The journalists’ incessant questions were getting on my nerves. As the crowd kept jostling about, someone hit my hand, and the thermos I was holding fell to the ground, spilling the content inside. The scent of caramelized pork ribs wafted across the air. Hey! That’s Christopher’s favorite!
“Can you give it a rest?” I looked up and glared at the journalist, but he wiped his hand calmly as if it wasn’t his fault Christopher’s lunch was spilled. “Ms. Tanner, everyone saw you kissing with Remington back at the art exhibition? Are you dumping Mr. Lane for him? As far as I know, Remington is engaged. You guys have seen his fiancée, haven’t you?”
The crowd erupted into an uproar, and the journalists started calling me names. They were using this interview as a pretext for their witch hunt. I could even hear the female journalists cursing me behind my back.
Just when I was about to cry, someone pulled me into his embrace, and a familiar warmth encased me. When I realized it was Christopher, I almost couldn’t hold my tears back.
“Are you alright?” Christopher held me in his arms tightly, keeping the journalists away from me.”
“I’m fine.” I had nothing to be scared of now that Christopher was here.
The reporters were afraid of the look Christopher was giving them, so they retreated. However, they refused to leave, and some of the bolder ones asked, “Mr. Lane, are you really going to break up with Ms. Martin just for her? You know how much Ms. Martin loves you.”
“Yeah, Mr. Lane. You shouldn’t give up on a great woman like Ms. Martin just for a divorced woman. That’s really unfair for Ms. Martin.” A female journalist puffed her cheeks angrily.
Christopher looked at me. When he realized I was still shaking from fear, he patted the back of my hand to calm me down. And then he glared at the journalists. “I think you guys are getting something wrong. Yvonne and I are married. We’re a legal couple now, so stop asking any irrelevant questions. If I get divorced because of this, all of you are getting it.
“We’re all adults here, so stop with the childish act. Put yourself in my shoes. If someone tells you to break up with the one you love, just to be with someone you don’t love because that someone loves you deeply, will you do it?”
The reporters kept quiet for a while after that. A moment later, one of them said, “Mr. Lane, that’s not a fair comparison. Ms. Martin has dated you for years, but now you’re breaking up with her because you got a third party? That’s unfair for Ms. Martin.”
“Shut your mouth!” Christopher growled, his eyes gleaming with cold murder. “You call my wife a third party again and you’re getting it! I don’t care about the consequences, and don’t try to guilt-trip me. That won’t fly here.”
Christopher looked at the journalists coldly, and the journalists kept their heads low.
“Get this clear, Monica and I have been friends since we’re kids, but we’ve never dated, so Yvonne is not a third party. She has always been the one I loved, and I’m sure about that. If you’re so obsessed with the chronology, then I can tell you that I’ve had a crush on Yvonne since I was thirteen.
“I can date whoever I want, and I’m going to hold on to Yvonne even if the whole world disagrees with me. If any of you tries to confront Eve again, I’ll make sure you regret that action.”
The journalists were obviously shaken, and Christopher took me away while they were regrouping. Before we left, I looked back at the spilled food. “I spent more than an hour making that. Now it’s all gone to the dogs. What a shame.” I sighed.
“It’s alright. I’ll make something for you tomorrow.” Christopher was still upset, but he calmed down slightly when he looked at me.
I heaved a sigh of relief when we finally got to the backyard, but Christopher still wasn’t looking happy. Oh, he’s upset. I poked his cheek and smiled. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”
