Chapter 32
Chapter 32
C
Angela grinned and said with absolute confidence, “Don’t worry, I won’t spill a word. But you better not get into a fight with Alex! He’s manageable, but the real problem is his grandfather.”
“Got it, got it. You nag just like my mom,” I replied.
Angela hesitated for a moment. “I still think you should get a bodyguard. What if those two come after you again?”
I sighed. “I’ll be fine.”
Angela narrowed her eyes and went quiet for a moment before staring at me intently. “Laurel, I know you haven’t been in a good place lately, but you already broke your vow. I don’t want you to ruin your future over a couple of assholes.”
I pressed my lips together and frowned slightly. “I’ll hold back.”
Angela studied me for a beat. “Are you sure you can?”
“Forget it,” I replied. Thinking about it, the fact that the Herrera family actually got me to break my vow was impressive in itself.
I promised Mom I wouldn’t hit anyone. And a girl shouldn’t be getting into fights all the time.
I was growing up without a father. Mom worried I’d get bullied, so she enrolled me in a martial arts academy.
In reality, I always thought it was unnecessary. Even as a kid, I was stronger than most.
As I got older, I realized it wasn’t just that–I wasn’t just stronger than other girls; I was stronger than the boys who used to pull my hair too.
That was until I slapped a kid so hard that he lost a tooth. After that, Mom banned me from martial arts classes and even stopped me from watching action movies.
She said girls shouldn’t watch violent stuff. That a real lady uses her words, not her fists. I wanted to be a real lady, so I held back.
Later, I made a boy cry during an argument. He tried to fight me, but whether it was words or fists, he lost–badly. The principal called Mom to school.
After returning home, Mom got so upset she had a relapse. Then I swore to be the perfect, obedient daughter. No talking back. No fighting.
After all, Mom was all I had. I couldn’t risk upsetting her. Of course, I did break my vow once.
On my way to school, I saw a bunch of thugs bullying a student. After they let the kid go, I couldn’t help myself–I gave them a beating.
That was the only time Angela found out my secret.
The next morning, as soon as Angela finished my discharge paperwork, she sent me straight home.
After freshening up, I was about to head to the hospital when I opened my door and saw a man in a black suit standing there.
I froze, feeling a little awkward. I regretted agreeing to Angela’s idea so quickly. A personal bodyguard? Wasn’t that a little too much?
But when I stepped outside and saw the Rolls–Royce parked downstairs, I couldn’t help but envy Angela’s lifestyle–and feel lucky to have such a rich best friend.
At the hospital, I immediately called her. “Angela, take your driver–slash–bodyguard back.”
Angela sounded confused. “What driver and bodyguard?”
I stopped in my tracks and asked, “The guy outside my apartment this morning. You didn’t send him?”
“Nope. I was still trying to find someone I could trust,” Angela said, sounding surprised. Then after a pause, she added, “Oh, I know who it is.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Obviously your husband. He’s probably worried Austin will cause trouble again, so he sent someone to watch over you,” Angela replied.
I frowned. “Alex? No way.”
But aside from Angela, I didn’t know any other rich kids who could pull something like this. I had no idea what Alex was up to.
Since I woke up, Alex hadn’t called or texted. Not even a fake show of concern.
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Chapter 32
I even swallowed my pride and texted him to say I was discharged, and Alex didn’t reply. So why would he suddenly send someone to watch me?
A strange feeling settled in my chest. I said, “Angela, what’s Alex trying to do?”
Angela replied, “What do you think? One, he wants to protect you. Two, he wants to keep an eye on you.”
“Laurel, you better take this chance to make him tell the Herrera family who you are,” Angela added.
“I doubt it. If he wanted to go public, he wouldn’t have sent someone to guard me,” I replied.
If Alex officially acknowledged me, there was no way Austin or anyone else would dare come after me.
“Laurel, are you overthinking this? I think he’s just into you. Or maybe he has enemies and is worried someone might come after you. A guy that good–looking probably has plenty of women chasing him,” Angela explained.
I thought for a moment and lowered my voice. “I’m not worried about women. I’m worried about men.”
The other end of the call went silent.
“Angela? You still there?” I asked.
When she finally spoke, Angela sounded pissed. “Laurel, are you insane? A guy like Alex? No way in hell–ugh, forget it. I’ll prove to you that he’s not what you think he is.”
Before I could react, Angela hung up. I had no idea why she was the one getting mad when I wasn’t.
Thinking about it, though, maybe in Angela’s eyes, Alex was already some kind of god. If she found out her crush wasn’t straight, it’d probably be too much for her to handle.
When I pushed open the door to Mom’s hospital room, I stopped in my tracks. Alex was sitting by her bed, a warm smile on his face. Mom was smiling back at him.
The whole scene was… unsettling.
“Laurel, why are you just standing there?” Bonnie’s voice snapped me out of my daze. Both Alex and Mom turned to look at me.
I grabbed Bonnie’s arm, frowning. But she feigned confusion, then suddenly seemed to remember something. She gave me a once–over. “Feeling better?”
“Why is he here?” I asked under my breath, feeling anxious.
Bonnie knew about my marriage. She’d seen the certificate, but she always assumed it was fake.
Bonnie me a glance and said, “Laurel, he is your husband. Why wouldn’t he be here?”
My mind went blank. The next thing I knew, Bonnie was pushing me forward, right in front of Mom.
“You and Alex got married?” Mom asked.
Heart pounding, I nodded timidly, my whole body tense.
