The Key Plaza Hotel – Part 1
Tuesday, continued …
Hou Yi made sure that Anna had her seat belt on before putting his own on. He looked at her and said, “I’m guessing there’s a real possibility that Lu Jinhu will be waiting for you at the Key Plaza Hotel. I can come in with you for support, but it might trigger him to become abusive because you have support he wasn’t anticipating. Could I suggest you give back the ring? It prevents him from claiming you’ve kept it when you had no right to. It gives you the higher ground, and I would suspect he wouldn’t anticipate its return.”
“Actually, I was thinking the same thing,” Anna replied, glancing down at the ring on her finger. “Given how he’s treated me, I don’t want a single reminder of him that I can’t avoid. The ring is something I can easily get rid of.” She paused, considering Hou Yi’s words. “Why do you think he would be more abusive if you accompanied me in?”
“I know he doesn’t like me, and given what Lu Jinhu and Yang Lin did to you earlier, adding me to the mix—if they’re present—will only make it worse. Plus, it lets them know I’m your support and protection, which hampers getting your revenge.”
“Okay,” Anna replied softly, squeezing his hand before leaning back in her seat. Hou Yi reached over and took her hand in his. Anna looked at him and asked, “Why do you keep holding my hand?”
Hou Yi leaned over and quietly responded, “Remember one of the things I asked—that you be open to receiving attention from me and to give it back? I thought that simply holding hands would be something simple and not confrontational to anyone, whereas kissing and hugging would be something you’d find confronting at this time.”
“Oh,” Anna replied, a small smile forming on her lips.
They sat quietly as the buildings sped by, neither of them realizing how long they had been traveling. The car eventually came to a stop, and Assistant Wang got out and opened the door on Anna’s side of the vehicle. “Here you are, Young Madam. When you’re ready to leave, let the staff know, and they will call me to come back and collect you.” Assistant Wang got back in the car and drove off.
Anna entered the lobby of the Key Plaza Hotel. Within seconds of entering, Lu Jinhu appeared, pushing past the staff and heading straight for her. He started yelling, “Where have you been, you bitch? I told you to get your stuff and get out of here. You’re not wanted!” He paused, taking a breath as if to calm himself before asking, “Who was that you were with?”
Anna stepped backwards, putting her hands up to create distance between herself and Lu Jinhu. “Get away from me! You can’t demand to know what I’m doing. You have no rights, and I’m not telling you anything else, so get lost.”
Lu Jinhu’s face turned red, and she could see the anger in his eyes. “Why do you think you can just walk in here and throw my ring back like it’s nothing? You’re not going to keep it? You never were worthy of it in the first place!”
Anna opened her palm and threw the ring at him. “You want your ring back? I don’t want it or you.” She felt a sense of satisfaction watching the ring land at his feet, but it was short-lived.
In a blur of movement, Lu Jinhu slapped her across the face, hard enough to make her stagger. “Bitch! Whore! How dare you come back here?” he screamed.
Before she could fully react, someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her away. Anna hit the ground with a thud, and it took her a moment to realize Yang Lin had joined the scene, shouting, “You whore! You think you can just walk away with my man? You’re going to regret this!”
Anna, knowing Hou Yi was nearby, quickly picked herself up and sneered at Lu Jinhu and Yang Lin. “Go ahead,” she said coolly. “I just came to get my stuff. You two invaded my personal space, were abusive, and hit me. The police will believe me.”
Yang Lin stepped closer, hand raised to slap Anna again, but the hotel manager intervened. “Madam Lu, please stop,” he said firmly, stepping between them. “It’s clear this isn’t a safe situation. I apologize on behalf of the hotel for allowing this confrontation. Young Madam, please come with me. We will escort you to a private room where you can collect your belongings and leave in peace.”
Anna looked at the manager, then back at Hou Yi. “I’m ready,” she said softly, her voice steady. “Let’s do this.”
The manager led Anna away, promising to escort her to a private room for packing. Anna could feel the tension in the air as they walked through the hotel. The manager kept a discreet but watchful distance, making sure Lu Jinhu and Yang Lin didn’t follow. As they reached the designated room, the manager turned to Anna. “You have five minutes, young Madam. Please pack quickly.”
Anna nodded, feeling the urgency of the moment. She quickly went about gathering her things, her hands trembling as she packed away her belongings. This was the last time she would see any of this—she was finally moving on.
When her five minutes were up, the manager reappeared. “That’s time, young Madam. Please, let’s leave now.”
Anna left the room with her few possessions, feeling a sense of finality as she stepped outside the hotel. Hou Yi was waiting for her by the car, a reassuring presence. “Let’s go,” he said gently, opening the door for her. “We’re leaving this all behind.”
“Thank you,” Anna replied, her voice breaking slightly. “Let’s go.”
And so, they left the Key Plaza Hotel behind, the past finally closing behind them.
