Chapter 23 David Has Changed
David's angry face yanked me back to over twenty years ago, when David, Lila, and I were just starting elementary school.
David and I were sworn enemies since we were kids, always at each other's throats. His favorite pastime was bullying me. He once put a frog in my backpack to make me cry, stole my homework so the teacher would scold me, and even tied my shoelaces to the desk leg during class, making me fall when I stood up.
But there was this one time when Little Chubby in our class pulled my chair away as I was about to sit down, and I ended up on the floor. The whole class laughed, except David. He went full-on angry leopard, tackled Little Chubby, and beat him up until Lila called the teacher. Both of them got their parents called in, and David got a serious beating from his dad, Daniel, when he got home. That day, David ran to my house, stood outside the garden, and cursed at me, saying he'd be my enemy for life.
Since then, David and I have been at each other's throats, always trying to outdo each other, never declaring a winner. Now, David's concern for me feels a bit unsettling. After all, for over twenty years, his specialty has been bullying me.
After a whole day of chaos, I felt exhausted and just wanted some peace.
"David, I want to go back and rest," I said, feeling worn out.
David nodded. "Alright, get in the car."
"I can get myself home," I refused and started walking towards the city along the road in front of the police station.
"Are you kidding me?" David rushed over and grabbed my wrist. "Do you know how far it is from here to the city?"
Of course, I knew. It wasn't my first time cleaning up Anne's mess. Every time, Edward would drive Anne away, and I would walk back to the city. I used to be so consumed by love that I never realized I was Edward's wife, and I should have had a place in Edward's car.
But now, it was all over. Soon, I won't be Edward's wife anymore. Walking back on my own, wasn't that what I should do?
I still refused and walked around David.
This morning, Anne had already upset me, and now Edward was blaming me for Anne's mistakes. I was in a foul mood, so I couldn't help but be a bit emotional when talking to David.
David stood in front of me, lifted my hair from my ear, and the warmth of his fingers spread from my earlobe to the back of my neck.
"Let's go to the hospital for some medication, then I'll take you home."
David's tone was flat, but I felt an inexplicable gentleness.
"David, you've changed," I couldn't help but sigh. "You're never nice to me."
"Don't get any ideas," he scoffed, his usual sneer returning. "You just look like hell." There he was. My nemesis, back in fighting form.
"Watch out!" A gust of wind blew past me, and before I could react, David pushed me into the bushes by the roadside, falling heavily on top of me. A motorcycle sped by, and in a blur, I saw the young rider flip us off.
"What the hell!" David grumbled as he struggled to get up and pulled me out of the bushes. My hair and dress were a mess, covered in dirt and leaves.
"This is probably Edward's doing," David said angrily, brushing the dirt off himself. His high-end shirt, worth over ten thousand dollars, had a tear and was likely ruined.
I raised my right hand to fix my messy hair. A sharp pain shot from my forearm to my back, making me gasp. I rolled up my sleeve to find my forearm covered in blood. David hesitated for a moment, then tore a strip from his shirt and wrapped it around my arm. Honestly, David's bandaging skills were terrible, but I had no other choice.
"Now you have no choice but to come with me," David said in a grim voice, opening the car door.
Seeing David angry and my arm needing medical attention, I obediently got in.
In the car, the scene of the motorcycle rushing at us kept replaying in my mind. David didn't speak, and I had no idea what he was thinking.
At a red light, David suddenly asked, "If your client encountered this situation, what would you do?"
I didn't respond immediately.
"As a lawyer." David's voice was still flat.
"Is this the first entry exam Mr. Wilson is giving me?" I asked cautiously.
"Sort of. Answer well, and you'll get a raise."
That's great! As a businessman's daughter, I never turn down money, especially now when I need it the most.
I organized my thoughts and answered David's question seriously, sneaking a few glances at his expression, but it didn't change.
"An outsider sees things more clearly," David said, not commenting on my answer but making an unrelated remark.
Even though I became a wealthy housewife after graduation without working, I did a great job in my studies.
Realizing something, I lowered my head. We didn't speak again until we reached the hospital.
Fortunately, it was just a superficial wound. The ER doctor treated it quickly and gave me some ointment before we left.
"Wait until you're healed before coming back to work. Don't ruin Stellar Legal Advisors' image," David said, emphasizing both personal and corporate image. "I'll count these days as leave, and HR will mark your attendance."
'Such a stingy capitalist. I haven't even officially started, and he's already calculating my pay,' I thought to myself.
As the car stopped in front of my apartment, I opened the door to get out.
"Looks like someone's already waiting for you. Do I need to queue up if I want to visit your home?" David teased. I saw Edward's car parked not far away.
"Thanks for spending money on me today!" I waved the bag of ointment with my hand. "I'll treat you to water next time." Then I closed the door and ran towards the apartment building entrance.
"Diana," David called out before I went in.
"What now?" I turned back.
"I'm not in a hurry to leave." David made a phone gesture. Twenty years of love-hate told me David wanted me to call him in an emergency.
David still didn't understand Edward. Even during our pre-divorce cold war, Edward was gentle, except…well, except during sex. David's brand of ruthlessness was different. Sharper.
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