The Bound Between Us (Anastasia and Herman) novel Chapter 229

Chapter 229 

Pattie was freezing, clad only in a thin tee and a pair of flimsy pants. 

Autumn had arrived in Riverdale, with biting cold weather and a huge temperature difference between day and night. The icy-cold floor was unbearable for her to sleep on, she longed for the warmth of a bed, but Penny wouldn’t allow it. 

There were two bedrooms in the house. One was for Penny and her son, and the other was locked, purposely to keep Pattie out during the night. 

Feeling helpless and scared, Pattie didn’t dare to shed a tear, for fear of waking Penny and getting a beating. She stole a glance at Penny’s room, and only after hearing no sound from within, she carefully crawled onto the couch to sleep. 

The couch was a bit warmer. Without a blanket, she could only use the couch cover to shield herself from the cold. Still, she was freezing. She curled up tightly like a poor little cat. 

Pattie hugged herself tightly and began to miss Ana’s embrace, which was always so warm. She closed her eyes and tried hard to fall asleep, knowing that sleeping was the only way she could escape the cold. She whispered quietly, “Dad, when are you coming back, Dad.” Her life was slightly better when Leo was at home. 

Perhaps due to exhaustion, Pattie finally fell asleep. Her hands and feet were cold as ice. She intended to rush back to the floor before Penny woke up, but she couldn’t move. She had started to run a fever after the cold night. 

Pattie had a dream where she was sleeping on a soft and warm bed. 

“You naughty girl, who allowed you to sleep on the couch?” Penny came out of her room and was furious to see Pattie sleeping on the couch. She picked up a stick and started beating her. This stick was specifically used to punish Pattie. 

Pattie was woken up by the pain. Crying out loud, she clutched Penny’s stick, pleading, “Mum, please stop, I was wrong, I won’t do it again.” 

“You disobedient child, you dare to defy me. I told you to sleep on the floor, yet you sneak onto the couch. Look how dirty you made my couch. I’m gonna kill you.” 

Penny kicked Pattie away in anger and resumed her merciless beating. The neighbors shook their heads at the sound of the heartbreaking cries. 

While Penny was beating Pattie, suddenly, Pattie fell to the floor and remained motionless. Thinking Pattie was playing dead, Penny gave her a kick. “You naughty girl, stop playing dead. Get up and make formula for your brother.” 

Pattie still didn’t respond. Penny panicked and dropped the stick, feeling for Pattie’s breath. Pattie was still alive. She touched Pattie’s forehead, and it was burning hot. Pattie had a fever. 

Penny didn’t take Pattie to the hospital as that would cost money. She left Pattie alone and went out for breakfast with her son. 

Pattie lay on the floor with a high fever that wouldn’t subside.. 

After breakfast, Penny was called by her friends to play poker, and she completely forgot about Pattie who was running a fever and had passed out at home. 

Pattie didn’t go to school. The school teacher called Penny several times, but nobody answered. 

Anastasia went to school to visit Pattie and learned that she didn’t come to school that day. Worried, she went to Penny’s house to find her. 

Anastasia rang the doorbell for a long time, but no one answered. Just then, a neighbor came out of his house and asked, “Who are you looking for?” 

“Hello, I live in building three. Do you know if this family is out? Have you seen Pattie? She didn’t come to school today, so I came to check on her.”