I don't want your ice-cream. Please focus on those little kids down the Broadway, they'll surely need it. Thank You" Xia Yu responded respectfully even though she was doing her best to suppress her disapproval of his choice of words just now. 

To her surprise, the man then began to throw a silly tantrum and clutch at his own heart as he pointed in her direction while seeking compassion from Passer-bys. The older women in the midst of the crowd, were the ones who were particularly touched by his cries of being rejected by his lover. Next, they turned towards said girl in preparedness to defend the man. 

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"Young miss…  why did you lead this Mister on only to reject his love?" said the first elderly woman.

Xia Yu: " ... "

"Yes missus…  breaking his heart like this is unacceptable!" Another woman inferred.

"What is going on here?" Xia Yu contemplated internally.

"Hurry now at once and reunite with your lover. Love comes to us only once in our lifetime. Be a wise lady to not misuse your only chance"

The talks kept on increasing and Xia Yu could not take it any longer. She instantly became furious at the man. 

"Hey, senior!" she yelled while poking her index his way, "Why are you lying to them? I don't even know you, senior. Go and find your lover. I am not her!"

"But you are my love, missus" the man insisted, still clutching onto his chest more like he was enduring great pain by her continuous rejection. 

"I don't know you, senior! You are a shameless man and a pervert"

The older women watched and easily sympathized with the man instead. He was clearly down-beaten by her rejection of him.

"Poor senior! Let her be. You will find the one for you" The woman's words irritated Xia Yu.

"Why are you letting him fool you? Do you know him? Or do you know me? Is it not shameful to pry into a matter that doesn't concern you?" 

"Keep your mouth shut, and apologize to your senior. Can't you see how broken your words are making him to become?" Xia Yu could no longer deal with this people.

"Him? Broken? You all are really something. Take a proper view of me and then look at him. He should be twenty years my senior. Now tell me if any of you would permit your daughters to have such a wasted relationship with a lunatic like him" Xia Yu's words birthed instant murmurs among the watchful crowd. But she wasn't done talking. 

Turning to the shameless man, she cussed "You are a shameless and perverted old bun, mister. You are lucky my temper is on probation today or else… " 

The ice-cream man : "You…!"

"You are pathetic, old man!" After venting, Xia Yu then began to walk away from the shade and towards the main road instead. She was in luck that the sun had begun to decrease in strength by this time.

Choosing not to pay solid attention to the ignorant crowd and perverted man, she was even more disappointed that in the heat of all that had just transpired, not one person could recognize who she was. 

"Look how you have degenerated to a nobody, Xia Yu" she mumbled softly and absent-mindedly crossed the road. 

Three years ago, she had vowed that she would get what was rightfully hers from the Kim family… But three years later, and she was not anywhere near actualizing her quest for vengeance. Instead, she had resigned herself to working at three separate restaurants, and enduring three shifts at a go within a twenty-four hour clock routine for seven days a week. All for mere stipends.

——

As she absent-mindedly walked into the main road, she narrowly escaped getting hit by a car; the car's bumper brushing her slightly on her side. 

"Hey! Watch your way, prettyface!" a man seated beside the driver's, pulled his head out of the window to shout those words at her and then began to laugh boisterously.

Snarling, she muttered "Dickheads!" in annoyance choosing to excuse them for assumedly being drunk on such a fine afternoon.

As Xia Yu got to the other side of the main road, she then felt a persistent buzz of her mobile and got it out of her back pack.

The name "Kim Hyun Hee" displayed on her mobile's screen was totally incredible to be true. Still, Xia Yu answered the call to quell her doubts.

"Madam Kim, good afternoon"

"Ah! Xia Yu. How are you today? Are you eating well?" Madam Hyun Hee's voice sauntered through the phone too kindly that Xia Yu felt surprised by her words. Isn't this mother I'm talking to? Or did something happen to cause her to change overnight? When did she suddenly become so caring and not so overbearing? Xia Yu pondered suspiciously on madam Kim's sudden kindness. 

She must want something! she finally realized.

"My love, you are not saying anything" Madam Kim further patronized her.

"It is nothing, madam Kim. It's just surprising that you would think to call me at all, and today. We haven't spoken in three long years, so you can imagine the gravity of my unbelief" Madam Kim rolled her eyes internally at her end because even though what she wanted to demand of the girl would further ridicule Xia Yu, she still wished it wasn't her place to even speak to the girl about it. 

"Hearing her voice makes me sick" Madam Kim mumbled internally.

"Xia Yu, should you get ahead of yourself and make me beg you? Look here, I need you to go pick up someone from the airport. That person… has just returned from the States" Xia Yu stayed silent a minute to ponder on it.

"I have work, madam Kim. I am sorry but I may have to decline"

What was her concern with such an unnecessary request? What happened to the numerous chauffeurs at the Kim's Residences? No! It certainly wasn't her cup of tea. 

"Look here, do you think I and your father are giving you a choice? The person involved is your sister, Kim Xiuying" At once, Xia Yu's countenance instantly became sour black with the expression of a rotten tomato while she perused her thoughts.

'Interesting how the devil has finally returned'