“What are you doing here, grandpa?” Jeremy asked and Jerlina turned away.

“Why can’t I be here? Do you own this place?” the old man’s voice was haughty. Jerlina decided to leave since he has nothing to do with her.

As she took a step forward, the cane suddenly was thrust in front of her legs. If she wasn’t quick on her feet, she’d have fallen face-first on the floor.

What the…

She knitted her brows and looked at the old man and he scoffed.

“Is she your wife?” Alexander Volkonsky asked Jeremy while patting Jerlina’s knees with his cane. Jerlina took a sidestep to avoid his cane and he stared at her from top to bottom.

“She’s pretty. It’s probably her genes,” with a nod he looked at Jeremy, “And aren’t you two made for each other? Both of you dress like a bum,” he said and waved his walking stick. “Step aside, bum. I have to meet my good old friend.”

“Which friend, grandpa?” Jeremy walked with the old man while he tried to push him away.

What a rude old man!

Jerlina shrugged and looked at herself. She was wearing her old loungewear that has faded. If she wasn’t in a hurry, she wouldn’t have stepped out in these clothes.

Well, he’s not wrong… I don’t look presentable.But why is TJ announcing everywhere that I am his wife?

She cringed. Pulling the hood of her sweatshirt over her head, she stepped out keeping her hands inside her pockets. She turned right and kept on walking.

Since it was the main street, it was well illuminated and the sky was starting to brighten up. Some were walking their dogs and Jerlina didn’t feel scared to walk alone.

Maybe because she got used to the clean air from Wolford, even the morning air didn’t feel fresh for her as it had a tinge of burnt scent.

Ah… what am I thinking? Why am I already dissing the city I love? Is this Stockholm Syndrome?

—–

Jeremy followed Alexander Volkonsky and watched him get inside Patrick Davis’ room. Even Rebecca Davis welcomed him.

What is going on here? How does Davis – the worker of a small glassware company know the founder of a conglomerate?

“Get in, you bum!”

Jeremy flinched as he heard that hoarse voice. He entered the room and he could sense the awkwardness in there. But Alexander broke the silence.

“Patrick and I grew up in the same village. He was so poor, he depended on alms from my family. I was not a classist even then and maintained a good friendship with this bugger-”

“Where’s Missy?” Patrick interjected Alexander’s story. His tone implied that he was not impressed with Alexander’s story. Jeremy turned behind him to see Jerlina not there. He thought she followed him back here, but it seems like she did not.

He found Alexander and Patrick’s behavior a lot suspicious and wanted to know more, but more than that, he wanted to assure Jerlina’s safety.

Why did she leave alone when she could be in danger?

He ran out of the room and towards the exit.

Where did she go?

—–

After walking for a while, at a distance, Jerlina saw a familiar figure staggering on the pavement. A bunch of guys was surrounding her and teasing her. The girl was squealing and asking the guys to stop it, but they were still teasing her.

Isn’t that Gina? What is she doing here?

Jerlina increased her pace and crossed the road without even realizing it. She looked around if she could get anyone to help, but everyone ignored what was happening and went on their own way.

She saw the men grabbing Gina’s waist and trying to pull her tops and Jerlina couldn’t linger anymore.

“What are you doing? Let her go! I am calling the cops!” Jerlina pulled out her phone.

“Linny!” Gina screamed in joy. “Don’t call the cops, I know these guys!”

Okay, what?

Jerlina still had her finger over the shortcut for the emergency number as she walked closer. Gina’s clothes were all wrinkled, makeup smudged and hair was all over the place as if she had a wild night out. The guys were all laughing and joking around. Jerlina felt stupid for thinking Gina was in danger.

“Guys, this is my sister… She has a lot of money. You can ask her!” Gina said and Jerlina sighed.

What an amazing sister! She owes them money? They don’t look like good guys. And I walked into it. What a stupid!

“Yo, Linny! Are you really her sister?” one of the guys wearing loose clothes stepped forward and Jerlina glared at him and he smirked.

“She owes a lot to our boss and… you’ll do… ” he licked his lips and sized her up. Jerlina cringed by the way he looked at her.

“Yo, Gina… Is your sister in high school? Or middle school? Teenagers are the craze these days…” he spat on the sidewalk and then sniffed something from a little box he had.

Middle schooler? Highschooler? Just because I have small boobs, I am a teenager? Okay, now I am officially mad!

“Do what you want with her. I don’t know her. Touch me if you want to face the cops,” Jerlina said and turned to leave. She didn’t want to deal with these terrible people now. She already had a monster to deal with.

“Cone on, Linny… Don’t be like this for just ten grand! That guy Gerry introduced… He asked me for a date and I wanted to dress up nice and bought some outfits. Linny, you will pay for me, right?” she looked at Jerlina with a sweet smile, holding Jelina’s elbow and Jerlina let out a scoff.

“Just ten grand? Just? When was the last time you earned something, huh? Do you know how hard it is to earn a single dollar?” Jerlina glared at Gina and got herself free from her grip. “I don’t give a sh!t about you anymore. Earn and pay your own debt,” she turned to leave, but she was surrounded by some of the guys. She got mad.

“It’s fifteen grand with interest,” one of the guys said and walked to the front.

” We own a massage parlor…you sisters can pay for it,” he wriggled his brows looking at Gina.

Jerlina knew what ‘massage parlor’ means in this context. She didn’t want to sell her body for money and that too for that sister of hers she didn’t love.

She turned to leave unwilling to continue a meaningless conversation.

“Linny, you got a lot for selling your company, right? A million? You sure can pay. If we Hopkins sisters stoop low to prostitution, father won’t be proud of us,” Gina said and the guy in the front gripped Jerlina’s arm to keep her from leaving.

They started whispering and sneering talking about the million she has. Profanities discussing her appearance flowed freely from their mouths making her cringe.

Jerlina was shoved to the front and she thought she saw a victorious smirk on Gina’s face. There were a lot of things Gina said were wrong. She was willing to throw her under the bus so that she can escape. She lied about Jerlina having money and she even dared to drag her dead father using the surname they shared.

But what made Jerlina snap was the smirk.

She thinks I’d give in just because she invoked my dad once again? I get it… my dad cared more for her than for me. That doesn’t mean I should do the same, right?

“Move along to meet our boss,” the guy pulled Jerlina along.

Now Jerlina got more pissed off. She was already angry she was getting dragged on by everyone. She couldn’t even stand against that TJ and stop him from announcing her as his wife. Now, this Gina is getting her into trouble calling her as her sister?

Never! No more… wait…TJ likes to call me his wife, right?

Huh! Ain’t that a double-edged sword? Why didn’t I think of this before?

“No,” Jerlina planted her feet firmly on the ground and used the weight of her body to pull the guy. “Let go!”

The guy holding her got mad as he almost tripped because of a petite woman. He gritted his teeth and raised his hand to slap her.

“Go on!” Jerlina smirked. “Slap me… Let’s see if you have the balls to hit TJ’s wife!”

Well, if TJ uses the marriage certificate to annoy me, I will do the same.