Chapter 32 Act Like A Shrew


    Scarlett''s POV:


    After my program ended in the morning, a colleague of mine informed me that someone was


    looking for me outside the studio.


    Rita hade to see me at the station several times, so when I heard that someone wanted to see


    me, she was the first person that I thought of. While I debated with myself whether or not to step out


    and meet her, I heard an angry voice. When I looked up, I saw Susan, Rita''s mother.


    This time, it was the mother and not the daughter that hade for me.


    "I''m looking for Scarlett! Where is she? Hey, don''t touch me!" "Madam, this is the studio. You can''t


    come in here."


    "Then tell Scarlett toe out here and face me!" Susan marched angrily inside the studio like she


    was going to tear the ce down. Two female assistants could not stop her at all.


    From where I stood, I saw everything that was happening.


    "Go ahead with your work. I''ll talk to her," I told my colleagues and went over to Susan.


    The two assistants who were trying to stop her stepped aside when I nodded at them.


    As soon as her path cleared, Susan rushed over to me and pped me across the face.


    I held my cheek and stared at her with wide eyes. I did not expect that she would do that, so I was


    extremely startled. My face burned after the impact, and for a few moments, my ears rang.


    Seeing this, my colleagues hurried and surrounded us again.


    "You bitch! How dare you seduce my daughter''s man? Did you think that you could get away with it?


    You better leave him now, or you will suffer the consequences!" Susan pointed at me and


    threatened me.


    Looking at her, I guessed that she was around 50 years old. She was a heavyset woman, and her


    face was now contorted in fury. If I did not know her, I would not have guessed that she and Rita


    were mother and daughter.


    Well, I supposed that was to be expected on ount of Rita''s multiple stic surgeries.


    "You can make trouble here all you want, but I''m not afraid of you, Susan." After taking a moment to


    recover from Susan''s p, I approached her and spoke to her calmly.


    My remark only made her even angrier, and she charged at me again.


    But I was prepared for it this time. Before she could hit me again, I was able to catch her wrist and


    throw her aside. She staggered and almost fell to the ground.


    "What''s going on here?" The next moment, Abner came over to see what themotion was all


    about. He probably heard Susan yelling. Per usual, he was in a neat, crisp suit and looking all


    powerful and elegant. Anyone would recognize him as the guy who ran the ce.


    Seeing Abner, Susan stepped forward, pointed at me, and shouted, "Did you know that your


    precious rising star TV host had a morally questionable lifestyle?"


    Abner narrowed his eyes at Susan and nced at me.


    "This is a professional working environment, ma''am. If you have an issue with one of my people,


    then take it up with me in my office."


    "I didn''t mean to make a scene, but Scarlett is so shameless. She seduced the man my daughter


    was supposed to marry. Now my daughter''s alone and heartbroken. As her mother, I had to do


    something." Susan red at me. I did not even flinch.


    "Oh, my God! Is that true? Did Scarlett really break up an engaged couple?"


    "Who knows if it''s entirely Scarlett''s fault? Maybe the fiance of that woman''s daughter is more


    attracted to Scarlett."


    "It''s hard to say."


    "I just find it hard to believe that an excellent and magnificent woman like Scarlett would settle for


    being the other woman. She''s theplete package. Many single, eligible men are probably hurling


    themselves at her."


    "Maybe the guy''s filthy rich, and that''s what roped in Scarlett."


    Hearing Susan''s usations, my colleagues began whispering among themselves as if I was not


    standing right there.


    "All right, everyone. Back to work," Abner announced. He knitted his brows and shed me an


    apologetic look after hearing everyone''sments.


    Everybody scuttled back to what they were doing, but as they went, they kept looking back as if


    they were expecting something else to happen.


    "Are you okay, Scarlett? Your face is swollen. Do you need to see a doctor?" After everyone was


    gone, Abner approached me.


    "I''m fine. No need for a doctor." I shed him a weak smile. Then, he ushered me back to my


    station.


    "Where are you going? We''re not done here! What? You just wreck my daughter''s engagement and


    not face the bacsh? Shame on you! We''re not finished here until you promise to leave Charles!"


    As Abner led me away, Susan stepped forward and tried to grab me.


    But Abner immediately stood in her way.


    "Ma''am, please. I already told you that I will speak to you in my office. I can''t let you hurt and


    humiliate one of my people in my building. You need to calm down."


    "How could you defend her? She''s a wicked woman, and she deserves the humiliation. If you''re not


    going to deal with her, then I will tell every media person in this city about what she did to my


    daughter. She will be exposed for what she truly is, and your TV station''s reputation will be ruined


    because of her." Susan figured from Abner''s tone that he was partial to me, and she only got even


    more furious.


    "Ma''am, we''re not going to be able to solve anything if you''re angry and not thinking clearly." After


    Abner tried and failed to calm Susan down, the TV station''s make-up artist stepped up and


    attempted to soothe her.


    After a few moments of speaking with the make -up artist, Susan finally lowered her voice. "I don''t


    want to make trouble either, but Scarlett has gone too far. I''m only trying to make things right for my


    daughter."


    "I understand. Well, our boss''s doors are open if you have anything toin about Scarlett, and


    he will help you get to the bottom of the problem. But right now, I have to get Scarlett ready. I have


    to fix her make-up for her program''s shoot."


    "Okay."


    Susan shed Abner a suspicious look and reluctantly nodded. Then, she followed him to his office.


    After that, the make-up artist took me to the dressing room.


    Sitting in front of the mirror, I looked at my swollen face and thought about what just happened.


    Based on Susan''s behavior earlier and what I already knew about Rita, I could onlye up with


    one conclusion. They feared the strong and bullied the weak. Between me and Charles, I was the


    weak one and easier to intimidate.


    Charles did not want to marry Rita, and that was his own decision. I did not have anything to do with


    it, and I should not take the me.


    The more I thought about it, the more I got annoyed. I shook my head and stopped the make -up


    artist who was about to set my makeup with powder. "Sorry. I have to go talk to Susan."


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    "Don''t worry about her, Scarlett. Abner can handle her." The make-up artist tried to stop me, but I


    was not about to let Abner get dragged into something that did not involve him.


    "I should face her myself," I told the make-up artist.


    Before she could stop me again, I was already walking out of the dressing room.


    I went straight to Abner''s office.


    The door was left open, and from where I stood, I could see Susan sitting in front of Abner''s desk


    with a ss of water in her hand. I came just in time to hear the middle of her exaggerated story


    about how I destroyed her poor daughter''s life. I could not help rolling my eyes.


    Obviously, Abner did not want to listen to her, but he had to deal with her.


    "Abner, may I speak with Susan in private, please?" I knocked on the ss door of his office.


    Abner shed me a worried look and then nced at Susan as if he was afraid that I would suffer


    again if I faced her alone.


    But he did not say anything. He just nodded, stepped out of his office, and shut the door behind


    him.


    "How would you like to lose your job if you don''t leave Charles, Scarlett? Your boss just said that he


    would handle it." Susan raised her chin in smug satisfaction. I almostughed at the emptiness of


    her threat.


    "Oh, did he? Did you tell him that I''m still Charles''s legal wife?" I backfired, cocking my head to the


    side.


    Susan was rendered speechless by what I said. Her previous aggressiveness suddenly vanished


    into thin air.


    I struck while the iron was hot.


    "I meant it when I said I wasn''t afraid of you, Susan, because at the rate you''re going, everyone will


    eventually find out that Charles and I are still legally married. How do you think that will y out for


    Rita? That''s right. She''ll look like a desperate celebrity trying to lock down a wealthy married man


    by bullying his poor wife."


    I watched horror, defeat, and fury dance in Susan''s twisted face. I had to admit that I felt vindicated


    seeing here to the realization that she hade to a gunfight with a knife.


    Obviously, she hade here guns zing hoping that she would frighten me into submission. I


    almost felt sorry for her that her little n did not work. So, even though she came at the station


    today to assault me, she was the one who ended up crawling back home.


    Because if there was anyone in the world who would kill to keep my marriage to Charles under


    wraps, it was Susan herself.