“I’m having tea with Emma. Would you like to join us? Uncle Louis has an exquisite tea that he has kept for a few years, and the taste is rather good. You can come over and try some.” From his voice, it seemed that he was getting along well with Emma today.
Smacking my lips, I retorted, “Don’t tell me you stole the tea? You’ll be dead meat when Uncle Louis learns of it. Oh yes, when were you last intimate with Yvonne Wilder?”
Pfft! The sound of water spraying out sounded, followed by his violent coughing on the other end. “Letty, you did that on purpose, no? Even if you want to mess with me, you don’t have to say such a thing at precisely this moment. That question of yours is too personal!”
I propped my hand against my forehead in embarrassment. After deliberating for a moment, I urged, “Well, just hurry up and tell me. I want to know! This concerns your entire life, so tell me quickly. Stop dawdling!”
As mortification pervaded him, John cleared his throat and lowered his voice to a mere whisper as he spoke into the phone. “Letty, can we speak about this at home? Emma is right in front of me now, so how am I supposed to answer that? Are you sure you’re not doing this deliberately?”
Pouting, I insisted in exasperation, “Just tell me. Yvonne Wilder seems to have contracted STD. The man who was with her learned about it today, and he is beating her up now as we speak. Anyway, hurry up and think about when you were last intimate with her as well as whether you have been with any other woman during this time. Tomorrow, take some time to go to the hospital and get tested.”
When I received no reply from him for a long time, I thought he had truly contracted STD. Thus, I anxiously blurted, “Don’t panic, John. This can be treated. Just go to the hospital tomorrow and have the doctor look you over. Then, we’ll discuss a treatment plan with the doctor. However, make sure that you don’t touch anyone else during this period.”
John was silent for a while before retorting, “Where did your mind go? I was just wondering who she got it from. Those men are pretty clean, so an accident isn’t all that likely. How did she get the STD?”
Hearing that, I propped a hand against my forehead. Isn’t he focusing on the wrong thing here? Exasperation flooded me. “Why are you still fixated on how she got STD at this time? Hurry up and contact a doctor now so that you can get treatment as soon as possible!”
At that, a snort sounded at the other end, and John countered with a chuckle, “Why do I need treatment? I’ve never slept with her, so why do I even need to get tested?”
My jaw dropped, and I exclaimed in astonishment, “You’ve never slept with her? But you…”
“She kept dangling herself before me, so I brought her to a few banquets as my companion. We were indeed rather close, but we were never intimate. The debacle about getting married is all because I was angry with Hannah back then. That’s why I contemplated marrying her. So, don’t worry. We never did anything, and I’m totally fine!” John sounded exceedingly nonchalant.
Upon that revelation, my eyes inexorably went wide. “Were you insane, John Stanhope? You actually didn’t betray Hannah in any way? Then, why did you create so many illusions back then, making everyone think that you’re a scumbag and forcing her to leave you? Weren’t you just digging your own grave?”
I initially thought that he had truly been intimate with Yvonne, so he planned to marry her. Furthermore, I had seen him with her several times in the past, and they appeared very intimate. It was so bad that even a bystander like me believed that their relationship was carnal, let alone Hannah. She had a stake in it, so how would she know that all those were just for show?
Noticing my agitation, John murmured, “In the beginning, I never thought that it would drive her away. Nonetheless, it’s all in the past, so explanations are superfluous now. Don’t worry about me, for I’m fine.”
“Hah! You’re the last person I’d be worried about!” My blood boiled after having heard all that. He could have lived happily with Hannah, and they could have all been a happy family with Kiki, yet he just had to create a scandal with Yvonne Wilde! Worse still, he didn’t even do anything with her but lost the person he loves. Isn’t that something that only an utter moron would do?
After hanging up the phone, I was still very much incensed, and anger blazed within me. As I stared at Yvonne who was being beaten to an inch of her life, I initially wanted to call security, but I then stopped short when I reached the door of the security booth. In the end, I returned to the lobby instead.
People often chose their own paths, and they’re merely reaping what they sow.
There was quite a crowd milling around, but no one stepped out to help. First of all, they all disdained Yvonne after hearing the man say that she was willing to do anything for money, so they didn’t want to lend her a hand. Besides, they were afraid that she was truly diseased, so they kept a distance from her to avoid being contaminated.
When Yvonne was all bruised and battered from the man’s blows, a man suddenly rushed out from the crowd and held the man back. “Buddy, even if you’re teaching her a lesson, this should stop now.
You’ve already beaten her up badly enough, so you can’t be beating her to death despite your anger, no?” he persuaded.
The man was blinded by rage for being held back at that moment, so he roared at the man who had just appeared, “Mind your own business instead of poking your nose into my affairs here! Buzz off!”
“Let’s go, Justin. Don’t be nosy!” I glanced over when I heard a familiar voice, only to see that it was Stella. She was dressed rather adorably, and she was clutching Justin’s arm while talking him around.
Justin looked at her and said gently, “Wait for me at the side. Don’t come over. I’ll just be a minute.”
Then, he turned his gaze to the man and cajoled, “Buddy, having gone so far, it should be enough recompense no matter her transgressions, yes?”
However, the man had no intention of resolving the matter peacefully. He had been incensed in the first place, so he was now all the more ticked off at Justin’s heroic interference.
Lifting a fist, he swung it right at Justin. While everyone was struck with terror, Justin swiftly dodged the man’s fist and grabbed it instead. “That’s enough, buddy,” he declared.
With eyes blazing scarlet from fury, the man wasn’t in the mood to listen to him. Rather, he bellowed furiously, “I told you not to poke your nose into my business!” As he said that, he swung his fist once more. At that time, Justin didn’t dodge, so he took a fist to the face.
But in the next instance, he went on the offensive. He swung a fist at the man and started raining blows on him without holding back his punches, making it evident that he had some martial arts training.
In a flash, people from the mall crowded over. Some whipped out their phones to snap pictures and lodge a police report. Upon seeing that, I hastily called out to Justin who was being surrounded, “Stop! Stop hitting him!”
Swinging my gaze to Stella, I then ordered, “Go and get security! Don’t allow them to continue fighting, for it’ll only end up in trouble.”
Frightened, Stella hurriedly sprinted off in search of security. Meanwhile, as I stared at Justin who had the man pinned on the ground, I urged, “Don’t hurt him, or it’ll be difficult to explain when the police arrive later!”
Breaking a fight and causing someone injury were two different things. Hence, he would be held criminally liable if he were to hurt the man.
It seemed that my words registered to Justin, for he was more subdued when hitting him. It didn’t look as though he was striking him all that hard, nor did he leave any grievous injury on him, yet the man on the ground howled in pain.
In no time, Stella had gotten security over, and the two of them were pulled apart. Shortly after, the police showed up and escorted Justin to the police station to take his statement since he was involved in the fight.
By then, Emery and Camelia were also done shopping, so I suggested, “Why don’t we tag along?”
At that, Emery’s brows knitted together. “Why should we? That woman deserved it. Considering the kind of woman she is, it’s fitting even if she were beaten to death. After all, she’ll only be dragging others down with her if she lives.”
Nevertheless, I shook my head. “No, I’m suggesting that we tag along because I’m afraid that Yvonne Wilde will twist the truth and get that courageous man in trouble. Let’s tag along and see how it goes.”
Hearing that, bafflement suffused Camelia. “Why would she twist the truth? The man has helped her, after all. Otherwise, she would have been beaten to death.”
I shrugged in response. “That remains to be seen. Come, let’s go and have a look. Anyway, you two are almost done shopping this time.”
Subsequently, they both exchanged a glance. It seemed that they were truly almost done shopping, for they nodded at each other and concurred, “Okay, let’s go.”
When we arrived at the police station, Justin and the other man were detained for questioning. Yvonne, on the other hand, was taken to an interrogation room. A police officer doctored her injuries, while another questioned her about the incident.
As for the rest of us, we sat in the lobby and waited.
Stella looked at me, seemingly having something to say yet hesitant to utter it. As things were frantic earlier, I almost forgot about her. Flashing her a faint smile, I greeted, “How are you recently, Ms. Collins? It’s been a long time since I last saw you.”
Smiling at me, she replied, “I’m pretty good. I heard that Mr. Featherstone and you went to Moranta some time ago, so I thought the two of you were still there since I haven’t seen much of him… and you recently.”
At that, I chuckled. “Well, there’s a new project over at Moranta, so Anthony is a bit busy since he has to handle the business over there. That’s why he hasn’t been to the office much. I noticed that you’re looking pretty good these days. Are you dating Justin now?”
Upon hearing that, she hastily shook her head even as she blurted with a smile, “No! Don’t get it wrong, Mrs. Featherstone. We’re just friends, and we came out together to buy some things today. There’s nothing more than that, so don’t get it wrong.”
Surprise inundated me when I saw her explaining with such gusto. The look in Justin’s eyes when he gazes at her makes it obvious that he adores her. But why does it seem as though she’s neither accepting nor rejecting him after all this time?
Nonetheless, I merely smiled without inquiring further.
After a while, the people inside came out, and Yvonne’s injuries had been doctored. With tears streaming down her face, she tugged at the police officer and sobbed, “My boyfriend and I were just messing around. He didn’t hit me. He merely pushed me lightly, but that man abruptly came over and started pummeling my boyfriend.”
When her words fell, I couldn’t help frowning. Likewise taken aback, Stella gaped at her and exclaimed, “What are you talking about? You were being assaulted by that man in the mall, so my friend intervened. Why would we pick trouble when we don’t even know you?”
“Who knows what your intentions were? Anyway, your friend hit my boyfriend, so I demand compensation,” Yvonne proclaimed without the slightest bit of shame.
Emery and Camelia were initially scrolling their phone with their heads lowered, but they instinctively shot their gazes over upon hearing her words. Looking at the police officer, Emery stated, “Officer, this woman is lying. She’s making up stories. The man lent her a hand out of a sense of righteousness, yet she isn’t at all thankful. Instead, she’s making a false countercharge. We took a video of the altercation, so you can have a look at it. Her boyfriend had been hitting her for a long while, so the man finally had enough and stepped out to teach him a lesson.”
As she said that, she handed her phone to the police officer.
After taking a look at it, the police officer then shifted his gaze to Yvonne. With his brows furrowed, he asserted, “Ms. Wilde, are you aware that your behavior is no different from slander in the eyes of the law, and you could be held criminally liable? Putting aside the fact that he did that to help you, you shouldn’t be so ungrateful and accuse someone even if it’s an innocent bystander.”
“Exactly!” Emery exclaimed. Then, she continued muttering, “In the future, no one should interfere when it comes to a woman like you even if you’re beaten to death. After all, that’s what you deserve!”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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