Love Began with the First Meeting
Chapter 518 Either Love Me Or Forget Me (Part One)

The moment Molly saw Becky and Eric, her face turned ashen and gloomy. She had been drenching in the rain for hours and already felt like a drowned rat

and their appearance only made things worse for her.

Now she was wretched outside, and inside.

She clenched her fists, summoning up her courage. When she had made the deal with Brian, she knew that some day she'd have to face Becky and Eric. But what else could she have done? She was desperate to meet Mark. But this meeting had come too soon. She was not prepared for any of this.

Molly tried to avert her eyes away from them, yet no place seemed secure. Eric's disappointment and Becky's sneer followed her everywhere. Wherever she turned her sight to, she could see and feel the pressure they were exerting.

Their sudden presence also baffled Brian and he frowned. But he quickly regained his usual poise and asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"

His voice sounded normal and neutral, but Becky and Eric captured a hint of rejection in his question.

Becky gritted her teeth in anger and jealousy when she saw both Brian and Molly soaking wet in the rain together. Yet she still managed to keep her smile, no matter how heartbroken she was.

Eric also hid his emotions quite well and soon put on his playful look. With a roguish smile and a sluggish voice, he answered, "We came over to see Mark. My bodyguard dropped me over, and left for some other business." That explained their sudden presence and it resolved Brian's confusion.

Brian then turned to Molly and said, "Why don't you go and get changed?" He paused, and added, "I have asked Tony to bring Mark to visit his new school."

Molly knew that Brian had done that for her sake, and threw him a grateful look.

As he looked at Molly, Brian felt bitter deep down. He wanted to ask her, 'Molly, is us being a couple just so unacceptable for you?'

But he buried the question in his heart. Despite the concessions he had made, he was still too proud to pop such a menial question in front of others.

Under their intense gaze, Brian and Molly went upstairs, then he said, intentionally or otherwise, "Mark sleeps in the room which you had used before, and your clothes have been moved to another room. You can shower in my room for now. I'll get you some clothes." Molly instantly straightened up and glared at Brian. She pressed her lips to refrain from swearing at him out loud. Just a moment ago, she had appreciated him for dissolving her embarrassment, but now he just casually created another one.

Of all the rooms available in the villa, he chose his. She could have bathed and dressed in some other room.

Molly tried to curl her lips into a smile, but failed. Then she said, "I can shower in Mark's room."

She immediately saw Brian's eyes darken whereas the aura downstairs had become more burning and piercing. Clutching her wet clothes, she sneered at herself, 'You're already a bitch. Showering in another room now won't make you a decent lady ever again. Just drop this play.'

"Fine, I'll just shower in your room." Molly said firmly, then turned around and stepped into Brian's room. She closed the door, blocking out all of their intense gaze.

Brian soon fetched her clothes over and placed it in front of the door after informing her. He then went into another room. They were just preoccupied with their own work as if Becky and Eric were not even present.

Becky might have been good-humored till now, but she was losing it. As early as four years ago, she became aware that Brian didn't love her any longer. But she still held onto the hope that he might change his mind and that she might get another chance. But that was just wishful thinking. Becky blinked and forced her tears in. She adjusted herself properly, then cast a look at Eric who never took his eyes off Brian's room.

"Eric," Becky frowned, "Are you in love with Molly too?"

Eric looked at her, raised his brows, and answered, "That's quite obvious, isn't it? I love her.

"Becky never foresaw that such an answer would come out of Eric's mouth. Furiously she questioned, "You don't love her. You just want to fight with Brian for her, don't you?"

Eric laughed and plopped down onto the sofa. He poured himself some tea and slowly explained, "I admit that I was trying to pick a fight with Brian in the beginning, but now I really love her."

Becky stared at the wild and arrogant Eric - he had changed. He used to be ruthless and harsh, but also playful and bright at times. But now, that sunshine side of him was gone. He was just like Brian now, so sophisticated that no one could see through him.

"At the outset, I just wanted to snatch everything that Brian valued," Eric took a sip and told the story indifferently, "But somehow I fell in love with her, the plain girl whom I always came across on the streets." Eric paused and sank into his bittersweet memories. He was very solemn, "Molly was just another ordinary woman. Yet her adamancy and helplessness somehow provoked my desire to protect her. At first, it was all just fun. But in the end, it became real - she managed to etch herself into my heart..."

Eric's handsome face wore a veil of sorrow, "To love the same woman as Brian was the last thing I ever wanted, but it happened, and here we are..." Eric smiled bitterly, then turned to look at Becky who was sitting beside him, wide-eyed. He then continued, "Becky, Brian is just not that into you. At least, not as much as you think. He likes you only because you grew up together, but that's not the same as love," Eric shifted his sight to the cloudy sky, "We knew nothing about love in the beginning. We were just imitating the grown-ups. Brian felt something different about you; he thought it was love. And so, I fought with him for you. Then, he started treating Little Molly differently, so I tried to win her over. That's all. But no one knew at first that what we had for Molly was real love. Brian didn't predict it, neither did I. We just fell in love."

"No, that's not true," Becky bit her lips in denial, "Brian loved me."

"Okay, but what difference does it make now?" Eric scoffed, "He might have loved you, but that love was insignificant. Or he couldn't have changed his heart, could he, Becky?"

"No!"

"Huh," Eric smirked and continued, "How long has it been since Little Molly was away from Brian? Over four years... Brian never looked for her, but he never forgot her either. When they met after all these years, Brian tried to win her over again. He still loves her." "That's only because Molly mothered Brian's child."

That dimmed Eric's eyes. He murmured to himself, "She has a child with Brian... Huh, like Brian said, I was always a step behind him from the start,"

he said, his words laced with regret. A few seconds later, he smiled and added aloofly, "Luckily, she has a better opinion of me than of Brian."

At that point, Becky was already too mad to say anything. She glared at Eric. Eric just said that they had been too young and childlike back then, that Brian never loved her. But she and Brian had been so intimate when they were little... She... Becky couldn't bear to think about the past. It was painful. "Becky," Eric started talking again, "To tell the truth, I really hope that Brian still loves you. In that case, Little Molly would be mine. Mark is not a problem. I'll treat him as my own son. We're all of the Long Family. It doesn't matter that he's not my biological son. We're related by blood anyway."

"What a sweet dream,"

Brian's cold voice came from behind. Eric didn't seem too surprised. But Becky was startled and turned around. Brian was standing on the staircase, dressed up, his hair still wet from the shower.

Eric turned around slowly to look at him, his arms nestled on the sofa, and grinning as if nothing had happened. He smirked at his brother and said tauntingly, "It is indeed a sweet dream. Would you be having nightmares about it now?"

Brian glowered at Eric icily, then walked down the stairs, "You should leave now."

"We're here to see Mark," Eric protested.

"Mol is here and Mark is not in the mood to see you." Brian's voice was cold and impatient.

"Brian..."

"Becky," Brian interrupted just as she started to say something, "I had made myself pretty clear to you in Vienna. I don't want things between us to get ugly. That won't end well for you. If you're ever in trouble, I'll help you. But don't mess with Mol. I will not let anyone mess with her life now. Understand?"

His warning was clear, his eyes sharp and harsh. He had never brought up this issue before, but that didn't mean he was okay with it. He had let her go easy only because of his guilt. After all, he was the one who had changed his heart and fallen in love with another woman. But now that he had paid his debt towards her, he was willing to let bygones be bygones and let it all be water under the bridge. However, he made his point very clear to Becky. He never was happy with what she had done. ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐