Forgive Me, My Love ~ ReddNook

Chapter 4

Lucifer burst into the resident services to tell Tom and Isabelle about the fraudulent fox, but the building was empty. He walked back outside, puzzled. "Where the hell are they?"

Winnie - who was just watering the flowers that Lucifer had planted around the plaza - looked up and said: "If you're looking for Tom and Isabelle, I just saw them in the park. They seem to be taking a break!"

Lucifer nodded understandably. "All right, thank you!"

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The wind rustling of the trees and the gentle lapping of the fountain made Tom very sleepy. He closed his eyes for a brief moment until he was startled by a gentle thrust in the arm.

"Don't fall asleep, Tom!" Isabelle giggled, who sat next to him on the park bench with a lemonade in her paw. "I'm wide awake," he muttered, suppressing a yawn. Isabelle sipped her drink. "You are clearly overworked," she stated.

"A few days off would be good for you. Then you would have time to really enjoy island life." Tom stared at his steaming coffee. "Unfortunately it doesn't fit into my schedule. You know - time is money. And money has a high priority for me."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Believe me, at some point you will get a blackout from all the stress." Tom shrugged. "And if so." The dog finished her soda and threw it in the trash can.

Then she suddenly asked: "How are things going with Sable?" Tom got hot under his fur, and it wasn't from the coffee. He and Sable had known each other since childhood and had spent a lot of time together.

One day, when Tom left his home and moved to town, Sable was very sad and they hardly had any contact with each other. Tom had missed her terribly in those years, but owning a business of his own and being overwhelmed by bells were much more important to him then.

He was young and stupid. But when he heard that the two sisters were opening a tailor shop on Te Fiti, Tom could hardly believe his luck. Because deep in his heart he still loved Sable.

They got along very well again, even if both were a bit uptight at first. But did Sable feel the same for Tom as he did for her? "Hello! Tom, are you dreaming again?"

The tanuki winced at Isabelle's voice. "My goodness! What's wrong with you today?" Tom scratched the back of his head. "Maybe I'm a little overworked after all, yes yes ..." Isabelle chuckled. "That's what I said. So, did you finally told her, how you feel about her?"

Her eyes sparkled curiously. Tom wanted to answer with a resounding 'no' but was interrupted by a loud, familiar scream.

"Tom, Isabelle, there you are!" Lucifer came to a halt in front of them, panting. "What's going on now?" Tom sighed. "I don't even get rest during my break." Lucifer stood in front of him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but you have to hear what happened to me today!" Isabelle and Tom exchanged astonished looks. "Then get started." The redhead sat down on the bench next to Tom and began to talk.

He reported that he had been betrayed by a fox who was selling counterfeit paintings and that he won't get his money back. But when the word 'fox' was uttered, Tom choked on his coffee and began to cough.

Lucifer stared at him, confused. "What's the matter now?" After Tom had calmed down again, he asked in an icy voice: "Say, is this fox's name by any chance Redd?" The redhead's eyes widened. "So you know that asshole ?!"

Tom nodded darkly. "Oh yes. Unfortunately too good." Isabelle gasped. "Just say it's that Redd you told me about?"
"He is," he confirmed grimly. "It looks like we have the same enemy," Lucifer said somberly.

"But how do you even know him?" Anger built up in Tom when he thought about what he had to go through with Redd. "Long story," he grumbled and added quietly, "We were a couple for a while ..." He swallowed hard. "But our relationship didn't last long.

Lucifer's eyes widened. "A couple ?! Tell me everything!"
"If it really has to be." Tom leaned back and took a deep breath.

"When I moved into town, I didn't know anyone and was completely on my own. Until one day I met Redd. He lived alone on the street, had no real home, little to eat and even less money. I felt so terribly sorry for him, so I offered him to live with me and gave him a home. We both had the same dream - to open our own business. A little later, our wish came true and we ran a small shop that became more and more famous over time. We sold various goods and Redd's paintings that he painted himself. It went really well."

Tom's eyes darkened. "I didn't know that this was my biggest mistake ever. I should never have trusted him. But with his friendly manner he somehow wrapped me around his finger. When I think back now, I can't believe how stupid I was!" He growled and shook his head.

"There was a time when our business wasn't making as much income as usual. Redd decided to sell fake paintings at high prices so that we could earn better." His expression turned to sadness.

"I didn't know anything about it. He hadn't said a word. His scam didn't last long however. A customer noticed that the picture was fake. After that, Redd told me everything about the counterfeit artworks he made." Tom's paws clenched into fists.

"I was so angry at him! But Redd didn't want to admit, that his actions were wrong. He said he did it for us, otherwise the store would have probably gone broke. We fought for a long time. I said bad things to him that had hurt him deeply, but I didn't care. And one day Redd was gone. Without a single word, he left and took all the bells we had earned together."

He flattened his ears angrily. "I had nothing left. Absolutely nothing. I was angry, sad, and tried to understand why Redd had done this to me. A few days later I went back to my family and vowed that I would never trust a fox again."

Tom straightened up. "Since then I have neither seen nor heard from him. And now this treacherous fox dares to come to my island!" Lucifer's eyes were wide with astonishment.

"Sick, dude. What a bastard." Isabelle nodded with a serious face. "Although I already knew the story, it always shocks me. How can someone be so mean?!" Tom twitched his ears.

"Well, there will probably be more of this kind. That's why I no longer trust someone so quickly. You never know what he's up to behind your back." Lucifer jumped up." And what are you going to do now?" He asked.

Tom got up too. "Stupid question. I will chase him off the island, of course. I won't let him cheat any more residents!" Isabelle looked worried. "This will end in chaos ..."

"Nonsense. Redd and I will sort this out like adults." Lucifer snorted in amusement. "And fish can fly." Tom fixed him. "Just make fun of me. You'll see, he'll leave Te Fiti today! I'll take care of that."