Penny shook her head and explained, "Cecilia's my classmate, so I should be helping her out. Our teacher always tells us to help each other.""You're so kind. Thank you," Scarlett replied. Then, she gently asked what had happened to Cecilia.Cecilia was standing at the bathroom door with clothes and medications in her hand. She signaled Penny with her eyes. Penny understood and only described what had happened after she had called the police. She didn't mention to Scarlett that Cecilia had been injured.Scarlett didn't press her for details. She changed the subject and started asking about school and telling stories about Cecilia. Scarlett also talked about her own experiences growing up.Penny listened eagerly. She was surprised that Scarlett had a son like Moses when she had such a calm and sensitive manner of speaking. It was fortunate that Cecilia was willing to take care of Scarlett.Penny only stayed at Cecilia's house for a short time. She would probably be scolded and puni
Penny stood firm and asked, "Why should I kneel? Why should I even kneel?"Spencer's hand stopped in mid-air. A flicker of surprise flashed from behind his glasses. Then, his anger rekindled. "How—""What?" Penny's voice rose sharply to cover her fear. Her eyes were defiantly on his. "I came home a bit late and texted you to let you know. What have I done wrong? Even if I made a mistake, is it fair for you to punish me like this? Am I your child or your servant?"Spencer slapped Penny hard across the face. She was stunned, and her ears were ringing. She could only hear angry curses above her. She rubbed her stinging cheek and saw Spencer's disgusted expression.Penny wasn't intimidated by him anymore. That slap had crushed all her hopes. Spencer was just an average, repulsive, middle-aged man. If he hadn't inherited the family business and all that money, he'd likely be no different from Moses.Over time, the Lowes' situation worsened. Penny had overheard him arguing with her moth
Penny wasn't strong enough. Her slap didn't hurt Spencer much, but it surprised him and Julia, who had just walked in from the yard."Penny, have you lost your mind?" Julia ran over and scolded her. "This is your dad. How could you slap him? Haven't you learned any manners?"Julia was worried about Spencer. She was afraid that Penny might have hurt him, but she didn't seem to care about Penny, even though her face was swollen. Penny stared at them blankly.When Spencer realized what had happened, he impatiently shoved Julia aside and went to Penny. Nobody knew if Spencer was disgusted with Julia or embarrassed about being slapped by Penny.Penny instinctively stepped back, but then she straightened up when she recalled how she had slapped Spencer just a moment ago. Feeling brave from her earlier actions, she stared directly into Spencer's eyes.After a brief silence, Spencer sneered, "The fortune teller was spot on about you. You truly are an ingrate and a jinx!"Penny was treate
Spencer was furious. His chest tightened, and he pointed at Penny as if she had committed some great sin. Julia was just as angry. Her face was contorted with rage and she lost her usual grace. They were glaring at Penny as if they wanted to strangle her to death.Penny was no longer afraid of them. She looked at Spencer and Julia and said, "Like father, like son. Even if what I've said is nonsense, these are the things I've learned from you."They had insulted Penny in many ways since she was a child. What she said was just what she had heard from the police officers."You're unbelievable! How dare you defy us? Is that what you learn in school?" Spencer roared. He raised his hand to slap her but remembered how Penny had just slapped him, so he held back. Besides, Julia was watching. It would be too embarrassing for him to get slapped by Penny again.Though Spencer was angry, he knew there was no point in provoking a person with nothing to lose. Still, he was embarrassed by the fac
"What's all this commotion about?" A hoarse voice cut through the silence in the room, drawing everyone's attention.An elderly woman with gray hair was ushered in, her presence dampening the simmering anger surrounding Spencer and Julia."Mother.""Mom."The two hastened their steps to greet Spencer's mother, Beatrice Holmes. On the other hand, in stark contrast, their daughter, Penny showed little to no warmth toward the old lady.Penny harbored little affection for Beatrice. Ever since she could remember, she knew her grandmother didn't like her, often calling her unpleasant names. Penny's focus was solely on her parents; she held no expectations or love for her grandmother.After all, her grandmother didn't like her. Thus, she saw no need to seek her grandmother's approval.At most, during their encounters, she acknowledged her as an elderly figure, offering a bit of respect with a touch of deference.But at this moment, Penny showed no deference toward Beatrice whatsoeve
Beatrice was livid, and Julia was equally enraged as well."Penny, do you even realize what you've just said?" Julia glared at Penny, her eyes betraying resentment and anger.Beatrice, clutching her chest, scolded, "This is madness. How could a young lady like you behave like this? No wonder your father reprimanded you! In fact, I think he's been too lenient, too gentle on you!"Penny stood with her hands behind her back, gripping her phone tightly.She had a plan. If she got hit again today, she'd call the police.Practice makes perfect, after all. Today, she helped Cecilia call the police in broad daylight, and tonight she'd be calling them for herself.There would always be someone to help her.Unfazed by Beatrice and Julia's words, Penny countered, "Is there something wrong with what I said? You called me a liability, but aren't you just insulting yourselves?"They were all women in this world, so why was she the only one labeled a liability?Aren't they liabilities too?
Penny escaped from the Lowe's at night. She had left voluntarily, so technically she wasn't kicked out. Plus, she would have returned home at night again.Penny's room was situated differently from Spencer's. It wasn't on the second floor of the villa's backyard, but a separate building in the corner.Although Beatrice also had her own separate building, her living conditions were much better. There were many flowers and trees planted around the courtyard. It even had a small prayer altar.Penny had never been to the backyard, as she would be scolded if she got close. She was called a jinx, and that her approaching the altar would bring about bad luck. In fact, she found these ridiculous claims quite amusing. Compared to Beatrice's building, the area Penny lived in was extremely desolate.It was located next to a small pond near the villa and had nothing around it. In the summer, the weeds grew wild, and the housekeepers only came to tidy up when there were guests. Otherwise, i
After Penny determined that the young man didn't seem like someone with bad intentions, she asked, "Hey, are you okay?"While she checked on him, she kept her distance since she hadn't completely let her guard down. After all, it was late at night. She couldn't casually judge someone's character based on what they wore. However, the young man's appearance also made Penny feel a bit sorry for him. Of course, there would always be sympathetic people in the world like her. Even if their own lives weren't going well, they still liked to help others.Penny grew up in a loveless family. During the day, she saw someone similar to herself, which was Cecilia. Now, at night, she encountered a homeless teenager. She couldn't help but categorize him the same as Cecilia and herself.He was probably from another disagreeable family and got kicked out. Or maybe, he ran away on his own.Since Penny didn't receive a reply from the young man, she continued, "It's cold at night. You should find a p