The Emergence of Raphael Gauthier

CHAPTER 3: A PIECE OF HIS MIND

The cop men created a bit of privacy when they behold Laurent and Emma walking towards Raphael, they knew they were the ones trailing them from a distance.

The cop men winked at them, they clearly understood they would want to have a moment with their acclaimed son-in-law before his detention.

“Newsflash? I'm certain y'all plotted all these against me,” Raphael blurted out in confidence.

“How could y'all be so cold-hearted to falsely brand me a thief? Huh?” He couldn't help but inquire, veins appearing on his forehead in fury.

His family in-laws smirked and tutted their lips in ridicule. “Pauper, we advised you but you were so adamant and stubborn. Now look at you. Everyone believed you're a thief,” his father-in-law unleashed his heartfelt pleasure to Raphael's predicament.

“You brought all these upon your impoverished self, stay off from our lives and walk away from our daughter, but you blatantly refused to buy our candid advice all these years,” Emma aligned with her husband and mocked him further.

Raphael shook his head in disbelief and drew out a deep breath in rage. “You mean you all pull all these stunts because I declined your request to divorce Chloe?”

He didn't hesitate in pouring his heart as he continued. “You're supposed to be ashamed of yourselves,” he vigorously responded to his family in-laws who flinched in shock at their son-in-law's unwavering confidence.

“Have you for a moment thought about your daughter to know her stance on this? Do you all even truly care about her?" He firmly questioned, his eyebrows raised against them.

Mr and Mrs Moreau's blood boiled in anger, for the fact that Raphael isn't demoralized even after the successful scheme and arrest, bothered them the most. 'How could he still be damn resolute?' they simultaneously pondered in their hearts as their eyes still stayed glued against his.

“You all know I stole nothing. I'll be vindicated, it's all a matter of time,” He kept voicing in a resolute tone.

Mrs. Emma scoffed in contempt. "Come on grow up Raphael and stop daydreaming. No one would believe you. You've got no evidence to prove your innocence. It's our world against yours,” she responded, striving to spite him the most.

“We found the stolen money in your bag. We have a witness who maintained he saw you hiding the cash. No escape for you dear stupid son-in-law,” she explicitly drew him back to his reality in a calm but provocative manner.

Raphael blinked twice in disbelief. He knew what his mother-in-law had uttered was the bitter truth. It seemed all empirical evidence was forged against him. A painstaking scheme well played against him.

“What do you all want?” He asked, turning his gaze towards Mr Laurent who had been silent for a couple of minutes wearing a smirk expression on his face.

“Ohh! Seems like the dummy has finally got some brains. It's simple.”

“Consent to divorce our dearest daughter. You've got no future with Chloe not as long as we breathe,” he demanded and assured Raphael with a stiffened face.

“We've already got a better man for our daughter. He's wealthy and with him, Chloe's future is secured. Accept our demands and have yourself not detained,” Mrs Emma let the cat out of the bag.

Raphael pondered on his family-in-law's requests and conditions. For five years of being married to their daughter, all he's known was hatred and humiliation. Could it be time for him to accept their demands and find a new path for himself?

‘What happens if I'm not able to prove my innocence?’

‘Do I even have the funds to hire a lawyer? They've got all these planned out’ he kept muttering to himself in drifted thoughts whilst Mr and Mrs Moreau waited for his final decision regarding their incessant request.

Raphael abruptly cleared his throat and leaned further toward their faces. “My answer is still an outright no,” he responded in contempt, rolling his eyes against them.

The Moreau breathed out an exasperated sigh at his response after hoping he'd finally budge to their demands.

“I genuinely love your daughter, unlike you all who want to trade her because of money, huh? I stand by your daughter and would allow her to decide to be with me or be with your so-called wealthy man.”

“After staining my image, you want me to divorce your daughter without her consent? Never!” Raphael's boldness and choice of words annoyed the hell out of his family-in-law. They didn't fathom why he'd be so stubborn and impenetrable.

Suddenly Mr. Laurent's phone buzzed loudly and he glanced at it to know the caller. He winked at his wife and ambled a little further to communicate with the caller.

He returned in about five minutes wearing a cheerful facial expression unlike a couple of minutes when Raphael continually annoyed him.

He quickly whispered to his wife who seemed excited with what he muttered in her ear.

'Why do they seem so happy after that phone call? Who could the caller be?" Raphael asked inwardly whilst he maintained eye contact to know if he could deduce extra information.

Mr and Mrs Moreau winked at one of the policemen who had stood a few miles away from them.

“You can have him freed if he had money to bail himself.”

Laurent mockingly expressed with a smirk against him whilst his wife sneered before they ambled back to their car and zoomed off.

“Hey pauper, would you want to be detained or have yourself bailed?” one of the copemen asked, wearing a serious expression, his tone belittling.

His mind wondered why his father-in-law suddenly didn't want to have him detained after the mastermind scheme to have him arrested.

‘What the hell are those two up to?’ he kept asking inwardly.

Raphael had worked under The Moreau's for six years before he got married to their daughter. Hence he'd likely perceive when something was off.

“Detain him at once, he's got no money for bail,”  the other two cop men grew impatient about dragging him into the police entrance gate.

Raphael didn't need a soothsayer to deduce the cop men lacked integrity and had already been paid off by the Moreau's.

“Wait officers, I've got some money,” he abruptly said to avoid being dragged into the police cell.

Raphael sank his right finger into his pocket and brought some cash which he handed over to one of the cop men who stylishly received it.

“I guess I'm no longer under arrest?”