Chapter 10 (1)
Abigail
I stared at the boy, as he kept screaming, accusing me of tooching him Inappropriately. I could feel the disgust rolling off the crowd around us. As the security guards arrived, their authoritative presence inmediately silenced the murmuring crowd around us. The noise of the crowd died down as they made way for the guards like Moses parting through the Red Sea. The teenage boy pointed at me as if I were a villain in a cartoon before launching into his dramatic story of lies. Tears even welled in his eyes.
“She touched me,” he insisted, his voice loud and quivering Just enough to sound convincing. “And then she threatened and hit me! Someone help me!”
My jaw tightened as I glanced at Roxy, whose face was a mirror of disbelief. “This is ridiculous,” she hissed.
But the guards weren’t taking chances. They exchanged glances, then looked at me, suspicion shining in their faces even though they tried to look professional.
“Ma’am,” one of them said, his tone cautious but firm, “we’ll need to get statements from both of situation, we’ve already contacted the police to handle this matter.”
you.
Given the
My heart sank. This was beyond ridiculous. How could a child lie like this?
Roxy started to argue, but I placed a hand on her arm. “Let’s go,” I said quietly. There was no point in fighting
this here.
That was how I found myself in the back of a police car, flanked by Roxy, as we were taken to the station. The boy rode in a separate vehicle, still clutching his shoulder as though he’d just survived a life–threatening injury. The day had taken a turn I couldn’t have predicted in my wildest dreams. I sat on the uncomfortable wooden bench, my hands folded neatly in my lap, though the tension in my shoulders betrayed how calm I looked on the outside. This was not how I had planned to spend my day.
“Unbelievable,” Roxy muttered beside me. She had been trying to remain calm as the situation got worse and worse, but even her patience was fraying “That kid deserves an Oscar for that performance. Who teaches their child to lie like this?”
Who knew? I hadn’t woken up this morning expecting to spend my day in a police station. Yet here I was, seated on an unforgiving bench in a small, sterile room, waiting for the officers to take my statement.
I did my best to stay calm while explaining everything to the police, and Roxy jumped in to back me up. Her tone was like a powder keg about to blow, just like what was going on inside me.
When it came time to contact someone, I hesitated for a brief moment before giving them Conrad’s number. I didn’t want to drag him into this, but under the circumstances, I had little choice.
As we waited, I sat quietly, watching the boy from across the room. He didn’t look even remotely guilty; if anything, he seemed smug, as though he’d just pulled off a masterful trick.
He told the police all the places I had supposedly “touched him. Even after they kept asking him to confirm and warned him about the legal consequences of lying, he stuck to his story.
“Ma’am, what’s your relationship with Mr. Remington?” the officer asked me.
“He’s my husband. What’s going on?” I replied, confused.
“Oh, nothing. He’s here,” the officer said. His look seemed a bit off.
“Abigail, are you okay?” Conrad’s voice came from the door. When I saw him, I let out a sigh of relief. He showed
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+25 BOHUS
Chapter 10 (1)
up just in time, I couldn’t afford to be accused of attempting to molest a minor before even entering the company.
But he wasn’t alone.
Susanna was practically hanging off his arm, no wonder the officer asked me what my relationship with Conrad was. Susanna looked more like Conrad’s wife than I did, even in front of strangers.
Another woman walked out behind them, wearing a little sit dress. She was tall, elegant, and looked a bit like
Susanna.
“This is Liliana,” Susanna said, introducing the woman with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “My sister.”
I nodded, ready to reply, wondering why even Susanna’s sister was here. Before I could say anything, the Oscar- winning boy happily shouted, “Mom!”
He jumped in front of Liliana to hug her, then smiled and asked Susanna, “Aunt, is this your new husband?”
I totally got why the officer’s face looked weird.
Chapter 10 (2)
Chapter 10 (2)
Abigail
+25 BONUS
Conrad patted the boy’s head and calmly said, “No, I’m not her husband.” Then he pulled his arm out of Susanna’s and tried to take my hand.
I took a step back to avoid his arm. Conrad looked confused and asked, “What’s going on? What happened?”
The officer explained what had happened, white the boy was still shouting loudly, “Aunt, you know this wornan? She’s a thug, she touched and hit me!”
I saw Liliana’s face shift ever so slightly as she processed the details.
“Oh, Harry, stop.” Liliana stopped the boy, Harry, from accusing me and then turned to me
“Oh dear,” she said with a gentle laugh, turning all her attention to me. “It seems there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding. We’re all family here, aren’t we? I’m sure it wasn’t anything inappropriate. Perhaps Harry was being naughty, and Abigail tried to discipline him? Boys can be such a handful at this age.”
Her words were sugar–coated, but the implication was razor–sharp. My hands clenched at my sides as the officer’s frown deepened. She wasn’t just apologizing–she was planting a seed of doubt, subtly suggesting that I had indeed acted out of line.
“Let me be clear,” he said, his voice stern. “Using violence against a minor is absolutely unacceptable, no matter the circumstances.”
“I didn’t touch him,” I said evenly, my voice cutting through the tension. “And if you’d review the mall’s surveillance footage, you’d see that for yourself.”
The officer cleared his throat. “We’ve taken statements from both parties. Since the boy’s guardian is here, we’ll now begin reviewing the footage.”
“Abigail,” Liliana said warmly as soon as the officer was gone, “we’re so sorry about all of this. Harry can be… spirited.”
Spirited? That was an interesting choice of words for a boy who had just accused me of assault.
I didn’t reply.
The wait felt endless, but when the officer returned, his expression told me everything I needed to know.
“We’ve reviewed the footage,” he announced, addressing the room. “It’s clear that Mrs. Remington did not make any physical contact with the boy. In fact, it shows him deliberately running into her and then pretending to be injured.”
Roxy let out an audible sigh of relief, while I simply folded my arms, meeting Liliana’s gaze head–on.
The officer’s gaze turned stern as he addressed the boy. “Harry, lying to the authorities is a serious offense. You need to apologize.”
Harry squirmed in his seat, his defiance wavering under the officer’s scrutiny. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. I could tell the words held no sincerity.
“Well,” Liliana said smoothly, her smile unwavering, “it seems Harry may have been a bit over dramatic. ? apologies, Abigail, Children can be so unpredictable, can’t they?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but the officer turned to me, cutting in. “Mrs. Remington, given the circumstances, you have the right to press charges for defamation. Would you like to proceed?”
Chapter 10 (2)
Before I could reply, Contad stepped forward, his hand raised in a placating gesture. “That won’t be necessary,” he said quickly. “This was just a misunderstanding Harry young he doesn’t fully understand the consequences of his actions. It’s clear he made a mistake.
I stared at him, incredulous. “A misunderstanding?”
Conrad turned to me, his expression firm. “Let’s not escalate this any further
Anger bubbled under my calm facade, but I bil my tongue. wasn’t worth causing a scene, not here,
Liliana was already nodding in agreement.
“Conrad’s right,” she said, her simile as sweet as polson. “We’re all family, aren’t we? Let’s resolve this peacefully. Harry has learned his lesson, haven’t you, darling?”
Harry nodded reluctantly, though his expression said otherwise.
1 hesitated. There wasn’t any part of this whole thing that felt like “just a misunderstanding,” but what was the point of going after this clueless boy? To get more “sorry” with no real remorse? “Fine,” I said at last. “But you owe my friend Roxy an apology, and this won’t happen again.
The officer nodded, satisfied, and began wrapping up the paperwork.
Liliana took the opportunity to step closer, her tone as sweet as honey, “You’re such a kind person, Abigail. Truly, Just like Susanna told me.”
Liliana acted like nothing awkward happened, and I have to admire her shamelessness.
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
She ignored my reply, leaned in, and cheerfully said, ‘Harry must not be familiar with you, that’s why this happened. But we’ll get to know each other soon–we’re going to be living together!!
“Pardon?” I stopped, confused, and looked at Conrad. He didn’t look surprised at all.
“Oh, hasn’t Conrad told you? I heard Susanna’s been going through a tough time lately, and the atmosphere at home is really tense. Poor Alexander. So, we’ve been invited to stay with Susanna to take care of her.”
“Well,” she continued, placing a delicate hand on Harry’s shoulder, “it’s clear that Susanna still needs support, but Conrad’s obviously busy, like this time – Susanna had to come with him to bail you out. Honestly, the police station isn’t exactly a place for a pregnant woman. If we move in, we could really help Conrad and Susanna out. It’ll be easier on you, don’t you think?”
The audacity of her suggestion left me momentarily speechless. I glanced at Harry, who was smirking like he’d just won a prize, and felt my resolve harden.
“No,” I said firmly, “I don’t think so.”
Liliana blinked, clearly not expecting such a blunt refusal. “Oh? May I ask why?”
“Because,” I replied, my voice steady, “Your son clearly has some issues with women. What if he thinks the unfamiliar maid has other intentions? What if he runs into Susanna the way he ran into me today?”
Harry immediately replied angrily, “I wouldn’t run into my aunt!”
I smiled and replied, “You just did. Or should I take it that you won’t bump into any other aunts, just me?”
