Unbearable Love: Boss, Please Let Me Go

It was one o'clock in the morning.

The brightly lit city was still wide awake. Filled with chattering crowds, it was as if the city never even slept. Although the rain fell harshly against the pavements, it still couldn't silence the loud atmosphere. The entire city was shrouded in haze, which looked very much like Natalie An's future.

Standing in front of the CL Building, Natalie An glanced at her watch. The sound of rain hovering over her made her even more restless.

She had just worked overtime. If she didn't go back and get to bed quickly, then she wouldn't be able to get up tomorrow. Gritting her teeth, she held her bag in her arms and rushed into the rain.

Bean-sized raindrops fell on her body, but regardless of the crappy weather and the rushing crowds, Natalie An was determined to run all the way home. Suddenly, she stumbled over something and fell on the ground before she could stop herself.

The puddle splashed right on her face as pain swept over her limbs. What was even worse was that the bag she was holding was already dirtied with mud. Regardless of the pain, Natalie An slowly got up angrily, trying to find out what made her fall down. However, when she turned around, she saw something that almost made her want to fall down all over again.

Although the alley was shrouded with darkness, she could clearly see a person lying on the ground in front of her. He was drenched in his own blood!

Suddenly, thunder clapped across the sky. Her heart was beating so fast that she was afraid that it would jump right out of her chest. She stood up frantically and grabbed her bag. The last thing she needed was to let this man get her into trouble.

However, no matter how many times she tried to turn away, she just couldn't find it in herself to leave.

Natalie An stood alone under the rain, gasping for fresh air. She gripped her bag, wondering what she should do.

If she left him like this and he died because of this, then she might as well have indirectly killed the person! She wouldn't be able to sleep well evermore!

With a resigned sigh, she went back to check him. If he was still alive, then she would call 120 and leave.

Natalie An approached him. The man was still motionless. In fact, it was hard to tell if he was still alive at this point. She poked him. "Are you still alive?" she whispered.

Nothing happened.

She poked him again. "Can you hear me? Sir, please wake up."

There was still no movement.

She held her hand over his face, and when she felt his breath on her hand, she almost leaned back in relief. It was a good thing that she didn't run away like she had wanted to in the first place, or else she might as well just cause the man's death.

"Hold on. I'll call the ambulance and take you to the hospital." Natalie An pulled out her phone from her pocket.

Suddenly, the man reached and grabbed her wrist.

Being caught off guard, Natalie An stumbled back subconsciously. She dropped her phone and shook off his grip.

"Don't!" Carter Tan said weakly. His dizziness resulted in his poor consciousness. Even the raindrops smashing against his body weren't enough to keep him awake.

Startled, Natalie leaned in closer, not being able to hear him with this storm.

"W- What?"

She trembled, but he didn't reply. After waiting for a long time, Natalie inched forward.

"Hey! What did you just say?" She attempted to poke him again. However, when her fingertip grazed across his skin, she withdrew it almost immediately.

He had a fever!

In order to confirm her own thoughts, Natalie reached out to pull away his wet hair from his forehead to feel his temperature. He did have a fever!

Under the dim light, she decided to take this opportunity to observe him.

His jawline seemed to have been created by God himself. Even if he was scrambled across the pavements, he still looked handsome. She couldn't help but lean in closer, wondering why the person looked so familiar.

As Natalie stared at him, a thought came to her mind.

It was him! It was him! How could she have forgotten? Even if he turned into a bucket of ash, she still wouldn't forget the man she had fallen in love with for three years.

Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she picked up her phone to call the ambulance. "Is this the People's Hospital? Someone got injured and fainted. We're at..." she informed the man of their location.

After hanging up the phone, she stared at him as if she was still in a trance. The person lying in front of her was the person she had been dreaming of for three years...

He was finally here.

When Carter Tan regained his consciousness, all he could see were white furnishings and a strange woman standing by his side.

"Are you awake? I'll call the doctor!" Natalie stood up hastily.

'Doctor?' It was then when he realized where he was. That damn woman brought him to the hospital!

Carter Tan gritted his teeth. Well, it was obvious he couldn't stay here for too long or the guy might find him. He struggled to sit up and pulled out the needle from his hand. Regardless of the blood splattering across the sheets, he got out of bed and staggered towards the doorway.

"What are you doing?" Hearing the noise, Natalie quickly turned around to support him. "You still have a fever. Go back and lie down."

Carter Tan scowled. "Either help me get out of here or leave!"

She recoiled from his attitude. "Hello? From where I'm standing, I'm the one who saved your life!"

"The only one you're going to be is the woman leading me closer to my deathbed!" Carter Tan sneered. Without another word, he shook off her grip and started walking even quicker.

"What do you mean? Hey!" Natalie followed him. He didn't really care as he surveyed his surroundings, trying to find a place where he could go.

There were several men in black suits at the next corridor. He was about to go the other way when they noticed him. "Over there! Catch him!"

"Come on!" Holding Natalie's hand, Carter Tan sprinted the other way.

Natalie didn't even have the time to react. She followed him breathlessly. "Prince Charming, why are they chasing you?"

In a burst of panic, she couldn't help but call him by his nickname.

"Over there!" The men in black followed them closely as they ran out of the hospital. Wherever they went, they were determined to go after them.

Natalie was out of breath. Even Carter was already sweating. He was on the verge of fainting at any moment.

When they ran up the bridge, he paused. "Are you afraid of heights?"

"What?" She couldn't even make sense of his words anymore.

"It's too late. Climb up." Carter didn't even give her a chance to think it through. He quickly assisted her up the railings.

Natalie climbed up reluctantly. It was not until the cold wind woke her up did she realize what he intended to do.

Her legs trembled. "Will we die for love, Prince Charming?" she yelled.

Carter raised his gaze towards her and smiled.

In the past three years since she had a crush on him, this was the only time she had ever seen him smile.

"Come down!" A group of men ran towards them.

Before she could say anything, Carter pulled her down.

Natalie shrieked as the cold waves met her back. The water entered her throat, rendering her breathless. She gasped for air as she splashed around. Was she dying?

It never occurred to her that she would live this long just to die for some man's expense.

Suddenly, a pair of strong hands held her up and took her out of the raging waves. She gasped once she was met with fresh air as she held onto the man, fearing that if she let go, she would sink into the never-ending abyss.

Finally, she saw light.

With her arms wrapped around Carter's neck, she coughed violently till her entire face was flushed red. "Are–are we in heaven?" she said faintly.

"Yes." Carter laughed as he swam towards land.

A gust of cool wind blew towards them, making her shiver. Her clothes clung to her body, highlighting her snow-white skin and exquisite curves. Even though the night was dark, he could feel the rising temperature coursing through her body.

They stared at each other.

Natalie froze. Ever since Carter graduated, she had never thought that they would meet again. In fact, she didn't even think that she would be this close to him. It was like a dream.

The illusion somehow rendered her in a daze.

His wet clothes made him feel cold, but he felt his body growing hotter and hotter. With Natalie wrapped around him like that, he immediately quickened his pace back to the riverbank before setting her down. He was about to leave her like this.

Natalie furrowed her eyebrows at his cold attitude. "Prince Charming, where are you going?" she stuttered as she ran after him.

"Prince Charming?" Carter finally stopped as he turned to her with an incomprehensible smile slipping into his lips. "Do we know each other?"

It was not until then did Natalie realize that she had subconsciously called out the nickname she had always secretly used for him. Her face turned beet red at the realization.

Even though she knew that it was impossible for him to see her blush in such a dark place, she couldn't help but lower her head even more. After hesitating for a long time, she slowly shook her head. "I– I just call handsome people that way. Don't..."

Before she could finish her words, she saw the man in front of her fall heavily onto the ground.

"Shit!" Natalie gaped at the sight as she felt a lump rising up her throat. It was as if she had just swallowed a fishbone that rendered her unable to speak.

This was ridiculous! She had been in love with him for three years, but she still didn't have the courage to ask for his name.

She had always regarded him as 'Prince Charming'. Even her roommates back in her dorm had grown accustomed to calling him that way for four years.

Suddenly, memories of the past started pouring in like an uncontrollable flood. Natalie shook her head and stopped herself. This wasn't the time to reminisce the past. She quickly bent down to help him up.

"What's wrong with you? Don't scare me like that! Ah! You're so heavy," she grunted out. Natalie pulled his arm and placed it around her shoulder before helping him up.

Carter was strong. Given that he was unconscious, all his dead weight fell onto Natalie. She just couldn't bear it all. Before she could step forward, they fell onto the ground together.

The riverbank was filled with stones and twigs. As soon as she fell down, her bare knees pressed against the sharp surface and one of them cut across her palm.

"Shit!" she hissed.

Natalie looked around her. Suddenly, she felt helpless. "Prince Charming, you can't do this to me," she groaned out.

As she spoke, she shook Carter's body again, but he was still motionless.

She reached out to feel his temperature. Sure enough, he was burning. But after what had happened, she couldn't send him back to the hospital.

"What the hell should I do?" Natalie asked worriedly.

She glanced at the riverside only to see a beam of light. It was already approaching their location.

It wasn't a park. No one would drive into such a remote place unless... Unless they had finally caught up to them!

Natalie straightened her back as she started to shake Carter's body in panic. The men had came back.

"Prince Charming, those people are coming back." Seeing that he was still motionless, she had no choice but to lift him up and move him towards the nearby bushes. Hopefully, they wouldn't see them there.

The bright light moved closer towards them, and she could already hear dozens of footsteps, which meant that they'd arrived. And it seemed that they'd also brought themselves some backup.

"Go look over there while the others look at the other side," a man gave the orders. Startled, Natalie held her breath and peered at the small opening as she observed what was happening.

Perhaps it was due to her closeness to Carter's body that it made her feel like her own skin was burning. Her heart started to beat rapidly that a part of her thought that it was about to jump right out of her chest.

Natalie had always seen these scenes in the movies. She just didn't expect that this could also happen in real life, but she didn't know if she was the heroine in the movie plot or the girl who was about to die to save the hero next to her.

Carter suddenly coughed, and she turned over. He must've woken up.

Although his cough was weak, in Natalie's ears, it was like a thunderclap. Any sound he made was like a siren that could attract everyone in their vicinity.

Fortunately, these people were far away and didn't notice such a weak sound. Although it was a false alarm, her heart still continued beating violently. The adrenaline that rushed through her veins was slowly retreating that she was ready to fall down at the next second.

Suddenly, a big hand pulled her back.

She was about to scream in shock, but fortunately, Carter placed another hand on her mouth right in time as well.

His bright eyes were luminous under the dark. At the same time, light passed through the place where she had just been.

"Not here either. Let's go back and report." The footsteps gradually faded away.

Still in a daze, Natalie gazed at Carter. They were in the same compromising position they had been back in the riverbank. She didn't know if it was because of Carter's temperature that she suddenly felt ten times hotter.

The two of them stared at each other for a long time without saying a word. They breathed in and out under the moonlight. Right then and there, it was as if they were the only two people in the area.

He moved towards her as if he was about to kiss her, but Natalie immediately backed away. She suddenly stood up from his lap and stammered, "Th–th–they must've left."

Carter frowned and shrugged as if nothing had happened. "Help me up."

"Okay," she answered, but when her fingertips grazed against his hand, she couldn't help but withdraw them.

Carter placed his hand around her shoulder and lifted himself up. Her thin body stunned him into silence. It was hard to believe that she was the one who had dragged him all the way into the bushes.

"Where are we going?" Natalie asked as she helped him up.

"Your home," Carter answered without hesitation.

She was so surprised that she almost fell down. It took her a long time to process what he had just said before she widened her eyes. "My home?"

How the hell could she take him back? Wouldn't that ruin her reputation? At the thought of this, she couldn't help but remember how messy her house looked before she had gone out that morning.

There was no way in hell that she was going to take him there! She clenched her fists.

"I don't have any cash with me. Where else can I go?" He waved his hands around exasperatedly. Besides, these men would search out any hotel as long as they were alerted of his presence. There was no way that he would risk something like this.

"But I..." Natalie hesitated for a while. "Wait. I have money. I could lend you some."

However, even as she rummaged her pockets, she found absolutely nothing. She shrugged helplessly. "My money's all in my bag. I forgot to take it with me just then."

"Let's go." Carter loosened his grip on her and walked ahead.

In a hurry, she finally caught up to him. "Prince Charming, I don't think it's convenient for you to live in my house... Um, I have a dog! It's a very ferocious beast. In fact, it bites anyone it sees."

"I like dogs. I don't mind."

"Well, I have a friend who lives with me. We've agreed that we would not take a stranger back to the house."

"I'll help you persuade her."

"A single man and a single woman under the same roof might ruin your reputation."

"I don't mind."

Fuck. At this point, Natalie couldn't think of any other reason. She ran behind Carter as her mind swam with different thoughts.

No way! Absolutely no way! In just a day of meeting her Prince Charming, there was no way in hell that she would take him back to her house! Her image...her reputation...all of it would go down the drain!

She tried to rack her mind for a better solution for both of them.

"Address?" he suddenly asked.

Natalie was too absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't think too much of his question. "Don't disturb me. It's Unit 5, Sunshine Garden, Peace Road."

"Driver, let's go," he cut in.

What? Driver? All of a sudden, Natalie snapped out of her daze. It seemed that she was taken into a cab while she was busy trying to come up with a solution that could benefit them. She quickly corrected herself. "No! You got it wrong. Sir, don't go!"

It was as if he was kidnapping her into her own house! The driver turned around suspiciously only to see that Carter was wearing his hospital gown. "Forget it. Get out of my car," he snapped.

Natalie sighed in relief. She opened her door and was about to get out when Carter pulled her back in.

"My girlfriend's run away from home. I just caught her and wanted to take her back. Her family is incredibly worried," Carter said softly.

"Nonsense!" Natalie tried to push him away.

Obviously, the driver didn't believe his words. "You'd better get out of my car."

Seeing as he had no other choice, Carter pinched her chin and kissed her right on the lips.

Natalie froze and her mind went blank. Did Prince Charming just kiss her?

"Go," Carter said impatiently. If it was his driver, then he would've already asked him to pack up and leave for disobeying him like that.

The driver didn't expect that he would be greeted by such a sweet scene. He sighed. "It's good to be young," he mused. Then he turned around and started the car. His suspicion faded almost immediately.

Carter finally let her go. Her lips were incredibly soft. In fact, he even liked kissing her. The woman had saved him...but why? What was her purpose? Did they know each other? However, no matter how much Carter tried, he just couldn't recall her.

He needed to find out who she was immediately. After all, he couldn't bear the risk of being betrayed right now.

In less than twenty minutes, the taxi finally stopped at the gates of Natalie's house.

"103," the driver said.

"Give us a minute. She'll go upstairs to get the cash," Carter said, gesturing her to go upstairs.

"What?" Natalie was still in a daze. She turned around and gazed at him in confusion.

Carter was amused. He even wondered if the woman in front of him was really stupid or was too simple-minded to get his remarks in the get-go.

Carter shook his head.

"Go upstairs and get the fare. Hurry up," he urged impatiently.

Natalie opened the car door, rushed upstairs, and got some money. Unconsciously, she just brought Carter home.

He followed her upstairs, but he almost fainted when he saw the state of her house. High heels were scattered all over the entrance, and the sofa was covered with different articles of clothing that he couldn't even tell if they were newly washed or not. There were empty bread bags decorated across the table, and the ground was a mess. He had never seen such a scene before.

"Are you really a woman?" he demanded.

Natalie was stunned for a long time before she screamed and rushed into the room to clean up.

Carter staggered in. His entire surroundings seemed to be spinning around him.

Seeing the state of the living room, he had no choice but to stumble into Natalie's bedroom. Regardless of her messy clothing scattered across the bed, he lied down.

"Why are you on my bed? Get up!"

she yelled from behind, about to pull him up. However, the moment she touched him, she immediately withdrew her hand as if she had just been scalded. "You're suffering from high fever again, Prince Charming."

"Hmm," Carter murmured weakly, closing his eyes in pain.

The dizzier he was, the more sober he felt. So many memories overwhelmed him like an uncontrollable tidal wave.

He couldn't forget the reason why he ended up like this.

Carter had never thought that he would rival against that person, but it seemed that the person was determined to end him before he ever gave up.

He shifted, feeling uncomfortable all over. A strong feeling swept over him, as if trying to tell him that he needed to vent this anger out elsewhere.

"Are you okay?" Natalie said cautiously.

Carter immediately grabbed her hands. Her warm touch made him feel as if she was the only one keeping him safe. He couldn't even think of anything else. He turned around and pressed his body against hers, biting her plump lips.

"Ouch!" Natalie winced in pain.

He made out with her aggressively, letting his tongue explore the depths of her mouth. She gasped her breath. She had never seen him so desperate for touch ever since she met him.

Natalie gazed at him blankly, almost forgetting that she should resist his hold. However, before she could push him away, a tearing pain came from her lower body. She screamed out as her fists hit against his chest.

"No!" she shouted, but it was no use. The intense pain spread across her body in an instant, rendering her mindless. She could only see Carter's mournful expression before she drifted off into darkness.

When Natalie woke up, it was already dawn. The only thought running through her mind was that she was going to be late for work. Thinking of her boss's devilish face, she knew that she was in for another round of hell. She rolled out of bed and hurriedly readied herself for her new day.

Carter slowly woke up to see a flustered Natalie running around the flat. What happened last night... Suddenly, memories of last night flew back to him. Natalie struggling under his grip entered his mind. How could he have done such a thing? Carter gritted his teeth.

All of a sudden, he was pulled back to reality. Before he could speak, Natalie had already left the flat by slamming the door behind her. He walked out of the room to see that the entire house was still in total chaos.

The woman had been in such a hurry. Was she that scared of him?

All of a sudden, the door opened again and Natalie returned.

The two of them stared at each other. Natalie turned bright red. "I...I..."

She waved her fingers randomly, not being able to utter a single word.

All Natalie wanted to say was that she didn't have to go to work today, but it seemed that her tongue refused to cooperate with her. She didn't even know how to act around him anymore after what had happened last night.

Carter's lips twitched. Although he was the one in the wrong, it seemed that the woman couldn't help but feel uneasy around him. It was interesting for him to see.

The two of them continued to stare at each other, as if daring the other to speak out. Finally, Natalie was able to find her voice. "I'm going to make breakfast." She didn't even bother to wait for his reply before she rushed into the kitchen.

In a trance, she took the eggs and noodles from the fridge.

The flat wasn't big. Even if Natalie hid inside the kitchen, Carter could still see her body moving around. It was still hard to believe that she was the one who had saved him from death's grasp.

He still remembered the despair he had felt that night. In fact, he didn't expect that the person would come to hurt him. They had always ended in good terms. It was not until that moment did he realize the man's true colors.

Carter gritted his teeth. It was a good thing that the woman saved him. Now that he was alive, he would do everything to take back what was originally his! It was that man who had broken their friendship, and he was about to pay the price.

The most important thing Carter could do right now was not to get caught.

Thinking of this, he turned to Natalie.

She came out just in time with a bowl of steaming noodles. She placed it on the table carefully. "Breakfast is ready."

"I haven't brushed my teeth yet." He smiled up at her, wondering what her next reaction would be.

As expected, her face turned beet red as she turned around. She scratched the back of her head. "I don't have a lot of guests who stayed over so..." she stuttered out, waving her hand. "I'll get them for you."

Natalie went out before he could add anything more.

Carter walked over to the table and eyed the ordinary bowl of noodles. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. He had never thought that such a dish could look this casual.

He turned around and glanced at the living room again. Carter was tempted to throw a bomb in the middle of the room and destroy the place. If it hadn't been for him sleeping with her last night, he would've thought that she was actually a guy.

"I forgot the key. Could you open the door?" Natalie's voice sounded from the outside.

He opened the door for her.

Natalie quickly stuffed the bag into Carter's hands before going into the kitchen once again.

Without saying anything more, Carter entered the narrow bathroom with his bag of toiletries. When he walked out, he saw that Natalie had placed another bowl of newly cooked noodles onto the table and asked him to sit down for breakfast.

Glancing at the two bowls, he furrowed his eyebrows. "What's the difference?"

"Nope. I'm just used to cooking for one." Natalie lowered her head. "So...will you leave after eating?"

"Are you asking me to leave?"

The noodles tasted ordinary, but it was better than nothing.

"Won't your family be worried?" Natalie said casually only to stop herself. How could she be so oblivious as to ask him such an inappropriate question?

Carter sneered in reply. It seemed that the tension between them had grown to new heights

as Natalie ate her noodles. It was rare for Natalie to feel such an unmistakable tension. In fact, it was even worse than walking in her boss's office.

The man in front of her was different from the man that she had been crushing on for three years,

yet they shared the same face.

'Did something happen to him to change his personality?' she thought.

"Where is your phone?" His voice interrupted her thoughts. Carter had already finished his noodles and stared at her curiously.

In a hurry, she grabbed her phone and handed it to him. She looked like a lovesick puppy.

"Let me borrow it." He took the phone and walked towards the bedroom before pausing. "Since you don't have to work today, you can clean the place after breakfast and buy me two sets of pajamas and casual clothes."