I fell in love with a criminal

A complete stranger managed to snatch all of my belongings in a matter of seconds, leaving me stunned. Little did I know that he would soon steal something even more precious - my heart. My name is Jillian, and this is the unexpected love story that unfolded.

"You've got the wrong girl, boy!"

This fool didn't anticipate that I could track the GPS on my laptop. Without wasting a moment, I dialed the police and provided them with a detailed description of the thief.

"Forget your keys again? You can't escape from me, my friend."

"Are you a cop?"

"No, I'm a prosecutor, and the police are already on their way. I'll personally ensure you end up in jail for a very long time. Now, where are my belongings?"

"Do you really think I'll give up that easily?"

Oops, he should have considered that before venturing here alone. I had no clue how to evade this madman, and now I found myself as his hostage.

"He'll regret it if you pull the trigger."

"Really?"

"Just a disgrace. Is that why you're shaking?"

"Somewhat. Not so fearless and powerful when you're not in your expensive office with security guards, are you?"

"Relax, I am not a madman."

"I knew you were bluffing."

"Oh, really? People like you only know how to lie and steal. Yeah, exactly the same thing I can say about you, officials."

"You better not anger me."

"Or what? Will you use that lighter again?"

"I have more than just toys."

I couldn't determine whether he was a dangerous criminal or just a thief trying to intimidate me. But then, I warned him to stay away from my father, threatening to crush his face. It was a moment of impulse, and I soon regretted my harsh words.

"Hey, watch your mouth, young lady!"

"Come on, put the bat down."

"Don't worry. Listen, why don't you go wash your hands? We're going to have sandwiches. Go, go, go!"

"If you want to turn me in, go ahead. But I need to feed my child."

I could have left, but something held me back. Perhaps this man had committed a crime out of desperation to support his daughter.

"Hey, come and sit down. And here you go, bon appétit."

"How can you steal when you have a daughter?"

"Okay, listen..."

"I have some legal issues, okay? It's hard for me to find a real job."

"A real job? Really? Maybe you didn't want to."

"And what do you know, doll? All you know is how to take care of your beautiful face and your girlish body, huh?"

"My beautiful face? Weird. I haven't had anyone call me beautiful for a hundred years, let alone perish. Do you know how hard it is to raise a child when you're deprived of everything?"

"Come on, you think I steal just to live a luxurious life? Come on, lady, not everything is black and white."

And then, I realized that I had no right to deprive this girl of her father, whoever he might be.

"Quick, hide! Hide! Come on, the bathroom!"

"Lily, now we're going to play hide and seek. Okay? So, you have to sit here quietly and hide, okay? Alright?"

"You're gonna pay for this."

"But not just now, okay?"

"Oh, that took you long enough. You should have just waited until tomorrow."

"I don't care if you turn the city upside down, but don't come back without him."

"What are you waiting for? Go!"

Foolishly, I rushed to the police, driven by the intention to turn him in. But something in me felt sorry for the girl, and there was something about this guy.

"So, why are you helping me now? I thought you wanted to put me away."

"Where's the girl's mother?"

"She's in the land of 'I don't care about my child anymore.' Let's not talk about it."

"Dad, why don't you invite your friend over to us?"

"Oh, it's because my friend is used to eating out at fancy restaurants."

"I couldn't take my eyes off the little girl and was amazed that her father had taught her all the manners. He was too peculiar for an ordinary thief."

"I would love to have tea with you. So, what's for dinner?"

"Oh, unfortunately, only sandwiches."

"Okay, polite people don't rummage in somebody else's fridge. I'm going to get something to eat."

"We don't need handouts, beautiful lady. Can you bring back some pistachio ice cream?"

"Oh, you want some pistachio ice cream, right? Okay, I'll bring some. Like promise."

"What's your name?"

"It's Jillian. Thank you, Julian."

"At that moment, the girl's father seemed to have ceased being a criminal in my eyes. But I had no idea that this was part of a much bigger scheme."

"I'm not leaving until I cook a proper dinner."

"You're a strange prosecutor. At first, you send the entire police department to search for me, and now you're preparing dinner for us?"

"I'm not only a prosecutor. I'm also a human being."

[Music]

After dinner, we started talking, and he finally opened up to me.

"I grew up in a poor family. I had to escape to the big city, and, uh, I actually worked as a hot dog vendor. But then, Lily showed up, and everything got more complicated."

"Do you have kids?"

"I'm afraid to get a fish."

"Why so?"

"I mean, many people in the city know me. Like, many, but men... Men just want to use me, you know? They won't ask me out because I'm nice and a good person, but they just want my money and my status."

"That's nonsense. I mean, why ask my ex-husband?"

"Listen, I think you're really beautiful."

"Hey, I'm not kidding. I mean, honestly, you're smart, you're interesting, you're clever, and your legs are... I mean, wow, your legs are something else."

"Honestly, if I were your husband, I wouldn't divorce you."

"We talked until the early morning. I had never been so at ease with anyone. Apparently, I had too much wine and lost control of the situation. I didn't even realize we were kissing until it was too late."

"And then, I started coming almost every day. I became very close with little Lily, and David and I began to have real feelings. I didn't care about his past. I even ordered the police to stop looking for him."

"But then, one day, it happened."

"Hey, guys, I forgot..."

"Me, but you don't know. At that moment, I realized that it was all a scam to rob me, leave me with a little girl, and run away forever. A criminal can never be corrected."

[Lily starts crying]

"Why are you crying, Lily? Where's your mom? Maybe I can take you to her."

"Mum and Dad dumped me and ran away."

"She was conspiring with your mom all this time."

"Who is he?"

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"What are you talking about, idiot? I was an idiot for believing. I mean, of course, you are a criminal. You and your wife left Lily. Okay, you've misunderstood everything."

"Oh, really? I mean, you will tell that to the police? Your daughter told me everything. She's not my daughter."

"What? Her parents left her three years ago, and I've been taking care of her ever since. However, Lily and I, we have to move from time to time."

"Okay, listen. I have some immigration issues. I'm not a resident, and my visa has expired, and I can't leave Lily; otherwise, she'll be put into foster care. And I can't allow that."

"Right. So, these are the legal issues you were talking about, and that's why you cannot get a job. But why was she crying?"

"She always cries when we move to a new place. Sometimes, I wonder..."

"Listen, do you actually think that I... that I could hurt you?"

"Come on, Chase. You and Lily are the best thing that happened to me in my entire life."

"I'm sorry. How can I make it up to you?"

"I was lucky. A thief stole my heart, not my wallet. And I realized that love is above the law."

"All right, come here."

"Hi, it's me, Gary. Thank you for running the dramatizing. Nice to see you guys again."