I threw a long, hard look at Louis, knowing full well that he'd continue to pester me if I didn't deal with this situation in front of him.
I didn't need this kind of trouble in my life.
I made a quick call, requesting the folks on the other end to wrap things up.
A wider grin spread across Louis' face.
"Alright, that's settled. Now, about Malinda..." Louis wasn't done, I knew it. He asked, "Did you arrange for her to go back to her hometown?"
"I wouldn't know," I replied, my face devoid of any expression. "Don't bother asking me; you won't get any leads here."
"I already know where she is. I just wanted to confirm it with you. We all have precious time to save, don't we?" Louis had a thick skin for sure, stating his intentions so bluntly.
So he wasn't entirely sure where Malinda was.
I scoffed, "Then asking me is pointless. I don't know. If you want to find Malinda, go ahead. To me, she was just a pawn, nothing more. We never saw eye to eye in the past, so whatever you plan to do with her, I couldn't care less. You thought you could threaten me with this. You miscalculated."
As soon as I finished my sentence, Louis' face darkened. "Then what if I threaten you with your two children? I hear you're with Russel and have two kids, right?"
His words ignited a fury within me. I could tolerate a lot, but not when it came to threats against my family, especially my children.
"Louis, you're crossing a line. We have no grievances against each other. If you dare to go against my family, I promise you'll regret it!" I stood up, grabbed a glass of water from the table, and splashed it on Louis' face.
The water seemed to stoke his anger. He wiped his face, stood up and pointed at me. "If it weren't for you, Bonnie wouldn't be in prison! She was carrying my child, but she lost it!"
This revelation caught me by surprise. I remembered Bonnie wanting to be with Neil, dreaming about marrying into the Whitmore family. How did she end up pregnant with Louis' child?
Talk about a bunch of shameless people, crossing all boundaries!
My disgust for Louis and Bonnie reached new heights.
"Louis, you're truly disgusting. Stay away from me in future. If you love Bonnie so much, why don't you stay celibate for her until she gets out from prison?" I looked at him with repulsion. He was a man who'd set up his girlfriend and betray his best friend by sleeping with his girlfriend's friend.
He and Bonnie must have been up to something, otherwise they wouldn't have conspired against Malinda.
Irritated by my words, Louis' face turned even more sour. Afraid he might get physical, I decided to leave.
As I opened the door to leave, someone grabbed a handful of my hair. The sudden pain made me gasp.
"You wretch! You caused the death of my child, and you dare to insult me? I'll make you regret it today!" Louis was like a man possessed, spewing vile words and acting brutally.
I was no match for him. He pushed me hard against the table and I couldn't move.
"Do you know? Neil still can't forget you. If he finds out that I've had you, he'll probably go insane. Russel is one, and I'm another. His buddies got a great deal." Louis ripped off his genteel mask, revealing his savage and shameless side.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled