Chapter 170: It’s a family matter!

"Please. Don’t hurt him."

Grace yelled once more, trying to stop her mother from begging for that good-for-nothing father. Penny, on the other hand, could only watch this unfold in disbelief.

Anyone could tell that woman was beaten every second of her life by that man. Her bruises were enough to tell that the man never held back. If anything, it seemed he was slowly killing her. No one would be surprised if she ended up dead in his hands.

And yet, now that someone was standing up for her, she was begging him not to hurt her abuser?

What an irony.

Penny slowly shifted her eyes to Grace, understanding why Grace told her in the past her mother left her. What Grace’s mother was doing wasn’t protecting Grace, but protecting that monster. The woman could’ve died or left, but what she was doing right now was already abandoning her daughter.

"Ma’am," Hugo called sternly, but the woman clasped his leg even tighter.

"Please." the woman begged and shook her head. "No more. Please, just go away. This is a family matter. Just leave us alone."

"Hah!" her husband snorted and looked at Hugo mockingly. "See?! You brat! Acting like a hero — do you think you’re some sort of hero rescuing the day?!"

He slowly got up once again, sneering. "You brat. Since you liked butting into other people’s business, fine! I’ll show you what you get for that!"

As soon as those words rolled out of his tongue, he lunged at Hugo once more.

"Second Brother!" Penny instinctively got up to help her brother. Grace’s mother was holding Hugo’s leg and that coward of a man was trying to attack Hugo while he was ’trapped.’

But just as Penny got up, a figure suddenly flashed from the corner of her eyes. She stopped and turned her head, but the figure was not there anymore. After a second, she heard Grace’s father squeal.

"Ahh!" the man found himself back on the ground, this time, with someone standing over him with his feet on his chest.

"What do you think you’re going to do with my son?" Charles’s face darkened, pressing his foot on the man’s hairy chest. His face twitched as he ground his teeth. From his expression, one might think he was ready to kill this man right then and there.

"Dad?" Penny blurted out, her eyes dilating at the sight of her father. ’That figure was him? I didn’t know my father was so agile!’

Hugo also glanced at his father, surprised. "Dad..." he called, a bit confused because this was the first time he had seen his father make such a terrifying face.

Just then, everyone heard a short siren from the end of the alley-like route. Following that sound was Haines’s voice.

"Penny! Hugo!" Haines quickly squatted beside Penny, holding her shoulders and his eyes scanning her from head to foot.

"Uncle Haines." Penny blinked, studying Haines’s pale complexion. "Is everything alright?"

Haines snapped his eyes at her and huffed. "Goodness," was all he could say as if a pipe was plucked out of his throat. "Are you hurt?"

"No." She shook her head. "Brother Hugo is with me to protect me,"

Haines turned to Hugo. "Hugo, are you okay?"

"Yes, Uncle Haines." Hugo glanced at his uncle before his eyes fell on the woman. "Ma’am, are you okay?"

Hugo quickly bent down when the woman loosened her grip and almost fainted. Thankfully, he was fast enough to catch her.

"I’m... I’m okay." the woman forced a smile as she peeked at Hugo and repeated. "I’m alright."

"Mom!" Grace jumped away to her mother’s side, holding the latter’s shoulders. A thin layer of tears coated her eyes, biting her bottom lips as she watched her mother fight to stay conscious.

Seeing this, Charles and Haines got a grasp of the situation. Charles then glared daggers at the man underneath his foot. Around this time, the police officers already arrived and reached the situation.

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[District 10 Police Station]

"Like I said, it’s a family matter! These kids are just overreacting!" the man explained in frustration. "There’s no such thing as me hurting anyone! Was it already a crime to discipline my kid?!"

Hugo’s jaw clenched as he listened to this nonsense. But when he opened his mouth, Charles clasped his shoulders. Looking at his father on his side, Charles shook his head mildly.

’But...’ Hugo ground his teeth and looked down. His fist trembled in anger, knowing everything this man was saying was twisting the truth. It was shameless and cruel, and the police were still listening to him!

Penny, on the other hand, watched this unfold right before her eyes from the sidelines. She shared Hugo’s sentiments, thinking this was nothing but crap. But then again, this was not the first time she was involved with the law.

"Penny!" Just then, Allison’s voice was heard. When Penny looked at the entrance of the station, all she saw was Allison running toward her.

Just like Haines, Allison’s complexion was pale. Perhaps even paler than Haines. Her mother looked as white as a sheet. Allison’s shaky and teary eyes scanned her from up and down, touching her head and shoulders to make sure Penny was alright.

"Mama, I’m okay," Penny reassured with a smile. "Second Brother was with me."

"Oh, god." Another layer of tears coated Allison’s eyes as she pulled Penny into her embrace.

Penny could feel her mother’s fast and loud heartbeats as she hugged her tightly. She pursed her lips, a bit sorry that she worried everyone. She might be an old soul, but for her parents and everyone else, she was still too young.

"I thought we lost you again," Allison confessed under her breath, parting from Penny once more. She looked at Penny with pain and fear, cupping her daughter’s cheeks. "Penny, where did you go?"

"Well." Penny shifted her eyes to the desk where Grace’s father, mother, Grace herself, Hugo, and Charles were. They let Penny sit on the sidelines after getting her statement, thinking Penny was too young to be at the center of the problem.

"Missus, is it true that you’re being abused by your husband?" asked the officer, making everyone who heard it fume in anger.

What kind of question was that!? Couldn’t they see her face?!

"What a bunch of dumb fucks," someone commented, making Penny turn her head to the side.

There, sitting on the bench not far away from her, was a middle-aged and plumped man in handcuffs. He arched a brow when he sensed a pair of eyes on him, moving his gaze until his eyes fell on a chubby little girl looking at him with such innocent, wide eyes.