Chapter 164
She “tripped,” falling directly into his arms. Her hands clutched at the front of his shirt, her body pressing against his for a moment before she slowly regained her balance.
“Lionel, please don’t be harsh with Hannah when you get back,” she pleaded softly. “She’s been through so much… a woman who experiences something like that is bound to be hurting. It must be so hard for her to accept p>
Sandra’s voice was a gentle murmur. “The fact that she’s still trying to live a normal life is a testament to her strength. I didn’t tell you this to make you do something to her p>
“I know. Get some rest,” Lionel replied coolly before turning and leaving.
Sandra immediately ran to the window. She watched as his car sped away, tires screeching as he raced back home. Only then did she let out a cold, triumphant snort.
“Hannah, oh Hannah,” she whispered to the empty room, “your happy days are numbered. Let’s see you get out of this one p>
She knew Lionel had only signed the divorce papers to appease her; only Hannah had taken it seriously. And while she couldn’t understand why Lionel had seemed so reluctant to divorce before, these two incidents combined would surely make him despise his wife.
The divorce was as good as done.
Halfway home, Lionel’s foot eased off the accelerator. He slowed the car and pulled over to the side of the road.
His first instinct had been to rush home and confront Hannah, but the constant stream of disasters lately had taught him a lesson. Every incident had pointed to Hannah, yet each time, she had turned out to be the innocent one.
Could this time be the same?
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
It had been a while since Sandra’s incident. Zack had confessed, and all the culprits had pointed their fingers at him. Now, suddenly, one person appears to overturn all the previous testimony? The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.
He made a call. “I want you to question Zack and his crew again. Find out exactly how many men they hired to go after Sandra p>
After hanging up, he stared out at
the lake beside the road. The
moonlight shattered across
surface, turning the water into a field
of glittering diamonds
There was a time when he and Hannah would walk along this very shore, hand in
hand, talking about their future. But now p>
He got out of the car and walked
toward the water’s edge, sitting on a
stone bench as he gazed at the shimmering surface. He took out a Cigarette and litt, taking a
a fatoume
deep drag. Grayish smoke veiled his face, blurring his vision before
dissipating into the night
He took drag after drag, but the turmoil in his heart refused to quiet.
“Hey! Are you blind? Can’t you see the sign? No smoking here p>
An old man with a red armband, a park administrator, marched over, pointing at a
nearby sign. “That’s a fifty-dollar fine. Cash or card p>
Lionel glanced at the sign and, without arguing, pulled out his phone and transferred a hundred dollars.
“I’m having another one,” he said, pulling a fresh cigarette from the pack.
Before he could light it, the administrator snatched it from his fingers. “You think money makes
you special?fe broke the
rules like you, it would be chaos! Get out of here, you useless piece of trash p>
Lionel watched as his cigarette was tossed into a bin, the frustration inside him mounting.
Just as he was about to retort, he heard a voice from a distance.
“Sir p>
Cora saw the old man yelling at Lionel and immediately rushed over, placing
herself between them like a protective shield.
“You old fool! Who do you think you are, talking to my sir like that p>
“And who are you?” the old man shot back. “I’ll say what I want to him! Smug rich people, thinking a little money makes them king of the world p>