Chapter 25

"Sorry," I said sheepishly as Douglas unscrewed a bottle of mineral water for me. "I usually handle alcohol better than this." Douglas chuckled and jokingly said, "Maybe it was the driver's poor driving skills." Great, now I felt even more embarrassed. As I sat back in the car, Douglas pointed at my bracelet. "It's dirty," he said. I nervously tucked my left hand away, not knowing what to say. He was just trying to remind me, but he didn't know about the ugly scar beneath the bracelet. He was right, it was dirty. It had been dirty for a long time now. Half an hour later, the car stopped at the entrance of my residential complex. I thanked Douglas, and as I turned to leave, I felt a jacket being placed over my shoulders. A faint scent of ambergris reached my nose, and Douglas's gentle voice sounded in my ear. "It's chilly tonight, be careful." I was shivering from the cold wind, so I didn't refuse the jacket. As I walked to the building entrance, I heard Cindy's sweet voice.