He's a Criminal

Cynthia chewed her lip and corrected us shyly. "I wasn't talking about Dylan. It's about Ivan.

Then, she stood and announced it with the confidence of a legal wife who had been hidden from the public. "You guessed right. I'm Ivan's ex-wife. We were happy together before Reese showed up and ruined everything!"

Dylan was bewildered. "What are you talking about, Cynthia? Aren't we dating?"

She only shook her head firmly. "You were just my last resort. I only used you so I could get close to Ivan again. He's the only man I've ever loved."

Dylan almost choked when she admitted that he used him.

Still, she ignored him.

She grabbed my forearm with unwavering determination and begged, "Reese, please give him back. He and I are soulmates. I'm the woman who truly understands him and knows his secrets. He needs me to pull him out of the abyss. Only I can give him what he truly wants!"

"Cynthia is right! After all, Ivan spared her. It shows how important she is to him! Can Reese get out of their way already?"

"Homewreckers are disgusting, and Reese is no different. So what if Ivan and Cynthia weren't officially married? They made a verbal promise. Doesn't that prove Cynthia holds a special place in his heart? After all, anyone who actually marries him ends up dead."

"Be careful, Reese. If you cherish your life, you better scram. Don't get in the way of Cynthia saving Ivan. If Ivan is upset, he'll definitely kill the eyesore first. Only Cynthia had a kind heart and tolerance for him."

My heartbeat quickened.

No way.

Ivan was a serial killer.

He was not some misunderstood villain. He was a criminal.

And something had to be seriously wrong with Cynthia's head.

If she knew his secret, shouldn't she have called the police? What was this nonsense about "saving" him? Had a high fever fried her brain when she was young?

Besides, the comments had already revealed that they were never married. Yet she still accused me of stealing her husband while deliberately leaving out the most important details.

She was not kind. She was manipulative.

The crowd ganged up on me.

"Can you believe it? Reese stole her subordinate's husband! What a shameless woman!"

"I know she's been a vicious woman all along! She probably sells her body to get what she wants. Ivan's face and wealth must have attracted her, and she decided to steal him. Poor Cynthia."

"Come on, Ivan is the real victim here. Not only did he fall for that bitch's lies, but he also proposed to her. He needs to wake up and be with the woman who loves him for his personality.

The ridiculousness of the situation shoved the fury to the back of my mind, and I started to see the real problem here.

Dylan and I were the real victims, but nobody supported us. Instead, everyone rooted for the scumbags.

As unbelievable as those comments were, at least they warned me what to avoid.

The lunatics needed to stay far away from me. All I wanted was a peaceful, non-toxic life.

I yanked my arm out of Cynthia's grasp and wiped the spot she had touched against my clothes. Finally, I nodded. "Fine. I'll give you what you want."

I took the wedding invitation out of my pocket and tore it into pieces before the crowd. Then, I tossed the shredded card into the trash and sneered. "Go ahead. He's all yours now."

A sudden voice rang out among the gasps. "There he is! Ivan is back!"