Chapter 32: Got my back?

The main reason Penny wanted to see Jessa was because she thought her aunt returned to her bad habits. When Penny was in the Cortez household, Jessa had always had an itch to gamble. But with Penny’s activities and contests, her mahjong nights turned from daily to a few times a week to once a week until it became once a month.

Penny was no longer in the household and nothing could keep Jessa busy any longer. The chances of Jessa going back to her bad habits were high, and that was why she was harassing the Bennets. But Penny realized she might be wrong.

Looking at the pretty bento box Jessa prepared for Penny and the twins, Penny was astonished. Everything looked pretty and tasty. Everything was indeed their favorite.

Jessa didn’t like cooking much, but Penny couldn’t deny Jessa had this innate talent in the kitchen. Penny wouldn’t be this big if not.

"Penny, these are your favorites!" Yuri eagerly waited for Penny’s reaction. Not just her, but Yugi and Jessa as well. She then pointed at one dish. "We helped mom with this."

Penny slowly raised her head and scanned their faces with mixed expressions. After a second, she curled up her lips until her teeth were on full display.

"These look tasty, Auntie!" she excitedly exclaimed, making Jessa nod in arrogance.

"Of course! I made them myself and the twins helped a bit!" Jessa gloated before she quickly urged. "Come on, kids. Try them while they’re still hot!"

The three nodded and hummed in unison.

Having said that, Jessa happily watched the three of them eat. Their twinkling eyes filled her with so much fulfillment and their eagerness to eat more reminded her of the good times. Jessa disliked staying in the kitchen, but these kids were so pitiful if she didn’t feed them. Moreover, the three of them appreciate everything she served them. Hence, she somehow found spending a bit of time in the kitchen quite enjoyable.

"This is so good..." Penny mumbled while chewing and snuck a look at Jessa.

Seeing her auntie’s mild reaction, her stiff shoulders relaxed. Penny was glad she was wrong about Jessa returning to her bad habits. Even so, why was Jessa harassing the Bennets?

Butler Jen and Hugo, who were just around the food court, watched this unfold.

Halfway through the meal, there were more talks than eating as if they were stalling.

"Penny, is someone bullying you in that rich household?" Yugi’s face was serious. "Tell me and I will teach him a lesson."

Penny immediately thought of Slater.

Yuri’s eyes also burned with sternness. "Penny, you should teach them a lesson if they do. Don’t let them make you a pushover."

"That’s right." Yugi nodded. "Don’t worry. Even if they kick you out, our house is always open for you and we’ll have fun together like always."

Penny’s heart warmed up at their words, darting her eyes between the two. Recalling how vicious they were in the past, she felt proud of how these two changed. She couldn’t help but mentally pat her back for a job well done.

"Yugi is right, Penny." Jessa quickly shifted from her spot to Penny’s side. "But niece, don’t worry. I got your back. You don’t have to worry about anything because this great aunt already has a plan."

Penny looked up at Jessa and cocked her head to the side. Her round eyes blinked with innocence as she muttered, "Got my back?"

"Hehe. Mom is telling the Bennets to send away that brat!" Yugi revealed, making Penny’s brows knit.

To avoid misunderstanding, Yuri also added, "We’re afraid that she’ll mark her territory and give you a hard time. So, it’s better if she’s out of the way. Mom will get her out of the way."

"Sure thing I will! I can’t believe the Bennets are keeping that wench’s child." Jessa’s face turned sour, still in disbelief at the couple’s greediness. "They already got their real child, but they still want to keep the other child lingering. So inconsiderate!"

So that was the reason Jessa was harassing her parents.

Penny’s face contorted. She was moved, but at the same time, they sounded like villains, concocting some evil plans to take away Cinderella’s shine.

Why would Jessa want to take Nina, though?

Was it actually for her? Or did she want more money?

Penny frowned a bit at the thought. "Auntie, Nina is okay, and my parents really cherished her."

"Nonsense!" Penny flinched when Jessa harrumphed. "If they cherished her, then what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Niece, giving way to someone is not bad, but sometimes, you have to learn to take a stand and protect yours!" Jessa then quickly lowered her head to level with Penny. "I know you’re too generous, but I didn’t send you to them just so you look like a beggar who has to fight for your fill. You might be suited to be a little beggar with your eating habits, but this is different."

Penny’s eyes twitched. She liked Jessa’s strong will, but at the same time, was it necessary to remind her of being a little beggar?

In the past, Jessa often said she would eat the family to bankruptcy. And yet, she never stopped Penny from eating. Penny took it as Jessa’s reason to keep her mind stimulated for her academic contest. That was Penny told her, after all.

Penny cleared her throat, grasping the idea of this entire argument. "Auntie, my parents aren’t greedy. They were just... kind people. Very kind people, to the point others would always try to take advantage of them."

"Then they should thank me." Jessa snorted. "That little brat is taking advantage of them, and I’m simply saving them!"

This time, Penny was rendered speechless.

It was true her parents were too kind for their own good. She thought Jessa would have second thoughts and change her mind. But it seemed Jessa already set her mind to it and knowing her, once she set her mind to something, she would stop at nothing.

"But Auntie..." Penny was worried, pursing her lips helplessly. "If you do that, they might... hate me."

She planned to move out of the Bennet household, but Penny didn’t want to leave on a bad note. She didn’t mind being ignored by them, especially with her brothers. But at the same time, she didn’t want to be hated by them too.

If Jessa took away Nina from them, that would inevitably shift the blame to Penny.

Jessa’s fierce expression gradually disappeared at Penny’s remarks. That didn’t cross her.

"Penny, don’t worry." Yuri clasped Penny’s hand and smiled sweetly. "Even if the entire world hates you, I will just love you more."

Penny slowly looked up at Yuri and felt touched.

Yugi nodded and said, "If they hate you, then that only means they love their fake daughter more. You should come home then because don’t deserve you. They didn’t deserve you in the first place. Tch."

"Ahem!" Jessa cleared her throat before she forced a smile. She rubbed her hands and lowered her head again. "Niece, don’t worry. I just thought of something. This time, it will not hurt you."

Penny and the twins looked at Jessa with curiosity. But Jessa just smirked, as if she had just thought of an evil plan.

Her words, "Don’t worry," and her reaction just made Penny very worried.

What was she planning this time?

"Let’s not talk about that for now." Jessa seemed happy for some reason.

Penny quietly took a deep breath and sported the cutest expression she could make. "Auntie, I’m not going to ask what you’ve thought just now, but... can you promise me one thing?"

"Hmm?" Jessa raised a brow, having this sense of familiarity. This is how she looked like when she was trying to act cute in front of her husband.

"Can you promise me not to hurt Nina?"

Hearing this request, Jessa frowned. It wasn’t like she would maltreat a child. She wasn’t like the bad-tempered woman before.

"And can you please not give my parents a hard time?" Penny added with a puppy look, hoping this would tug Jessa’s ice-cold heart.

Jessa humphed. "Hmp! Your parents are too weak and disappointingly indecisive!" She clicked her tongue and glanced at Penny, who was still looking at her with expectation. "Fine. I won’t harass them again — it’s not like I did. I just told them the truth. What a dramatic couple, hiding behind a child for protection. Tch!"

Hearing this, Penny smiled in satisfaction.

Jessa was also secretly pleased, even though she was unwilling not to bite that couple. "Anyway, finish your food. You three had an entire day to help Mom with her shopping spree, alright?"

Yuri and Yugi nodded indifferently while Penny scrunched up her nose. Just when she thought Jessa did a 180 change, she was also wrong about that. She still treated them as her little assistants. Even so, Jessa was much more tolerable than how Penny remembered her.