—- Chapter 6 “Blake, you promised my parents you’d take care of me. And now you’re just going to stand there and watch your wife bully me? If you hadn’t gotten here in time, I’d be dead by now.” Leila’s eyes were bloodshot, her face full of wounded innocence as she looked up at Blake. The crowd around us turned their disapproving gazes on me. “you’re right,” Blake said, glancing at her and giving aslight nod. Watching him, I cursed myself for ever marrying this man.
I was about to go down swinging, drag him into the depths with me, when he suddenly stepped forward and gripped my hand tightly-so tightly I couldn’t break free. “Then let the investigators handle it,” he said. “Given what just happened, it won’t be hard to figure out the truth from the scene. If Joyce did it, I won’t protect her. But if Joyce is being framed, I’m not letting it go either.” —- The moment the words left his mouth, people in the crowd began nodding.
Someone even ran off to bring the investigators over. Leila stood at the center, trembling, her face drained of color. A few of the wives-sympathetic at the sight of her soaked and shivering-took off their jackets and bundled her up. I sniffed, keeping my head low. ‘What’s taking them so long?” I thought. ‘Just say I did it already so I can get this over with, divorce this man, and go home to eat my mom’s cooking.’ Let someone else stay in this godforsaken place.
Let someone else deal with a man who can’t keep his admirers in check. “T believe you,” Blake whispered. “Just bear with it a little longer. Once your name’s cleared, we’ll go home. You can yell at me or hit me-whatever you want.” The heat of his breath brushed against my ear, making me freeze for a moment. I looked up at him. His eyes held guilt, and for once, his guarded —- expression had softened into something almost cautious. Soon, the investigators arrived.
But things didn’t play out the way I expected. No one covered for anyone. After examining the evidence, they concluded that Leila had jumped into the sea herself. The atmosphere shifted instantly. One by one, the wives came over to apologize to me, their faces stiff with embarrassment. One of the kinder ones glanced at Leila, still sitting silently with her head bowed, and tried to speak up for her. She asked me to be more understanding. After all, the girl had lost her parents young.
“And who’s going to understand my wife?” Blake’s voice rang out. “She came all the way to this island, a place completely unfamiliar to her, and ends up being framed. Who does she turn to?” “Leila, listen carefully,” he continued. “Your life is yours, and your parents were heroes. Their daughter should live with dignity. From now on, I won’t
—- interfere in your life. Take care of yourself.” With that, ignoring everyone’s reactions, ignoring Leila’s cries of indignation behind us, Blake grabbed my hand and walked away. Back at the housing compound, he brought over a steaming bowl of soup and sat down beside me. “When we were on a mission back then,” he said, ” Leila’s father covered for us during the retreat. He was the reason we made it out. That’s why we’ve always tried to give Leila a little more grace.
She’s her family’s only legacy. But now, I realize maybe we spoiled her the wrong way.” He sighed. A moment ago, he had stood like a rock. Now, he looked genuinely lost. I narrowed my eyes. “Let me tell you something. I don’t care if it’s Leila or some other woman. I don’t care if she saved your life or tried to end it.
If I ever catch you tangled up with another woman again, I swear I’ll break all three of your legs and gift-wrap them for her.” —- He laughed out loud at that, catching my fist in his hand. “Alright, alright. Whatever my darling wife says goes. But the night is short… let’s not waste it talking about this.” He took the empty bowl from my hand, set it aside, and slid his arms around my waist, warm and firm. Soon, the world around me blurred, and I slipped quietly into the depths.
