Chapter 77

In the distance, a woman cried, her face hidden in her trembling hands. Before her stood a man and another woman, their presence casting long shadows. The trio presented a stark contrast. The man, recently charged with a crime, was dressed in crisp blue, his cold demeanor mirroring his harsh actions. Beside him, the woman in pink clung to his arm, her posture a blend of shyness and determination. Meanwhile, the woman in white, the one who had been struck, clutched her bruised cheek, her tears a mixture of pain and disbelief. Between stifled sobs, she cried out, "You hit me… for a homewrecker!"

A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers. Their attention, previously scattered, was now riveted on the unfolding drama. Eyes widened, murmurs arose, and tension crackled in the air. Yet, the trio remained oblivious, lost in their heated exchange.

The man in blue, his face contorted with anger, barked, "So what if I hit you? Know your place."

The woman in pink snuggled closer, her voice soft yet laced with false guilt. "Honey, it's my fault. I should never have asked you to buy me anything. You shouldn't have hit her."

The murmurs intensified, shock and intrigue etched on the faces of the crowd. This spectacle eerily mirrored the scandal Randolph had orchestrated earlier. The audience’s gaze shifted to Randolph, who stood nearby with an unreadable expression. His "first love," standing behind him, instinctively retreated into his shadow as countless eyes turned towards her. The spectators' disdain was palpable.

The man in blue protectively encircled the woman in pink. His voice took on the practiced tone of a scoundrel. "She deserved it. Why wouldn't she spend a little money on you? What's wrong with her, that she's so mean?"

The woman in white—his wife, it seemed—trembled with fury. “A little money? Tens of thousands of dollars is a little money to you?” she exclaimed, her voice ringing with righteous indignation. "We are married! It is our joint property, and you cannot throw it away without my consent. That money must be returned."

“What the hell are you saying?” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I work my ass off every day while you stay home, and now you want to tell me how to spend my money? Keep dreaming."

The woman in white retorted, “Who do you think you are? Once we're married, the law says that what's yours is mine. Whether you like it or not, you have no right to waste our money like this! Give the money back at once.”

A sharp crack shattered the air; he had struck her again. She staggered back as he roared, “Shut up! I’ve already let you get away with it.”

Beside her, the woman in pink whimpered, her voice dripping with feigned remorse. “Honey, I told you not to buy it. Look how upset she is now.”

At that moment, a security guard surged through the crowd, his voice authoritative. “Who the hell gave you the right to hit her?” He approached and embraced the woman in white. His eyes blazed with anger as he turned to the man in blue. “I've already called the police. You can’t assault someone in broad daylight and expect to get away with it.”

The woman in white wept uncontrollably into the security guard's chest. Her gaze dared the man in blue to make another move.

The man in the blue suit stood defiantly, his voice sharp: "Who the hell are you? And who told you that you can touch my wife?"

The guard’s eyes narrowed, his voice filled with contempt. “Do you remember that she is your wife? After beating her because of a homewrecker? How dare you call yourself a man?”

Clinging tightly to the man in blue, the woman in pink whimpered, “Honey, I'm scared… Don't leave me…”

But the woman in white, her expression resolute, clung to the guard. “I am not your wife anymore,” she whispered firmly. “I am going to ask for a divorce. Please take me away… I don’t want to see you again.”

The guard gently caressed her bruised face, and her expression softened. Despite the purple marks, her beauty was tragically radiant, surpassing that of the lover still clinging to her husband's arm. Without another word, the guard effortlessly lifted her into his arms and turned.

“You had such a beautiful wife,” the guard said over his shoulder. “But you abandoned her. Shame on you. If you can’t protect her, let someone else do it.”

Anger ignited in the eyes of the man in blue. He shoved the woman in pink aside and lunged at the guard in a fit of jealous rage. The two men grappled, the onlookers murmuring in shocked disbelief. Murmurs rose from the crowd.

"This is exactly like Mr. Gray's business," someone muttered.

"Isn't that right? Everyone in town knows about Randolph and his shameless ex. That woman has been stuck with him for years... what a bitch," someone added with a snort.

"And Randolph is no better! Didn't you see how he bought his first love those expensive bottles of wine? He even tried to slap his wife in the process."

“Shameful,” one woman snapped. “Randolph and that woman are a match made in hell, if you ask me. But poor Rachel… Such a refined beauty. She deserves better than that jerk. She’ll be leaving him soon.”

The murmurs reached Randolph's ears, and his face darkened with each word. He roughly seized Rachel's wrist, dragging her away.

“Randolph…” His first love’s voice trembled, stunned by his sudden departure. She reached out to stop him, but Randolph, consumed by public ridicule, ignored her. He quickened his pace, forcing Rachel to follow as the murmurs of the crowd pursued them.

His first love bit her lip in humiliation, the reproachful gazes of the crowd fixed upon her. She hurried away, hiding her face behind her handbag.

Alice stood among the spectators, silently observing with barely concealed amusement. At that moment, a deep voice broke into her thoughts. “Miss Bennett, you are very fast, aren't you?”

She turned, startled, to find Caden standing behind her, his gaze as sharp as ever.

Feigning innocence, she blinked at him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Caden's lips curved into a knowing smile. “Don't act shy. Weren’t you the one who hired those actors?”

Alice's expression faltered. Caden had seen through her plan.

She cocked her head, regarding him with her large doe eyes. Caden didn't flinch under her scrutiny. He let her circle him, seemingly waiting for her next move.

Finally, Alice paused and asked, "Do you have anything on you? How else would you know everything I do?"

Caden's eyes sparkled with amusement. “It’s not me… It’s something you’re carrying around.”

"What do you mean?" Alice instinctively reached for her handbag.