Some folks prefer to stay under the radar, while others are terrified of not being noticed.
Molly wished she could just disappear, but little Henry from the Cedillo family was the opposite; he was desperate for his uncle's attention. Tossing aside his lollipop, he perked up when he saw his uncle come home in uniform, eagerly raising his arms for a hug.
For a moment, Molly felt a pang of betrayal. She had doted on Henry so much, and now here he was, practically bouncing with excitement over his uncle as if she barely existed!
But then, a twist!
This time, the uncle, who usually showered affection on his nephew, didn’t go in for the usual hug. Instead, he turned his gaze towards his wife and walked over.
He noticed everyone else in the squad was dressed casually, except for one newbie cop who was dressed to the nines in his uniform. "So, you must be the boss around here," he remarked, blocking Chad's path.
Officer Chad, with a chill in his voice, asked, "…What's going on?"
He needed to find out what his little troublemaker—his dear wife—had gotten into this time!
The man launched into his story, just as he had before, harping on about how he had to slam his brakes on the freeway, causing a rear-end collision for which the car behind was fully blamed, and how he forked out over ten grand in repairs. He was hoping for a repeat of that outcome.
He felt confident because, as he put it, not signaling before lane changes is a common mistake for seasoned drivers, not just him. He claimed it wasn’t his fault at all.
Even if it were a mistake, it was just a minor penalty, something he could brush off easily.
Having experienced something similar before, he was bold enough to start a fuss.
"…And all your colleagues are siding with her just because they know her. I’m going to file a complaint for unfair treatment," he said, clearly worked up.
The woman with him chimed in, "Yeah, we're filing a complaint."
Chad turned his eyes to Molly.
Everyone in the room understood the situation, but no one spoke up.
It was Molly who broke the silence, "Darling~"
The room went dead silent.
The way Molly and Chad locked eyes made it obvious whom she was addressing.
The silence was so deep, you could hear a pin drop.
Henry, meanwhile, was on the floor looking for his lollipop, knowing to keep quiet.
Even Henry's yawn seemed to echo in the silence.
He yawned, tears welling up in his eyes as he looked at his uncle.
"Now that Chad is here, hiding is pointless," Molly thought. She sidled up to her husband, looping her arm through his, "Darling, he pushed me, and now my arm's broken."
Chad: "…"
"So, you’re all in this together. No wonder you’re backing her up," the man said, shocked.
He hadn’t expected Molly to have someone backing her up.
Chad knew his wife well; she wouldn’t start a fight for no reason. Plus, they were both rational people.
He had heard everything clearly and knew the man had been in the wrong and was trying to make a quick buck once more, this time targeting Molly, who was new to the situation.
She had gotten out of the car to handle things but ended up arguing with the man. Thinking they were just young women, he tried to bully them.
But Molly hadn’t let him win, nor had she let him have the last word. Unable to let it go, he decided to claim hospital expenses to scam money.
Chad then stated, "I’m a family member of the involved party, so I won’t be part of the judgment. Whatever the penalty, we accept. If you wish to sue, both cars will be detained! We’ll cooperate with the court’s investigation."
Hearing that Chad wasn’t criticizing her and was even standing by her, Molly straightened her back.
Henry yawned again, too sleepy after being woken up twice in one day, first by his aunt and then by a stranger. He was so tired, he wanted to cry again.
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