Ricky appeared dumbfounded. “What banners?”
Abigail kept a close eye on his reaction. “You really don’t know?”
“Time out, Abigail. What banners are you talking about? I really don’t get what you’re talking about.”
Ricky still appeared to be dizzy from his hangover and he could not understand Abigail just then.
Abigail kept staring at him for seconds, ensuring that he was not playing dumb before saying, “Yesterday, someone hung banners over Central Tower, mocking Zachary and Ember…”
“Hahaha!!!” Ricky burst out in laughter right then. “He got what he deserved!”
“Was it you?” Abigail asked seriously.
“Nope,” Ricky said, his smile remaining on his face. “Guess I’m not the only one who hates him. It’s what he deserves for being a piece of shit.”
Abigail pursed her lips, and actually began to doubt him. “It really wasn’t you? It looks exactly like something you would do.”
Ricky shrugged. “If you insist that it’s me, then it must be me. I’m just glad he didn’t get off easy.”
“Don’t do that ever again. You’re just going to hurt Lulu–Zachary’s family would be after her if they even think that it’s her.”
“He’s been with me all this while, someone suddenly said. “He never did anything–don’t blame him for something he didn’t do.”
Abigail turned and saw that it was Lulu, who had woken up without Abigail knowing and was getting up to her feet. “It’s time we left.”
Abigail followed Lulu. “Are you alright?”
“I’m perfectly fine,” Lulu said as she turned and looked Abigail in the eye. “Also, Ricky and I came straight here after the wedding. He’s been with me all this time–he wouldn’t have time for anything else.”
Abigail was left puzzled. “Then who could it be?”
“Who cares? I’m just happy someone messed with Zachary,” Ricky said as he went to the counter to pay up.
As Abigail and Lulu stepped out of the bar, Lulu stretched her back and said, “It’s time I head home.”
“Don’t you want to take a bath first?” Abigail asked. “I’ve taken the day off and we could go to Bernstein Mansion together. I was just thinking about checking on Tommy too.”
“I’m really such a mess, huh?” Lulu asked.
Abigail nodded, and she mused to herself for a second. “Okay, sorry for causing you trouble.”
“You don’t have to be that polite with me.” Abigail smiled.
Ricky made his way toward them just then, and Abigail said, “Let’s go.”
While Ricky tried to hail a taxi, however, a black luxury car suddenly stopped right in front of Lulu.
The window wound down, revealing Mrs. Slate’s face.
She came from money, but the scars of age were obvious–things must be unpleasant between her and her family.
“Get in, Lulu Adams. I have questions for you,” she growled.
“You can ask me right here,” Lulu shot back.
Mrs. Slate studied her from head to toe, and then glanced behind her at the signboard that read Coco Bar.
Her lips curling in contempt, she said, “I guess Ember is definitely the right choice for Zachary. Not only did she come from the right family, but the fact that she has her act together makes her more deserving of my son. I wonder why I gave you a chance at all.”
Lulu was not affected by Mrs. Slate’s words, however–she had suffered worse insults before, and was basically used to it.
“Fine. We can talk here if you don’t want to leave with me, so tell me: were you the one who hung those. banners at Zachary’s wedding?”
“It wasn’t her.”
Ricky walked up to them, answering Mrs. Slate before Lulu could.
“And who are you?” Mrs. Slate asked.
“I’m Lulu’s friend. It’s your own son’s fault that he was ridiculed. You should instead head home and ask him what he had done to deserve that.”
Ricky was too young to fear Mrs. Slate, let alone care who she was as he fired back..
Mrs. Slate stared at him for a while, and then turned to Lulu to ask, “Were you two together last night?”
Ricky snorted. “We were. What’s that to you?”
“Shut up,” Abigail snapped and promptly tugged at his sleeve–he was going to make Mrs. Slate misunderstand, especially when she clearly did not like Lulu.
His phrasing would just fuel Mrs. Slate’s notion that Lulu had loose morals and hurt Lulu in turn.
Ricky, however, was not letting up. “I’m just telling the truth! What is there to hide?”
Mrs. Slate scoffed at Lulu then. “I knew it–what an unseemly woman you are. Well, this suits me just fine. Now that Zachary is married, there’s nothing between you two, so don’t bother him ever again. In turn, I won’t press charges regarding the banners.”
“Hey, are you even listening? I told you–it wasn’t Lulu. She’s been with me all this while, and I can testify for her!” Ricky snapped, indignant at how prejudiced was Mrs. Slate acting.
“You? Testify? You’ve been defending her all this while. The best you can manage is perjury,” Mrs. Slate laughed coldly, before adding in disdain, “Truly… birds of the same feather flock together. Scum will always end up with scum.”
“What was that?!” Ricky’s temper flared, and he would already be hitting her if Abigail was not holding him. back.
At the same time, Lulu finally had enough.
She could take any insult from Mrs. Slate, but she was not about to hold back if she insulted her friend!
“I’m the one you’re after. Scorn me all you want, but don’t you insult my friends.”
“What, did I get it wrong? Would you have spent the night in a bar with a man if you have any semblance. of morals? Let me get this straight: stay away from Zachary. This is your last warning, and if you don’t comply-”
“I’ll stay away from him, you don’t have to keep reminding me. But about the banners…”
She was going to say it was not her, but that was when she noticed Zachary and Ember nearby, and she quickly said, “It was me.”
“Hmph. I knew it!” Mrs. Slate snorted, raising her brow. “You’ve made the Lindts very upset while embarrassing my family. I’ll make you pay.”
With that, she wound up the window and told her chauffeur to drive away.
Beside Lulu, Abigail frowned.
“It wasn’t you, why would you…” Her voice trailed off when she saw Zachary and Ember, and she suddenly knew that Lulu claimed that she hung those banners because she saw Zachary.
“What are they even doing here…” she muttered to herself.
On the other hand, Zachary walked straight to Lulu, holding her gaze as he said, “I knew it wasn’t you.”
Lulu smiled. “It was me.”
Zachary frowned. “Why are you acting like this?*
“Because I hate you?”
Through it all, Ember was holding tightly onto Zachary’s arm. Not keen for Zachary to talk so much with Lulu, she purred as if she was an understanding person, “I knew you didn’t mean to. Zachary and I don’t blame you.”
“Do I need your forgiveness? Who do you think you are?!” Lulu only found her laughable, and turned around, growling, “We’re leaving, Abigail.”
Abigail glanced at Zachary and sighed lengthily before dragging Ricky away with them.
“He really thinks Lulu did it, doesn’t he?” Ricky exclaimed indignantly. “He doesn’t deserve her if he does. Where’s the trust?”
Lulu turned to glance at Ricky. “You’re right.”
Did he really love her if he did not even trust her this much?
“Alright, let’s just head home already,” Abigail told them–the less Ricky talked, the better.
Things were still salvageable for now, but Ricky’s rant is probably going to throw a wrench into the works. The less he ranted, the better.
Soon, they reached Bernstein Mansion, and Ricky stayed downstairs while Lulu took a shower upstairs and changed into fresh clothes.
Abigail was on the balcony with Tommy in her arms, sitting on the beach chair to get a little sunshine, which was not baking now that autumn had arrived.
“Mah–mah…” Tommy blabbed as he leaned on her shoulder, and Abigail watched him with a tender look in her eyes.
She lifted his little hand and gave him a little kiss, when a crash echoed downstairs, followed by a shriek!
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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