Chapter 5 Cats and Dogs

CHAPTER 5

Cats and Dogs

Sarah was the first to spot Ade and her face changed into a sneer. "Ade what are you doing here?"

Ade turned to see the three of them and the temperature of her mood dropped immediately, but she didn't show it on her face.

She was not going to let them see through her. To let them know that they affected her; that the sight of them made her reel with sadness.

So she kept a nonchalant face. "I came to get a pet."

James scoffed, stepping forward but still wrapping his arms with Violet who was excited with the gesture---anything to shove shit in Ade's face.

To make her jealous.

"A pet? So I leave you alone for a moment and you are trying to live your life anyhow? You think you are independent enough to be a rascal now don't you? I told you no pets, and now you want to disobey everything I said just to ridicule me isn't it?"

Sarah sighed," you know things have been a little rough for James, Ade. Can you be a little less heartless? Daniel has not had it easy on him since the company stocks took a hit. Daniel keeps calling him 'useless' because of what you did."

" I don't see how that is my problem?" She was here to restart her life. To take back 'herself' from everyplace she had lost it in choosing what someone else wanted above her own desires.

She didn't see how that, was hurting anyone?

Violet huffed. "She's so bold and daring isn't she? Denying that you didn't do anything to the Cleland Family business is so shameless of you Ade. You should be very ashamed of yourself."

Sarah looked to the man who was beside her, giving him and his wrappings a once over. But she didn't think he was with Ade, maybe a customer who just wanted to catch in on the fun so she left him alone and looked back to Ade.

After all, everyone had gathered now to watch the ongoing drama, so it was a nice opportunity to humiliate Ade. For slapping her and bringing disrepute to the Cleland Family business brand, she needed to teach her a very big lesson. And everyone was welcome to see it, including bandaged men.

"I can't even believe that you'd still be like this," a hurt demeanor decked Sarah's face as she put on her best acting skills. " I and my family are still recuperating from the devilish attack you orchestrated on us. You put out evil news out there just because you wanted all of us to go down. Why did you do that Ade? All we've ever wanted was to see you grow. We took care of you for so long, and this is how you repay us!"

Her voice echoed loudly, bouncing off the walls of the pet shop so much that the animals stopped their noises and watched, curiosity twitching their muzzles.

Murmurs broke out from the crowd.

"Why would she do that to them?"

"Are they her family? Who does that to their own family?"

" Hmmm. Some people can be so ungrateful and wicked."

Ade closed her eyes and reopened them. " James, you've chosen Violet over me, why not just let me be? Why do you still follow me about? I merely withdrew myself from Cleland companies; if what followed was a crash in stock then it clearly points to my contributions in the Cleland Family. It's all over the news. It's not like I am making anything up. All of you know that, so why won't you leave me alone?"

Their countenances squeezed as the truth of Ade's words clubbed them in the face.

It was more shocking to them that Ade could respond back this way.

James wondered where the timid obedient girl he had been with all these while, had gone to?

Ade couldn't even talk back all the times he would lash out at her and point out her frailties and flaws, but now she stood her ground.

It made him uncomfortable in ways he couldn't express. The more he saw this side of her the more his stomach riled with grief, with regret.

Should he have let her go? Why had he been so restless since she left? Why had he considered countless ways he would have prevented her from seeing those text messages from Violet so that she would have stayed.

As if realizing what he was thinking, Violet tightened her grip on his arms, thinking it would stop him from looking at Ade that way.

But that only helped keep her in James' good graces, as for the audience they were beginning to mutter again.

"So he had actually left her for another woman?"

" She's not from their family then. She was right to leave and remove herself from them."

" Is the new woman the one holding on to him?"

Violet felt a little self-conscious now. Shame struck her like a bullet and she wanted to hide behind James as the eyes of everyone in the room shifted to her, but there was no room for that.

If she did so then her actions would show she was admitting to their claims.

Ade was never meant for James, she was too low class to keep James' attention.

Violet was the only one James had pined after, and rightfully so because she had all the qualities and qualifications.

It was just that she herself did not rate James like that. In fact the only reason she was in the picture right now was because she was interested in bringing Ade down.

Ade had always acted like the one who had it all, thinking she had James for herself.

Violet hadn't been happy that James stopped chasing after her and tolerating her BS, and going for Ade instead.

She wasn't happy that Ade was doing everything right, pretending to be such a good woman, a great lover. It irked her so much when she thought James had found someone better than her.

So that was why she started pestering James all of a sudden, wanting him back.

She was planning to dump him again after their kiss, but she couldn't turn down the chance to see the gloom on Ade's face. And if she was being honest, this whole situation was beginning to make her a little endeared to James--just a little.

But right now Ade was trying to shame her and embarrass her in front of these people and she could not let her.

She had to do something.