Chapter 25: A Huge Trouble
Scarlett did not want to be in the limelight again, so she pulled her cap down hard, trying to hide her face.
“A woman?”
Someone pointed at Scarlett and laughed. With her hands in the pockets of her coat, Scarlett leaned against the car. Her legs looked straight and slender in her tight black trousers. She played with a lighter in her hand and did not say a word.
Old Jim did not bother to talk to him either. “Cut the bullshit and heat the fucking engine! No one gonna be able to escape if the fucking cops come.”
Scarlett opened the door and sat inside the car. Compared to Chuck’s sports car, she was more familiar with this car. The bulky man next to her car waved to her and gestured to her to roll the window down. Scarlett sneered and turned away from him.
The man swore a few times. “fuck!” He repeated, over and over. He felt ready to teach Scarlett a lesson. The two banged the throttle, and the whistles and cheering had begun everywhere. As the flags went down, Scarlett shifted gear to accelerate and put the pedal to the medal at the same time. Scarlett always enjoyed this so-called men’s game, and enjoyed more the intense delight of defeating these men at what they considered their own game. She couldn’t help but feel excited to see a man lose to her.
Old Jim squatted by the roadside and smoked a cigarette, squinting at the blue sports car drifting from one corner to another in a whirlwind. If no accident occurred, Scarlett would definitely win.
The bulky man got agitated, seeing that Scarlett’s car was always ahead of him. He sped up his car, went as fast as possible, and tried to hit Scarlett. He knew the crazy speed of his modified car would be able to rip that delicate girl right out of her seat.
Scarlett took a look at the rearview mirror and saw that that loon’s car was rushing toward hers at a crazy speed. She deliberately loosened her grip on the accelerator and waited for him to approach. She always hated those vile men who did not want to lose to her– a woman. After giving him the finger in the rearview mirror, Scarlett turned the steering wheel swiftly and accomplished a perfect side drift in a second.
Bang! The man ran into a tree by the highway and flew out of his car. Scarlett slowed the car down and crossed the finish line. She got out of the car and gave old Jim a gesture of victory.
“The cops are coming!”
Someone in the crowd yelled out. In a matter of seconds, the sound of the siren drew near, and the crowd immediately dispersed. Scarlett shoved old Jim into the car and prepared to leave.
“You’re not gonna come with me?”
“I can’t. I’ll be in huge trouble if I go with you…”
Scarlett waved at Jim and then ran quickly into the crowd. Just as she was about to reach the main street, a hand grabbed her and didn’t let go.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
Scarlett tried to get rid of the hand gripping her tightly.
“Because of you, my brother got into a car accident, and now he’s fatally injured. He might even die! You’re not going anywhere, little girl. I won’t let you go!”
The girl pulled Scarlett’s arm at first and finally wrapped her arms around Scarlett’s whole body. Although the girl was short and skinny, she was incredibly strong. Scarlett couldn’t shake her loose despite her best efforts.
When the police came, the little girl made up a story right on the spot. She managed to make it sound as if Scarlett directly caused her brother’s injuries, and so, the police arrested Scarlett. This was the first time in her entire life that Scarlett had gotten into trouble because of a loose-lipped little girl.
The cops took Scarlett to the police station for a thorough interrogation. Under the incandescent lamp, Scarlett took off the cap and revealed her delicate face. She could sense that everyone in the room was astonished by the sight of her face. While they were wondering why such a beautiful young girl was involved in an illegal car racing game, a seemingly upright officer asked Scarlett,
“So…tell me what happened.”
Scarlett had been in some movies, after all. She immediately put on an innocent expression and said,
“I was just there watching the fun all the way. The little girl mistakenly took me for one of the drivers. She just held on to me and wouldn’t let me go! Do I look like I could be a race car driver?”
The word “no” almost slipped from the mouths of the policemen. But he needed to stay professional.
“What’s your name? And the job?”
“My name is Scarlett Morris. I’m a student. At the University of Irving.”
“UI?”
“Yeah. I have my student ID on me. Do you want to see it?”
Scarlett took out her student ID from her coat pocket and showed it to the police officer. The police took it and compared the photo on it with the girl in front of him, and they indeed matched.
“Sir, I am really not the person you are looking for.”
The police cast another glance at her and hesitated to make a judgment.NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.
“Since you’re a student, we’ll need you to call your family to bail you out.”
“What?”
“Call your family, or you have to spend a night here.”
The police took her to the phone. Scarlett held up the phone but didn’t know who to call.
“It’s impossible to call my aunt and uncle…How could I…Ah! Chuck Sandler! With the power of the Sandler family, it shouldn’t be a problem for me to get out of a police station!”
Fortunately, that night in Hong Kong, Scarlett had stared at Chuck’s phone number in hatred and swore for minutes. She could never forget his phone number. She remembered it vividly.
“Okay, I got it, I got it.” Chuck was losing patience with Scarlett’s story and couldn’t wait to disconnect the phone call. Scarlett sensed that Chuck was again in the middle of one of his one-night stands. In her heart, she scolded him a thousand times as he hung up the phone. She worried that she would have to spend a night in the dark detention room.