Chapter 22 Anne's Tactics
When David and I got to the police station, it was a total mess. Papers were everywhere, and a bunch of computers were smashed up.
Anne was curled up in Edward's arms, crying softly. Edward was gently patting her back, looking super worried.
"Anne, are you okay?" I knelt down to check her out. She had red marks on her face and arms, like she'd been scratched.
When Edward saw me, his face turned scary serious. "Did you tell Anne to move out of the villa?" His reaction threw me off. How could he go from being so nice to this?
"Edward, don't blame Diana. It was my idea to move back to the dorm," Anne said, her eyes red and tears still running down her face. Anyone would want to comfort her.
Edward frowned and held Anne tighter.
"Anne, why did you want to move back to the dorm all of a sudden?" Edward's voice was a mix of frustration and sadness.
"Did you hit my daughter? Did you smash a beer bottle over her head?" An old couple in shabby clothes burst in, and the old man tried to hit Anne.
Edward blocked him, taking a few punches himself.
The old woman tried to grab Anne, but Edward stood up and grabbed her collar, lifting her off the ground.
She flailed around and slapped me hard across the face.
She tried to hit Anne but couldn't reach, so she kicked out, but Edward shielded Anne. She only managed to leave some footprints on Edward's pants before he threw her against the wall.
"My back. Help me up," the old woman cried out.
My heart sank. Edward really cared about Anne. I looked at him, feeling bitter. "Edward, are you just going to protect Anne like this?" He looked at me, his eyes full of mixed emotions.
Just then, a young cop came over and whispered to Edward, "Mr. Howard, we checked the surveillance. It was Anne who started it." Edward's face got even darker. He looked at Anne, then at me. "Diana, you need to explain this."
"Anne hit someone, and you want me to explain?" My voice shook, tears filling my eyes.
"Idiot," David snorted.
Edward, already pissed because of Anne, finally noticed David and got even more jealous.
"It's none of your business, Mr. Wilson," Edward's voice was ice cold.
"David brought me here," I said, trying to defend David. Despite our history, David had been helping me a lot lately.
Edward's eyes were full of suspicion and anger. "Are you seeing him behind my back?"
"You!" I couldn't believe Edward would think that.
"Mr. Howard, you're overthinking things," David said from behind me. "Even if every other woman on earth vanished, I still wouldn't touch her."
I was fuming at them.
"Stop fighting. It's all my fault. I'm the one causing trouble for Diana," Anne said, snuggling deeper into Edward's arms and crying at just the right moment. I could've sworn I saw a quick smirk on her face.
Caught in this mess of jealousy and misunderstandings, I felt exhausted and helpless. The rift between Edward and me was growing, and Anne was definitely stirring the pot.
"Rich folks sure know how to have fun, unlike us from the sticks," the old woman chimed in, trying to stir up more trouble.
"How much money do you want?" Edward asked bluntly.
Anne buried her face in Edward's chest, crying, "Edward, I wanted to move back to the dorm, but that bully had taken the best bed. I treated her to dinner and karaoke, but she wouldn't give up the bed. She even called me a little bitch."
"Anyone who curses at you, just hit them back. I can cover it," Edward said, making Anne laugh through her tears.
"Oh, Mr. Howard, I'm so sorry. I was out of town on a business trip. As soon as I got off the plane, I heard Anne was being bullied at school, so I rushed over," the principal said, running over with a fake smile. It was like Anne wasn't a student in trouble but some VIP. Meanwhile, the parents of the girl who fought with Anne were awkwardly trying to shake hands with the principal.
The principal waved them off dismissively. "For Anne to get into a fight with your daughter, you parents need to reflect on whether you've taught your daughter any manners. Has she learned the principles of being a good person all these years?"
The elderly couple stood there, hands awkwardly in the air, not sure what to do.
With the principal's intervention, things moved quickly. Edward paid the classmate $50,000, and the classmate got a severe warning from the school for fighting.
Edward carried Anne through the long corridor of the police station, with the principal eagerly opening doors for him.
As they passed me, Edward stopped, his eyes dark and blaming me for everything. "I'll deal with you later."
"Edward, can you take Diana home with us?" Anne asked.
"Anne, I'm taking you home," Edward said, his tenderness reserved only for her.
As I walked out of the police station, David was leaning against the car door. When he saw me, he honked the horn.
As I approached the car, I braced myself for David's usual sarcasm, but a part of me was still grateful for his presence.
David reached out and touched the slap mark on my face, making me wince.
"What happened?" His voice was cold. "Was it Edward or Anne?"
I shook my head. "I'm fine. Thanks for bringing me here today."
"You idiot, do you have a masochistic streak? Your face is swollen, and you say you're fine? Even when we fought as kids, I never slapped you." David's chest heaved with anger, his muscles faintly visible under his crisp shirt.
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