Chapter 200: Did I Say You Could Stand Up?
When Sarah heard that, she frowned. "You've got the wrong person. I'm not Sarah Johnson!"
Undeterred, the man rubbed his chin and pulled out his phone, displaying a saved photo. "Don't lie! That face is definitely yours. This is my lucky day—I saw these pics in the afternoon, and now I'm face to face with the lady herself. I’ve gotta say, you're even prettier than in the photos!"
He reached out a hand toward Sarah to grab her.
Frightened, Sarah instinctively stood up and took a step back. "Don't... don’t come any closer! I'll scream!"
The man burst into laughter. "Scream? I'll scream for you! Hey, guys, everyone here, take a look! This lady says I'm harassing her!"
The moment he shouted, everyone in the bar turned their gaze toward them.
A crowd of about twenty patrons began to buzz with curiosity and chatter.
"Whoa! I hadn't noticed her before, but when did such a beauty start gracing this bar?" a patron exclaimed in surprise.
"Man, she's a total knockout! Hang on, why does she look so familiar? I swear I've seen her face before!"
"Dude! I’ve got it! I saw someone sharing a post with some revealing photos this afternoon. That lady's Sarah Johnson!"
"Sarah Johnson? Isn't she Houston's loveliest lady from the Johnson family? I mean, she's definitely a looker! I heard she married some guy—a total loser!"
"Ha! If you ask me, snatching up that trophy husband is just a cover-up for her own sly ways! Poor dude's been cuckolded so bad that the whole of Houston's talking about it!"
The tasteless comments filled Sarah with shame and rage.
She wanted to speak up and defend herself, but she knew that an explanation would do no good in the face of those ignorant and prejudiced people.
She turned to leave to escape the cauldron of gossip.
A middle-aged man stepped forward, blocking Sarah's exit with an unkind grin. "Miss Johnson, where do you think you're going? You promised to have a drink with us, didn't you?"
Sarah’s head was spinning slightly, and rejected him firmly. "Sorry, but I never agreed to have a drink with you. Please step aside."
The man remained unaffected. "Miss Johnson, no one in Houston has ever turned down my invitation for a drink. I'll lay it down for you: whether you want to drink or not, you're drinking this one! Otherwise, you might regret pissing me off."
P
His words were followed by jeers from his crew.
"This place is bar, right? Refusing a drink in a bar isn't very polite!"
"Exactly! And since you’re a woman who doesn't even care about her own honor, what's the problem with having a drink with someone? Stop kidding around!"
"Hey, beautiful, after you're done with him, how about joining me for a drink? Once you've loosened up, I'll show you my 'pride and joy' in a private room. It's much more impressive than what you're flaunting in those photos!"
Sarah clenched her teeth in anger, her chest heaving with every breath.
Stubborn as she was, she had no intention of giving in to their demands to drink.
She tried to bypass the middle-aged man and hurried toward the bar exit.
But after just a couple of steps, he grabbed her arm.
His face grew dark. "You're quite the tease, aren't you? If you’re refusing to drink, that means you're ready for punishment!"
With a forceful pull, he yanked Sarah Johnson toward him. She sstumbled and nearly took a tumble to the ground.
Meanwhile, a middle-aged man snatched up a drink from the bar with his right hand, sporting a sinister smile. "If you're not willing to drink, I’ll do the honors and pour it down for ya!"
As he tried to force the drink into Sarah Johnson's mouth, a hand shot out and firmly grasped the middle-aged man's right wrist.
"Who the hell are you?" The middle-aged man asked irritably, scrutinizing the young man who was holding him.
This stranger didn’t seem wealthy or familiar, but he dared to interfere with his scheme.
"You've got some nerve," the young man replied coolly. "I'm her husband, Ryder Clark."
The middle-aged man paused, then burst into mocking laughter. "Ha! You're her husband? Kid, do you have any clue what kind of trash your wife is? No? Better check the web and see for yourself. If I were you, I'd have cut ties and filed for divorce long ago!
“If you've got no business here, beat it, and I’ll 'punish' this shameless woman for you!"
"Anyone who insults my wife... is dead!"
The words seeped through Ryder Clark's clenched teeth.
He swung a left hook fiercely at the man.
Bam!
The punch landed square on the man's nose.
"Ow!"
The man let out a pained cry.
Releasing Sarah, he staggered backward several steps, clutching his nose.
But Ryder Clark was not done yet. He followed swiftly with a kick.
Bam!
He nailed the middle-aged man right in the gut.
That sent the man doubling over. He kneeled on the floor, large beads of sweat dripping off his forehead.
The man threatened him with a venomous glare. "You... you punk, how dare you hit me? Do you even know who I am?"
Ryder Clark looked down on him dismissively. "You’re just an insect. Why should I care who you are?"
"You..."
The middle-aged man ground his teeth with rage. "I'm Joshua. My brother owns this bar! Do you think you can just walk out of here after you hit me? Dream on!"
As Joshua trailed off, the customers around them began to step closer, forming a semicircle around Ryder Clark and Sarah Johnson.
Most of these people were regulars at the bar, and they all knew Joshua.
Since Joshua had been hit, they would stand up for him.
They would even expect some perks, like getting their tab waived.
Ryder and Sarah were surrounded, but they stood their ground.
With worry etched on her face, Sarah Johnson choked out, "What... what are you doing here? Don't worry about me! Just go!"
Ryder turned to her, his voice softening. "If I don't look out for my wife, who will?"
"I..."
For a moment, Sarah's lips pursed tightly, at a loss for words.
Why?
Why was it that every time she found herself in mortal danger...
It was always him who stepped forward?
At the thought, tears welled up again, reddening her eyes.
At that instant, Joshua tried to stand. He clutched his stomach, his voice cold and shaky. "Clark! Are you trying to play the hero on my turf at a time like this? If I don't break you tonight, my name’s not Joshua! After I'm done with you, I’m going to take care of your woman right in front of you! It'll just be..."
He couldn't finish his threat.
Ryder was quicker. He snatched a bottle from the bar.
Crash!
He smashed it down hard on Joshua's head.
Glass shattered everywhere!
A ferocious gleam shone in Ryder's dark eyes as he looked down icily. "Stay down! Did I give you permission to stand?"
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