Chapter 46: SHARP TONGUE
Felicia sized up her mortal enemy from head to toe to confirm if she was seeing correctly. She saw that Erika was empty handed and was just looking at the displayed gowns so Felicia assumed that she was still the poor girl she was so she grabbed Adrian’s hand and went to her.
"OMG!!! Is that you, Erika?" Felicia exclaimed loudly, sounding like someone who has not seen a friend for a long time.
Erika, who was peacefully looking at a gown heard a sound and she faced the person and became surprised. So the sound of a chicken was coming from this person? She asked herself.
"It’s been a long time. How have you been?" Felicia asked Erika with a big smile while holding Adrain’s hand dearly like she wanted Erika to notice it. But Erika’s eye didn’t even go there.
"I have been good", she replied nonchalantly before she continued exploring the gowns. She hadn’t expected to see them here but she wasn’t afraid.
"What are you doing here anyway? You see, my husband here...." Felicia pulled Adrain closer to her, "....Adrian wanted to take me out on a shopping spree. He really spoils me so much. However, are you sure you can pay for those gowns. I am sure that they are too expensive for you to pay for them". Felicia said out loudly in order to gain attention from the other shoppers but unfortunately for her, everyone was busy minding their own business.
Erika gave a subtle smile before she replied,
"I am sure that what I can pay for and can’t pay for shouldn’t be a bother to you", With that, she moved to another part of the store.
Felicia didn’t give up and followed behind her. She has not seen Erika after three years so she wouldn’t miss such a chance to disgrace her as it has always been her favorite hobby.
"I am just worried that the security guards would be brought in to kick you out. I wouldn’t want that to happen to you, right Adrain?" She asked Adrain who had been quiet the whole time, staring at Erika who had not even spared him a look.
Erika remarked, "I think the one to be kicked out would be you after I report to the manager that you are not letting me shop in peace". This scene looked familiar, she thought to herself. She remembered that this was what Mary and Juliet did, three years ago on the day she had divorced Adrian.
Felicia was at loss for words. She didn’t know what to say anymore. She glanced at Adrain before she revealed a devious smile.
"Erika, please don’t be mad that Adrain chose me over you. I mean we have been in love even before you met him. He has been really sweet to me", Felicia said with a smirk trying to rub salt on Erika’s wounds.
"Why should I be mad that you picked up a leftover that I threw away? It only means that you suit him better", Erika fired back with a smile too and went back inside. She didn’t want to say anything more to them. They were just garbages that deserved to be in the same bag.
Felicia flared up in anger. Erika has never been able to talk back before so why the sudden sharp tongue. When she saw Erika strode inside of the store, she thought that Erika was jealous so she decided to leave to conceal it. Felicia smiled at the thought but that insult. "Argh", she growled in anger.
Adrain on the other hand was beyond surprised that Erika didn’t even spare him a even if it was for just a second. He was quite flabbergasted by her attitude.
"That bitch is jealous that we are married, we will make sure to rub it in", Felicia said to Adrain who had not uttered a single word.
"Do whatever you want. Come on, hurry up and choose the clothes you want. I don’t have all day, you know?" Adrain replied with distaste. He sat back down on the bench he was sitting earlier to try cook up another proposal.
Felicia studied Adrain’s behavior before she continued to shop.
"Hey, what is wrong?" Ethan asked Erika who was about to bump into him when she came in and he was about to go out. "I heard voices outside, is there a problem?" He added.
"I saw them. I saw those cheating couple", replied Erika.
"Did they say anything to you? Let’s go, I will teach them a lesson", Ethan pulled up his sleeves like as if he was ready to fight.
"Don’t bother, I handled them well", She assured.
"Are you sure?...." Ethan asked Erika and she nodded. "...alright then let’s go".
Hand in hand, they left the store. Felicia and Adrain were only able to spot their backs. They recognized Erika’s but didn’t recognize the tall man holding her hand so intimately.
"See, I told you Erika found herself a rich boyfriend. That is why she was able to make those videos unremovable from the internet", Felicia chimed in.
Adrian saw the enclosed hands but didn’t feel good about it so he simply looked elsewhere. He sent out another email to the Walters Corporations asking for a chance. He checked the date and realized that the previous day was Erika’s birthday. The first time that he was remembering her birthday.
Felicia was quite curious about that man because from his huge back only, one can already predict that he is an handsome man. But she couldn’t drop the clothes and run to follow them, Adrian was also here so she just sighed and continued shopping.
Erika and Ethan had fun while choosing other accessories until they were done and the bags in their hand were uncountable.
The both of them arrived back home to settle in. Erika was tired because of everything she had to try out before choosing the best one for herself but she needed to talk to her dad and Felix about the company’s status.
"Dad, here". Erika handed a document to her father which got Felix curious to know what it contained. "Those are the evidence I collected to put Mr Charles and the other shareholders who were in cohort with him in jail".
"Nice work. How were you able to do it?" Mr Walters asked his daughter.
"I just did a few calculations here and there. I do have a question though, why did you appoint such cheating people in the company, Dad?" Erika asked her father. This question has been in her mind for a while now.
Mr Walters sighed before responding,
"You see dear, Charles was never like this. He was a friend whom I saw had potential to run a business so I appointed him there but who would have thought that he would turn out to be greedy". He totally regretted his actions.
"Yeah, mr Charles organized the business properly so we trusted him more and decided to give him full liberty to run it until just recently that I got a report about the huge amount of money that went missing", Felix added to his father’s words. "As for the shareholders, they were also good people until greed entered their eyes".
Felix would have taken charge of the branch here but wouldn’t be able to do it from far away and his dad was retired and his brothers had their own career. It was a good thing that Erika was able to handle the situation well.
"I am proud of you, Erika", Felix praised, rubbing Erika’s head like as if she was a kid.
"Hey, that is my line!" James remarked and they all laughed.
"Am not a kid anymore, when will you stop rubbing my head already?" Erika whined.
"Oh now I remember, you are an adult now. You are in a relationship with Ethan now right?" Felix teased her.
"Yeah, I love him too and I decided to give us a chance", she blushed.
"Well, good luck", Felix wished her.
"Good luck to you too", Erika said.
"What are you wishing me good luck for?" Felix asked.
"Oh please, Felix. I see the way you look at Monica these days, you are starting to like her right?"
"You are talking nonsense", he turned to his dad. "She is talking nonsense".
"Alright I will go and tell her now to watch out because her enemy is about to come get her", Erika said and ran away.
"She doesn’t know yet?" Mr Walters asked his son who responded by shaking his head, dejectedly.
