Chapter 551

A small smile played on Theodore’s lips. He was actually enjoying this.
“Well, say something!” Hamilton pressed.
Michael suppressed a laugh. “Of course you can talk back. But are you sure you want to get into a shouting match with a woman?”
“I
“Or are you going to accept her challenge to a fight?”
“You don’t think I can beat her, do you?”
“And what happens if you win?”
Hamilton’s eyes widened. Of course he would win. And if he won… he’d just be known as the guy who beat up a woman. But he was the victim here!
And considering Penelope’s fighting skills, she barely counted as a woman anyway!
“Let’s be honest, this is all because you can’t get over the fact that Natalie slept with another man and had his baby! But Hamilton, don’t you forget, you were the one who cheated first! You got involved with Maria and broke Natalie’s heart, that’s why she did it! As for the baby, have you ever considered getting yourself checked out? How did some other guy get her pregnant in one night when you couldn’t after three years of marriage? You ever think you might be shooting blanks?”
Hamilton had been on the verge of exploding, but that last line pushed him over the edge.
“Penelope, you… you… say that again!”
“I said, maybe you’re shooting blanks!”
“You’re asking for a death wish, aren’t you?”
“Then come find me. I’ll be waiting!”
“I’m on my way!”
“If you don’t show up, you’re a coward!”
The line went dead. A moment later, a text with an address arrived, followed by a taunt: “You can bring friends!”
Hamilton was so angry he saw spots. He shoved the phone at Theodore.
“If I don’t go, how am I ever going to show my face in this town again?”
“If you don’t go, no one will ever know about this. If you do go, you’ll really never be able to show your face again.”
That was Simon’s advice. He had to stop Hamilton from getting into a fight with Penelope and ruining his friendship with Theodore.
Although Theodore hadn’t said a word, his silence was a clear sign of his stance. He was protecting her.
Hamilton was fuming. “So I’m just supposed to take this?”
“Ahem, if I may say so, you did go a little too far tonight. Never mind Natalie her daughter is just a little kid. You scared her so badly she ended up in the hospital Michael pointed out.
“How the hell was I supposed to know she was such a coward!”
“So you deserve to be yelled at a little.”
Seeing that no one was on his side, Hamilton stood up and stormed out.
In the end, he didn’t go to the fight. Just as Simon had said, showing up would have been the real humiliation.
When he got home, Maria was waiting for him.
“Hamilton, you look exhausted. Are you alright?”
Maria gently led him to the sofa and poured him a glass of warm water.
“You know, I feel partly responsible for what happened today. Maybe I should arrange to meet Natalie and apologize to her.”
“How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t mention her name in front of me!”
Maria didn’t flinch at his outburst. In fact, she seemed pleased.
“It’s been so long, you… you should really let it go. It seems like she’s trying to make a comeback in
Orenth, what with enrolling her
daughter in the dance company and
all this drama. Maybe I could
introduce her to some new
opportunities?”
“You can forgive her for what she did because you’re a good person. But I can’t. I’ve
never pretended to be a nice guy!”
“Hamilton!”
“I want Natalie to stay crushed. I never want to see her succeed again!”
Maria sighed and leaned against him.
“It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have
brought her up. It’s just that Queena was hit by Natalie’s daughter, and I’m worried they might try to retaliate against us.”
The mention of this brought the image of the small, terrified girl in the hospital back
to Hamilton’s mind, and his irritation grew.
He pushed Maria away and stood up. “I’m tired. You should head home.”