I smiled. “Since you have recommended it, I will definitely try it. Ms. Harrett, you seem to be very familiar with this restaurant.”
She replied with a smile, “Not really, but I’ve been here a few times. So, I remember the ones that I like and always recommend them to friends that come here.”
Surprisingly, Zelene was nothing like Rebecca. With Joe’s personality, I thought he would find someone similar to his ex-crush, but Zelene and Rebecca were like chalk and cheese.
After chattering for a bit, I stood up from my seat and headed to the restroom. When Ashton saw me leaving, he quickly stopped his conversation with Joe and wanted to accompany me, but I declined as I did not want to interrupt them.
A few minutes later, I stepped out of the restroom and bumped into Joe, who was leaning against the wall of the corridor. I thought he was waiting for someone, but I looked around and saw no one. Hmm, who is he waiting for?
After hesitating for a moment, I walked towards him and asked out of politeness, “Are you waiting for Ms. Harrett?”
He lifted his gaze and looked at me coldly. “I’m waiting for you.”
I furrowed my brows, puzzled. “Why?” I don’t think we have anything to talk about. Joe had never liked me. All these years we rarely interacted with one another even though he was my husband’s close friend.
“Can I help you with anything?” I asked, stopping in my tracks.
He arched an eyebrow and cut to the chase. “Can we talk somewhere else?”
I don’t think I have a choice, do I? So, I nodded and gestured. “Sure.”
As we arrived at the stairwell, he put his hands in his pockets and leaned his tall figure against the wall, giving off an aura of grimness. I remained silent and stared at him, waiting for him to speak first.
After a pause, he lit a cigarette and took a long drag on it. “Were you the one who reported Rebecca to the police?”
I frowned. Gosh, is he here for Rebecca? I thought he had moved on! Apparently, he still cares about her.
“I found her by accident, so I called the police,” I told him truthfully. That night, Hannah and I went to the alley out of curiosity. I never thought Rebecca would be like that.
He exhaled slowly and cast an icy gaze at me. “Ashton has given his heart to you. What else do you want from her? Why do you have to push her over the edge? You just want her to die, don’t you?”
Hearing his accusation, I was stupefied. I could not help but ask, “Mr. Quinn, don’t you think there’s something wrong with your logic? She was the one who committed the crime. I did not force her to do it. And I have never harmed her. That night, I saw her purely by chance. I called the police because she was doing something terribly wrong. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Are you expecting me to ignore what I saw and let her continue to ruin herself?”
He scoffed, “It’s up to her to decide what to do with her life. Besides, you could have solved the problem in another way, but you chose the one that made her suffer the most. You caused Ashton to completely give up on her and took away the light in her life. Scarlett, you’re even more wicked than I thought.”
I blinked in bewilderment. What? Is there something wrong with him? What does he mean by “you can solve it in another way?” Exasperated, I said, “So, you think that it was my plan to get her arrested so that Ashton would give up on her? Joe Quinn, you’re freaking ridiculous! What makes you think that I would use my precious time to do something that would bring me no benefits but harm?”
Then, I continued, “To be honest, I don’t care about Rebecca at all; she isn’t worth my attention. She’s nothing but a woman who only knows how to cling onto men and leech off them. She could have improved herself over the years, but she didn’t. Even if Ashton likes her, I don’t think any man could put up with a woman like her for long. What kind of man could tolerate her and love her forever? Speaking of which, Joe, didn’t you give up on her as well? What makes you think that you have the right to question me?”
Taken aback, he stubbed out his cigarette and stared at me blankly. After a long while, he replied coldly, “Don’t change the topic. It’s your fault. You didn’t have to send her to the police, but you showed no mercy and did it anyway. Her reputation and her life are ruined because of you. Even if she could get out of jail one day, how can she survive in society? Scarlett, you’re such a cruel woman.”
“Hahaha!” I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at his preposterous reasoning. How ridiculous can he get?
