Chapter 50
With everyone watching, Hellen, Paul, John, and a young man came across the crowd and arrived at the stage.
Janet immediately recognized that young man as the Diaz’s middle son, Owen.
Owen was a large and sturdy man with his bulging muscles and bushy mustache. He seemed like one of those people who would pick up a random fight on the street.
And as the matter of fact, Owen was exactly like that: hot–tempered, aggressive, and
abusive.
When they were child, Janet was his personal punching bag, and he would beat her up just for fun.
And all other kids like Harper and John would stand by the side and cheer for Owen when he abused her.
The harder he punched, the merrier the group got.
Janet could never forget the pain and humiliation. Those miserable memories were forever engraved on her soul.
She hadn’t seen Owen after she returned to Riverside Pack this time. She heard that
Owen wanted to serve in the army and was sent to the border.
He probably rushed back last night because of what happened to Harper.
“Mom! Dad! My brothers!”
Harper let out a sharp scream and crawled forward, grabbing Hellen’s skirt by its edge.
“I miss you so much mom!” she looked up at Hellen with red eyes and sobbed, “You don’t know what kind of place they tossed me into! That cell was horrible! It is dark and damp. And I got rats nibbling my feet at nights…I was so scared, mom!”
Hellen stroked her long hair lovingly and said, “It is OK now. You are no longer in that cell, my dear.”
“And I don’t want to return to that place, EVER!”
Harper tightened her grip on Hellen’s skirt and whispered urgently, “Mom, you must get me out of this. Just pay that filthy rat Angelina enough money and I am sure she can forgive me!”
John said with a frown, “But Harper, we had tried to talk to Angelina for the past few
days. And she declined our compensation, saying that all she wanted was justice.”
“Bullshit!”
Harper snapped, darting him a glare.
“Those lowly commoners don’t care about the justice. All they care is money! Double the compensation! Triple it! Writer her a blank check if needed!”
Owen suddenly let out a cold snort.
“And all those money are coming from our family’s saving? It hardly seems fair, doesn’t it?”
Squinting at his little sister, Owen said in a sarcastic voice. “You have made no money for this family so far, Harper. All you do all day is shopping for luxury clothes and getting your nails and hairs done. You had a shot of becoming the Luna but that went down the drain as well. You are useless now. Why should we spend all those money on you?”
Harper glared at her middle brother as a hysterical look passed across her face.
“Because I am your sister! By blood! You have to save me!” Harper shrieked, “And I am still better off than you, you dumbass! What have YOU done for this family, huh? You couldn’t even get yourself into the army!”
“What did you just say? Do you want me to hit you?!”
The elder’s voice traveled down from the stand and interrupted their quarrel:
“Have the defendant’s family reached to an understanding yet?”
Hellen wiped the corner of her eyes and stepped aside, raising her volume, “Yes, we have.”
“Very well, then.”
The elder stood up from his seat and said to the whole crowd in a booming voice:
“The defendant, Harper Diaz, was charged with the crime of defamation, illegal harassment, threat, detention, and abuse. By Riverside Pack’s law, she should be
expelled and have her wolf claws chopped off and her forehead tattooed! Does anyone have a question with that?”
There was a loud applause and cheering from the bystanders. Someone even yelled “she deserves it.”
Harper bit her lips and looked at her parents eagerly.
She was their favorable child!
Among all 5 Diaz’s kids, Janet was dull, Owen was stupid, John was weak and Elias–their big brother–was never really home.
Only she–Harper–was pretty, smart, sophisticated, and adorable, the whole package.
Her parents picked her without hesitation when she and Janet were abducted by rogues together. So she was sure that her parents would save her again.
Even though she flumped temporarily, she was sure that she could win back everyone’s heart within no time.
Holding her breath, Harper stared at her parents and waited them to voice out their disagreement.
Hellen took a step forward facing the whole stand and answered in a firm voice, “The entire Diaz family agrees with these penalties.”
WHAT?!
Harper couldn’t believe what she just heard…What did her mother just said?!
Even the elder seemed taken aback. After a pause, he asked again, “The defendant’s mother, are you sure you have no problem with these penalties? They will be executed immediately after Ms. Diaz is sentenced.”
“Yes, I am sure.”
Hellen sobbed and wiped her eyes again, “What can we say? We failed completely at raising Harper. We don’t know how she became this cold, vicious and heartless monster. This is not at all how we wanted to raise her. So we agree…that she deserves all these penalties.”
Paul took a step further and held his wife’s shoulder, raising his head to look at Daran, “We just hope the Alpha could remember how–selfless and impartial–we all are on this thing.”
Daran remained expressionless as though he didn’t hear Paul’s flattering words at all.
Sitting to his right, Janet slightly raised her brow as a sarcastic smile touched upon her lips:
Hellen and Paul were even more heartless than she had thought.
But she was not too surprised either.
She knew Hellen and Paul’s heart was made of stones.
This couple only loved themselves.
They chose Harper over her when they were abducted by the rogues simply because Harper had a better shot at winning Daran’s love than her.
So they picked the best candidates among the two, Harper.
Yet now, Harper’s reputation stink. Daran hated her.
And the entire upper–class people had seen the ugliest side of Harper at the party.
No noble man would marry Harper after that incidence.
Harper was ruined.
It was no surprise that the Diaz would give up on her now.
Quivering on the ground, Harper clenched her ragged clothes and screamed at her parents in disbelief,
“Mom! Dad! Are you kidding me right now?! Are you going to let them torture me like that? Why! WHY!”
“Because you deserve it!”
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