Trouble in Paradise

I couldn't help but observe the mother. If it were my child being bullied, I would definitely rush in to protect her. But the girl's mother stood at the school gate silently wiping away tears, not intervening.

I could only respect her choice. Seeing them living such a sorrowful life, I began to doubt myself. Was I heading in the wrong direction?

As I was lost in thought, a police car suddenly stopped in front of me. The door swung open, and several police officers rushed out. One of them grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the car.

I was taken directly back to the detention center from yesterday, locked up next to Marcelo.

When he saw me, he shouted excitedly, "She's here! She's here! Can I go out now? Officer, let me out!"

The police officer banged his baton on his door and shouted, "Shut up! Behave yourself!"

I remained silent for a while, still unable to accept the fact that I was being unlawfully detained.

Who else but the Hawk family had such power? Was it because I rushed to confront Marcelo yesterday that the person behind this could no longer sit still? But what about the law?

As I was forcibly pushed into the compound, I felt lost for the first time in my 26 years of life. However, couldn't do anything. I could only wait.

Sitting on the ground, I calmly accepted Marcelo's hateful gaze. If there wasn't a barrier between us, I had no doubt he would've torn me apart.

"Do you think me being locked up means you'll be set free? You're too naive. Do you know who you stabbed with that knife?"

I continued, "Lying in court will only make things worse for you. What about your wife and your daughter?

When he heard my words, he suddenly quieted down. He swallowed hard and, after a long pause, blurted, "We're already divorced. Who cares about them now?"

"Oh really?" I smiled and said, "Your wife runs a breakfast stall at 4:00a.m. and gets harassed by men who've been drinking all night. She not only got taken advantage of but also had half of the food for sale smashed.

"She loses money as fast as she makes it. I wonder how she manages to support your daughter."Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

He scratched several black marks on the white wall and scolded, "That bitch! How dare she refuse to

sleep with me. Turns out she's been serving someone else!"

He cursed vehemently, but I noticed his pupils were shaking violently, a sign of his inner struggle.

"Your daughter was wearing a pink dress today. It was old but clean. Do you know what happened?"

I paused, deliberately looking at Marcelo, teasing him.

His Adam's apple bobbed as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't muster the courage. His face turned red with frustration while I casually inspected the prison cell where I was held. Finally, he burst out impatiently, "Well? Go on! What happened to her?"

I casually continued, "It's nothing much. She got kicked by a boy as soon as she entered school. Her hands and knees were scraped, and her dress was torn.

"Her little braids were all over the place like a wild child as she cried loudly on the ground. Other kids. called her a fatherless bastard."

"Bullshit! Complete bullshit! Who said that? I'll fucking kill him!" Marcelo shouted.

"You're not going anywhere, so you're just here to run your mouth," I retorted.

He snapped and went berserk in the prison, pounding on the door. "Let me out! Damn it! You're not keeping your word! Let me out!"

Despite his yelling, no one paid him any attention. His hatred naturally shifted to me, and he started cursing me.

"You witch! Aren't you a lawyer? Where's your sense of justice? You just stood there and watched a kid get bullied without lifting a finger?"

I adjusted my stray hair calmly and replied, "Her father falsely accused me of a crime. I'm being merciful by not retaliating. The suffering your wife and daughter endure stems from your incompetence. I don't know what you're yelling about." I wanted to provoke and push him into revealing the truth.