The Rise of David
Copyright© 2025 by RichXpower
Chapter 61: A Misunderstanding
“All right!” Tommy nodded.
Just when Tommy was looking around for a mechanic while driving, he noticed a red Mercedes-Benz tailing them.
“Mr. Chance, we have a situation,” Tommy remarked as he glanced in his rearview mirror.
Turning around to look, David said anxiously, “Find someplace secluded. It’s too crowded here on the main street!”
Tommy made a sharp turn and sped toward the outskirts of Yeringham, and the red Mercedes-Benz continued to follow them closely.
Realizing that they were being followed, Josephine blanched, and her body began to tremble.
David put his arm around her shoulders and reassured her, “Don’t worry. Everything will be all right.”.
Tommy stopped the car when they arrived at a secluded area. Subsequently, the red Mercedes-Benz behind them jammed its brakes and screeched to a halt.
David got out of the car with his arm around the terrified Josephine.
From the driver’s seat of the red Mercedes-Benz, a short-haired girl with exquisite features alighted. Her round and petite face made her look just like a doll.
David and Tommy were stunned to see her, as she didn’t look like an assassin at all. Holding a wrench in her hand, she stared at David and Tommy with fear.
“Who are you? Let my cousin go, or I’ll call the police”
The girl’s hand was trembling violently as she pointed her wrench in David’s direction.
Shocked, David and Tommy turned to look at Josephine, whose eyes were filled with tears. She was so overwhelmed with emotions that she could barely speak.
“Frida, you’ve grown so tall that I barely recognize you!” Josephine ran toward the girl and gave her a hug.
Bewildered by Josephine’s reaction, Frida looked at David before returning her attention to Josephine. “Josephine, y-you weren’t kidnapped by these two?” Frida asked.
“Kidnapped?” Josephine was dumbstruck. Then, bursting into laughter, she said, “What are you talking about? They are my friends. Let me introduce them to you!”
She held Frida’s hand and brought her to David. “This is my cousin, Frida Shaw. Frida, this is David Chance and Tommy Lewis.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” David extended his hand for a handshake.
Blushing red in embarrassment, Frida shook his hand. “I’m really sorry to have mistaken you for criminals.”
It turned out that Frida had noticed the terrified expression on Josephine’s face when she was in David’s arms earlier in the car and because their car had been damaged from behind, she couldn’t help but assume that Josephine had been kidnapped.
Hence, she had called the police while following their car. However, she now realized that it was nothing but a misunderstanding.
“Thank God we got that cleared up. You gave me a scare. We thought you were a baddie too!” Josephine replied in delight.
“Josephine, what happened to your car? What are you doing in Yeringham?” Frida asked curiously. “We’re here to buy some herbs. As for the car, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it next time.” Josephine didn’t want Frida to know too much, as it would only endanger her.
“In that case, let’s go in my car. I’m on my way to have lunch with my sister. She will definitely be ecstatic if she knows you’re here!”
Frida did not ask further as she tugged Josephine straight toward her car.
Seeing that, David instructed Tommy, “Get the car repaired. We’ll stay in touch over the phone.”
After nodding in acknowledgment, Tommy left in the car. As for David, he followed Josephine into Frida’s car and sat in the back.
Josephine and Frida chatted incessantly, as they had not met each other in a few years. “Josephine, which company does your boyfriend own?” Frida inquired.
“He isn’t my boyfriend!” Josephine shook her head.
“Cut the crap. I saw it with my own eyes. If he wasn’t your boyfriend, would you have sat with him and let him hug you? Did you sneak out without your dad’s knowledge?”
Frida grinned cheekily at Josephine.
“No, my dad knows that we’re here in Yeringham,” Josephine explained at once...
She was worried that Frida would assume that she was eloping and give William a call.
“Hey, handsome, which company do you own? Since Josephine has the hots for you, you must really be something, huh?” Frida asked David mischievously. She was no longer afraid of him.
David smiled plainly. “I don’t own any. I’m unemployed and relying on your cousin for living expenses. In fact, she bought me these clothes.”
Indeed, Josephine was the one who bought the suit he was wearing. “A kept man?” Frida let out a Freudian slip.
“Frida, stop spewing nonsense!” Josephine glared at her before giving David an apologetic look. “David, I hope you don’t mind. My cousin can be overly frank sometimes.”
David simply smiled. “Good, I like people like that.”
“It’s useless for you to like me. I’ll be your relative soon!” Frida teased.
David responded with an awkward chuckle. Even though she has a sharp tongue and straightforward character, she does resemble Josephine quite a bit.
Soon, the three of them arrived at a restaurant. After parking the car, Frida led David and Josephine inside.
Sitting at a table by the corner, a lady with long wavy hair was looking intently at her phone. With a pair of sunglasses hanging in front of her chest, she exuded the charm of a career woman.
Frida walked up to her and exclaimed in excitement, “Yas, look who’s here?”
The lady was stunned the moment she looked up. Josephine started, “Yasmin, can you recognize me?” “Josephine?” Yasmin quickly got to her feet. “What brings you here? Quick, have a seat.”
“My friends and I are here to buy some herbs,” Josephine said as she took a seat beside Yasmin.
Only then did Yasmin notice David’s presence. After checking him out, she gave him a slight nod and extended her hand. “I’m Yasmin Shaw, Josephine’s cousin.”
“David Chance, Josephine’s friend.” David shook Yasmin’s hand in return.
After they were seated, Yasmin grinned at Josephine and asked softly, “Josephine, who is he? He looks really sharp! Well done, you!”
“Yas, stop asking. He’s...”
Frida pulled Yasmin aside and whispered a few words into her ear.
Yasmin’s face visibly darkened after that. In fact, the way she looked at David had drastically changed.
“Josephine, you have to be careful in choosing a boyfriend. You’re attractive. I’m sure you have many suitors. You’re still young, so you have to keep your eyes out for those who will seek to deceive you, or else it will be too late for regrets once you’re married.”
Even though Yasmin was speaking to Josephine, her words were clearly aimed at David. “Yasmin, you have misunderstood. Actually—”
“There’s no need to explain. I know everything. I was once your age,” Yasmin interrupted.
She then turned to David and sneered, “What’s your reason for being unemployed? Do you enjoy being a kept man?”
Realizing that Yasmin was picking on him, David looked on helplessly and didn’t know how to answer her.
“Yasmin, who’s a kept man? Does kept man still exist in this society?”
At that moment, a handsome man who was one point eight meters tall walked in.
“Zeke, you’re finally here! Why are you always late?” Frida said in a piping voice when she saw the man.
“I was held up by a business meeting. As usual, it will be my treat to make up for it. So please, go ahead and order whatever you want,” Zeke replied with a smile as he checked out Josephine.
“This is my cousin, Josephine, and this is her boyfriend, David,” Frida introduced them both to Zeke. “Hi, I’m Zeke Griffin. Yasmin’s boyfriend.”
Zeke extended his hand in a chivalrous manner to both of them. Meanwhile, Frida vacated her seat so that Zeke could sit with Yasmin.
“What are you chatting about to even broach the topic of a kept man?” Zeke asked Yasmin after settling down.
“It was just a casual remark. My cousin, who is the daughter of the richest man in Horington, found a loafer for a boyfriend. She even bought his clothes. If this isn’t the definition of a kept man, what is?”
Yasmin sighed in disappointment.
David grimaced. Even though Yasmin’s comments were well-intentioned on Josephine’s account, her incessant attacks infuriated him.
Sensing the change in David’s mood, Zeke said to Yasmin, “Not necessarily. It doesn’t matter if they come from different backgrounds. In fact, David seems like someone pretty capable to me. As long as he works hard, he will achieve success too. We shouldn’t look down upon others.”
After he finished, he nodded apologetically at David. “David, please don’t mind her. She has always been this straightforward.”
“Not at all. She was only looking after Josephine.”
David’s anger slowly dissipated, as he had a good impression of Zeke.
“Anyway, let’s order, shall we? This meal will be on me, so don’t any of you fight me for it!” Zeke called for the waiter and began ordering.