"Isn’t it lovely to live in this country!? This county is the best place to live... if you’re a criminal, right, officers?!"
The madman they arrested from a brawl continued to laugh maniacally until some officers took him somewhere else. Even when being dragged, he expressed his dismay toward the wife and the cowardly husband who could only fight women.
"Tch!" Grace clicked her tongue through her gritted teeth, glaring daggers at her parents. "You two... you’re just the same!"
As soon as the last syllable rolled out of her tongue, she ran away with a heavy heart. Grace ran away so fast that some lazy police officer couldn’t stop her.
"Eh. She’s just being dramatic," said her father while waving dismissively. "Don’t mind her. She’ll come home."
Hugo, Charles, and Haines weren’t pleased with how this man would not even show the slightest remorse. However, after writing up their reports, the officers let all of them leave — just like that.
It was a frustrating experience for everyone and, in a way, the experience would be like a splinter stuck in their hearts.
*
*
*
When they left the station, the Bennet Family returned to the square to meet up with everyone. Thankfully, Charles was quick enough to alert Haines and Allison so as not to cause panic. Allison stayed with Atlas and Slater to make sure everyone wouldn’t panic while Charles and Haines looked for Penny and Hugo.
Therefore, when they returned, they had to socialize and celebrate the success of the club’s mission. Acting like nothing happened was a skill many in the upper echelon learned. Which explains how the Bennets quickly put on their smiling faces.
But when the charity event ended, and they were on the way home, Slater and Atlas nagged Hugo for not telling them when he left with Penny. The couple, Penny, and Hugo decided not to worry the other children unnecessarily. So, they didn’t detail what actually happened.
"Penny, don’t disappear like that again," Slater repeated as he idled in Penny’s bedroom after they reached home. "Do you know how worried we were?"
Penny looked up at him from the bed with her pets while Slater stood near the door. "Sorry."
"Penny, nothing really happened?" he asked suspiciously. "You, Mom and Dad, Uncle Haines, and even Second Brother had been acting strange since you came back. What really happened?"
"Well... hmm..." she rubbed her chin, thinking she agreed not to tell her other brothers so they wouldn’t have to worry. What happened already happened — it was done.
Assessing Slater longer than she should, Penny blurted out, "Third Brother, if, somehow, your bullies were caught bullying you by a teacher or the headmaster, would you tell them the truth?"
"Hmm?"
"Or would you keep quiet and deny it?"
"Penny, are we talking about this again? I haven’t decided on what to do yet," he frowned, assuming this was Penny’s way of reminding him about coming clean to his parents.
"That’s not my intention. I’m just curious why would victims deny and protect their abusers?"
"Because that’s what happens when you’ve been abused for so long. Your spirits break and you somehow believe it’s your fault."
If not for Penny...
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