Lenny and Scarlett novel Chapter 14
"This is what happened this morning. You're me, and I'm Rosaline. I was trying to get her to give me the garden shears. The pointy end was directed at me the entire time. I couldn't have hurt her," Scarlet said, enduring the pain.
"Do you mean that she deliberately changed the direction of the shears and stabbed herself?" he asked coldly.
"I'm not sure and I don't want to judge her, but that's what happened. I just want to tell the truth."
That was why she came here.
"If you suspect that I took the shears and stabbed her intentionally, then you can ask everyone at the mansion."
"Everyone at the mansion works for my grandmother, and they'll cover for you with a wave of Grandma's hand. Why should I believe them?"
"So, despite my explanation, you still don't want to believe me?"
She had done so much and even hurt herself to prove her innocence, but Lenny still insisted that she had deliberately hurt Rosaline.
At that moment, Scarlet felt sad for reasons she refused to ponder.
She didn't know why, but she desperately didn't want to be misunderstood by Lenny.
She hadn't caused him any trouble during their marriage, and they parted on amicable terms. Even though she was pregnant, she reasoned that it was her own business and that he didn't have to be involved.
If Lenny really liked Rosaline and wanted to marry her, then Scarlet would be more than happy to give them her blessing.
She didn't want things to get ugly. However, all her efforts ended up in vain.
"You know what, fine. I suppose it doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. We're no longer a couple. We don't have to be in each other's lives anymore, so I guess I should stop caring about what you think. If you want to believe that it was my fault that Rosaline got hurt, then fine by me."
After that, Scarlet tossed the bloody shears aside and lowered her head.
She covered her wound with one hand, turned around, and left.
Watching his ex-wife walk away with a bleeding shoulder, Lenny called after her. "Let the doctor treat your wound."
"No, thanks," Scarlet answered without looking back.
Lenny stood on the balcony of the villa's second floor and watched Scarlet walk away. Soon, she turned a corner and disappeared.
He didn't withdraw his gaze until she was out of his sight. He felt as if a boulder was weighing on his chest.
Should he trust Scarlet or not?
During their one year of marriage, she had always behaved herself. Although Marlene arranged their union, Scarlet had never tried hard to please him or earn his approval. She wasn't annoying, and Lenny appreciated that.
Scarlet agreed to the divorce without a fight, so it didn't make sense that she would use Marlene now to get back at Rosaline. She was as relieved as he was after they got their divorce certificate, so what motive could she possibly have for hurting Rosaline?
But if Scarlet didn't harm Rosaline on purpose, then why would Rosaline do such a thing to herself?
Was it an accident?
Or did Rosaline stab herself as a means to an end?
Lenny bent down and picked up the shears with Scarlet's blood on it. The blood hadn't dried up yet, and it was still warm to his touch.
For the first time, he looked at the woman on the bed and let his complicated feelings ravage him.
In the past three months, all he'd done was search for Rosaline who he had slept with that night. She was pregnant with his child, and he was determined to marry her.
Maybe what happened today really was just an accident. He shouldn't be feeding his imagination with wild guesses.
On Scarlet's way back, she bumped into Marlene's car. Hamlin was driving, and Marlene was sitting in the back seat.
"Grandma..." Scarlet called out, letting her exhaustion take over.
Marlene got out of the car and caught her. Seeing Scarlet all battered up and wounded, Marlene felt her heart splinter into pieces. She helped the young lady into the car.
"What happened to you?"
Marlene took a look at the wound on Scarlet's shoulder, her eyes welling up with tears.
She had always treated Scarlet like she was her own granddaughter. It was such a shame that she was already old and in poor health. She couldn't tire herself too much. Otherwise, she would do anything to protect Scarlet.
"Hamlin, drive to Lenny's place. I'm going to demand an explanation from him. I can't believe that he hurt Scarlet because of some woman who showed up out of nowhere."
Marlene seethed with rage.
"No, Grandma," Scarlet objected at once. She eagerly stopped Hamlin from turning the car around and pulled on her shoulder wound in the process. She winced in pain, and blood started gushing out of her shoulder again.
"Please, Grandma. Let's just leave Lenny and Rosaline alone. Lenny and I have nothing to discuss between us anymore. We're no longer married."
"I'm here for you, my dear, but I'm afraid you and my grandson's divorce isn't up to either of you."
Marlene was dead serious this time.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Lenny and Scarlett