Shirley (Stephen’s assistant) walked towards Louis’ office and was about to knock on the door when Joyce opened the door to the office.

Shirley (smiling): Hi Joyce. What are you doing?

Joyce: Just watering the plants for Mr. Koo.

Shirley: Mr. Fung asked me to take the FCRK file from Mr. Koo’s office but Mr. Koo isn’t here yet so…

Joyce: You can take it. Mr. Koo wouldn’t mind.

Shirley (smiling she pats Joyce’s hands): Thank you Joyce.

Joyce (returning a rather social smile): No problem. (leaving to go back to her office while Shirley enters Louis’ office)

9:00 a.m. at Louis and Jessica’s Mansion

Jessica slowly walked down the stairs still a little sleepy, when the aroma of good food coming from the kitchen caught her attention.

Jessica quickly ran down the stairs.

Hearing the sounds of Jessica’s footsteps, Louis who was wearing a white t-shirt and black baggy shorts, turned around.

Louis (smiling): Morning sleepyhead.

Jessica (surprised): Aren’t you supposed to be at work?

Louis: I’m coming in a little late today.

Jessica (she smiles sweetly and then leaning over the kitchen counter, curious): So, what are you making?

Louis: Wonton soup.

Jessica (grimacing): Is it good?

Louis: Don’t tell me you’ve never eaten that?

Jessica (shaking her head): You should have made ..….

Louis (cutting in): Eggs and bacon, right? Or bird’s nest soup? Don’t you get tired of eating the same thing for breakfast all the time?

Jessica: No, because those things are healthy.

Louis (smiling, he hands the bowl of wonton soup to Jessica): Just try it and see, ok?

Jessica (taking the bowl, she looks doubtful of Louis’ cooking): Hmm, you sure it’s okay this time? When you last attempted to cook for me, it was a disaster. Remember? You put salt instead of sugar and…

Louis (he cuts in): Stop talking so much, just eat it and you’ll see.

Jessica tried one small wonton thinking that it would be terrible like everything else Louis had ever cooked for her, but to her astonishment, it actually tasted delicious.

Jessica: Wow, how did you do that? (suspiciously looking at Louis) Did you recently take a cooking course without me knowing it or what? You couldn’t have improved so fast…

Louis (he turns around from Jessica to turn off the cookstove): Secret!

Just then GiGi cried loudly from her sleep.

Louis (about to walk up the stairs): I’m going to carry her down here.

Jessica (looking at her watch): No I’ll take care of GiGi. Go and change for work. I’m going to change for GiGi too.

Louis: Where are you going?

Jessica: I’m going to drop her off at Cecilia’s house because I need to go to the bank to settle some matters with our account.

Louis nodded and they both walked up the stairs.

In Louis and Jessica’s room

After Louis had finished dressing, he walked over to the chair beside his bed and took the pants he wore yesterday. He reached into the pocket, wanting to retrieve his wallet and office keys. But to his bewilderment, the keys were missing, including the one that could unlock his personal drawer in the office.

Louis’ mind raced with thoughts as he tried to remember where he had put the keys.

Before he could start to panic, Jessica called out to him from downstairs.

Louis quickly put the wallet in his pocket and walked down the stairs.

Downstairs

Jessica (carrying GiGi): Goodbye.

GiGi: Da da. (trying to say daddy)

Louis (he smiles and leans to kiss GiGi on the forehead): GiGi be a good girl and Daddy will take you to Ocean Park to see the dolphins this Saturday with Mommy.

GiGi put her hands together as if wanting to clap her hands.

Louis smiled and caressed GiGi’s head.

Jessica: When is Nic coming to pick you up?

Louis: I’m driving today. Nic is taking some days off.

Jessica (seeming concerned): Why? Is he all right?

Louis: No, I think he’s just sick.

Jessica: Ok then bye.

Louis: Oh and I won’t come home tonight.

Jessica just nodded, a little sad.

Louis (he leans over and gives Jessica a tender kiss on the lips): Goodbye.

Jessica (softly, with a smile on her face): Goodbye.

9:00 a.m. in Stephen’s office

Stephen opened the file Shirley just gave him. But instead of finding the details on the FCRK file like he had expected, it was the HSBC file that was in front of him.

Stephen sighed. Shirley must have taken the wrong thing, he thought.

Stephen was about to close the file when something suddenly caught his eye.

Stephen carefully examined its content.

5 p.m. at the orphanage

Louis stood behind the exit door holding a single lavender rose, waiting to surprise Anne when a tall man wearing glasses and carrying a huge bouquet of yellow roses rushed pass him. Louis curiously watched on as the man walked up to Anne who had just finished class and was walking towards the exit door.

Lawrence (handing the bouquet to Anne): This is for you Anne.

Anne (uncomfortably accepting the gift): Thank you Lawrence but…

Lawrence: Have you thought about it yet?

Anne: I’m sorry Lawrence, I can’t accept your kind offer.

Lawrence (he sighs and nods his head): I respect your choice but know that I will always be waiting for you if you ever decide to change your mind.

Anne: Please don’t waste your time on me, Lawrence. You deserve someone much better.

Lawrence: To be your husband, that would be my honor.

Anne (uncomfortable expression): …

Lawrence: Please don’t feel as if I’m pressuring you. I’ll be leaving in two days. If we never meet again, I wish you eternal happiness. But if you change your mind, call me.

Anne (touched): Thank you so much for understanding. Goodbye.

Lawrence (genteelly nods): Goodbye.

After Lawrence left, Louis emerged out of his hiding place and greeted Anne. Upon seeing Louis, Anne cheerfully smiled.

Louis (smiles amusingly, he looks at the huge bouquet of flowers Anne was holding): I don’t think you have much need for this anymore. (referring to his single lavender rose)

Anne (smiles): I didn’t know you were a petty person.

Louis: But that guy with the glasses…

Anne (reproaching him): His name is Lawrence.

Louis: Ok, but Lawrence doesn’t know that you like lavender roses best.

Anne (pretending to be annoyed with Louis): I know that you’re clever, ok? Now let’s get going.

Louis just shook his head and smiled as he followed Anne.

5:15 p.m. in the shopping mall

Louis and Anne were holding hands and shopping around.

Louis: But seriously, who is he anyway?

Anne (her eyes widening): You are SO annoying today.

Louis (enjoying his teasing, he laughs): And I’m proud of it. Why can’t you just simply answer the question? Then maybe I’ll be less annoying.

Anne (sighs): Ok fine. He is a doctor. He’s also the most generous contributor to the orphanage.

Louis (seeming seriously impressed): Wow.

Anne: So, you’re losing faith in yourself already?

Louis (ignoring her, he points at a jewelry store): Why don’t we go in this store?

Anne: What for?

Louis (drags her in the store): You’ll see.

Louis surveyed every piece of jewelry in the store when a beautiful necklace caught his attention.

Louis (to the jeweler): Can I see this necklace?

Jeweler (taking it out): You have wonderful taste, Sir. This diamond necklace is part of a special French collection. It was manufactured in very limited quantity: only 25 could be found around the world. In Hong Kong, this is the only one. (handing it to Louis and then she excused herself and walked over to help another client)

Louis (to Anne): So, do you like it? As a gift for our dating anniversary?

Anne (surprised): You still remember?

Louis: Of course I do. I can even remember that the first time we dated, I gave you two lover-bears in a basket. The second year, I gave you a huge bouquet of origami flowers that I made myself and the third year………….. it was a very difficult time for us and all I did was baking a cake for you…. (Louis suddenly paused and looked down, unable to continue)….

Suddenly recalling the past made both Louis and Anne felt immensely nostalgic.

Anne patted his shoulder in comfort as if to say “the past is the past, don’t think about it anymore”.

Louis (he smiles sadly and looks up): Why don’t I try this on you?

Anne (attempting to cheer up both of them. She smiles): Wait, I have something for you too (she reaches inside her purse and retrieves a packaged gray tie).

Also inside the same mall

Jessica smiled to herself as she happily held the black leather D & G wallet she just bought for Louis. Recently, she had noticed that his was a little torn inside.

Jessica was walking by the jewelry store when she noticed a couple. The man was adjusting a necklace on the woman’s neck. Their back was turned towards her.

Jessica decided to go in to take a look at the new merchandise. But as she got nearer and nearer to the couple, she noticed how familiar the man’s overall physique was. From behind, he looked very much like……

After paying for the necklace and waiting for the jeweler to put it in a box, Louis took Anne’s hands in his and they turned to leave.

And there standing before them was Jessica

The three of them all froze in place, all feeling as if time had suddenly stood still.

Tears of pain formed in Jessica’s eyes as she looked at Louis and then Anne and then at their entwined hands.

Anne quickly withdrew her hand from Louis’ hand and looked away. Louis looked at Anne when she took her hand off of his but then, his gaze landed back on Jessica.

The wallet in Jessica’s hands slipped from her hands as tears continued to spill from her eyes, without her even knowing it. The tears just flowed and flowed down her cheeks as Louis’ betrayal finally sank in her conscious mind. If yesterday somebody had told her that her husband had been cheating behind her back, she would have never believed it. All that she shared with Louis, all that they’ve been through together…couldn’t have been a lie. And she thought their love was strong enough to overcome anything…., Jessica almost laughed at herself for being so naïve.

As she looked at Louis and Anne, the image of Louis holding another woman (not Anne) on the bed he shared with her, his own wife, flashed across her mind.

Why is it happening all over again? Jessica asked herself.

She shut her eyes closed, feeling as if someone had just dumped a bucket of icy water over her head, slowly numbing all her senses.

And seconds later when she had calmed down a bit, with a deep breath, Jessica opened her eyes and stared at Louis and Anne.

Neither of them moved nor did anything.

Jessica turned around and ran.

Louis just stood there as Jessica slowly disappeared from his view, not knowing what to do.

Anne (biting her lips, she turns to look at Louis): Go after her.

Louis looked at Anne for a moment not knowing if he should follow Jessica.

He looked at her again as if to say “Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

Anne nodded.

Louis quickly ran after Jessica.

When Louis finally caught up with Jessica, he pulled her elbow, trying to turn her around to face him. When Jessica turned around to face him, Louis was suddenly at a loss for words.

Jessica slapped Louis hard across the face, leaving a red blush on his cheek and with a voice full of anguish, she said:

“I don’t ever want to see you again.” (she walks away from him)