Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 136

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Aiken had a gut feeling. This woman and her son had something to do with Lawrence. Bonnie hadn’t told him much about why she and Lawrence broke up, just mentioned once that Lawrence was probably married with a kid by now. Aiken had mediated plenty of messy relationship drama, but this was the first time he found himself pulled right into the middle of it.

A little distance away, the mother and son were being helped up by two young women. One of them tried to offer comfort, but shot Bonnie a judgmental glare that said everything she was thinking. Aiken caught what she said, too—loud enough for everyone to hear.

“She has a boyfriend and still goes after someone else’s husband. Can you believe the nerve?”

Aiken’s eyes turned cold. He could feel Bonnie relaxing, steadying herself in his arms. He leaned down and asked quietly if she was ready to walk. Bonnie nodded, slipped out of his embrace, and insisted she was fine.

He ruffled her hair softly, then stepped toward the woman who’d blurted out the insult. Looking around at the small cluster of people who hadn’t left, Aiken raised his voice. “Spreading nasty rumors without any proof? That’s actually against the law. It counts as public insult, defamation, and sometimes even disorderly conduct.”

He paused, making eye contact with the group. “I heard what you just said. Do you have any evidence that she’s doing anything inappropriate with a married man? I’d really like to hear it.”

The young woman froze, her face flushing in embarrassment. Still, she tried to double down. “His wife and kid are standing right here. Isn’t that obvious enough? Aren’t you her boyfriend? Maybe you should worry about whether she’s cheating on you. Are you even a cop, trying to scare us with all that talk…”

Aiken reached into his jacket and pulled out his badge. “The woman you just smeared has been harassed multiple times. We’ve got everything on record at the station. If you don’t believe me, you can come along and see for yourself.”

For a moment, the busybodies could only stare. When the reality dawned that he was actually a cop, both young women ducked their heads, cheeks burning. They muttered a quick, “Sorry.”