Chapter 3 The Mud, The Mess, The Letter

Phoebe's POV

I fell hard on the muddy ground, and my hands scraped against the rough dirt. My hair was a mess, and my dress was already soaked. I winced and tried to push myself up, but my legs felt weak. Richard had caught up with me again. He fell too, just beside me, landing with a loud thud.

"Don't come near me!" I snapped, still trying to get up.

"Help me up," he groaned, reaching out.

"Faster!" he added as he struggled to his knees.

Despite everything, I sighed and leaned over. "Are you okay? You're dirty. Let me wipe your clothes."

"Don't touch me," he muttered, brushing me off.

"You're too smelly," he said, giving me a side glance.

I frowned. "But you're smelly too."

He didn't reply. Instead, he wrinkled his nose.

"Oh, right. You have that... mysophobia thing," I said awkwardly. "This is really bad for you, huh?"

He ignored me and began digging through his pockets.

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"My phone," he said sharply. His face dropped. "I think it's missing."

He looked right at me, and I stared back. "Why are you staring at me like that? I'm just as stuck as you. If you didn't chase me in the first place, none of this would've happened. Now we're both in the same boat."

"Can you call the cops now?" he asked.

"My phone's dead," I said, feeling useless.

"You're really useless, aren't you?"

I held back my irritation. "This place is isolated. No one's around. Can't we just let it go now?"

"What do you want me to do then?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's easy," I said, squaring my shoulders. "Give me back my stuff, and I'll forgive everything."

"I already told you-I didn't take anything from you," he snapped. "Just admit you want something from me."

"Who wants anything from you?" I glared. "You know what? Fine. I want your shirt. Give me that."

"What? Why should I do anything you say?" he snapped. "If you want to survive, get away from me. Keep following me, and I won't hold back. I'll ruin your name if I have to."

"You can leave," I said, blocking his path, "but not without returning my stuff!"

Without warning, I pushed him. He slipped again and fell back into the mud with a curse. I climbed over him, grabbing at his suit.

"Are you crazy?! What are you doing?!"

"Stop struggling!" I shouted. "I used to do wrestling and weightlifting in high school. I may look slim now, but I can handle guys like you."

"This is insane!" he said, eyes wide. "Are you seriously trying to... What kind of girl does this to a guy in the middle of nowhere?!"

"Where's the stuff?!" I demanded as I pulled out an envelope from his coat, only to find it empty. "Where's the letter?!"

"I gave it away."

"What?!"

"But they returned it," he said quickly.

"And then?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"It's worthless," he muttered.

"It's not worthless!" I shouted. "Where did you put it?!"

"Why should I tell you?" he said, breathing heavily.

"I told you-it's not in my shirt. Check if you don't believe me."

"I will! And if I don't find it, you'll return it ten times over!" I warned.

"You serious?" he asked, almost laughing.

Back at the hotel, Dylan had just arrived with Max and Austin. He was holding their bags while scanning the lobby.

"What? Phoebe was fired? When did that happen?" Dylan asked the supervisor in surprise.

"A few hours ago," the man replied. "Are you Li Ming Cheng?"

"Yes, I am."

"This is your room card. It's a special offer. Phoebe arranged it for you," the supervisor said, handing him the keycard.

Dylan took the card silently and nodded. "Thanks."

The three of them walked to the elevator. Max looked around the luxurious hallway, wide-eyed. "Dylan, try calling Phoebe. Ask her what happened."

"Yeah, call her," Austin echoed.

Dylan pulled out his phone and dialed. He waited, frowning. "Her number's not available."

"Not available?" Max repeated, sounding worried.

But that worry didn't last long-at least not for Max and Austin. The moment they entered the suite, their jaws dropped.

"This place is amazing!" Max said, throwing himself onto the fancy couch. "This furniture, the size of this place!"

"We'd be stuck in a regular room if it was just the three of us," Austin added. "But because of Dylan, we're in a five-star luxury suite. This is so unfair."

"What can we say? It's true love," Max teased. "Dylan, we'll stay here for you. Look at this view!"

"Enough already," Dylan muttered, pacing near the window.

"Best place for stargazing," Austin said, leaning back.

Dylan stared out into the night. "Her number's still not available," he muttered. "It's fine if she's just working here... but why did she have to get into trouble?"

His voice trailed off, but his thoughts stayed with Phoebe.

Meanwhile, I was walking beside Richard down the road. It was already night, and the rain had started falling lightly. I tried to walk close to him, but he kept pulling away.

"I'm sorry," I said again, trying to make peace.

"That's enough!" he snapped.

I reached out to hold his arm. "At least let me apologize properly."

He turned sharply. "I'll give you five seconds to take your hands off me. If not, I'll chop them off."

I flinched and let go. "Okay..."

"What did I tell you earlier?" he said coldly.

"You said I should stay one meter away. I remember." I stepped back, three paces this time.

He shook his head. "Now you're obedient? Where was this attitude earlier? You dragged me into this mess. And now you're sorry?"

"I really am," I said, my voice softer.

"If apologies worked, there wouldn't be brands like Gucci, Armani, or Versace. Do you know what you did? You tore my clothes!"

"I... accidentally-"

"Accidentally?" His eyes narrowed. "If I slap you right now, is that a massage?"

He raised his hand slowly, and I didn't move. He looked surprised.

"You're not even avoiding it?" he asked.

"I meant what I said," I replied. "I'll work under you. I won't regret anything."

He raised an eyebrow. "Many people want to work for me. Why should I hire you? What if you get angry again and decide to search my body?"

I sighed. "I won't do that anymore. I've searched you already. I guess... my stuff really isn't with you. Maybe I lost it somewhere. I don't even know what you're thinking."

"Where did you get the guts to search me in a field? Why do you think I'd steal something from you? It's just a letter."

"You're right. It's only a letter."

Right then, heavy rain began pouring down again.

"It's raining! Run!" I shouted, grabbing his hand and trying to pull him.

But he didn't move.

"Is this for real?" he murmured, swaying slightly.

"What's wrong?" I turned back to him, concerned.

"I get weak when it rains," he said simply.

"There's a bus stop up ahead. I'll take you there."

He pulled away. "Who asked for your help? I don't need help from a little girl like you."

"You're obviously not okay," I argued.

"I'll get there on my own. Even if I have to crawl."

He started walking, slowly and unsteadily.

Back in the city, Dylan and his friends were outside now, searching.

"Phoebe! Pheebs!" Dylan shouted as they checked the nearby streets.

"How is it? Did you find her?" he asked when they regrouped.

"Nope," Max and Austin replied, soaked from the rain.

"What should we do? It's dark now. Maybe we should continue tomorrow," Austin said.

"You guys can go back first," Dylan said. "If you hear anything, let me know. But I can't just leave her out here."

"It's raining so much..." Max muttered.

"Is anyone there?" a voice called from the nearby bus stop.

"Pheebs? Phoebe!" Dylan and the others ran toward the voice.

But as they got closer, they saw a familiar face.

"Dawn Williams?" Dylan said, surprised.

"Senior Dawn?" Max and Austin added.

"Why are you here?" Dylan asked, confused.

"I was in a bad mood, so I went for a walk," Dawn said. "Then I slipped. Now it's raining, and I can't get back."

"Do you still remember me?" Dylan asked gently.

"You're from the physics class, right?"

"Yeah. I'm Dylan. We met in the student council. These guys are from the astronomy club too."

"Can you still walk?" he asked.

"What are you waiting for?" Dylan turned to Max and Austin. "Your idol is hurt. Help her up."

"We got her. Slowly, Senior," Max and Austin said, supporting her.

"You guys send her back first. I'll keep looking for Phoebe."

"Phoebe?" Dawn repeated.

"She's his junior," Max explained.

"She worked at the hotel before."

"You're not coming back with us? It's dangerous," Dawn said.

"Let's just send our senior back first," Austin said.

"Yeah, she might've gone back already," Max added.

"Fine. We'll take her back first," Dylan said. "Senior, be careful of the steps."