159 Greed took her nowhere
“Patricia… where do you think this hand is going?”
Attacking someone with words was something anyone would let pass. Patricia might be harsh. with her words, but there were some truths in it, so many agreed with her. Patricia was, after all, a victim of a painful betrayal. But for everyone to see how she would suddenly raise a hand when Ginnie talked back, shook everyone to the core.
No one had seen that coming.
No one… except Penny.
How could Penny not? When Ginnie spoke up against her abuser for the first time? Hence, the abuser would intuitively try to regain control over her again. She had seen this many outside and especially inside prison.
Patricia froze for a moment as if a bucket of ice splashed her when realization dawned on her. She slowly moved her gaze and met Penny’s, her breath hitching as she felt like Penny would break her limb by limb if she said the wrong word.
Her mouth opened and closed. Even the girls on her side couldn’t speak because of Patricia’s
actions.
What did Patricia think she was going to do so overtly?
“I’ll repeat what Ginnie said: you might be innocent with the recent incident, but you’re not entirely clean.” Penny pulled down Patricia, making the latter bend down. “In other words, you’re the pot calling the kettle black. Patricia, touch my people again and that’s the last time you’re ever gonna use it.”
Another glint flickered across Penny’s eyes as she slid them to her. “Back off. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Patricia’s heart thudded, gulping as she couldn’t look away from the pair of eyes blazing with the fiery flames of hell. Even when Penny let her go, she kept her wide eyes on Penny.
“Patricia, let’s just go,” one of the girls approached her from the side. “Let’s not mind them
anymore.”
“That’s right. There’s no need to side with Penny since she didn’t want help. Or rather, she and these girls are too blind to see the truth.”
“Penny, don’t make us tell you we told you so. You’ll regret taking Nina’s side. People like her don’t change!”
Patricia pursed her lips as bitterness swelled in her heart, glaring at Penny and then at Ginnie before her spiteful eyes landed on Nina. However, as painful as it was to admit, there was this seed of fear Penny planted in her heart in a matter of seconds.
‘No, I’m not scared!” she denied it, but her entire body shuddered. Her legs even felt as soft as
tofu.
<
159 Greed took her nowhere.
Patricia forced an arrogant look. “Penny, remember this day! One day, you will regret you even defended this girl. No matter how nice you are to her, she will always try to take your spot! She’s born like that!”
Born like that….
For some reason, that remark managed to penetrate the solid walls around Penny’s heart. Back then, she often heard that remark and even after an entire lifetime, that remark never felt pleasant.
Having said that, Patricia and the girls retreated. But the moment they turned around, they were met with people towering over them.
“Huh?” they slowly gazed up, flinching the second they saw Hugo’s face and the fire burning in his eyes.
Penny furrowed her brow, and her face twitched the moment she saw her brother’s scary face. With Hugo was the entire basketball team, looking down at the girls. They didn’t share the same dark look as Hugo, but without any expression at all, they looked scary!”
“Are you picking on Penny?” Hugo breathed out, making his eyes burn even more. “Are you?”
Patricia and the girls laughed nervously, taking a careful step back. Hugo was a senior and also one of their school’s ace players.
“What – what? No
what? No – no!” the girls stuttered. “Senior, we’re not picking on her! We’re just we’re actually on her side!”
“Even if we were, are you going to fight a girl?” Patricia blurted out as she already had this unpleasant impression of the other Bennet family members. “You’re not that cowardly to fight girls, are you?”
Hugo sneered diabolically, making Penny gasped. “If fighting for my sister is cowardly, then I’m the biggest coward in here. It’s okay”
‘Devil, give me back my second brother! This is not him!‘ the devil and the angel on Penny’s shoulders screamed, making the angel look at the devil in dismal.
Hugo’s blatant remarks made the girls stutter even more. Was he serious? He would fight them. even if they were girls?! Looking at Hugo and the basketball team, the girls gulped.
“Penny, were they harassing you?” Hugo asked and slid his eyes to Penny. His tone compared to how he talked to the girls was a hundred times more thoughtful and kinder.
“Not really…” Penny laughed awkwardly. “Second Brother, it’s okay now. There’s just a misunderstanding, but they’re not picking on me.”
“They’re not picking on you… directly, you mean?” His eyes blazed once more, like how flames in the stove burn up when turned to max.
The girls mentally squealed. ‘Did you come here looking for a fight?!
“Ha ha…” Penny, who was just irritated by these girls, looked at them apologetically. Even though they were being irrational, she still felt sorry for them. Her brother looked scary, even though
10:20
159 Greed took her nowhere
If only Penny knew Hugo’s heart…
“Go,” Penny whispered, fanning her hand to signal them to go. “It’s alright now, just go.”
The girls, who were planning to leave with spite in their hearts, ended up feeling grateful to her. With Penny’s permission, they scurried away.
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