Since this was the case, I asked for a phone call. Afterward, I waited quietly. What I didn’t expect was for Penelope’s parents to arrive so fast. Normally, coming in from their village would take at least two hours. Yet here they were in just thirty minutes.
I wanted them to see the truth, to witness what their daughter had become, and to judge for themselves whether she should be the one paying compensation.
“Mr. and Mrs. Fuller, what brings you here?” Dwayne greeted them warmly, as if they were already close. Watching that, my heart sank even lower.
The four of them, Dwayne, Penelope, and her parents, huddled together, whispering.
Soon, Penelope’s mother came storming over, pointing a finger in my face. “You’re worse than an animal. Penelope wanted to break up with you, and you threatened to kill her. And today you actually raised your hand against her.”
Her words stabbed deep. My chest tightened with pain. “Search your conscience. Don’t you fear heaven’s punishment for saying something like that?”
“Bah!” She spat at me. “With Mr. Cohen here now, we’re not afraid of you anymore. Officers, you must make sure he’s punished properly.”
Dwayne looked at me with contempt. “We’ll do this Penelope’s way. Kneel, apologize, and transfer the money. Then I’ll drop it. Otherwise, you’ll rot in jail.”
I turned to Penelope. “You really want me to do this?”
“You’re still threatening my daughter?” her mother screeched. “Officers, look at his attitude! Scum like him deserves prison.”
“You’ll regret this,” I said at last, my voice suddenly calm, but cold.
Dwayne smirked. “What, some ‘every dog has its day’ nonsense? Guys like you, bottom feeders, can only live in those fantasy novels. I’ll give you ten seconds. If you don’t kneel and pay, get ready for jail.”
I stared him down and grimly said, “Give me your bank account number.”
He blinked in surprise, but then rattled it off.
When his phone buzzed with the deposit notification, Dwayne stared at the screen, checking it over and over. Then he shoved it toward Penelope. “Penelope, didn’t you say this loser handed over every cent of his wages to you? Looks like he’s been hiding plenty of money on the side. Guess he’s been up to more than you thought.”
Jackson's POV
Penelope shot me a glare. “You disgust me. This is what you call being honest with me?”