These words imply that we’re abusing our power to oppress others.
Her words angered Louis, who had always been a principled and honest person, and he ignored her.
He looked at me instead. Obviously, he wanted to know her identity.
Biting my lips, I responded, “She’s the only daughter of Stanley Newton.”
Louis’ expression darkened as he fell silent.
I said to the calm and composed Colin, “Carry on eating with the kids and Uncle Louis. I’ll handle this.”
Colin glanced at me but did not say much. After muttering something to Louis, he brought the two kids inside.
As an esteemed official, there were things that Louis could not say openly. He looked at me briefly, then followed suit, leaving behind Joyce and myself.
Not wanting to speak rashly, I remained indifferent while looking for a place to sit.
Joyce’s expression was awful. She probably felt frustrated at not being taken seriously despite making a big fuss for a long time.
She pulled herself together and looked at me. “Scarlett, what do you want me to do?”
With a faint smile, I chose my words carefully. “Had it not been for the men standing behind me at this moment, it would have been me begging for your mercy now, right?”
She had it all planned out when she found two sturdy men to give me a hard time. Thankfully, I escaped death and avoided the tragedy of being chucked away as a corpse in a deserted area.
Undeniably, the relationship between humans is extremely important. It can help save a life or get even with another person for a private grudge.
Suppressing her rage, she looked at me. “What are you going to do?”
Smiling, I said, “Nothing.” I pursed my lips. “I’ve done all that I could. The rest is up to your father. If he’s innocent, no one can press any charges on him. Otherwise, he’ll be in trouble. I’ve recorded every single word you said to Mr. Stovall. From a legal perspective, the way you’ve alleged him for misusing his power for personal gains is regarded as defamatory statements. I hope things won’t look too embarrassing for you when we meet in court.”
“You…” she huffed. “Scarlett, you’re despicable!”
Staring at my gorgeous garden in full bloom, I was not in the mood to argue with her because that would affect my quality of life. Hence, I simply replied, “Ms. Newton, you should leave now. Staying here doesn’t help and it will put your father in jail.”
Even the silliest person on earth would weigh both pros and cons to avoid any disadvantages. She didn’t know the people around me back then. Therefore, she couldn’t care less about what I did or said to her.
Now that she knows, she’ll surely think hard before she acts. After Joyce’s departure, I stayed in the yard and sunk into deep thoughts.
I’ve stolen four years’ worth of time. With all of them turning up at the same time, I’m afraid it’s hard to seek peace.
Louis was picked up by his assistant after dinner whereas Colin left with Michael.
Without her playmate, Summer went to bed early.
I could not fall asleep easily as I age. The beautiful midsummer night sky was full of stars.
The crescendo of high-pitched buzzing produced by cicadas was the characteristic sound of late summer. It made the night less lonely.
At midnight, there was a loud knock at the door. I got up to answer it. It was Ashton.
Under the dim street lamp, the man’s eyes looked even deeper. His slender body stood like a statue at the entrance.
Before I could react, he held me in his arms quietly. A faint smell of alcohol lingered around us.
I assisted him into the yard. “You drank?”
Hugging me, he remained silent as if he had fallen asleep.
It was quite chilly outside so I took him back to the bedroom.
The moment we stepped in, he pinned me against the wall and cupped my face.
I tried to push him away to no avail. “Ashton, let go of me!”
He refused. A rarely seen sorrowful expression appeared on his handsome face. “It’s been four years. I thought I could walk out of it, but it only gets rooted deeper over time. In times like these, I could only numb myself with alcohol.”
His words were confusing. One could not help but notice the pain in his voice.
“You’ll feel better after a good night’s rest.” I placed him on the bed. Some people acted like a child they were drunk.
He was reluctant to lie down on the bed. Instead, he ran his hands around my waist and lay his head on my lap. Moments later, I could hear his breathing sound.
I sighed and asked calmly, “Are you really drunk?”
Saying nothing, he continued embracing me.
I should know better. If he was truly wasted, he wouldn’t be able to get here.
I propped him up and put him on the bed before leaving the bedroom to pour him a glass of water.
When I returned, the good-looking man was still on the bed with his eyes shut.
“I have a child at home. Should you come again next time, do so during the day. Summer is a light sleeper; any slight motion or noise will wake her up easily.”
