<b>Chapter </b><b>79 </b>Count on <b>him </b>
<b>*</b>RENEE*
I finally grasped what had unsettled me.
It felt like a thorn piercing my heart. Tolerable unless disturbed, but its realness brought painful reminders.
The failed calls to Marcelo suddenly made sense to me.
“Renee…“Sarah looked at me with concern.
“I’m okay.“I smiled back at Sarah, but inside, it felt like something had punctured my heart. Two secondster, I added almost to myself, “Besides, him and I are…”
The rtionship between us wasn’t typical for a married couple.
I was in no position to be upset about his intimacy with another woman.
“Ladies, the ones who fought with you are gone. Do you n to spend the night in our office?” The officer looked at me. “I recall your profile mentioning that you’re married Why not ask your husband to pick you up? Youngdy, what’s your husband’s number?”
The officer was set to make a call.
Recalling the image I had just seen, I responded nkly, “No, thank you.”
“What?”
“He’s noting.”
“Is he also deceased?” The officer was taken aback.
He probably assumed that both of us had lost our families, considering Sarah’s earlier mention of her family’s passing.
I recalled Marcelo saying he was my only family now.
Turns out I can’t count on him.
I was briefly stunned by the officer’s assumption. That wasn’t what I meant.I just couldn’t reach Marcelo.
But thinking of the photo, I quickly nodded and replied, “Yes.”
What was the difference between this kind of husband and a dead one?
But I also thought it was cruel.
Marcelo might be having an affair but he had also done a lot of good things to me that I was grateful for.
The officer tried to console me, “Don’t be too disheartened, youngdy. You’re still young and beautiful. Perhaps you and your husband weren’t meant to be together.”
“Renee! Is Renee here? Your family is here to pick you up,” another officer announced.
Sarah and I exchanged confused nces, unsure of who the neer was.
Who is it?” I asked.
“A handsome man iming to be your husband,”
“Didn’t you mention your husband passed away?” The officer who had intended to console me was stunned.
Almost simultaneously, the door to the room swung open, and I felt a sharp gaze fixated on me.
Marcelo arrived in a wheelchair, d in a grey suit and a ck wool overcoat.
His hair appeared slightly tousled<b>, </b>perhaps from rushing or the night breeze.
With an impassive expression, He raised his eyebrows at me.
Sensing a nervousness creeping in, I nced anxiously at Sarah, saying in a low voice, “I hope he didn’t hear my words.”
Sarah’s expression conveyed uncertainty as if to say, “I’m not sure.”
“Mr. King, is this the woman you’re here to bail out?” the policeman asked.
Marcelo affirmed, “Yes, she’s my wife. I apologize for the trouble she caused.”
“It’s not a bother. It’s part of the job. But do educate her. Brawling isn’tmendable. The bar was chaotic when we arrived,” advised the policeman.
Marcelo expressed gratitude and quickly assessed Renee, ensuring jee attire was intact and clean. Despite no apparent injuries, he asked, “Are you hurt?”
“No.” Renee shook her head instinctively, puzzled by Marcelo’s sudden appearance. “Why… Why are you here?”
She called him an hour ago, but she didn’t get through.
And he didn’t call her back.
“Where else should I be?” He countered, “At a morgue or the King family cemetery?”
Renee felt embarrassed and defeated.
He heard everything!
How did he always manage to overhear whenever she criticized him behind his back?
Attempting to change the subject, Renee redirected, “Where’s Luke? Shouldn’t you leave this sort of thing to him?
11
His unexpected presence at the police station to pick her up left Renee feeling unsettled.
She felt a sense of condescension from him.
After signing, Marcelo nced at Renee and remarked, “Should I inform my subordinate that my wife was arrested for fighting?”
Sarah couldn’t help but burst intoughter, earning a sharp re from Renee.
“Stopughing!“Renee reprimanded her.
“Sorry.” Sarah struggled to stifle herughter, her back and shoulders trembling slightly.
Looking at Marcelo, Renee rified, “I rarely visit bars. Today was an ident.”
Then she blinked her eyes at Sarah.
Sarah immediately caught on, replying, “Yes, I used to enjoy it, but I won’t be bringing your wife around anymore. Renee and I nned to celebrate at Venus Bar today. We didn’t <b>expect </b>to meet troublemakers causing a scene.” At that moment, another police officer entered. “Are you two, Renee and Sarah? Someone is bailing you out.” The officer then noticed Marcelo’s presence and was surprised. “What? Someone bailed Renee and Sarah out?”
“Miss Renee. Miss Sarah. My dear bosses, I apologize for beingte.” The manager of Venus Bar, Harry Smith, entered wearing a worried and apologetic expression. “The bar required my attention. I heard you were still here, <b>so </b>I came… Uh, did I say something wrong?”
Harry wondered why Renee and Sarah were looking at him oddly.
With prompt lie, Renee addressed Marcelo, “Sarah and I opened a milk tea store. This is the manager we hired.”
“Mr. Smith, you’re the Venus Bar’s manager, correct? I need your signature here, since the fight took ce in your bar.” The policeman approached, holding a document
Neither Renee nor Sarah knew what to say at this point. What an awkward situation!
Renee gazed stiffly at Marcelo.
Marcelo gazed at Renee with a calm expression. He tapped his finger intermittently on the armrest of his wheelchair, his emotions unreadable.
Could the person running the Venus Bar be the same as a manager at a milk tea shop?
Marcelo knew he could easily discover the truth about Harry.
Renee stopped trying to lie.
Outside the police station, Luke waited with a document for Marcelo to sign.
“Miss Sarah, we’ve arranged this car for you. Someone will escort you home safely,” Luke informed Sarah.
Renee had been concerned about Sarah going alone. Thankfully, Luke’s arrangement was perfect, and Renee bid Sarah goodbye.
“Luke, how did you know Sarah was with me?” Renee asked, surprised that Luke had an extra car prepared,
“As soon as Mr. King and Inded, we learned you and Miss Sarah were at the police station, so we hurried over,” Luke exined, not expecting to find Renee, who usually seemed well–behaved, in a situation requiring bail.“Oh, Mr King, we found your cellphone.It was inside one of the briefcases.“Luke said and gave the phone to Marcelo.
Renee blinked in surprise.
Had her calls to Marcelo gone unanswered because he wasn’t with it?
Yet, the scandals surrounding Marcelo and that photo were undeniably real.
“Tonight Catherine and Andrew were at the Venue Bar. They shed with your wife and Miss Sarah,leading to a fight,” Luke reported to Marcelo as soon as he found out what was going on.
“We didn’t start it. They were the ones causing trouble, “Renee rified, not wanting to be med.
Marcelo shot her <b>a </b>cold look.
She fell silent, her mood sour. She couldn’t deny that Marcelo had helped her out of the police station.
“I need to handle something at thepany. I’ll head back to the group’s building. The driver is waiting,” Luke
said, addressing Renee.
Marcelo nodded, signaling Luke to leave.
Renee noticed Marcelo getting into the back seat of the Maybach, not apanying Luke.
“Aren’t you busy right now? Luke is going back to thepany. Don’t you need to be there?” Renee asked, joining
Marcelo in the car.
“Mrs. King, you’re capable of earning your own money. You don’t need so much from me so I don’t need to work so hard.“Marcelo remarked, turning to face her.
Renee was at a loss for words.
Was he mocking her?
No matter how sessful her Bar was, it couldn’t match hispany.
As Renee looked out the window, a hand suddenly grasped the back of her head, forcefully turning her to face the other side.
She was now facing Marcelo. His gaze was intense.
“Renee, don’t you have something to exin?” he demanded.