For Better And For Worse
Chapter 44

Fountain bar.

Commander Léon and Corneille meet face to face in the VIP room to discuss. We serve them a drink.

Corneille: Commander Léon, you had quite a reputation.

Léon: as for you, never heard of it.

Corn: I know how to cover my back and stay discreet.

Leon: I see. How long have you been in the circuit?

Corn: For quite a long time. So, it seems you want to do business with me?

Leon: That’s right!

Corn: that surprises me a lot coming from you.

Léon: I know, but sometimes life leaves us no choice.

Corn: If there’s one thing I know, it’s that you always have a choice.

Leon: I guess you have all the information about me so tell me what choice I have in my situation where I can’t replace a job anywhere, even a job as a bodyguard or guard or anything. I know that here you will accept me with open arms and that is the only choice I have left.

Corn: I see. According to Jeff, you’re clean but I don’t trust easily so if you want to earn my trust, you’ll have to prove yourself.

Léon: naturally!

Corn: Good. In this case, you will continue to work with Jeff until I deem you suitable to work for me.

Léon: okay, I’ll be happy with that.

Corn: Well, that’ll be it. Actually no, one last question.

Leon: go ahead!

Corn: Do you know the vigilante who attacked you?

Leon: no.

Corn: Should I be worried?

Léon: no, I don’t think so, but if he repeats it, we could be worried.

Corn: Thank you.

He stands up to hug him and slips a tracker into his pocket. Léon leaves and goes straight home. Corneille joins Prosper.

Corn: does the tracker work?

Prosper: Correctly. I think he’s going home.

Corn: Watch him, I want to know his every move, I want to know where he goes, the places he frequents and I’ll see if he’s really dealing my drugs.

Prosper: Okay, I’ll keep you informed of his whereabouts.

Cornelius leaves. Meanwhile at home, Léon is also suspicious of Corneille so he searches around and replaces the tracker in his pocket.

Leon: holy shit! He wants to follow my movements, know where I’m going to deal. You won’t get me that easily.

He puts down his jacket and goes to grab a beer from his fridge then he calls Commander Boris to tell him about his meeting with Corneille. After that, he sits down and takes the photo of his wife and daughter to look.

Krist’s home.

Before going to work, Claire stops by Krist’s this morning. Stella comes to open the door.

Claire: hello.

Stella: yes hello.

Claire: is this Mr. Krist’s home?

Stella: yes, but he’s not here.

Claire: It’s for his wife that I’m here. Is she present?

Stella: Come in!

She enters and Stella warns Isabelle before bringing her inside.

Claire: hello Ms. Krist.

Isabelle: hello. Who are you ?

Claire: My name is Claire and I am a nurse. I work at the prison where your husband is locked up.

Isabelle: It’s true!

Claire: Yes. It’s him who sent me.

Isabelle was filled with emotions upon hearing this and cried. She calls Stella who joins them.

Isabelle: tell me how he is?

Claire: he experiences problems every day, but he is strong so he holds on.

Isabelle: my God, I can’t even imagine what he’s going through.

Claire: It’s not easy for him. He asked me to tell you not to worry and also, he wants to know how you, your baby and a certain Stella are doing.

Isabelle: don’t worry, it’s impossible and how I’m doing, I don’t know. I’m trying to stay alive, especially since I’m categorically forbidden to see him.

Claire: what? You are forbidden to see him, why?

Stella: we don’t know, we went to visit him several times but we were refused to see him.

Claire: I can imagine how hard that must be.

Isabelle: you have no idea, it’s almost unbearable.

Claire: What should I go back and tell him?

Isabelle: tell him that I’m trying to get better as he asked me and our baby is also doing wonderfully. Tell him that I miss him very much and that I think of him every moment. And I hope we can meet again soon.

Stella: tell him that I’m fine too. My studies are also progressing well. Except we miss him a lot.

Claire: Okay, I’ll pass it on to him. Now I have to leave.

Stella: breakfast is ready, if you want to come with us to chat a little more?

Claire: Okay.

So they sit down at the table and Claire asks Isabelle to tell her her story with Krist. And she tells him the main points of their story. Claire was saddened and sorry.

Claire: I’m so sorry Isabelle but Krist doesn’t deserve you after all the sacrifice you made for him.

Isabelle: what do you mean, what do you mean?

Claire: He begged me not to tell you and I promised him.

Stella: begged not to tell him what?

Claire: I swear I didn’t know he’s married. I had a crush on him and he took advantage of it. He had a moment of weakness and… I’m sorry.

Stella: be clearer Miss Claire.

Claire: we slept together.

Isabelle: what?

Claire: I didn’t know he was married, believe me, I’m sorry.

Isabelle: you’re sorry, you slept with my husband!

Isabelle gets up to grab him by the neck and wants to strangle him. It took Stella’s intervention to release her.

Isabelle: how dare you do that?

Claire: I’m sorry!

Stella: leave ma’am!

Claire comes out and leaves. Isabelle keeps crying and crying again. This news hurt like hell. Stella tried to console her in vain.

Stella: don’t believe what this girl says Isabelle, you know your husband, you know he can never do that. I’m sure this girl made this up just to destabilize you and try to steal your husband, please don’t believe her.

It’s at this moment that she begins to calm down a little and eventually calms down.

Stella: listen to what your heart tells you Isabelle, don’t doubt your husband.

Isabelle: you’re right Stella, Krist can’t do that to me.

Stella: words only hurt when you take them the wrong way, so don’t believe her. Tell yourself she told lies.

Isabelle: yes, they are lies, nothing but lies. There’s no way Krist will cheat on me, ever.

Stella: Are you better now?

Isabelle: yes it’s okay, thank you.

Stella: Well, then I have to go to college.

Isabelle: ok, go ahead!

Stella therefore leaves her and goes to university. As for her, she gets up and goes to take her photo with Krist to watch.

Isabelle: I refuse to believe that you did this to me, I was wrong to doubt you my love, forgive me.

She k****s the photo and gets up to go wash, then she is about to go to the living room when he receives a message from Doctor Roger wishing him a good day. She changes plans and goes to Roger’s house to see his wife.

Home of Doctor Roger.

Isabelle arrives at the doctor’s home and fortunately, she still replaces his wife at home. First, Roger’s 15-year-old daughter comes to open the door and takes her to her mother.

Isabelle: hello Madame Clémence.

Clémence: hello, do we know each other?

Isabelle: no, but I know your husband.

Clemence: Please sit down.

Isabelle: thank you.

She sits down and Clémence sends her daughter to bring her a drink. As for them, they continue to discuss.

Clémence: so who are you and how do you know my husband?

Isabelle: My name is Isabelle, I worked as a midwife in the Renaissance hospital under his direction.

Clémence: were you working?

Isabelle: yes.

Clemence: what happened?

Isabelle: he fired me.

Clemence: why?

Isabelle: for a personal reason and not for a mistake I made or a job I did poorly.

Clémence: oh yes, and if you tell me more clearly.

Isabelle: Can I ask you a question first?

Clemence: go ahead!

Isabelle: what kind of man is your husband?

Clémence: he is a man with many qualities: friendly, generous, respectable, hardworking, honest, honorable, etc. and above all, a good husband and father. Tell me why this question?

Isabelle: well, respectable and hardworking, okay. But honorable and good husband, I doubt it.

Clémence: why do you say that?

Isabelle: he fired me because I rejected his advances and refused to sleep with him.

Clemence: enough madam, I will not allow you to make false allegations against my husband and sully his reputation.

Isabelle: Yet it’s the truth ma’am. Until today, he continues to harass me.

Clémence: I don’t believe you.

Isabelle: That doesn’t surprise me. When I threatened him to come and talk to you about everything, he told me that you wouldn’t believe me.

Clémence: where is the evidence for your allegations?

Isabelle: I have no proof but I ask you to believe me. If I decided to come see you, it’s because I’m fed up. He even tried to rape me ma’am, believe me. Please do something to make him leave me alone.

Clémence: get out of my house!

Isabelle: madam, I…

Clémence: I am asking you to go out.

Isabelle: ok, I’m leaving but know that I too am a married woman and I will never invent such things to disturb the stability of your home. Bye Madam.

She leaves and goes home. Clémence, for her part, is completely upset. Even if she doesn’t want to believe everything Isabelle said, she still feels bad. She could never imagine her husband capable of such a thing. She sits down and holds her head with her hands.

Clémence: you can’t do that to me Roger, no, no you can’t!