"I never thought that your identity dishonored me. If my behavior or words made you think like that, my apologies. Well, the food is getting cold. Let's just eat." Luke was telling the truth. He didn't love her, but that had nothing to do with her identity.

  "May I ask you a question? It's rather intimate, deeply personal." Luke seemed to be in a good mood, and Michelle thought that he might answer the question this time.

  "Sure. As long as I can answer it, I don't mind," Luke said coldly, but his face softened somehow.

  "I heard that there used to be a girl that you loved deeply. Is she the reason that you don't love me?" Michelle asked after hesitating for a long time. She had pondered on that for many days, and now she finally had the courage to ask Luke.

  "What?! What girl? I don't know what you are talking about." Luke dropped his chopsticks and stared at Michelle right in the eye, looking puzzled.

  "Uh…… I heard you were deeply hurt by that girl." Michelle stared back at Luke, confused. 'Luke doesn't seem to be lying. Did Edward lie to me?' she wondered.

  "Well, what you are talking about is pure nonsense! Who told you that?" Luke's face twitched and he wondered who had dared to cook up a story like that.

  "Edward. He told me last time in B Country." Michelle lowered her head in embarrassment. She finally realized that she had been fooled by Edward.

  "Damn it! Don't listen to him. He was just making fun of you." Luke rubbed his temples in frustration. It had never occurred to him that Edward would say something like that about him. But Luke could do nothing about it. Edward was his boss, so there was no way he could get even.

  "Sorry! Now I feel kind of stupid to have believed it." It dawned on Michelle how gullible she was and she felt sad. No wonder Patricia always called her "silly woman." It turned out that she was indeed silly, believing everything she heard from anyone.

  "Mr. Mu is a sly and manipulative fellow. Not all his words are to

  as listening to their conversation. It was Bradley who had asked Hilda to call Michelle and invite her out. If Michelle found out that she had lied to her because of a man, she might never forgive her.

  "Where are you? I'm going there now." Hilda had never asked Michelle out on weekends. Out of friendship, Michelle agreed to her invitation despite her preference to stay home with Luke.

  "Oh, I'm still in the school. I was afraid you wouldn't say yes, so I haven't left yet. You know, it would be so boring to go shopping alone." Hilda made an excuse. She really felt guilty for having lied to her best friend.

  "Okay. You may set out now. Let's meet in the Central Plaza, okay? Call me when you get there." Michelle put the painting away and was about to go to the garden to tell Luke. But when she turned around, Luke was at the doorway.

  "Hey, so are you going out?" Luke asked casually. Michelle had no idea when he had entered the room.

  "Michelle, who's the man talking to you? He has a nice voice. Is he your brother?" Hilda asked as she heard Luke's voice. Her words made Bradley frown, but because he was standing behind Hilda, she failed to notice it.

  "Uh…… I'll tell you about it later. Bye!" Michelle hung up the phone in a hurry. She stared at Luke and wondered when he had left the garden to come over.