Chapter 626: Over their dead bodies.

Meanwhile, inside the ward...

"Huhu. Penny! Look at your head!" Lily cried, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Penny’s injuries. "That trash! I will never let him get away with this!"

"I’ll get him beaten up!" Ginnie exclaimed, getting angrier the more she looked at Penny’s face. She ground her teeth, her eyes fixed on the swollen part of Penny’s jaw. "Look at you! Ahh!! I’m so upset!"

Ginnie then quickly hugged Penny’s side, unable to stop her eyes from tearing up. Now, there were three of them crying: Lily, Nina, and Ginnie. Grace hadn’t arrived yet.

Penny let out an awkward laugh, glancing at her friends, who were crying as if she were dying. It was a strange feeling. Even though she had known these women and her relationship with them — thanks to the sober Penny — it still felt peculiar.

How could Penny not find it strange?

Back in prison, she would fight every day. Her injuries hadn’t even come close to the ones she had inflicted tonight. There were times during her early days in prison when her face would be so swollen she couldn’t open her eyes, or her body would be in so much pain that she couldn’t even pee on her own.

Right now, she only needed a small stitch at the back of her head, had a few bruises, and a slightly swollen cheek. They were too mild compared to the injuries she was used to. Yet, these ladies were already crying their hearts out.

’In a way, even though I don’t really know them...’ the corners of Penny’s lips turned up as she looked at the women seated around her bed. ’... it’s not bad at all.’

Or rather, their genuine care and worry warmed her heart.

’I also have friends in prison, but these folks aren’t all that bad,’ she thought again, refraining from telling herself that, ’I think... I found good people in this lifetime.’

Life was full of surprises, indeed.

As Penny smiled while her friends cried their hearts out, the door suddenly slid open. The ladies flinched at the hurried noise and turned their heads toward the entrance.

"Lily!" a middle-aged woman exclaimed as she rushed inside the ward, going straight to Lily. "Oh, my dear! We rushed to the club, but when we arrived, they told us you were already here!"

"Mom!" Lily hugged the woman while still seated beside Penny. This time, her tears overflowed even more now that her mother was there with her.

"My baby..." The woman’s lips quivered as she looked at the ladies around before casting Lily a worried glance. "Did you get hurt, hmm?"

She bent over to check Lily, her eyes scanning her daughter. Lily smiled and shook her head.

"Mom, I’m fine," Lily said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, only for her mother to notice the bruises around her daughter’s arm.

"What’s this?" Her mother grabbed her arm and pulled it toward her, staring at the bruise as if someone had grabbed her so hard it had left a mark.

"I got it when Aiden was pulling me with him."

"That bastard!" Suddenly, Lily’s father burst in. Standing near his wife and daughter, the old man gazed down, his face turning red with anger, barely containing it because his daughter’s friends were present. He didn’t want to scare them further.

"Dad." Lily’s eyes sparkled as she held her father’s arm. "I’m fine."

"How are you fine when you’re bruised all over?"

"Compared to mine, Penny’s injuries are more severe," Lily wept, turning to Penny and reaching out to her. "If it weren’t for Penny, that trash would have dragged me with him. Penny stood up for me, but she got hurt because of it."

Slowly, her parents turned to Penny again. They had met her a few times in the past, so both parents were a little surprised when they realized the unfamiliar face on the bed was Penny. Their surprise didn’t last long when they finally caught sight of the other side of Penny’s face.

"Oh, my God!" Lily’s mother gasped, covering her lips, as it seemed Penny had been roughed up. Lily’s father, on the other hand, felt mixed emotions upon seeing Penny’s face. They were grateful, but at the same time, they felt pity.

How could a man hurt a woman like this?

"I’m sorry this happened, Penny." Lily’s mother reached out to her. "And thank you for always standing up for our Lily. Our family will always be grateful to you."

Lily’s father nodded. "Thank you, Penny, for saving our daughter." His face, however, showed bitterness as he remembered who Penny’s father was. He was tempted to ask if Charles had already heard about this. After all, Charles had been troublesome during their time, but now that they were older, he was more impatient and dramatic.

"It’s okay!" Penny beamed. "In the end, we’re all fine, and no one is hurt."

"Penny, how can you say that?!" Lily cried louder, burying her face in Penny’s lap. "You’re hurt! And that’s because of me!"

"Hehe." Penny stroked Lily’s head with a smile before raising her gaze to Lily’s parents. "You don’t have to thank me. I just did what I did for my precious friend."

Hearing this, Lily cried even more, while her parents were moved to tears. Even as a child, Lily had always said that Penny stood up for her. It was why their family maintained a good relationship with the Bennet family.

"Thank you, dear." Lily’s mother teared up, clasping Penny’s hand and squeezing it. "Don’t worry. Our family will always be indebted to you. If you need anything, just come to me."

"There’s no need —"

"Yes." Before Penny could say anything, Lily’s father spoke again. He offered Penny a smile. "If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come to us. I’ll try to help you as much as I can."

Penny pressed her lips into a thin line, sensing that if she refused, they would only argue with her. Thus, she awkwardly nodded and didn’t press the issue further.

"For now..." Lily’s father stared at Penny, then moved his gaze to Ginnie, then to Nina, before his eyes fell on his daughter and wife. His wife held his gaze and nodded. "We’ll deal with him, and I’ll make sure he pays for everything he has done tenfold."

As this was all happening, they didn’t notice the two men in the ward who were sitting on the couch — Zoren and Hugo. They were just watching this unfold, not saying a word, while her friends cried to her. However, that didn’t mean their blood had stopped boiling.

Over their dead bodies.

If they could burn the world, they would’ve done it.