42. A Bad Rumour

Just as Arleena had expected. From a few meters away, Justin stopped walking and watched Arleena with a smirk. Arleena gritted her teeth, showing her annoyance to Justin. "Ah, right. It would be rude to arrive without saying hello. Hello, everyone. We haven't seen each other in a while," Justin greeted, waving at everyone at the table. No one returned Justin's greeting. The people at the long table were still looking at each other with confused expressions. Some of them looked at Arleena with suspicious eyes. "Hey, Arleena. Do you have kids yet?" asked Kate, one of Arleena's schoolmates. Arleena was suddenly awkward where she stood. She then pulled out one of the chairs and sat there. "It's not like that. I don't have kids, would you believe what Justin said?" Arleena asked back. "Arleena, you better not be lying. You just canceled our wedding plans and already found a replacement groom!" Justin accused. Arleena turned to Justin and gave him a very sharp look. What had that crazy man just said? Why was Justin twisting the blame in front of everyone at this table? "Hey! You cheated on me, asshole! How can I go through with a marriage with a guy like you?" After Arleena's words were spoken, suddenly everyone was shocked. They gaped and looked back at each other, incredulous at the fact. "Justin, are you cheating on Arleena?" one of their schoolmates asked. Justin who got the accusation immediately put on an unaccepting expression. He was surprised for a moment, then pointed at Arleena. "I cheated on Arleena because I couldn't stand her attitude! The problem isn't the affair, it's that Arleena also has another man!" Justin accused without guilt. Arleena glared even more at Justin's accusations. "Hey! Why are you accusing me like that?! You were the one who cheated on me, but you're accusing me now?!" Arleena replied to Justin's words unhappily. "Hey, hey, never mind! Why do you need to argue here?!" one of Arleena's coworkers, who also knew Justin. Arleena looked at her friend who had just spoken and pointed at Justin. "I didn't start anything, he accused me of that!" said Arleena firmly. "I came here nicely, who invited him?" "Invited him?" Justin quoted Arleena. He walked up to Arleena with a fierce glare. "Hey, no one invited me. I just happened to be passing by and saw you here. Is it wrong for me to say hello?" "Of course because we're not supposed to meet! Look now. You've come to make a scene!" Arleena couldn't stop railing against Justin for being so annoyed. A furious Justin looked at Arleena fiercely. And at that moment Arleena also returned Justin's fierce stare. Arleena also stood up from her chair and gyrated her waist in front of Justin. "I was just greeting you. What's wrong with that? Besides, why are you trying so hard to cover up that you have a child with another man?" asked Justin accusingly. Arleena glared. She could hear several people around her holding their breath in surprise. When she looked around, she saw her coworkers looking confused. Arleena had a feeling that Justin was going to talk even more. Some of her friends already seemed to believe Justin's words. "Arleena, I also heard that you married another man and called off the wedding with Justin..." Arleena was suddenly awkward. Now, she was the one getting accusing looks from her coworkers. "I don't know why you're looking at me like that right now. Is it because I look untrustworthy?" Arleena asked her coworkers. "Actually, we want to believe you, but... we find it odd that your marriage is suddenly canceled," said one of Arleena's coworkers. "I already explained, he cheated on me. Even cheated on me behind my back a week before the wedding!" replied Arleena. Then there was silence. Arleena's coworkers were still looking at each other, this time they confirmed with each other. They were unsure whether to believe Arleena's words or not. "Do I need to maintain a relationship with someone who cheated on me behind my back?" Arleena asked in a fierce tone. "Hey, what's the difference with you? You even found a replacement groom right away," Justin said, then laughed dismissively. Arleena laughed sarcastically. "That's because I couldn't get a wedding refund! You didn't even spend any money on the wedding, and I'm not going to let my money go to waste!" "Oh, so you let just any guy be your husband? Or was it a guy you just met and you were forced to get married because you already had kids?" Justin asked. Arleena's hand spontaneously swung to slap Justin's face. This caused a stir among Arleena's coworkers. "Hey, what's going on?" "Arleena, why did you slap him?" "Gosh it looks like Arleena is very angry. Why is she acting like that?" "Arleena must have been very upset, but I don't know if I should believe her or that guy from her ex-boyfriend." The whispers among Arleena's coworkers rang in Arleena's ears. Where she stood, Arleena felt the rush of her breath. She didn't care about the whispered conversations around her as she stared intently at Justin. Justin was still holding her cheek with a sharp gaze at Arleena. He didn't expect her to slap him like this. "Why are you putting me as the guilty party in our relationship?" Arleena asked. "Don't spread false rumors! You should just move on with your new lover!" Justin couldn't help but laugh sarcastically. Before there could be any more conversation between them, Katerine approached. With a wary expression on her face, she spread her hands. "Enough! You don't need to fight over something that doesn't matter!" Katerine said firmly. "If there are any unfinished business between you two, you'd better leave now!" Arleena looked at Katerine. "Kate, just kick her out of here. I have no business with her." Katerine, who had been confused, was finally forced to agree to Arleena's request. She turned to Justin and stood in front of him. "Did you hear? Arleena doesn't want to see you here. You'd better leave," Katerine retorted. "You're not one of us anyway." Justin looked at Katerina sharply and annoyed, then his gaze shifted to Arleena. "You shouldn't have accepted her coming here. Isn't someone with a child not allowed to work?" Katerine immediately chuckled, getting more and more annoyed as Justin didn't stop saying that. Katerine raised both her hands while waving them repeatedly. "Go, now!"