Chapter 3: Strange Destiny

Mrs. Yenny had already guessed that if her son and Belinda met, it would end up like this, after hearing their similar outpourings. It's just that up until now Mrs. Yenny has been acting clueless. 

Belinda and Brandon's reactions were still throwing shocked looks at each other and extending their index fingers to each other. Both of them were still curious about this strange meeting outside of class hours, were they really destined? 

“I'm Mrs. Yenny's son, that's why I came here,” Brandon said in a slightly haughty tone. “Then why are you here?”

“I've been taking care of Mrs. Yenny whenever you don't visit.”

Mrs. Yenny clapped her hands to remove the awkward atmosphere. So you already know each other. I don't have to bother introducing you anymore.”

For a moment, Brandon placed a paper bag filled with lunch boxes on the bedside table. “Why didn't you tell me from the beginning that Belinda was taking care of you?”

“What's your relationship like to be so surprised?”

“I'm Mr. Brandon's student in the management strategy class, Mom,” Belinda replied as she gave Brandon a quick glance. 

“So the lecturer you told me about yesterday....” Mrs. Yenny chuckled as Belinda continued to shake her head slowly. 

“What did Belinda tell you yesterday that made you laugh?” Brandon sharpened his gaze on Belinda, having a feeling that Belinda told all the bad things that happened to them yesterday. 

“It's nothing. I'm just happy that you're finally getting to know each other.” 

It was a relief to hear that Mrs. Yenny did not tell the story to her son directly. If she had told him everything, Belinda's life might not have been safe in Brandon's hands. 

“How was your blind date today, my son?”

Brandon was actually a little embarrassed to tell her about his blind date in front of the girl he hated most in his life. However, it was impossible not to answer his mother's question, forcing him to answer with a rough sigh. 

“The answer is the same as always, Mom. There's no need for me to talk at length.”

“Hearing your tone, I can tell.” Mrs. Yenny's eyes glanced at Belinda who was still acting stiff. “How about you continue your conversation from earlier?”

Belinda's hands trembled even more as she clutched the small towel she was wringing. “I'm fine, Mom. I'll be home soon too.”

“I just arrived too, Mom. Why did you kick me out?” Brandon added in a disappointed tone. 

“You can visit tomorrow. The important thing is that you continue your conversation.”

Brandon walked over to Belinda with an awkward look. “Want to chat in the park?”

Belinda nodded nervously. “As long as you're not busy.”

*****

Actually, both Belinda and Brandon were very curious about what their relationship was and how they could be brought together under these conditions outside of class hours. The evening air was getting colder, making the atmosphere even more awkward. Belinda and Brandon sat on a park bench a little distance apart while bowing their heads. 

Belinda especially couldn't contain her curiosity as she stomped her feet without making a sound. If asked to explain everything in detail, she was at a loss as to where to start. 

“Belinda, thank you,” Brandon said softly. 

“For what?” replied Belinda awkwardly. 

“Because you've volunteered to take care of my mom all these years.” Brandon cleared his throat for a moment. “If I may know, why do you want to volunteer? Isn't the job hard enough?”

Belinda revealed a faint smile as she shifted her body closer to Brandon. “Because I like spending my free time helping people.”

“Really? Don't kids these days like to hang out with friends?”

“Indeed, I also hang out with Yena. But for some reason I just like helping people. Especially helping elderly people who live alone with no one around. Imagining myself, I would be sad too because it's not fun if life has no entertainment. That's why I decided to volunteer with Mrs. Yenny. Seeing that Mrs. Yenny's character is similar to mine and fits in well, I am very happy to entertain Mrs. Yenny in her free time.”

Brandon chuckled while moving his lips left and right. “What's the same? Your ethics are so different from my mother's.”

Belinda folded her arms across her chest. “We're talking about yesterday again. Why do you have such a grudge against me just because of yesterday? Then, in this afternoon class, why did you always target me to question the material?”

“I like it. After all, you are a model student. Isn't it natural that I always test you in class?” Brandon snapped while crossing his legs. “Besides, I just didn't like you from the start.”

“What's the reason? Because of ethics again?”

He wanted to groan, but today's problem was also due to the blind date who had pushed him too hard and made him very uncomfortable. If this argument continued, then he would not be able to control his anger. Therefore, he decided to temper his anger as he inhaled and exhaled slowly. 

“Today I am too lazy to quarrel with you because you have taken care of my mother.”

Belinda again showed a sweet curl of her lips. “By the way, I'm actually curious. Why did you put Mrs. Yenny in this remote hospital? Then, why did I never see you come to visit until I thought you were a disobedient child? Moreover, this hospital can be said to be a place where the elderly live alone.”

Hearing all the questions asked by Belinda, who was quite sensitive to his ears, Brandon exhaled harshly while clenching his fists. “You don't need to know my personal life. The important thing is that I'm not a son of a bitch and I do visit my mother, although not every day. I put my mother in this hospital not because I am an unfaithful child or because I cannot afford the hospital fees, but because of something I cannot explain to you.”

Belinda couldn't force Brandon to tell her everything. After all, she had no right to listen to her lecturer's personal matter. She would be hated by this killer lecturer, both during and outside class hours. 

Seeing that the sun was not showing its nose and the air was getting colder, Brandon got up from the bench while looking at the fancy watch on his left wrist. “It's getting late. I'll take you home.”

Belinda immediately got up. “It's okay, I'll just go home by myself.”

“How do you take home? Take the bus? You know it's dangerous at this hour!”

Despite being yelled at, somehow that simple sentence made Belinda feel her cheeks warm. The killer lecturer unexpectedly had a caring side. 

Brandon rolled his eyes. “Don't make me feel so guilty for letting you take the bus home at this time of night after taking care of my mom!”

*****

Brandon was not the kind of man to just talk, and he actually drove Belinda home. Stopping the SUV in front of a mansion, he turned off the navigation on the dashboard's LCD screen. 

Belinda felt a little uncomfortable that the lecturer she hated the most had a caring side, even though they fought every time they met. She kept her head down all the way to the house. With trembling hands she held the car door handle. 

“Thank you for taking me home, sir.”

“Actually, the distance between my house and yours is only 15 minutes. So I don't mind taking you home.”

Ting... 

Hearing an incoming message notification, Brandon picked up his cell phone and read a text message from the sexy woman he had a blind date with earlier that afternoon. Reading the message made his face angry. 

“If you don't agree to marry me, then I won't spare you! I will also bankrupt your family!”

Brandon didn't look scared. Instead, he flashed a sardonic smile as he glanced at Belinda and replied to the text message casually. 

“You know why I rejected you earlier? Because there's a woman I want to marry. Go ahead and bankrupt my family. I can prove that I want to marry another woman. Don't contact me again because of this matter.”

Meanwhile, Belinda was getting ready to put on her backpack while holding the car door handle. “Mr. Brandon, let me go into the house first.”

Brandon locked the car door tightly again. He pulled Belinda's left hand, causing her to almost fall into his arms. “You can't go.”

Belinda swallowed saliva nervously. “What's wrong, sir? Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

“Marry me, Belinda.”

Belinda rounded her eyes. “What?!”

“The deadline is two days, you have to give me an answer.”