Chapter 182: Jaw Held
James insisted on calling Mia again, not because he really wanted to ask about being blocked.
If he asked, it was just to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
But judging by Mia's tone, clearly, it didn't work!
His eyes were full of heaviness, yet his voice was soft and low as he said, "Mia, you didn't even hear me out before sulking by yourself..."
"Who's sulking? James, do you think too highly of yourself?"
Mia wouldn't admit she had just been angry.
In front of James, she wanted to block him, and it had nothing to do with being angry.
"You only get angry at someone you care about. I don't care about you anymore, so why would I be angry?"
James listened to Mia's words that said the opposite of what she meant.
He really had no way to deal with her.
"Mia, listen to me. I just asked you to take the medicine..."
At the mention of medicine, the anger in Mia's eyes intensified.
He really wouldn't rest until he made her furious.
"I don't want to hear it!"
She angrily hung up the phone and immediately blocked the landline number again.
James didn't even get a chance to say more. When he called again, it was the blocked tone.
"Phone!"
James held out his hand to Robert.
Robert handed over his phone and dialed Mia's number.
This time Mia didn't even want to answer. Not caring that it was Robert's phone, in her anger, she blocked it again.
Blocked three times in a row.
James felt terrible and was so annoyed he almost threw the phone.
"Mr. Smith, that's my phone."
Robert's face clearly said, please show mercy.
This was his newly replaced phone.
Although his annual salary wasn't small, the money for a new phone was quite a lot.
"Are you suggesting that the annual salary I give you is too little?"
James's voice was gloomy.
Robert immediately withdrew his outstretched hand.
He didn't dare make another sound.
James threw the phone on the desk. Robert immediately picked it up and quickly left the office.
After the office door closed, James sighed.
He didn't want to hide it from her.
This matter was his fault toward her.
But Mia was angry now and unwilling to listen to him. Since she had already taken the medicine, there was no need for him to keep calling.
Thinking of HIV.
James's expression darkened again. He took out a cigarette pack from the drawer, pulled out one and lit it.
After quietly finishing a cigarette, James picked up his phone and called Louis.
"Louis, arrange an HIV test for me."
Hearing HIV, Louis was so shocked he jumped straight up from his chair.
He kicked the office chair away with one foot, and it crashed into the bookshelf behind.
The circle he moved in had all kinds of people.
There were plenty of people with HIV.
He wasn't unfamiliar with this.
But this person was James.
Having known him for so many years, before meeting Mia, he had suspected countless times that James had orientation issues.
He had even been afraid that he himself was too charming and James had taken a liking to him.
The two had a deep brotherly bond. If James really had feelings for him, what should he do?
Almost thirty years old, and only one woman, Mia.
How could he have HIV?
"James, don't scare me!"
This wasn't something to joke about!
James didn't say much more, "I'm coming over now."
He hung up right after.
He stubbed out the cigarette, got up and left the office, driving to the hospital.
Even though he knew Mabel couldn't possibly lie to him, he still wanted to get tested.
......
It was hard to get a taxi during rush hour. The place was only two subway stops from her apartment complex, so Mia slowly walked toward the subway station after hanging up.
In her anger just now, she had taken the medicine directly. She remembered her body's rejection reaction the last time she took it.
It was all James's fault.
If he hadn't made her angry.
She wouldn't have taken it in the heat of the moment.
Mia saw the light at the intersection ahead was green, so she quickened her pace.
Just as she reached the middle of the road, her stomach suddenly cramped painfully.
She frowned, stopped walking, and reached to cover her lower abdomen.
Her stomach churned, wave after wave of nausea.
Cold sweat instantly climbed up her spine.
Standing in the middle of the road, her vision kept going black.
Through her blurred vision, she watched the numbers counting down, about to turn red.
She struggled to move, but her feet felt weak.
The last time she took the morning-after pill, the reaction was severe. She thought it was because her body was weak.
So she didn't pay much attention.
She didn't expect it was her own constitution.
"Mia."
Just as she was about to collapse, a figure rushed over to support her and helped her to the other side of the road.
"Lily."
Mia saw Lily and smiled at her.
"I'll take you to the hospital."
Lily looked at Mia's terrible complexion and constant cold sweat, supporting her, worried enough to want to take her to the hospital.
"No need for the hospital. I'll be fine after resting at home for a night."
"Mia, you can't put off illness!"
Lily's eyes reddened.
Her mother had thought it was a minor ailment and didn't go to the hospital, which is why it became a serious illness.
"Lily, I'm really fine. I just took emergency contraception and feel unwell."
Hearing about emergency contraception, Lily's expression clearly became difficult, her back going cold.
She remembered that night a few days ago, when Benjamin didn't seem to use protection that time on the sofa.
It was her first time. She hadn't thought about taking emergency contraception at all.
Now it was too late to take it.
Would she get pregnant?
What would she do if she got pregnant?
"Lily, I'm really okay."
Seeing Lily's changed expression, Mia thought she was worried about her and squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"Okay, Mia, where do you live? I'll take you home to rest."
Lily supported her. Just then an empty taxi came by, and she helped Mia into the car.
Mia gave the name of her apartment complex.
When they arrived home, Mia took out her keys. Lily helped open the door, supported her inside, and to the bedroom to lie down.
"Lily, I'll be fine after sleeping for a bit. If you have things to do, you can leave."
"Okay, Mia."
Mia didn't stand on ceremony with Lily.
Lily was the younger sister from the neighbor's family and had liked following her around since childhood.
Mia's stepbrother also liked clinging to her, and seeing Lily always following her, he would secretly bully Lily.
Later, Lily's mother suddenly moved away, and the two hadn't seen each other for some years.
After seeing Mia fall asleep, Lily closed the bedroom door. Instead of leaving, she went to the kitchen, planning to make some porridge so Mia could eat when she woke up.
Opening the refrigerator, she saw the empty fridge.
She took the keys and went out to buy ingredients.
......
Hospital
Louis had been standing at the hospital entrance waiting for James early on. As soon as he saw his car approaching and it had just stopped, he strode forward.
From when James hung up the phone, during the wait of more than half an hour, Louis felt every second was like a year.
"What happened?"
James wasn't someone who would act recklessly. How could he possibly contract HIV?
"Amelia has HIV."
James was brief and to the point.
He had never mentioned to anyone else what happened between him and Amelia that night.
That was the thing he regretted most, and the thing he most wished had never existed.
The irreparable situation between him and Mia all stemmed from that night.
"You really slept with Amelia? James, you're not someone without boundaries. How could you... You!"
Louis complained halfway before he couldn't continue. What could he say?
That bastard Amelia!
Louis took out a cigarette pack from his uniform, pulled out one and handed it to James.
Having known him for so many years, although James didn't show it on his face, he knew very clearly how heavy a burden he was bearing inside.
After James took it, he also pulled out one for himself and quickly lit it.
He needed a cigarette to calm down, otherwise he really wanted to shake James hard.
Wanted to shake him to see if his brain was full of water.
The two quietly smoked until Louis's phone rang. Things were arranged on the other end.
"Let's go in for the test first."
Louis hung up the phone. The two walked to the trash can at the entrance to stub out their cigarettes, then walked inside together.
......
At Mia's place, after buying some fresh ingredients downstairs and coming back, Lily skillfully made porridge for Mia.
Just as she put the porridge in the rice cooker and was preparing side dishes to go with it, the phone in her pocket rang.
The special ringtone made Lily panic. Her hand got burned but she didn't care, immediately taking out her phone.
It was Benjamin.
"Seven o'clock, Emerald Estates."
Seeing this message, Lily's eyes clearly brightened.
She hadn't seen him for several days.
Thinking that she could see Benjamin soon, Lily couldn't help but feel happy.
She quickly replied: "Okay."
After replying, she waited a while. Benjamin didn't reply again, so she put her phone back in her pocket.
She quickly prepared the side dishes, left a note for Mia, opened the door and hurriedly left.
At six-fifty, Lily appeared on time at Emerald Estates.
She stood downstairs, looking at the standalone villa in front of her, her feelings very complicated.
She was very clear that once she stepped inside, there would be no turning back.
Even when she was poorest and most struggling, Lily had never thought she would one day sell her body.
But when Benjamin left that check, she hadn't planned to use it, wanting to return it to him next time they met.
But her mother urgently needed money, and in the end she used that money.
That night, she was stopped by Benjamin at the entrance of the nightclub.
He told her to get in the car, and possessed by some strange force, she got in his car.
After hearing the conditions he stated, she clearly wasn't that kind of woman, but after he finished speaking, she agreed without hesitation.
That night, he didn't take her away. He only told her to quit her job selling drinks at the nightclub, then left.
Today was the first time he summoned her.
Lily thought of the look in Benjamin's eyes when he looked at her, and her heart suddenly tightened.
But this was her choice.
She was very clear in her heart that if the other party wasn't Benjamin, she would never degrade herself.
But the other party was Benjamin, and she couldn't control herself.
Lily raised her hand and pressed the doorbell.
The doorbell had only rung for a few seconds when the door opened from inside.
Before she could see clearly who was inside, her wrist tightened and she was pulled in.
The door closed. She was pushed backward, her back against the door panel. Her jaw was gripped, and overwhelming kisses fell down.