“Put Leo through,” I said in a cold voice.
After a while of silence, somebody asked on the other end, “Is there Miss Kennedy?”
Getting impatient, I repeated, “Put Leo through.”
Recognizing I was in a rage, she replied, “Miss Kennedy, Mr. Kennedy is taking a bath. How about I let him call you later?”
With fury, I directly flung the phone away.
It bounced on the ground, with only the screen cracked.
Dennis said nothing but to check the phone. He took out the card and discarded the mobile.
He called Toby who came soon with a new cell.
I sat on the bench for a while before calming down.
He glanced at the emergency room. Handing the new phone to me, he asked, “Sleepy?”
It had been 1 am.
I said no.
After a silence, he held my hand, “Don’t be upset by anyone, Okay?”
I certainly knew I shouldn’t have, but…
“I just couldn’t control myself. Though Karina is not a good girl, she’s having a baby with Leo. He should now be with another woman. I…”
Link came in a hurry, to see I was with Dennis, not Leo. Frowning, he asked, “Where’s your brother?”
“He’s dead!” I replied in a rage.
It was the first time I had spoken to him like that which shocked me when I realized.
Link stared at me with penetrating eyes.
I thought he was going to scold me.
Unexpectedly chuckling, he said, “Kid, don’t be kidding.”
I…
Taking a deep breath, I looked at him peacefully, “Leo won’t come soon.”
I said after a while, “Link, Karina gets pregnant with a kid of the Kennedy family. Leo is irresponsible, but we cannot sit by. Otherwise, our family’s reputation will be ruined.”
Link was shrewd enough to get my implications.
Looking at me, he sighed, “I have thought about what you mean. Both of her parents are drug dealers and Karina herself has criminal records. If she marries Leo, which attracts the public’s attention, I’m afraid her background would be a threat to my position as well as the Kennedy family.”
I did hear about some of the past of her family. What Link said was right. Compared with the career of Link and the future of the family, it was wise to dissociate Karina.
But Leo was also clear about that, he still got her pregnant.
It had been too late for an aged man who needed rest at this moment.
Link asked his staff to stay before leaving.
Dennis had business to do, but he wouldn’t go until I did.
Half an hour later Leo came with Jessica.
Even an idiot could recognize what relationship they were in.
“Is she all right?” Leo asked, with sweat on his forehead. He seemed to have come in a hurry.
Repressing my rage, I managed not to slap him. Not wanting to speak anything to Leo, I glanced at him and left with Dennis.
Out of the hospital, I still felt angry. Knowing that I was unhappy, Dennis said, “I could be your punchbag if you want to vent your anger.”
I looked at his deep-set eyes which made me calm down, reaching to flatten his sleeve which had been gripped wrinkled by me.
“Don’t worry, I ‘m all right.”
Chuckling, he drew me into the car and fastened the belt for me. With a kiss on my forehead, he said, “So cute you are when irritated.”
Cute?
Mouth open, I didn’t know what to say. Was “cute” used this way?
It had been midnight. I fell asleep on the way.
I woke up in bed in the villa the next morning.
Dennis was having breakfast. Toby came early. Seeing me, he nodded to greet me.
Clarie not here, I felt strange. “Is Clarie still sleeping?” She needed to go to school. How could they let her sleep until now?
“The chauffeur has driven her to school,” Toby said.
Dennis pushed a bowl of congee towards me and said, “I’m going to the company. Come with me.”
Feeling strange, I said, “I’m going to visit Karina.”
Though there was staff Link sent and Leo, I felt like visiting her personally.
Putting down his newspaper, he said in a calm voice, “I’m afraid you can’t go.”
I didn’t understand what he meant. There’s no expression on his face.
Toby explained, “The hospital is not a peaceful place. Staying with Dennis will be safer these days.”
Frowning, I asked, “What happened?”
“Something not important.”
Looking at him, I didn’t say anything,. Dennis changed the subject, “It’s going to snow. Layer up.”
I nodded. Since he didn’t want to explain more, I no longer asked.
It was when we got to the company that I realized what had happened. Crowds of reporters had blocked the entrance.
Toby got off first to keep order. Holding my hand, Dennis looked at me softly, “Don’t be scared. Whatever they ask, I’m dealing with it.”
Though I didn’t know what was all this for, his words gave me a sense of security. I nodded. It seemed I was not that scared.
As soon as we got off the car, the crowd surged toward us. Luckily we had enough bodyguards.
Many questions as those reporters asked, Dennis didn’t answer any one.
Pushing our way through the throng, we directly went to the meeting room.
Even if It was unknown to me at first what had happened, I could figure it out through witnessing the situation and hearing what those reporters asked.
Browsing Twitter, which verified what I was thinking was right, I found one of the most heated discussions was that the ex-wife of President George was discovered to have marital infidelity, with an ambiguous photo put aside.
So many people were involved, even Bernice whose impression had faded out for a long time.
Fuzzy pictures of me were compared by the media with beautified ones of her. The competition between Dennis and Hank was also analyzed in the news.
People loved gossip. They considered me as the villain of the farce in which I was not only a bitch but also the murderer who killed Bernice. The public felt sympathy for the two men, Dennis and Hank, who they rendered were deceived by me.
I was regarded as a bitch bad to the bone.
The word “bitch” did attract my attention. Leaving the web page, I couldn’t help chuckling.