9 The Commotion

In this large house, unexpected drama played and caught everyone's attention. A hard slap landed on her face. Sandra Li, the woman in question, barked angrily, questioning why she was the target. Luna, she contended, deserved it. Luna could only blame herself for what had happened, burying her chin into her chest with guilt.

"Please, Grandma…. It's my fault." She burst out crying. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to stop it. Her shaking lips were filled with sobs.

"Now you're acting like an innocent girl! Wow.... You deserve a standing ovation for your outstanding acting abilities." The applause for Danish's mother filled the room. She continued to confront Luna. Nobody dared to intervene. Grandmother was holding back the rage that was reflected in her eyes. The maids could only watch the drama from a distance.

"Why are you enraged, Mom?" Danish jogged down the stairs from the top floor in a frenzy. "Please tell me something, Grandma." His face was now marked by grief. "Mom...Grandma..." Grandmother let the silence respond to his words, while his mother sulked and turned away. Danish's gaze then shifted to Luna, who had wiped her tears away. "What happened to your cheek, Mom?" After he averted his gaze from Luna and noticed the redden skin on his mother's cheek, his question erupted. "Who harmed you?"

"No one harmed your mother." The immediate response from grandmother jerked the chin up. His gaze was drawn to his grandmother, pleading for more information. "She harmed herself by slandering someone else. Tell me honestly, where have you been with that girl since I bought you and Luna those tickets. Did you have a good time at the movies?"

"Grandmother.... "

"You must believe Luna leaked the information. She did not do it."

"I'm sorry, Grandma, but I've told you many times that I can't marry her. I dislike her. I'm in love with someone else!" Danish confidently expressed his feelings. That only made Luna's heart ache even more.

Sandra Li walked away frowning. She didn't even give them a glance. Danish was supposed to leave as well, but his grandmother stopped him. He turned to face her, reluctantly.

"Leave that girl! Can't you forget her even if it's for your grandmother?" Despite her low voice, Grandma's words struck Danish like a lightning bolt. He muttered as he was escorted back to his place. His feet, rather, led him away. His grandmother had no intention of forcing him either.

Luna took her steps toward the stairs after Grandmother, devastated not only by Danish's statement but also by the uproar in the living room. Danish's back came into view upstairs. Luna towed her paces closer to that man without his notice, her heart pounding.

"Can we talk, Danish?" That man came to a halt but only peered over his shoulder to utter hurtful words.

"You are the only person in this world I do not want to see." He then resumed his stride without looking back.

So this was how it felt to be rejected; it was as if the entire world had turned their back on her. It hurt worse than she imagined. Nobody cared about her because of her flaws and shortcomings during her time in the village; that was heartbreaking, but Danish's words hurt even more. It pricked not only her ears, but also her heart. Why could it be this way? Did she have feelings for that ruthless man? She had to suppress that emotion. But, how?

***

Luna asked grandmother's permission to cook in the kitchen to relieve her stress after the bad incident yesterday. She could only cook to forget everything that mentally exhausted her.

Luna would show off in the kitchen early in the morning, making simple Dim Sum from her mother's recipe, Grandma Li's favorite food today. She had prepared the necessary ingredients. The maid simply observed her working as per her instructions.

She followed all of the steps exactly, slicing the vegetables, making the dough, mixing the egg, filling and wrapping the Har Gow until it was done. That could erase all bed memories from yesterday, including how Danish treated her. Her stress was relieved by flattening the dough on the board.

"Wow... it must be delicious," one of the maids remarked, admiring what she was doing. Luna simply smiled in response to her compliment, her entire attention focused on the food she was preparing.

"You now have a place in the kitchen with them, not on my son's side." Someone's voice interrupted and caught everyone's attention. Sandra Li smirked as the maids and Luna turned to face her. Her hand folded in her chest; her head rested on the door sill, a wicked smile on her face. Luna would not allow that woman to provoke her. Rather than becoming irritated, Luna offered to cook for her.

"I enjoy cooking. I can prepare meals for you. Simply tell me your favorite food."

"I don't think the food you cook will appeal to my tastes." She smirked an insult at Luna, who remained calm.

"How do you know it's not to your liking if you never try it?"

"Well, what do you expect from a girl who hasn't even graduated from college?" That woman continued to irritate her.

"I don't think cooking has anything to do with your title or educational background. Cooking is a skill that anyone can learn."

"Are you certain?"

"Without a doubt, Mom,"

"Don't call me, Mom, because I am not and will never be your mother!"

"You should give it a shot, Mom. This is great, Mom." Luna presented her with a dim sum. Sandra flicked her hand at the food, which landed on the ground. The maids in the room were taken aback. Luna carefully picked it up and wiped it down with a tissue. She saw the food as God's sustenance. Besides, it required all of her energy to make it.

"I told you not to call me, Mom! I will not let you marry my son! Remember that!" That enraged woman stormed out of the kitchen.

The kitchen was flooded with applause. The maids applauded Luna for defeating that woman's ego and selfishness. Luna was pleased with herself. She had no idea she could do that to that woman.

"Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to cook." Luna muttered her thanks to the maids who were eating dim sum.

"We should thank you, Ms. Yang, for making such delicious Dim Sum. This is the most delicious dim sum I've ever had." Following that, the maid complimented me repeatedly.

"The food's flavor reached my nose."

"Please take a seat, Grandma. I have made you some food."

"I can hardly wait to eat it. Can you please send it to Danish as well?" Grandma Li's request forced her to stop preparing dim sum. It weighed heavily on her. "Can you come to his office and send it for his lunch, Luna? Dim Sum is also his favorite dish." Grandma's word was a command she had to follow. She bowed to her in submission. "Good. The driver will drive you to his office."

Luna carried the meal to the front yard, where the driver was waiting for her. A tall man helped her carry the packed food into the car and let her into the car. The trip to the company took less than an hour.

The magnificent structure stood before Luna's eyes, surrounded by a large area. People rushed in and out, minding their own business. The building was painted silver to make it appear more elegant. For a brief moment, she was transfixed. She went inside after passing through the revolving door. What she saw inside was beyond her imagination; the office was massive, with multiple floors and lifts connecting each one. Luna ambled confidently toward the receptionist after convincing herself to walk.

When she approached her and stated her intention, a receptionist, a woman in her early thirties, greeted her in the lobby. That woman in the eye-catching red blazer squinted in disbelief, scanning her from head to toe before asking if she had already scheduled an appointment with Danish. Due to Danish's busy schedule as the company's CEO, people should make an appointment to meet with him. That woman refused her permission to see Danish because she did not have an appointment with him.

"Could you please give this to Mr. Danish Li?" After a while of staring at the object in Luna's hand, that woman agreed to do it. Luna thanked her with a smile.

Luna walked out of the building, relieved. At the very least, she had done what Grandma Li had requested. And the receptionist promised to give Danish the food. As a professional, she expected that woman not to let her down.

As Luna stepped outside, she noticed Danish walking hand in hand with a young woman; they had just slid out of the car. Looking at the joy on Danish's face as he strided alongside that young woman sparked jealousy in her heart. Luna cast that emotion away. She had no right to be envious of Danish's relationship with his girlfriend or whoever it was.

Luna dragged her feet toward the parking lot where the car was waiting.