"I don't think so, but I'll talk to her. You're right; frauds are everywhere these days," Julian said. Valerie nodded. "Don't be too harsh on her. Fighting won't solve the problem."

"Are you trying to teach me how to handle my marriage?" Julian joked, rubbing her hair with a forced smile. "Don't worry. I know what to do. I don't want Aiden to be hurt."

Indeed. Aiden isn't intellectually disabled; he just develops at a slower pace than his peers. He's a kind and helpful boy with a genuine smile. Even if Ashley was scammed, she was at fault. She should have saved some money for emergencies, Valerie thought.

After talking with Julian for a while, it was almost time for Valerie to leave. She went downstairs, got on her scooter, and rode to work.

Lost in thought while waiting at a traffic light, Valerie noticed an elderly woman slowly crossing the street. However, the light turned red, and a large truck approached, heading straight for her.

Valerie was startled. The old woman was walking slowly and seemed to be in the truck's blind spot. The truck continued to turn, showing no signs of stopping. The old woman, shocked, froze.

Valerie gasped. "Watch out!" she yelled, quickly abandoning her scooter and running to the old woman, pulling her out of the way. They both fell, the old woman landing on top of Valerie. The truck narrowly missed them. If Valerie had been a second later, they would have been crushed.

"Jesus!" the old woman exclaimed, getting up, short of breath, and looking at Valerie. "Thank you, dear! You saved my life. Are you alright?"

"I'm okay, ma'am," Valerie said, rising and taking a few steps. She was relieved she and the baby were unharmed.

Then the old woman gasped. Valerie's arm was bruised, and blood had seeped through her shirt. "Oh, no big deal," Valerie said, her concern focused on the baby.

Worried, the old woman said, "It's bleeding. Let me take you to the hospital."

"Relax. It's just a bruise. The doctor might just give me a bandage. The lights change quickly on this street. You should be more careful next time," Valerie said. She got on her scooter, waving. "See ya!"

Feeling terrible, the old woman chased after Valerie, but couldn't catch up. She yelled, "Thank you!"

At that moment, her phone rang.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Madam, where are you now? The president is worried about you going out alone," said the man on the phone.

"Then why doesn't he come home and see me? Tell him I almost died just now, and he can start planning my funeral," the old woman said angrily.

"Madam, is this a joke?" the man asked fearfully.

The old woman hung up. When she looked in the direction Valerie had gone, she was gone.