ACCUSED THIEF

CHAPTER 3: THE ACCUSED THIEF

“Damn, you really made my night hot, honey.” Ignacio lean closer and planted a soft lingering kiss on Loren’s lips as if I wasn’t there.

My sister giggles in return, while my skin revolt at their show of intimacy. I hid my disgust. In front of us were our parents and his, but the sophisticated mother to Ignacio did not pay any attention to us. She was more concern whether he was pleas or not. I am no fool.

Mrs. Rosewood prefer Loren than I.

She thinks that I married Ignacio, because I was after his money.

“Have you read the news, dear?” She did not bath an eye on my direction. “I’ve heard that Mr. Del Valle is coming here in the Philippines, and I might suggest that you should invite him to our company. His investment would pursue a few more investors, son.”

I silently eat besides my husband.

“We’ll see about that, Ma.” Ignacio agreed. “I think Loren would be able to convince him. Right, darling?”

“You mean....?”

My stomach churned.

I know how horrible this family was, and I could no longer bear with it.

I pushed my plates away. That caught their attention.

“I’m already full.” I said meekly.

Dreading what would come next, I hangs my head low, but when I heard nothing a breathe of relief slip past from my lips and I was ready to go.

Like always, I was the neglected wife—battered, abused and ignored by my very own spouse.

“You have black bags underneath your eyes.” Cassandra notices. “Tell me, does that bastard laying a hand on you again, Mary?”

I know where her worry is coming from.

“No.” Not yet.

“Oh God, I still don’t get why you are trying so hard to stay with the asshole! You could divorce him or more leave him, Mary! Don’t be so martyr!”

“If it would only be that easy, Cass.” My shoulder sank at the mere thought of it.

Divorce is not an option I can chose. My parents would disown me, and Mrs. Rosewood would make sure that I would get nothing, not even an alimony, but ruin. She always made sure of it like how they tried to accused me of seducing Ignacio for his money. Everybody now looked at me with disgust, and I am used to received names for years and months. A whore. A slut. Cassandra was the only person I had.

I do not have any idea why she still remain here for me. She’s rich, not as rich as the Rosewood’s, but her family is well off. They have a company that she is soon to be a heir of.

“You know what?” She stood up. “Let’s go somewhere that I am sure you’ll forget your stupid husband.”

“Where?”

But how I wished I never came with her.

“Cass, what are we doing here?” I felt so small as I stood beside my elegant best friend.

She brought me to a jewellery store, and all the prices made me somehow dizzy.

“I don’t have money for this.” I am embarrassed.

“Don’t be!” She chuckled. “I’ll be treating you today, so you can choose whatever you like. It’s on the house, Mary.”

“N—no! Wait!” I tried to say no, but a few steward already attended to Cassandra.

One walked to where I was, but I am not liking the way she stared at me.

“May I ask what I can do for you, Ma’am?” Her pose suggested that she disdain my presence here.

“U—uhm, nothing—”

“But you can take a look, if you won’t purchase anything.” The woman pushed.

I swallowed.

If I am going to wait for Cassandra all the way here, I might grew bored, so I accepted her suggestions. They have a lot of jewellery, rings, necklaces, and more elegant and expensive pieces that I’ve only saw from Mrs. Rosewood and Ignacio’s wrist coiled perfectly to show their wealth. Not even once in my life I had wear one.

“Oh, hey Mary.” After an hour, Cassandra walked towards me with a few bags on her arms. “Did you already pick yours?”

“No, you know that I don’t fancy things like this, Cass.” I shyly tucked in a loose strand of my hair behind my back.

She rolled her eyes in return, “God, sometimes I hated the fact that you are too good for a friend.”

I laugh at what she said.

Cassandra knew that she won’t be able to convince me, so she drop the case. She paid for everything, and decided to eat outside before we get home.

“I am craving for chicken and some—”

BEEP.

We were stopped. The alarm sounded loud and clear as we walked by.

Cassandra and I looked at each other. Confused, when the guards run to where we are. Alongside with them was the store’s manager and the woman, who assisted me earlier.

“What’s happening?” Cassandra frowns, and so do I.

“I’m sorry, but this is the protocol, Ma’am.” She introduced herself as Janina, the manger from this branch. “But can we check your bags?”

“What? Do we look like a thief to you?!” Cassandra raises her voice.

I hold her arms, “Calm down.” I held up my bag. “Here, you can check mine.”

“Mary, you can’t just—!”

“I know.” I assured her. “But if we wanted to leave, then nothing would be wrong letting them be as long as we know that we’re not doing anything wrong—”

Or so I thought.

“Found it!”

GASP.

The manager was holding a necklace that she retrieved from my bag.

My eyes widened. For an instance, I was lost, “N—no, that can’t be.”

I’m no thief!

“Liar.” The steward have the same disdain from her eyes. “I saw her eyeing it earlier. I didn’t expected that she would have the guts to stole it, Ma’am.”

Cassandra did not speak.

Panic seize me.

“No, I did not do it! Believe me—!” I tried to defend myself, but two guards already lined up behind me to grab my arms.

I winced. Their hold are tight, and it hurts.

“Cass!” I tried calling her, but she wasn’t looking at me.

The commotion at the front have already gotten the shopper’s attention.

“Isn’t that Mrs. Rosewood?”

“Oh my! What have she done now?”

Fear grip my heart.

“You’re coming with us, thief.” One of the guards spat out.

Tears welled from my eyes, “This isn’t right!”

I was shaking. The feeling is horrible. But instead of worrying about me, I am more concern if this news gets to Ignacio.

He’ll probably show no mercy as he continuously beat me into a pulp!

My face pale.

“N—no! Release me! W—why don’t you review the CCTV? R—right! That could clear things up!”

But they weren’t listening.

One of the guards who have gotten irritated suddenly let go. Out of surprise, the other one loosened his hold. Unbalance, I found myself falling on the floor, slumped with my aching bum.

“You should quit ranting, you thief bitch.”

I cowered in fear.

I was hoping for Cass to defend me, tell them that I won’t be able to steal, but she was nowhere to be found.

Like the rest...I know that she was already abandoning me

“I did not steal anything at all!”

The guard raised his hand.

I shut down my eyes, and anticipated the pain to come, but it never did. Curious, I pry, but I wished I hadn’t.

“You have the guts to harm a woman, hmm?”

“S—Sir!”

My chest thumps loudly. My heart raced and all the blood I had on my face was completely drained. My lips parted. I don’t know what to feel. I was glued on my feet, and I couldn’t run.

The moment he glance on his shoulder, I was certain that it is not just trouble I should be afraid of.

“Hello, Miss Fonte.”

No, it is a Missus...

“Dimitri...”