STIGMA

"That doesn't matter. Look, I just arrived. I'll wait for you. I'll be sitting next to the window, so you can see me when you are here." Once she hung up the phone, Elsa Xia looked at her watch. Half an hour had already passed from her appointed time.

Mark Le had already told her that his car was stuck in a traffic jam. It was rush hour and there were traffic jams all over the place. If she hadn't gone out early, Elsa Xia might've been stuck there too. That would've been even more of a hassle. She finished her last piece of bread and drank half a cup of her coffee before going to the restroom.

As she saw herself from the mirror, Elsa Xia was not looking well. The dark bags under her eyes were a result of dozens of sleepless nights. She looked so gaunt that they could place her in any horror movie and she'd fit right in. She sighed, washing her face with cold water. She'd worked overtime last night to finish the press release. It needed to possess absolutely no errors, and it took a lot of work. Once she was finished, it was already past five in the morning. Without rest, she quickly went to her meeting place with Mark Le.

Elsa Xia worked as a journalist on the society pages. On her spare time, she had agreed to sign a novel with Mark Le. It took her a long time to finish it and when she'd submitted it up to the publishers, she wasn't expecting that Mark would send her a publishing contract so soon. They'd only chatted on the Internet for a while so they hadn't seen each other yet. This was why Mark decided to meet up with her.

As she came out of the restroom, she noticed that there was a man occupying her seat. Mark had always said how he looked really feminine and how he was sometimes recognized as a women. Thinking of it, a smile generated at the corners of Elsa's mouth. However, as she moved closer, the man in front of her didn't look like a woman in the slightest. With black bushy eyebrows, hard facial features, and thin lips, no one would connect him with being a 'feminine beauty'.

However, thinking that it was probably just a misunderstanding, Elsa still approached him. "You're here."

The man was surprised by her words, looking at her up and down. Being a reporter, Elsa was accustomed to dealing with all types of people on various occasions. However, being in front of him, she couldn't help but blush. "Well," she started. "Just as we talked before, I don't think I can do that."

The man raised his eyebrows. He had no idea who this woman was. She looked so uninteresting as she was dressed in nothing but a business suit with a well tied-up ponytail. Her eyes weren't small, but the black spectacles emphasized the bags under her eyes.

He wasn't about to reply. However, as the blush grazed her cheekbones, he couldn't help but be a bit more curious. "Really?" he said in disbelief.

The voice was different from what she'd heard on the phone. However, as she was dizzy, she didn't hear much of a difference.

"Yes. I've thought it over. Besides, it's a pure love story. Don't you think adding those racy scenes would ruin the beauty?" Realizing that she'd been talking to Mark for quite a long time, she decided to come straight. "Besides, I don't have much experience on that area."

"Ah." The man nodded and rubbed his nose, as if reeling it in.

Elsa nodded. "So can I stop?"

"But you can learn it. It really won't take much time," he suggested.

Elsa couldn't help but blush at the implications. "The references that you've sent me... Although I've read them all, I still don't know how to do it."

Although she added some passionate plays, she couldn't help but be uncomfortable writing it due to her lack of experience. The man suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. 'She didn't look stupid, yet why does she seem so silly?'

"So, can I refuse?" Elsa asked again.

"I think you should just give up on the editor." The man crossed his arms. "If you're asking my opinion, of course."

"What?" She adjusted her thick-rimmed glasses, gazing up at him. "What did you say?"

"Give up on your editor. My friend is here. If you'll excuse me."

Soren Wang stood up. He gave Elsa one last once-over before dragging his stare away.

"What? What just happened?" It was then did she realize that she had mistaken somebody else for Mark.

She'd thought he was Mark! Given how crowded this place was, he must've sat in front of her because there weren't any seats available. Her face flushed. She couldn't believe that she'd say everything in front of a man who didn't even know her. Before she could apologize, the man already moved to another table and sat down, leaving her for a tall figure.