Protecting Her
“How was paradise? Did you enjoy your little dip?” Nelson’s scornful words reverberated in the room. He peered intently at Leilani, asking the question as he strode in.
Leilani glared back at him, her voice dripping with anger. “I blame the person who saved me. I had hoped to vanish from your life last night!”
Nelson’s expression hardened, pain and something else flashing in his eyes before he quickly blinked it away.
“I blame the person too. They should have let you die,” his voice cutting through the air like a cold December wind. With that, he headed to the dressing room to get ready for work.
A few moments later, Nelson walked back into the room. He was dressed in an open black coat, revealing a pure black suit underneath. His clothes and sleeves fluttered as he exuded a natural, powerful aura.
Once again, Leilani couldn’t deny that this man was incredibly well-made. She couldn’t help but stare at him, but Nelson didn’t even spare her a glance as he walked out of the room.
Watching him leave, a cunning idea struck Leilani, causing a smug grin to spread across her face. “It’s payback time, dear husband,” she chuckled to herself.
As soon as she was sure Nelson had left the house completely, she jumped out of bed and made her way to his closet, filled with custom-made clothes from all over the world. He didn’t even need to go to the mall for seasonal clothes, as they had his measurements and they would send them every season.
Leilani quickly grabbed a bag and filled it with almost all of his clothes. After getting dressed and having breakfast, she left the house.
A few hours later, Leilani arrived at a popular boutique in the city, a sly smile on her face as she got out of the cab.
After paying the taxi driver, she confidently walked into the boutique and approached a staff member.
“Excuse me, may I have a word with your manager or supervisor?” Leilani inquired politely, maintaining a pleasant smile on her face.
“Of course, ma’am. I will notify the manager immediately,” the female staff responded with equal politeness. She gestured towards a chair for Leilani to wait and then went to fetch the manager.
Within five minutes, the manager emerged to meet Leilani. He was a middle-aged man dressed in a sleek black business suit.
“Hello, ma’am. How can I be of assistance?” he asked politely, the moment the staff informed him that Leilani was the lady who wanted to speak with him.
“I have a proposition, sir. Here,” Leilani stated, placing the bag she was carrying beside her and unzipping it.
“These are custom-made suits imported from overseas. My husband has a surplus of them and I thought of selling a few,” she offered, flashing a grin at the boutique manager.
With a perplexed expression, the manager pulled out a suit and upon feeling the smooth texture of the fabric, he recognized its high quality and expensive value.
“But why do you wish to sell these exquisite suits, ma’am? If I were in your place, I would never consider parting with them,” the manager expressed his sincere opinion as he inspected the other materials.
Leilani stood up, facing the manager directly.
“As I mentioned, my husband has an abundance of them. He wouldn’t even notice a few missing. Do you understand now?”
The manager remained unconvinced, his gaze travelling up and down Leilani. Eventually, he nodded in agreement.
“Very well, ma’am. However, allow me to call my boss and inform them first,” the manager informed her.
“That’s not a problem at all,” Leilani replied gently, flashing a determined smile.
As she sat back down while the manager walked away, Leilani observed the shoppers happily browsing the mall.
Her eyes were drawn to the large TV screen, displaying a captivating view with a caption attached to it that read…Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
*Last night at an event, the CEO of Carter’s group was caught in the act of rescuing his alleged wife from drowning*
Leilani, too, was taken aback and moved closer to the TV, along with some other intrigued customers.
“Oh my, is he truly married?” A lady in the crowd spoke up, her interest piqued. “I thought it was just a false rumor.”
“Look at how he’s running with his wife in his arms,” another person commented, admiringly. “It’s a display of love, guys.”
Finally taken, Mr. Nelson seemed to truly love his wife, as one dreamy spectator put it.
“His wife is so lucky to have him all to herself,” another person commented, enviously.
While this chatter went on, Leilani remained motionless, silently watching how Nelson had recklessly dived into the pool to save her.
So he was the one who rescued me from drowning?
Her heart tightened painfully in her chest at the thought. It was almost suffocating.
But suddenly, a voice rang out behind Leilani and she spun around, startled. To her shock, she saw the manager and two police officers approaching her.
“You’re under arrest, ma’am,” the manager declared, causing a gasp to escape from the customers.
Looking at the manager and then at the handcuffs, Leilani’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you talking to me?” She asked tentatively, pointing a finger at herself.
“Yes, ma’am. You’re under arrest for theft,” the manager announced in a matter-of-fact tone.
“What do you mean theft? What have I stolen?” Leilani argued, feeling her temper rising.
“The clothes you brought here, ma’am,” the manager explained. “If your husband truly owned those suits, as you claimed, you wouldn’t be selling them.”
“Officers, please take her away,” the manager ordered.
Leilani’s fear and anxiety skyrocketed when the officers approached her with a handcuff.
“Please, wait,” she pleaded, trying to defend herself.
“My husband is the true owner of those clothes, I swear. Look, here’s my wedding–” She stopped mid-sentence, realizing with a sinking feeling that she had taken off her wedding ring before coming out.
“Please cooperate with us,” one of the officers urged, attempting to grab Leilani’s hands. But she was stubborn and refused to budge.
“I demand an explanation! Do you even realize the repercussions of your actions against me?” she exclaimed suddenly, holding significant influence.
Even the customers in the vicinity were intrigued, eager to discover the identity of Leilani’s alleged spouse.
“There,” she pointed towards the television, “Nelson Carter is my lawfully wedded husband, and the person he was embracing was none other than myself,” she declared proudly, her posture held high.
The audience erupted in hearty laughter, and even the police officers couldn’t contain their amusement.
“You delusional woman! Take a good look at yourself and Nelson Carter. Do you truly believe you are deserving of him?” one of the customers berated Leilani, leading the others to join in the mockery.
As she witnessed their ridicule and laughter, Leilani felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes.
One of the officers stepped forward and cuffed her hands with the handcuffs.
This time, Leilani did not resist, obediently following them out of the boutique and into their awaiting vehicle.
********
Nelson’s piercing gaze fixated on Leilani, whose eyes remained lowered in shame as she clutched the handcuffs in her hands.
“I apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Carter, but this young lady insists that you are her husband,” the DPO informed him, facing Nelson.
Nelson let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead in frustration. When he received the call that Leilani had been taken into custody, he could not believe it and had to come to see for himself.
“What has she done to deserve being cuffed, officer?” he asked nonchalantly, though his tone was grave. To him, there was no justification for Leilani to be handcuffed, regardless of the reason for her arrest.
Another officer then placed a bag in front of Nelson on the desk.
“She attempted to sell these items at a clothing mall today,” the DPO continued.
Curious, Nelson glanced into the bag and discovered his own clothes.
“You mean to tell me she wanted to sell these?” he inquired, to which the DPO nodded in affirmation.
“Are these clothes truly for you, Mr. Carter? And is your claim to be her husband genuine?” inquired the DPO.
Nelson glanced at Leilani, but her head remained bowed in shame. She fervently wished for the floor to open up and swallow her whole.
“Yes, DPO. She is my wife,” Nelson confirmed, his words flowing smoothly. “We had a minor argument, which resulted in her attempting to sell my clothes,” he continued, leaving Leilani awestruck.
She couldn’t believe that Nelson just lied to protect her.
“I see, Mr. Carter. Women can be quite mischievous at times,” the DPO responded with a light chuckle before turning towards a contrite Leilani.
“My apologies, Mrs. Carter, for doubting your words. I sincerely apologize. However, you cannot fault us, as if your husband had thrown a wedding celebration, we would have recognized you instantly,” the DPO explained.
Leilani remained silent, still avoiding eye contact, as if trying to disappear from the words of the DPO.
“Now, can you release my wife?” demanded Nelson in a commanding tone.