The Cage Of The Past

Monday

Xiaoxi Chen went to Jenny Smith's office once she finished her task after she'd done discussing all the details she saw it was five o'clock in the afternoon, she comes back because it's time to get off from work. Pack up and get ready to pick up Chao at school.

She walked out of the building to the side of the road and heading towards the bus stop station. She saw someone had just gotten out of the taxi, and that person was Mr. Jones whom she had been looking for.

Xiaoxi Chen face turned pale at once, her heart was disordered and she clutched her bag and ran quickly in front of the man. "Sir, Sir, please tell me, where is the man in the fox mask?"

Tom Jones was not too surprised but looked at the girl in front of him and sighed. "Miss, as I said, I really don't know you!"

"Sir, how can you be so heartless?" Xiaoxi Chen saw colleagues came out from the building and she quickly lowered her voice: "Sir, only you can help me, I beg you, please tell me where he is, how can you forget me? Please help this poor mother!"

"Miss, what do you actually want?" Tom Jones face showed awkwardness.

Xiaoxi Chen scared he will leave so she quickly grabs his shirt's sleeve tightly. "I want to see him, you tell me where he is? I want to see him!"

"Miss Chen, what can you do after you see him?" He sighed.

"You admit that you knew me or you remember me?" Xiaoxi Chen dazed and her face had a flash of surprise in a bit. It was a hope for her, the only hope she had was to find this person. She thought she couldn't find her son after this man disappeared last time but now a sudden change had come along her way. She's so happy in a moment.

"Miss Chen, how about I will ask him first, if he agrees to see you then I will give you the number right away. You may go back home first!"

"No! You ask him now!" Xiaoxi Chen holds his sleeve even tighter. "I want to see him right now, please?"

"Alright!" Tom Jones took out his phone and dialed a number, "Sir, Miss Chen wanted to see you!"

Not sure what was being said on the other side, Tom Jones nodded then hung up the call. "Miss Chen, do you still remember that villa five years ago?"

That villa? How did she know! She had been dragged by this person, taken to the hospital for a certain physical exam, being used by that man after she signed the contract. She had no recollection of it and if she did, why would she so desperate?

The man seems to understand what she's thinking. "I'll give the address and you may go tonight."Tom Jones said. "If you wanted to see him, it's going to cost everything, and you must be aware of it, you know!"

The moment Tom Jones said that Xiaoxi Chen felt her heart was scared and become empty, tears cannot help dripping down. "If he willing to see me, and let me see my child, I can promise anything!" she said abruptly.

"That's good to hear!" Tom Jones wrote an address and give it to her. "Nine o'clock tonight, you go to this place, he will be waiting for you, remember the exact time, don't be early or late, or else you won't get to see him!"

"Well! Will, he really see me?" she asked uncertainty. "Can you give me your phone number, I can't trust you completely, I want to make sure you give me the right address!"

Tom Jones sighed, wrote his phone number on it too. "Is that all right, now?"

Xiaoxi Chen holds the paper tight, her heart flutters and beats wildly, deeply bows. "Thank you, thank you so much, sir!"

She can finally see her son!

Xiaoxi Chen didn't know how she gets on the bus until she returned home, she realizes that she didn't pick up Chao. She immediately called the kindergarten teacher and asked Chao to stay in the school only for tonight because she can't pick him up.

After hung up the phone, Xiaoxi Chen took out the passbook, the amount on it was 7.5 million dollars. Tears can't help falling, at first only one or two drops, then a string of it, she wipes with her hand but it never stops to flow, it didn't stop no matter how she wipes it.

She finally found that person! She wanted to return the passbook to him and wanted to see her son, ensure that he is living with a good life.

Eight-thirty. Xiaoxi Chen went out, changed her clothes, the address was so remote that the bus could not reach there. She had to take a taxi instead. The car stopped at the villa number fifteen.

Xiaoxi was feeling nervous and excited at the same time after she got out of the car and her body shakes with so much excitement. Finally, she's a few steps closer to see her precious child.

Standing in front of the villa she's asking herself if she wasn't lost. Looking at the watch in her arm it says, nine o'clock.

A faint smell of tobacco, mixed with the smell of cologne, there is a little familiarity, perhaps men are all in the same scent. She raised her eyes slowly, saw the tall figure, the straight suit without any wrinkle, held her breath, looked up slowly and a sudden nervous invade her senses. He was wearing the same fox mask that appeared in her dream when she had a million-midnight nightmare. Five years ago this image flashes every night in her dreams. The unforgettable and painful moment of his torment, touching her body all over.

"Come in!" The man's voice was unusually low and seemed to be deliberately lowered. Then, he turned and walked inside.

Xiaoxi Chen did not know how she gets in but felt powerless like she was drained of blood. Her eyes never left the mask of the man, she ignored the tall figure.

"Sit!" Mr. Fox {she called him Mr. Fox in her mind because don't know him either} "I heard that you wanted to see me?" said in a deep voice.

Xiaoxi Chen almost exhausted, the strength of her knees only able to hold back her tears, slowly said: " Sir I wanted to see my son, please let me see him!"

Mr. Fox was dazed and took a moment to adjust his posture gracefully. "Sit down, I don't like people standing up and talking to me. It gives me a feeling of oppression and discomfort!"

Xiaoxi Chen took a breath, afraid that will make him mad and sit down obediently. The sight parallel with him, discover that behind the mask of the fox eyes is particularly sharp, it makes people feel very frightened.

That is a pair of aggressive eyes, absolutely cannot be described by the gentleness. Mr. Fox took a cigarette out and puff out a cloud of smoke, the man conceals in the white smoke unexpectedly observing her in silence.

Xiaoxi Chen just saw the surrounding, same with five years ago, black and white adornment, brief and lively rhythm, remain so clean, as if the host has a clean freak obsession.

"I want to meet my son!" Xiaoxi mention of the baby that has been snatched from her and she felt a sharp pain in her eyes and a sour in her heart.

Mr. Fox smiled a little. "With what condition you can offer?"

Hearing the words, Xiaoxi Chen's face becomes sad, her beautiful appearance flashes into a quick bit dark snap, her hands shake, quickly she opens her bag, take out the bankbook. "Here, in this bankbook all the money is intact, I never touch any dime from the money you've left me, Sir, it's seven and a half million dollars, I will return your money and give me back my son, we've terminated that contract the night I leave you in front of the hospital, but you still took my child."

Mr. Fox was surprised. His eyes narrowed behind the mask and he asked with some unexplainable emotions, "you didn't use the money?"

"Yes!" Xiaoxi Chen nod.

"Why?" He asked.

" I want to see my son, Sir. I don't want your money. Will you please give me back the child?" Her voice was pleading.

"Do you think your son will recognize you now?" Asked Mr. Fox inscrutable. "Do you think he'll accept you easily?"

"I---" She knew he was right. Five years later, she was not involved in the growth of her child, and appeared out of a sudden, how can her son recognize her?

But everything was caused by him!

"I ask you again, are you able to raise the child?" Mr. Fox's tone was flat, with a hint of sarcasm. "He is now living in hundreds of thousand dollars a month expenses. He wants to go to the best schools and have special staff to serve him. He lives a good life, you want the child to go through a tough life with you? You must be kidding Miss. Our child lives a better life would you dare to let him suffer because you wanted to be with him?"

"I…" Xiaoxi Chen mind was shaken by his unhurried questioning.

"Yes! I wanted to serve him. Hundred of thousands may huge amount less than the salary that I have right now but mother love is more important than money. I wanted to see him. Even if it is far, just one sight will be good!" She compromised after thinking hard, she just wanted to know if the kid was okay. She wanted to see what her child look like, whether he is handsome, happy or vibrant.

"Even if you don't want the money, I'm not obliged to see you!" An evil smile behind Mr. Fox mask seemed to deepen. He wanted to test how long she could endure and what she will do in exchange for her child. Seeing the passbook, he felt a little angry, the fingers holding the cigarette stiffened with the air. Now he knew that Xiaoxi never touches the money despite having a tough life. This woman is really not an ordinary fool. She had her life principle that no one can change.

"Sir, I beg you to understand the feeling of a woman as a mother who lost her child!" Xiaoxi Chen's tears falling from her eyes quickly.

"It's not possible to let you see him, unless... " He paused deliberately, his dark eyes rolling in her face.

"Unless what?" Xiaoxi Chen small hand tightly grasps the bag, doesn't know what condition he will say to her.

"Are you nervous Miss Chen?" Mr. Fox flicked his cigarette ashes and looked again at her worried little face. "Are you willing to pay for everything?"

She was surprised. Thinking what would be the cost of seeing her child?

"Never mind, I am kind enough to tell you that the child is doing well and that he was taking care off. You heard what you wanted to know about our son, leave immediately in this place now." Mr. Fox looked hard into her face and said those words directly. " Or should I give another option, you may choose to refuse or accept my conditions…"

His voice was low but clear and Xiaoxi Chen's heart suddenly seized herself. She was not satisfied. No! She wants to see her son. "Please, Sir, how I can see him, please tell me your condition?"

"Are you willing to pay for everything?" He asked again.

Gnashing her teeth, Xiaoxi Chen nodded quickly. "Well, at all cost for me to see him!"

"How about accompanying me tonight?" he asked, with a strange huskiness in his voice.

Boom! ---- there was a crash of thunder that strikes in Xiaoxi's ears, a feeling of dizziness after hearing it but she managed to compose herself. She can't show any weakness in front of this man, she's not the naive nineteen years old girl five years ago who can be easily defeated. "Anything else, Sir? Except for this!"

Five years ago, you leave me and I never force you! You didn't even let me take care of you during your pregnancy, you broke our agreement after losing your loved ones and now you got the nerve to bargain me, Miss Chen? You must be out of your mind!"

"Sir, you might have forgotten, you took my innocence, I broke the contract because I don't need your money." That time she's not dreaming to commit mistakes, giving herself to a man who was totally a stranger and doesn't show his face.

"Whatever your reason is, that's fine, you may leave, I'm not going to force you!" His voice was soothing, like a certainty that she would compromise and she understood that he was in control of this situation.

Xiaoxi Chen bit her lip, struggling desperately in her heart. "Can I see the kid first? Can I have a look at first?"

"No way!" Mr. Fox looked at her beautiful face which now desperate and in trouble. She looks so pitiful, and he felt a sudden pain in his heart but he doesn't have any other way to get her. He had offered her to be his woman but she strongly refused him.

Mr. Fox, long and handsome face behind the mask was blurred for a moment, and then he took another puff of smoke, trying to pull out his confused mood. He knew how hard-headed she is.

Xiaoxi Chen was scared, shivered, took a long time to think, helplessly looking up. "After I promise, can I really see him?" she asked again, making sure of his words.