Chapter 37: Calling her Wife

Avery nods seriously. She looks down and finds that Michelle has slightly spread her legs. She's not wearing stockings, and her smooth, tanned skin is beautiful.

"I want to do it," she says with hesitation, "But—"

"But what?" Michelle snaps.

Michelle's eyes brightened with malicious intent when Avery agreed. She knows that this area of the garden is recorded on one of the hotel's many security cameras. If she can send the footage to the Summers family, Diana will be very happy. She'll have a good chance of ingratiating herself with one of the city's elite families.

"You need to spread your legs wider," Avery says with embarrassment, "You're shorter than me, even in heels. If you don't spread them wider, I won't be able to fit through."

The waiter nods in agreement with Avery's words. Avery is rather tall and she has a nice figure. She stands more than a head above Michelle. Even if Michelle is wearing heels, the distance between her two legs is too narrow.

Michelle turns down the corners of his mouth and pushes her legs out. Her tight skirt restricts her movement, so she hitches it up another inch.

"Fine, but you better not play tricks," Michelle says, "If Mr. Howel comes here, I won't be able to help you anymore."

"I'm trying to hurry. But I can't fit through that narrow place!" Avery says, biding her time.

She takes a moment to survey her surroundings and finds that several waiters have surrounded her. She looks at them questioningly.

"She's right—it's impossible," one of the waiters says quickly. Michelle glares at him and he bows his head guiltily.

"See, they also think it's impossible," Avery says, stretching her leg and kicking the inside of Michelle's right leg.

"Slide your leg out a little more," Avery says.

Michelle complies, but Avery shakes her head dissatisfied.

"No, I can't crawl through. Your legs are too stiff. Pull your skirt up and take a proper step," Avery commands.

Michelle looks displeased, but she's not about to lose her chance to humiliate Avery. She raises her to skirt another inch and wiggles her leg to the side.

"It looks like I have no choice but to help you," Avery says with exasperation.

Avery knows that a hotel like this must-have security cameras everywhere, and she's willing to guess that one is recording them right now. With a sudden movement, she leans forward and jerks Michelle's skirt up over her waist. Everyone gasps with shock. Michelle is entirely exposed—she's not wearing anything under her skirt.

"Wow," titters a waiter, "She's quite the coquette."

"You think she does it to make fucking her easier?" another giggle.

"Maybe she's eager to seduce Mr. Howel," another whisper.

Though they laugh, they're ashamed. They wish they didn't know her. In the general hubbub of the scene, they almost miss a group of people appearing in the hotel door. Once they notice, they're being watched they become scared, and their amusement dies down.

Evan Howel clears his throat. After seeing Avery in the garden on the security tape, he and Robert rushed to the garden. They arrived just in time to see a disgracefully sexual scene. Evan averts his eyes, and the bodyguards stare at their shoes.

Evan clears his throat again. Michelle has frozen on the spot. She was making love with the hotel director when the waiter knocked on the door and announced a problem. She didn't have time to put her underwear back on. She tried to pull her skirt down, but her heels are unsteady in the lush grass. She wobbles back and forth and falls onto the lawn.

The bodyguards hear her shriek, and they look up to see what's happening. They see something obscene on the lawn.

Avery seizes on their distractions and begins to sidle away. She hadn't planned for any of this. Initially, she was just hoping to trip Michelle and run away. Then, she hoped to at least embarrass her on the security cameras. She had no idea that Michelle was naked underneath her skirt. Moreover, she didn't expect Evan to arrive quite so quickly.

The waiters behind Avery rush forward quickly. They raise Michelle and pull her skirt down.

"Avery, you bitch. How dare you do this to me!" Michelle screams, her face bright red with anger and embarrassment.

Michelle wants to beat Avery, but a waiter stops her from running after her, "Manager Cindy, Mr. Howel is here."

Michelle stretches out her hand, still balled into a tight fist. She points her index finger at Avery and shakes it threateningly.

"You better remember this!" she hisses.

"How was I supposed to know you stopped wearing underwear after high school?" Avery asks innocently.

Michelle is furious, but she doesn't dare to act too rashly in front of Mr. Howel. She grits her teeth.

"You! You little—" she screams, "Don't be so proud. We'll see how you look after Mr. Howel punishes you."

"Oh, do you want to see it?" Avery says innocently, turning toward her husband, "Darling, someone wants to see you how to punish me."

A hush falls in the garden. A delicate leaf flutters in the wind, dancing on the air before falling in front of Evan Howel. His shoes grind the leaf into the ground, and he walks forward with a few steps and pinches Avery's chin.

"What exactly are you doing?" he asks.

Evan looks horrified and angry. Avery can feel the muscles on her back tighten as she looks at his expression.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Avery asks, looking him in the face.

 "It's obvious you're trying to escape," he growls, "Tell me why do you want to run away."

"Runaway from here? I wasn't running away," Avery insists calmly.

If she admits she was running away, Evan will know for sure that she has something to hide, and Charles Meyer will be implicated in the whole mess.

"Tell me the truth. I swear if you lie to me and I find out, Charles Meyer will die," Evan says fiercely, locking eyes with Avery.

"Mr. Howel, she wanted to run away," Michelle says softly, as several waiters nod in agreement, "We all heard her say it."

Michelle points to the left and says, "Look, through this gate, you can get away from the hotel."

"Shut up!" Evan whispers without taking his eyes off Avery, "Now tell me, Avery, why do you want to run away?"

She lifts her chin and stares into his eyes fearlessly. Everyone else is terrified by his anger, but she's used to it.

"You're too stubborn," Evan says.

He loosens his grip on her chin and gestures to Robert who has already summoned the bodyguards assigned to Avery. The bodyguards approach Evan, and Evan kicks them hard in the knees, forcing them to fall to the ground. 

"Mr. Howel, please forgive us," one of them says, "We were standing outside the door of the bathroom, but we hadn't seen Mrs. Howel for a while. Since she was in the women's bathroom, we hesitated to enter and violate her privacy. During that time, the hotel staff went in and out and told us that Mrs. Howel was still using the bathroom. We had no idea it would be possible for her to escape."

"Can't you monitor one person between the two of you?" Evan asks, "Wife, how do you think I should punish them?"

Avery grimaces upon hearing Evan call her "wife." She knows Evan. Every time he calls her his wife, something bad happens. Within moments, there's a loud, repetitive banging noise and the sound of horrified screaming.

Blood flows fast from the bodyguards' arms. They've each been shot twice in the right arm. They lie on the ground, pressing their left hands into their arms, but the blood fills their hands and drips onto the ground.