Chapter 68 The Lawsuit


    Scarlett''s POV:


    I swore that I was not a person of weak will.


    But when such a perfect man like Charles pouted and acted like a spoiled brat, I did not think any


    woman could refuse him. So that I could leave as soon as I could, I promised him that I would finish


    dinner with him and then go meet Nina.


    I was absentminded during the entire meal because I was not that hungry. Also, Charles had been


    watching me and shing me yful smiles, which made me uneasy. I only felt relieved when


    dinner was finally done.


    Charles kept his word and drove me to the bar.


    However, after opening the car door for me and letting me out, he stood in my way.


    "Scarlett, drinking is bad for your health, and it''s easy to get into trouble when you''ve had too much


    of it. Don''t drink more than three sses of wine, and don''t stay for more than half an hour inside.


    I''ll wait for you here," Charles dered as he looked down at me.


    I rolled my eyes and heaved a frustrated sigh. "Charles, I''m an adult. I know how to conduct myself


    in a bar. I don''t need you to tell me how much alcohol I should drink or how much time I should


    spend with my friend. Honestly, do you really see me as some girl who doesn''t know her limits?"


    My snapping apparently intimidated Charles. He raised both his hands in surrender and stepped


    back.


    "Very well. I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have said so much. I''m just worried about you, okay?" he said.


    I grabbed my purse, walked past him, and headed straight to the bar.


    "Stay as long as you want. I''ll wait for you here," he yelled after me.


    I kept walking. "Go home, Charles. I can take care of myself."


    As soon as I entered the bar, I saw Nina waving at me. I smiled, walked over to her, and sat down.


    "Hey, Nina. How did you know about this ce? It''s really nice and buzzing. I love the decoration."


    "This is Spencer''s new bar. I thought you knew about it. He told me I could swing by whenever I


    wanted and put my bill on his tab." Nina put on a charming smile and flipped her curly hair.


    "Since when did you and Spencer get so close?" I asked curiously.


    She giggled and poked me with her elbow. "Oh, please. We''re not here to talk about me and


    Spencer. We''re here to talk about you and Charles. So what''s your deal? I saw the message before


    you withdrew it. Are you really a couple? I mean, he''s beening to the office to see you and


    everything."


    Nina leaned in and stared at me with great interest.


    I felt a little embarrassed under her probing gaze.


    "No, we''re not a couple."


    "Honey, I just said I saw the message. Don''t tell me you just happened to type the wrong word.


    Aren''t we good friends? Why can''t you tell me the truth?" Nina refused to give up.


    Looking at her, I knew I could not hide anymore. She had always been kind to me, and I had known


    her to be the kind of person that I could trust. Finally deciding to tell her the truth, I took a deep,


    steadying breath.


    "As you know, the president of the Lively Group came to the office to see me a few days ago. He''s


    actually Rita''s father. When my father was alive, he had been involved in awsuit with him." I


    weighed my words carefully and left out the part where Nate expressed his depraved desire to keep


    me as his mistress. Then, I continued, "Charles found out about it and came to the station to ask me


    about it. He wanted to know what Rita''s father had said to me. And yes, we''re indeed a couple.


    We''ve been married for a few years."


    I felt a little sheepish telling Nina about my secret marriage. It was like I was back in high school and


    telling my best friend about the forbidden rtionship I was having with the school bad boy. I had


    never felt sillier in my entire life.


    "Oh, my God, Scarlett! I can''t believe you''re only telling me this now!" Nina cried out, drawing the


    attention of the people in closest proximity to us. I did not see any trace of anger or disappointment


    in her face though, which made me feel relieved.


    "I didn''t mean to hide it from you. It''s just something that I don''t want to bring up in casual


    conversations." I reached out for her hand and squeezed it.


    "Well, thank you for finally telling me. At least I''m sure now that you regard me as a real friend. And


    you can trust me, you know?" She shed me a crooked smile, squeezed my hand back, and then


    proceeded to yfully pinch my face.


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    "Now, now, Mrs. Moore, don''t be sad. Charles will be heartbroken if he sees you frowning."


    The moment the words "Mrs. Moore" rolled off Nina''s tongue, I instinctively covered her mouth with


    my hand. I knew she was just teasing, but the fact that I was married to Charles was still not


    something I wanted announced in a public ce.


    "Would you keep it down? We''re not really the happily-ever-after married couple you think."


    "But you''re still married, aren''t you?" Nina grinned and raised her eyebrows at me.


    "Yes, but again, it''s not what you think," I whispered, still leaving out the part that our marriage was


    basically a business deal. It was aplicated arrangement, and I did not want to drag Nina into all


    of it.


    After a little catch-up and joking around, Nina ordered two cocktails for us and asked, "You said that


    your father was involved in awsuit when he was alive. Do you know much about it?"


    "No, not really. It was many years ago. All I know is that something big happened to the Riley Group


    and that my father was left devastated." "Wait, the Riley Group? Why does that name sound


    familiar? Oh! Yes! My father handled that case!" Nina suddenly shouted.


    I almost fell out of my seat in shock. "What do you mean?"


    At this time, our waiter brought us our cocktails, and Nina took a sip from hers. She collected herself


    and started exining excitedly. "My father is awyer. He used to work for the Riley Group''s legal


    team."


    I could not believe my ears. How could the world be this small? Never in my wildest dreams did I


    imagine Nina and myself to be connected this way. Nina''s father used to be my father''swyer.


    "Your father''s case was actually sensational. The media followed it closely back in the day. My


    father had been very busy at that time. I watched him work the entire case, so I know about it," Nina


    said, biting on her straw and staring into space as if she was recalling a half-forgotten memory.


    Listening to her, my heart started racing. I suddenly thought of my father. He had taken good care of


    me, but ultimately, we were forced to part ways. I could still remember his haggard face when he


    was being interrogated like a criminal. It was one of the scenes in my life that I would erase from my


    mind in a heartbeat if I could.


    I picked up my cocktail and took a sip. The cold, sweet liquid burned a line down my throat. The


    alcohol was supposed to be a downer, something to blunt the edges of pain, but tonight, its sting felt


    like salt against an open wound. I lowered my head and shook the awful images off my mind.


    "My father still thinks that your father was innocent. I''m sorry, Scarlett. We shouldn''t be talking about


    this, but if it makes you feel any better, as long as you don''t give up, I''m sure you''ll find a way to


    wash away your father''s grievances." Nina held my hand and looked at me seriously.


    I appreciated her encouragement. I was grateful to her and her father. Besides myself, they were


    the other people who believed in my father.


    Once again, I squeezed Nina''s hand. I had a lot to say to her, but I did not know where to start.


    "Wait, is that Rita? What is she doing here?" Nina suddenly asked in a low voice, looking past my


    shoulder.


    Her words toppled my thoughts like a baseball crashing into a pyramid of milk bottles. I turned to


    look at the entrance of the bar. Charles and Rita walked in arm in arm with Spencer following


    behind them.


    "Oh, my God! Is she following you or something?" Nina mumbled unhappily.


    I straightened my back the moment Iid eyes on Rita. I hastily rose from my seat and kept my


    head down, hoping that Charles had not noticed me.


    "Excuse me. I need to go to the bathroom," I told Nina.


    My breath starteding in short bursts when I saw Rita cling to Charles. It was thest thing I


    wanted to see and certainly not something I would love to stick around and watch.