Carlos' decision was to be expected. Glenda was an outsider and an enemy to him. He wouldn't upset Debbie for her.
Debbie knew what Glenda did to her at the cafe the other day wasn't serious enough to get her locked up for a long time. So several days after Glenda was sent to prison, Debbie compromised with her. She agreed to withdraw the charges on condition that Glenda apologized to her in person.
Left with no other choice, Glenda conceded.
One week in prison had dramatically changed Glenda's appearance. When she walked out of her cell, there was no way of telling that she was a first-class lady. Her long curls tumbled over her shoulders in a tangled mess. Her clothes were dirty, and her face was smudged. She looked ten years older than she was.
When Stephanie saw her mother in that state of disarray, she vowed to herself that she would turn Debbie's life into a living hell.
As Stephanie and Glenda walked toward the entrance of the police station, they noticed Debbie watching them with a proud and cold demeanor. She was leaning against a ten-million-dollar stretch limousine, custom-made by the ZL Group exclusively for ladies only.
Stephanie shot her a venomous look. It reminded Debbie of James. 'Like father like daughter, ' thought Debbie to herself.
The sun shone brightly, and the day was pleasantly warm. Debbie was in a pretty good mood. "Glenda, jail time must have been tough," she said, rubbing salt into her wounds.
Hearing her deliberate provocation, Glenda lifted her head abruptly and glared at Debbie. She wished that she could pounce on her and snap her neck like a twig.
"You bi—" She managed to keep her anger in check before the word "bitch" flew from her lips. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she asked, "You want my apology? No problem. Leave Carlos!"
Debbie scoffed, "What makes you think that you could ask me to do that? What are you to Carlos?"
"If it weren't for you, I would be his mother-in-law!" Glenda asserted. 'This bitch destroyed my daughter's happiness.
James and I have worked hard for many years so that Stephanie could marry Carlos. Now this woman has ruined everything!' The hate grew in her heart by the second.
"But you're not, are you?" Debbie retorted with a cynical smile and tilted her head. "And Carlos is clingy. He can't stand me being out of his sight." Then she patted the pink limo behind her and said, "See? He bought this for me. What can I do? He spoils me. I'll thank you if you can let him be a little low-key."
Debbie was showing off. Glenda and Stephanie sensed that, and they were about to explode.
Stephanie recognized the car. The day that it had been transported from abroad, before it even got off the expressway, there was a big hype about it on the news and Internet.
Many people wondered which wealthy man had bought it to please his wife.
The moneybags turned out to be Carlos, and the car was a gift for Debbie.
If word had got out, the netizens would be excited again.
Debbie checked the time on her wristwatch and urged flatly, "I'm in a rush, and you haven't apologized to me yet. So hurry up."
Aware of the consequences, Glenda took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and said grudgingly, "Sorry!"
"Tsk tsk, listen. Does that sound like an apology to you? It sounds more like I owe you some money. Why are you so proud? At least show some sincerity," Debbie remarked. Just like her daughter, Glenda was also condescending, treating people like they were second rate citizens. Debbie wondered why they felt so confident about themselves.
Suddenly, Stephanie's face darkened. She held Glenda's hand, squeezing it so tightly that it hurt, but she didn't realize that she was doing it. Glenda looked at her in surprise and asked, "Stephanie, are you all right? You're hurting me."
Stephanie realized what she was doing and loosened her grip. Narrowing her eyes, she told Debbie, "I'll apologize on my mom's behalf."
Debbie shook her head. "I'll settle the account with you later. This is between your mother and me. It's none of your business."
No longer able to contain the fury she felt inside, Stephanie suddenly let go of Glenda's hand and then rushed over to Debbie. With anger clouding her mind, she lunged at Debbie, trying to slap her across the face. However, she had forgotten that Debbie was good at martial arts.
Before Stephanie could get close enough to her, Debbie kicked her hard.
"Ow!" Stephanie groaned, lying on the ground. It took her a while to realize what had happened.
Glenda ran to her in a fluster. "Stephanie, are you okay? Let me have a look."
Stephanie held her stomach and gasped to ease the pain.
Passersby coming and going through the entrance of the police station were drawn to the commotion that the three women were creating. Glenda knew she and Stephanie were no match for Debbie in a fight. So with clenched fists, she got to her feet and bowed to Debbie. "Debbie Nian, I'm sorry," she said respectfully.
It sounded much better this time. Debbie didn't plan on wasting too much time on them. Satisfied with the apology, she got in her car and drove off.
At ZL Group
Niles suddenly barged into Carlos' office and said to him in a hurry, "Carlos, bad news. Your wife has gone on a date!"
Carlos knitted his brows. "What the hell are you talking about?" 'Who in Y City would be crazy enough to dare try to steal my woman away from me? That would be a death wish, ' he thought.
"I saw Debbie just now. She was in the new limo the ZL Group had made, and she looked ravishing. The point is, she was with a gorgeous guy!"
"What makes you think she was on a date?" Carlos put the lid back on his pen. He couldn't focus on his work anymore.
"She told me so,"
Niles replied. Carlos stood up, grabbed his coat, and darted toward the door. "Where?"
"Where what? Oh, they were at the sushi shop diagonally opposite this building."
'A date at a sushi shop?' Without further ado, Carlos walked out of his office. He called Debbie before he got in the elevator.
When Debbie answered his call, his brows unknitted. "Honey, what are you doing?" he asked gently. The sightseeing elevator arrived. Carlos stepped in and scanned the scenery outside.
"I'm eating sushi." She was telling the truth.
Her reply collaborated with the location Niles had said. Carlos pinched his forehead and said, "Honey—"
"Don't call me that!" Debbie interrupted him coldly.
Carlos didn't get mad. Instead, he chuckled, "No matter what you do, I won't give up on you." Giving up wasn't in his nature.
For a moment, Debbie didn't know what to say. The man sitting opposite her was enjoying his food. Looking at him, Debbie replied in a cold tone, "What do I care?"
Since the place they were in was close by, Carlos didn't drive his car. After getting out of the elevator, he strode straight toward the sushi shop.