Chapter 11 Malicious Remarks I couldnât cry, especially in front of Dominic, so I sniffled and held my tears at bay. In a curt voice, I demanded, âWhy are you here? Are you here to see me make a fool of myself?â
However, Dominic didnât even spare me a single glance. His eyes were fixated behind me. The corners of his lips then tilted a fraction, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips.
âSo this is the man you chose? He didnât seem to be anything special in the video, and I thought heâd look better in the flesh, but heâs still as unsightly. It looks like your tastes are rather⦠dismal, if I might say.â
What the hell? Things are tense now, yet heâs still in the mood to insult me?
Seething, I pressed my lips into a tight line. Before I could retort, Coralineâs shrill voice rang out.
âWho are you, you damn cripple? Youâre just a handicapped man, yet you dare disparage my son? Hah!
Youâre at the wrong place if you want to show off! I, Coraline Zelinsky, have never been afraid of anyone!
Youâd better scram, or Iâll make it so that youâll be wholly paralyzed!â
I was initially peeved at Dominic, but when I heard Coraline call him a cripple, anguish flooded me. Once, he was admired for his long legs back at university. Not only was he handsome, but he excelled in various sports. Now, however⦠he couldnât even stand up, and he was even scorned by a shrew such as Coraline!
Seeing red, I geared up to stalk forward and tear into her, but a hand gripped my arm.
When I glanced over my shoulder, Dominic seemingly wasnât bothered by Coralineâs words at all.
Instead, he appeared nonchalant.
âEven a disabled man is better than your useless son. Heâs a so-called graduate who returned from abroad, yet he only got his position as sales director by bedding some woman. I wonder if his manhood will be whittled down by overuse.â
Pfftâ¦
I should be hopping mad to hear my ex-boyfriend insulting my husband, but a giggle escaped me. Damn it! Whatâs up with me? Liliana, this isnât the time to laugh!
Sure enough, my amusement enraged Julius. Shooting daggers from his uninjured eye, he stalked toward Dominic menacingly. Seeing that, I quickly stood before Dominic, afraid that Julius would hurt him.
Unexpectedly, Dominic gripped my hand tightly with his long and slender fingers before yanking me behind his wheelchair. As I watched Julius swing his fist at him, my pounding heart lodged in my throat.
All of a sudden, a figure flashed before my eyes. On the heels of that, Juliusâ cry echoed, and he was thrown away. He wailed with his hands clamped over his uninjured eye.
Only then did I notice another man who had appeared out of nowhere. Hey, heâs the person waiting for Dominic outside the door that day! Hmm⦠whatâs his name again? Calvin, I think.
Calvinâs expression remained calm and unruffled as though it wasnât him who hit Julius earlier. He merely stood beside Dominic without saying anything.
âOh my God, this is murder! Help! Someone, help! My daughter-in-lawâs lover wants to kill her husband!â
Coraline wept piteously as she hugged Julius, who was sitting on the floor. Her strident voice reverberated around the ward.
My head throbbed at the scene she was making, and I massaged my temples. Indeed, Dominic had gotten me a leg up on her, but the consequences⦠well, they might be far more troublesome.
Coralineâs ability to twist the facts was remarkable. She definitely wasnât easy prey since she was a widow who raised her son single-handedly.
Perhaps cognizant of my worry, Dominic enunciated, âYouâd better think twice before you kick up a fuss.
Iâm not your foolish daughter-in-law whoâd take every abuse you dish out. Since youâre alleging murder, Iâll grant you your wish!â
I was inwardly cursing him out for snubbing me, but his next remark stunned me. Is he for real? Is he serious about committing murder because of someone like Julius? Is he dumb or what?
Frantic, I grabbed his hand. But before I could dissuade him, he swept his gaze over me. âWhy, are you distressed on his behalf?â