Cross Lines

Chapter 26: Adversities

Perhaps due to the recent holiday, the bar was quiet with only a few tables of customers talking in low voices. Maggie and Emily Luo sat in a corner, surrounded by calm.

Dr. Luo kept her head down, her expression vague. Maggie, sitting across from her, remained silent, just watching. After a while, Emily Luo began to speak slowly as if she had figured out what to say.

“I met Eva after returning to the country. By then, her story had already reached a conclusion.”

“So, that person is already in prison?” Maggie’s tone was calm.

Dr. Luo nodded. “Yes. What I know is mostly from Eva’s fragmented accounts… a very tragic story…”

Maggie frowned but did not respond.

“Eva’s background is quite significant. At that time, she was in the import-export business and met that person in the business world. It was a… case of love at first sight… They quickly got together. He was a financial management professional and left his job to help Eva. Their business grew bigger and bigger… and then, their relationship was discovered by Eva’s family.”

“That step is an inevitable fate.”

Maggie spoke slowly, her tone heavy with resignation. Emily Luo looked at her deeply and continued,

“Eva’s father set a trap that ensnared Eva’s company. When the authorities investigated, the person in charge of finances was immediately taken away. Eva was young then and didn’t understand the full story, and was misled by the superficial evidence, believing her lover was embezzling and evading taxes. Angered and resentful, she testified against him in court.”

Maggie’s eyes widened as she tentatively asked, “Are you talking about Grace?”

Emily Luo was surprised. “You know her?”

Maggie smiled bitterly. “Not personally. But her story is quite well-known in these circles. I’ve heard various versions, and it’s surprising to learn it’s related to the bar owner. What a small world.”

“The trust between them was lost. They grew to hate each other, and things escalated to an irreparable point.”

Emily Luo’s voice carried a sadness she couldn’t hide. “In the end, Grace lost all her professional qualifications and was sentenced to five years in prison.”

Maggie’s brow furrowed tightly, and she fell silent.

“When Eva calmed down, she realized something was wrong. She investigated for a long time and finally found out the truth. But Grace held a deep grudge and refused to see her or accept Eva’s offer to hire a lawyer for an appeal.” Dr. Luo sighed. “Eva fell out with her family over this and ended up having to fight for her freedom, eventually opening this bar.”

Emily Luo seemed to have used a lot of effort to summarize Eva’s story concisely. After finishing, she leaned back on the sofa and exhaled deeply.

Maggie thought for a moment. “Five years, and they never saw each other again?”

Emily Luo nodded. “Yes.”

“So, this weekend, we’re going to pick her up from prison?”

Dr. Luo nodded again. Maggie’s smile was rueful. “This trip will be quite difficult…”

“So, we accompany her. Having more people might make Eva feel more secure, even though we might not be able to do much.”

“Mm, okay.” Maggie nodded.

“Thank you.” Dr. Luo smiled.

“Since the bar owner is also my friend. But come to think of it, I’ve known her for quite a while. Why has she never mentioned these things?”

“Who wants to keep reopening old wounds?”

“Then… you must be quite familiar with her? Why haven’t I seen you before?” Maggie took a sip of her juice but kept her eyes on Dr. Luo.

Emily Luo looked at her and lightly smiled. “I know you.”

“Hmm? Really?” Maggie, surprised, widened her eyes.

“When I first met Eva, she mentioned you. She said there was a young person and asked if I’d be interested in meeting them.”

“Cough!” Maggie choked on her juice. “Young person?!!”

Emily Luo raised her eyebrows in mock innocence. Maggie froze, then stammered, “So, you— must not have any interest in young people?”

Dr. Luo suppressed a laugh. “Eva spoke highly of you—smart, considerate, and good at taking care of people.”

“Uh…” Maggie’s smile was awkward. “Thank her for me…”

Emily Luo didn’t continue, her expression turning distant as she seemed lost in thought. Maggie privately mused over how Eva had set her up while still thinking of her as a kid. The evening took on a strange mix of sadness, entanglement, and embarrassment.

On the night before the weekend trip, Maggie went to bed early and got up as soon as the alarm rang the next morning. After breakfast and dressing, she went out.

Emily Luo was sitting near the door of the bar, but Eva was nowhere in sight.

“Where’s the boss?”

Maggie placed her bag on a nearby sofa and looked around.

“In the lounge, getting something,” Dr. Luo said, “She’s been in there for a while.”

Maggie also sat down. “Let her take her time. Her mood isn’t likely to be calm.”

With an arm resting on the sofa armrest, Emily Luo glanced at her but didn’t speak.

After ten minutes, Eva emerged from the back, her face clearly made up. She forced a smile. “Shall we go?”

Maggie and Emily Luo stood up and exchanged a look. “Yes.”

Emily Luo drove, with the navigation system occasionally breaking the silence. Eva, in the front seat, stared out of the window, silent. Maggie, in the back, felt a bit stifled and cracked the window for some fresh air.

Outside the city, they could see the barren farmland with patches of leftover snow, adding a sense of harsh winter. Maggie’s mind wandered to the stories she’d heard about Grace. She glanced at Eva’s profile, wondering if the rumors were true.

The prison was not far—about an hour’s drive. The surroundings were desolate, with few buildings over three stories high. The prison area had some greenery, but the massive iron gates were tightly shut, guarded by armed officers.

Emily Luo parked the car by the roadside, unfastened her seatbelt, and looked at Eva. Eva seemed extremely anxious, her hands wringing together, knuckles pale.

Dr. Luo placed her hand over Eva’s. “Don’t worry, I’ll go in with you.” Then she turned to Maggie. “Maggie, you wait in the car while Eva and I handle the paperwork.”

“Okay.”

Maggie nodded as Emily Luo and Eva got out and headed towards the main building.

Maggie prepared for a long wait in the car, but to her surprise, they returned sooner than expected. Eva remained silent, and Emily Luo looked troubled.

“They said that without a blood or marital relation, we can’t sign for her release. We have to wait here. If no family comes to pick her up, she’ll be released automatically after noon.”

Maggie opened her mouth, unsure of what to say. Regardless of the past grievances, such situations often left one feeling helpless.

The car was uncomfortably quiet. The engine’s low rumble and warm air made it feel even hotter. Eva soon got out, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.

Emily Luo and Maggie watched Eva smoking outside. Maggie leaned forward, resting her forehead against the seatback, and quietly asked, “Dr. Luo…”

“Yes?”

“Do you feel like it’s a thorn?”

“No. I have no choice but to face it bravely.”

Emily Luo’s response was firm and unequivocal. Maggie lowered her head, thinking, and smiled silently.

The waiting was unbearable. As Eva finished almost a whole pack of cigarettes, Maggie was on the verge of falling asleep when suddenly, the prison’s large gate showed some activity.

A small iron door opened, and someone walked out. From a distance, it was just one lonely figure carrying a simple bag. Standing in front of the massive iron gate, the person looked particularly small.

Eva quickly rushed over, followed by Emily Luo and Maggie, but they stayed back, watching from a distance.

As they approached, Eva seemed to be saying something, but the person did not engage with her, walking away and avoiding her attempts to approach. The pace was quick, as if they were trying to avoid her. After several attempts, Eva was left standing alone, looking desolate.

“It seems to be going poorly.”

Emily Luo furrowed her brows, looking worried.

“It’s to be expected. Such hatred, born from love and accumulated over the years, is deeply ingrained.”

Maggie said, her eyes fixed on the approaching figure, unaware of the look Emily Luo gave her.

In a dark down jacket, with ordinary short hair and a deeply bowed head, Grace appeared before Maggie. The once-mythical figure now showed little trace of her former self, with only a faint glimmer of past brilliance visible in her features.