Anna Rivera finally freed herself from the man's relentless grip on her hair.
Battered and bruised, she collapsed on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Why are you hitting me...?" she wailed.
Delwen Dowlin roared back, "I'm not just going to hit you, I'm going to make your life a living hell!"
His threat ignited a fire in Anna, who was no shrinking violet herself.
She had dealt with all sorts of men and knew plenty of wealthy individuals.
Delwen wasn't even in the top five of her little black book.
Struggling to her feet, her disheveled hair and ferocious expression made her look like a vengeful spirit.
"You fat pig! Look at yourselfâyou're disgusting! You think I'd ever touch you if it weren't for your money?"
"You b*tch, you like it rough, huh? I'll pay some guys to..."
"Delwen Dowlin, you're not getting away with this! I'll sue you until you're broke!"
"F*ck you! I'll kill you first!"
Delwen lunged at her again, breaking free from the security guards. He grabbed Anna by the throat, his eyes filled with murderous rage.
Anna fought back, clawing at his eyes.
They grappled with each other, locked in a desperate struggle, flailing at each other's faces like cornered animals.
The crowd was utterly bewildered, watching the two go at each other like animals.
Please, someone just make them get married already and spare us.
Many of them took out their phones and started recording, posting the shocking footage online with captions like, "Gold-Digging Cheater VS. Short-Tempered Loser."
"No, no, no, I can't take this anymore..."
"I'm new here. Can anyone explain what happened?"
"From what he was saying, that girl's really wild... Sleeping around and all,å§å§..."
"Wow, and this woman had the nerve to criticize her ex earlier?"
"The woman is wrong, but does that make hitting her right?"
"The guy's no saint either. He was hitting her hardâI think I saw one of her teeth fly out."
"He's not her husband. What's he so worked up about?"
...
Timmy tugged on Amanda's leg and asked, "Mommy, why is that man hitting that lady?"
Amanda didn't understand why they had suddenly started fighting, but she had seen enough drunk customers lose control to be unfazed.
She believed some people just had a screw loose, drunk or not.
Crouching down, she took the opportunity to impart a lesson to Timmy.
"Because she was being naughty and didn't listen."
Timmy's eyes widened with fear. "Timmy's a good girl," she whispered.
"Yes, our Timmy is the best. Let's go," Amanda said with a smile.
Not wanting Timmy to witness any more of the scene, Amanda told James they'd go ahead and browse elsewhere, then took Timmy's hand and left.
Timmy kept looking back, curious about how the fight would end.
The mall manager finally arrived with more security guards. They managed to separate the brawling pair, pinning Delwen to the ground to prevent further violence. Police were called.
It seemed the fight was over.
Fearing that the police might drag him into the mess, James decided to follow Amanda out.
Suddenly, he realized Tailsa was not following him.
He looked back and noticed her standing there.
He walked back to hold Tailsa.
"Is that your ex-girlfriend, James?" Tailsa asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
Anna's behavior had completely shattered her worldview.
She looked at James with disbelief, unable to comprehend how he could have ever been involved with such a woman.
James immediately distanced himself from Anna.
"I swear, we were completely platonic. I never even touched her hand."
Tailsa frowned, sensing there was more to the story, but she didn't press him.
A wise woman knew not to pry into a man's secrets.
She casually linked her arm through his.
It was as if they had returned to the day before yesterday, their intimacy seemingly untouched by the earlier drama.
"Where are we going, James?" Tailsa asked, tilting her head.
James, unsure of their destination, turned to Amanda, who was waiting for them by the entrance.
"Hey, sis, where should we go?"
But the moment the words left his mouth, he felt a sharp, twisting pain in his arm.
"Ow..." James winced, turning to Tailsa with a confused look. "What was that for?"
Tailsa huffed, "I asked you where we're going. Why are you asking her?"
"Well... aren't we all together now?"
James had assumed that Tailsa staying meant she was willing to coexist peacefully with Amanda.
He'd even entertained the idea of having them both by his side.
But it seemed Tailsa had other plans. His eyes widened in surprise.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. I haven't forgotten what you did."
Tailsa discreetly assessed Amanda. The woman wasn't particularly busty or curvy,
but her oval face was undeniably pretty, and her demeanor was poised and elegant.
Her cool, aloof gaze might seem unapproachable, but Tailsa knew how alluring those eyes could be to men.
As she scrutinized Amanda, their eyes met.
Amanda smiled warmly, seemingly unfazed by Tailsa clinging to James's arm.
A sense of unease settled over Tailsa.
This woman played it low-key yesterday, getting me to lower my guard so she could get close to James, she thought. And even when she's caught red-handed, she's all smiles. This is a pro.
"Tailsa, what do you want to shop for? We can go without the guys," Amanda suggested, smiling at the tense-looking Tailsa.
"Hmph, she wants my place? Dream on."
Muttering under her breath, Tailsa put on a bright smile and replied,
"You should focus on taking care of Timmy, Sis. James and I will be fine."
"Tailsa's so pretty, surely you're not worried about him running off?" Amanda teased.
"Who knows? He might suddenly get desperate," Tailsa retorted, shooting a pointed look at James.
Amanda sensed the girl's hostility but remained calm. "A man might cheat because his woman isn't capable enough," she said calmly.
"Hmph. I guess I can't compete with you, Sis. Calling him 'little brother' to his face, and who knows what behind his back."
"That hurts, Tailsa. I thought we got along well last night."
The memory of last night irked Tailsa. If only she had gone to pick James up.
"I almost considered you an older sister last night, and here you are, making a move on my man."
Amanda smiled faintly. "I wouldn't dream of it. You saw it yourselfâhe made the first move. What's a weak woman like me supposed to do?"
The two women exchanged verbal jabs, their words laced with hidden meanings.
"Let's go, James. Don't pay attention to that fox," Tailsa said, tugging on James's arm, ready to leave.
Amanda watched them, a playful smile on her lips, curious to see what James would do.
James glanced between the two women, and swallowed nervously.