Chapter 68: Desi causes a ruckus at the party.
The love kiss made both Ansel and Erica lose their guard, and they quickly immersed themselves in this unforgettable moment. When they parted, Ansel smiled brightly at Erica, feeling like he had just won the lottery. And Erica shyly laughed back. The emotions of both were very genuine at this moment, but their rational minds were conflicting with their hearts, thinking that it wasn’t real and that they were just pretending to act for the audience.
After that, without any hesitation, Ansel confidently announced to the crowd:
“Dear all, this is Erica. The woman I love and want to marry as my wife, please wish us happiness.”
The crowd immediately erupted with lively reactions. Most of them were skeptical and began whispering to each other, asking if Ansel was joking. Others scrutinized and discussed Erica, criticizing her as plain and unworthy of Ansel’s love. Desi’s father’s face turned red with anger, and Desi herself was boiling, preparing to confront Ansel in front of everyone. Kevin, who recognized what Desi was about to do, tried to intervene and stop her. He grabbed Desi’s hand before she could head toward Ansel.
“Desi, don’t be impulsive,” Kevin earnestly said. “This is not the time or place for a debate.”
Desi turned around and gave Kevin a menacing look.
“What is the wrong time or place?” Desi’s voice rose in anger. “Ansel just proposed to that girl in front of everyone! He’s been with me all this time, and now he’s throwing me aside like I mean nothing! Should I stand here? and do nothing?”
“Desi, I understand how you feel right now,” Kevin said patiently. “But please listen to me; don’t try to make things clear here. You will become a moneymaker for gossipers and a laughing stock for everyone.”
Kevin’s face was full of concern for Desi. It was sad that Desi didn’t even sense Kevin’s worries for her. That’s why she acted stubbornly. Honestly, Kevin didn’t care about Ansel, even finding pleasure in his failure. The reason Kevin stopped Desi was simply that he didn’t want the woman he loved to get involved in unfortunate things. What Desi was about to do would have serious consequences. That was for sure.
“I don’t care,” Desi said indifferently.
“If you don’t think about your own reputation, then think about your parents’ and your family’s,” Kevin warned sternly.
“It’s not just me who’s going to suffer,” Desi declared confidently. “Today, I will demand justice for myself. And I will make Ansel Brown regret his actions.”
“Desi, please think carefully before you act,” Kevin sincerely pleaded. “Think about your future.”
“Let go; I don’t want to hear you speak anymore,” Desi said coldly.
Her own pride egged Desi on, causing her to disregard Kevin’s warning. She chose to humiliate Ansel in the same manner he had humiliated her, right in front of everyone. Observing Kevin’s continued refusal to comply with her demand, Desi forcefully pushed his hand away.
“Ansel Brown,” Desi’s voice resounded with steel. “You treacherous scum. How dare you do that to me?”
Instantly, everyone turned to look at Desi, waiting to see what she was going to do. Borrowing the attention of the crowd, Desi strode confidently towards Ansel. Though Kevin tried to reach out and hold her back, he ultimately failed. Desi quickly stood face-to-face with Ansel and Erica. Desi didn’t even bother to look at Erica as if she were looking down on her.
“Ansel, who is this girl? Why did you propose to her instead of me? Please explain it clearly to me.”
Firstly, Desi wants to inquire gently. She does this to receive praise from others for being intelligent and knowing how to behave. Furthermore, to win love, support, protection, and care, Desi has calculated beforehand that if Ansel cannot explain satisfactorily to her and make her happy, she will take advantage of the influence of the crowd, making Ansel regret it.
Everyone was waiting for Ansel to speak, and he felt uncomfortable being the center of attention. Erica felt confused and emotional, torn between feeling happy that Ansel had asked for her help and guilty for inadvertently hurting Desi.
The chaos around him didn’t bother Ansel. He remained unaffected by Desi’s hostile attitude and unreasonable demands. Ansel observed Erica’s unjustified unease and shifted his attention towards her, gently taking her hand and offering her a warm smile.
“Erica, don’t worry about them,” he said gently. “All that matters is that we love each other.”
As Desi exuded anger and the crowd buzzed with criticism and judgment towards Ansel, Erica found herself taken aback by Ansel’s serene composure, unsure of how to respond. She could only reciprocate his smile and experience a heartfelt fondness for him. Nevertheless, thoughts of what lay ahead for her and Ansel, as well as the potential dramas that might unfold, lingered in her mind.
“Ansel, don’t be cowardly anymore. Answer my question quickly,” Desi interrupted the couple’s tender moment. She demanded Ansel tell the truth.
Once again, Ansel remained calm. He didn’t want to reveal too much about the truth for everyone to know, thinking about his peaceful life in the future as well as having good intentions towards Desi. But Desi didn’t know anything about that. She just thought that no one knew the bad things she had done. Desi acted as a victim, claiming that Ansel had abandoned her. All of this was just to seek the sympathy of others and force Ansel into a corner to be mocked and criticized.
“It’s too noisy in here. Erica, let’s go somewhere else to talk,” said Ansel as he tightly grasped Erica’s hand, attempting to lead her away. Upon seeing this, Desi intervened and even jeered at Ansel.
“Ansel, you coward. Don’t even think about leaving before we finish what we came here to do.”
“That’s right, let’s speak clearly,” some voices interjected humorously from the crowd.
“Act like a real man,” another voice chimed in.
“Running away is a sign of weakness.”
The crowd’s support encourages Desi, leading to a surge of motivation within her.
“Ansel, I’ll give you a chance to explain; if you’re reasonable, take it,” Desi said arrogantly.
“Explain what?” Ansel calmly asked. His face was very calm.
“About the foolish act you did,” Desi insisted, mockingly saying, “Are you out of your mind? Or crazy?”
“I’m not insane. I’m not crazy,” Ansel insisted.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
“So you admit that you’re a traitor.” Desi immediately accused Ansel and showed a triumphant expression. “You left me for her.” Desi spoke with a stern tone, pointing towards Erica. “What does she have that I don’t, Ansel? She’s ordinary and doesn’t deserve you at all.”
Betrayal? Who betrayed whom? Ansel felt extremely angry after hearing Desi’s accusations. Not to mention the crowd, who didn’t know anything and followed Desi to judge Ansel. What’s worse, Desi dared to publicly point out and insult Erica. It was really annoying. What Desi did couldn’t be forgiven. Ansel decided to be the villain, exposing Desi’s wrongdoing right here so that no one would doubt and be amazed by the truth.