Chapter 17

Eric did not take Irvin seriously. An ordinary Joe like him preferred to live a simple and peaceful life.

Once Mr. Johnson recovered and was discharged from the hospital, Eric would resume seeking other job opportunities. Given his skills and capabilities, he should be able to secure a new job. As for his marriage with Sylvia, he decided to take it one step at a time and see how things would unfold for them.

Eric reminded Mrs. Johnson to take her medication on time and left the hospital in the afternoon. The nurses attending to Mr. Johnson would also remind her at times, so there was nothing for him to be worried about.

Eric was heading to the supermarket to get groceries when someone grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey bro, do you have some cash on you? Can you lend me some?" asked a man.

Eric touched his pockets and said, "Sorry man, I don't have a single penny on me."

Eric was surprised. Who would carry a large amount of cash in this time and era?

"No worries." The man chuckled, pulled out his phone, and turned on a QR code. "It's important to keep up with technology."

Eric's expression darkened. He pushed the man away and ran as fast as he could. The compensation he had gotten from David was in his bank account, and there was no way he would allow them to take it away from him. Alas, the muggers were too fast for him.

The leader of the group sneered. "Son of a b*tch! You can't outrun us! Get his phone, guys! There must be money in his account!"

His lackeys charged toward Eric.

Eric refused to give in and swung his fist out of desperation.

-

Back in the Rosewood Estate.

Sylvia had been waiting for Eric. It was way past the time when Eric would have normally returned. Eric should give her a call if he was not coming home.

Sylvia furrowed her brow. She was about to text Eric when her phone suddenly rang.

"Hello, who is this?" asked Sylvia.

"Is this Ms. Sylvia? Good day, ma'am. I'm calling from the police department. Your husband is being detained at the police station for getting involved in a fight on the street. We kindly request you to come and bail him out."

Sylvia was rendered speechless. She quickly dressed up and went to the police station. When Sylvia saw Eric, he had a bruise on his face. However, he was in better shape than the group of thugs who had tried to mug him.

After understanding the situation briefly, Sylvia bailed Eric out with $450.

"They tried to mug me." Eric lowered his head like a child who had made a mistake.

Sylvia glanced at Eric. "I heard what happened. If this happens again in the future, just give me a call."

Eric was perplexed. Why would Sylvia want to get involved in a troublesome situation?

Sylvia ignored Eric and texted Brook, asking him to investigate the men who had tried to mug Eric. The investigation led Brook to David.

"That b*stard!" Brook scoffed. "I'll let you enjoy the moment and deal with you later!"

Brook shared the findings of his investigation with Sylvia.

Brook: [What do you think, Sylvia? Do you want me to intervene?]

Sylvia did not reply to Brook's message.

The next day, she went to the hospital, and Eric was surprised to see her.

"What are you staring at? Let's go," said Sylvia.

Eric realized she had purposely come to take him home, probably to avoid the bunch of thugs that messed with him yesterday. Unsurprisingly, the bunch of thugs were waiting for him outside the hospital.

"What a beauty! A gift for us? Thanks, man!" said one of the thugs.

Eric quickly stood between Sylvia and the group of thugs and asked solemnly, "Exactly what do you want from me?"

The leader of the thugs sneered. "Leave the money and woman behind and get lost!"

Outraged, Eric clenched his fists tightly.

At that moment, Sylvia pressed his shoulder and said, "The few of them just want to play. I'll play with them."

"Sylvia!" Eric furrowed his brow. He wondered what she was trying to do.

The group of thugs burst into a fit of laughter.

Sylvia gestured at the group of thugs seductively and said, "Come on."

The group of thugs charged toward Sylvia like hungry predators.

Eric clenched his fists tightly. How was Sylvia going to take down a group of men? He would be filled with regret if Sylvia was injured because of him.

Sylvia might be weaker than a man, but she was skilled. Her strikes were on point, and she quickly took down the group of thugs. She locked the wrist of the group leader and pressed her knee against the back of his neck.

"Tell me, did David Westman send you!?" asked Sylvia.

"Ma'am! Who is David Westman? I don't know him at all!" The man refused to give in.

"Tell me the truth!" she demanded.

Sylvia pressed her knee against the back of his neck with more force, and the man confessed. "Alright! I'll tell you! David sent us!"

Sylvia released the man and looked at Eric. He was in shock at how skilled Sylvia was. Eric had fought the group of thugs yesterday for a few rounds, and he had been punched in the face, but Sylvia managed to take them down within seconds.

Sylvia dusted her hands and said, "I took some lessons in self-defense. A beautiful woman like me should know how to protect herself."

She stood next to Eric and added, "What are you going to do with this matter? David is going to keep messing with you if you don't do anything about it."

Eric frowned. He never expected David to be the instigator. He had been under the impression that the conflict between them was over after David settled his compensation.

"I'll find my way," said Eric.

Eric knew David too well—he did not want David to set his eyes on Sylvia.

"I'll go to his office tomorrow to deal with him," he said. He was ready to retaliate with the evidence Andy had obtained.