3. Kicked Out
1200 Words
"Iris, where are you? We need to talk!"
William's shout reached all the way up to the second floor. Iris took a deep breath, trying to steel her resolve. In the end, she had to face what had to be faced.
Iris delayed saying goodbye to her father and went downstairs. She saw that William had already entered the house and was waiting for her with an angry expression.
Georgina, who had opened the door, smiled innocently at Iris. "You two talk. I won't interrupt," she said before walking away.
William glanced at Georgina briefly before turning his gaze back to Iris. "Don't you have anything to say to me?" he asked coldly.
"What do you want to hear?" Iris asked innocently. She smiled and affectionately hugged William's arm. "Why are you so angry, honey? Did something bad happen?"
William roughly pushed Iris's hand away and snapped, "You think I don't know what you did last night?!"
"What did I do last night?" Iris continued to pretend. She liked seeing William angry and upset.
Suddenly, the man grabbed her arm and yelled, "You cheated on me, Iris! You slept with Archer!"
"Oh, really?" Iris raised her eyebrows.
"You know you can't accuse someone without proof," she continued, still calm.
William snorted and showed Iris his phone, which displayed a photo of her sleeping next to Archer. He smiled crookedly. "You can't deny it!"
Iris stared at the photo blankly. If William had set her up, it would have been very easy for him to take that photo. She asked, "Where did you get that photo?"
"Someone sent it to me. Why? Are you surprised? Are you scared now?" The man glared, and Iris chuckled.
"Surprised? Of course. But scared?" She laughed loudly. "Why should I be scared? Since you already know I'm having an affair with your bodyguard, I won't hide it anymore."
William was shocked to hear that. He was silent, completely surprised that Iris would admit to the affair. Why didn't she deny it?
"Iris, you..."
Iris chuckled and then looked William up and down with a condescending and mocking gaze. It immediately irritated him.
"What do you mean by that look, huh?!" screamed the curly-haired man.
"William, William..."
Iris pushed William's hand away and crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you know what I've been wanting to tell you all this time?"
"What?" William immediately asked.
"You are quite handsome, but you are still not as handsome and charming as Archer. He is the man of my dreams. How could I not be tempted by him?"
That confession really offended and angered William. Iris had never complained about his appearance before. She had also never admired another man. So he thought Iris never cared about his physical appearance.
Why was she now comparing him to Archer?
"Archer is just a bodyguard! Even if he is a little more handsome than I am, so what?! He won't be able to spoil a woman with luxury things! You will suffer!" William screamed. Iris's provocative words hurt his ego.
"Oh yeah? I'm not worried about wealth. Anyway, I can make my own money. I'm more worried about not being able to wake up in the arms of a handsome, manly, and sexy man," Iris replied, twirling the end of her hair. She chuckled amusedly at her own words.
"Iris, you're getting more and more shameless!" Suddenly, another shout was heard from the stairs. It was Christopher who had come because he heard their argument.
"Dad..." Iris quickly corrected her expression.
"You made a mistake. Instead of apologizing, you provoked William?" Christopher's gaze was cold.
Iris looked down with a slight pout. She hadn't done anything wrong. Why should she apologize?
"Uncle, Iris cheated on me, not with someone else but with my bodyguard. It's really disappointing. How could I marry a woman who has slept with another man?" William complained sadly.
Christopher sighed deeply. "Here, Iris is indeed at fault. I have decided to cancel your engagement," he said.
William's eyes lit up upon hearing this. However, he quickly changed his expression to one of despair. "But how am I supposed to explain this to my grandfather? He arranged the engagement. I'm worried..."
"I will explain it to Mr. Collins. I just want you to keep this matter confidential. After all, the Johnson family's reputation could be tarnished," Christopher said seriously. For him, the family's reputation was above all else.
"Of course." William nodded confidently.
Christopher looked at Iris and asked coldly, "Do you still not want to apologize to William?"
Iris lifted her face and straightened her back. She smiled flatly at Christopher. "I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I apologize?" she asked boldly.
Suddenly, Christopher raised his hand, and in the next second, the sound of a loud slap echoed through the room. He slapped Iris! Everyone who saw it was shocked, including Finch, who had just arrived.
"Chris! What the hell are you doing!" Finch shouted as he pushed his wheelchair. He was furious about what Christopher had just done. How could he slap his daughter?
"Father, don't protect her anymore! Mila is so polite and well-mannered, but her daughter is really insolent! How shameless!" Christopher yelled until his face turned red.
"But you don't have to hit her! She's my granddaughter!" Finch yelled back. After that, he hurriedly approached Iris and checked her red cheek. "Does it hurt, dear?"
Iris closed her eyes and smiled bitterly. Her cheek hurt, but her heart hurt even more. Christopher trusted outsiders more than her, his own daughter. He had even slapped her. How could she still be okay?
"Grandpa, I didn't do anything wrong. Even if I have to leave this house, I will never apologize," Iris said, holding back her tears.
"Then get out of here now!" Christopher screamed.
"Fine!"
Iris gritted her teeth. She turned around, grabbed her suitcase, and walked out of the Johnson family mansion. Without hesitation.
Perhaps someone was secretly smiling triumphantly at her departure. But Iris swore she would make anyone who was her enemy pay for what had happened.
"Today's defeat is only temporary. Whoever you are, I will make you pay a higher price!" Iris said with determination.
She walked the streets of Los Angeles, ignoring the strange looks from others. She walked for almost two hours. Her feet hurt and ached, but she didn't stop.
After walking for a long time, Iris's emotions evaporated, and she became more stable. When she realized it, she had arrived at an ordinary-looking apartment. Not an elite apartment.
Iris swallowed hard as she looked at the closed door of the unit. The man had given her the address before leaving, and somehow she remembered it clearly.
"Do I really have to do this?" Iris muttered to herself. She bit her lip, feeling uncertain.
"Maybe I should think about it again."
Iris nodded several times. As she was about to turn away, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind.
"You're here early, Miss..."
She startled and turned to see Archer walking toward her.
Yes, Archer. And the man was smiling, as if he had bet that she would come. And he had won.
- Writer
