Chapter 306
That night, a storm rolled in. She shivered in her corner, soaked to the bone but too scared to move. Not far away, she could feel a man-eating beast lurking in the darkness.
She couldn’t see it, but she knew it was there, waiting for her to step out so it could devour her whole.
The next morning, she dragged her feverish body onward, walking and walking until she finally collapsed.
When she woke up, she was home. Her mother was watching over her.
But the moment she opened her eyes, Mrs. Lancaster rushed in, hugging her tightly. “My sweet baby, Grandma’s precious girl! You’re such a naughty one, running off like that. You scared Grandma half to death p>
From that day on, she knew Mrs. Lancaster and the rest of the Lancasters were the real beasts, and she and her mother were their prey, trapped in a cage.
They had to escape. It was the only way to survive.
On the phone, Mrs. Lancaster’s voice was much older now, but it still held the grating, predatory quality of a monster.
“Oh, the snow was so deep that day. We trudged through it to find her. We just wanted to give her a hug, but she pushed us away in disgust. But we’d never hold a grudge against a child. She’s still our precious granddaughter. I’d brought her some persimmons from our own yard-her favorite. They were very ripe, but we carried them so carefully that not a single one was bruised. When I offered them to her, she slapped them out of my hand, and they splattered all over the ground p>
Mrs. Lancaster started to cry, and the people in the background began to murmur.
“How could a child be so cruel p>
“Her grandparents adore her! She’s a complete ingrate p>
Mrs. Lancaster was a master of lies and theatrics. Penelope wanted to hang up, to escape their trap.
“My granddaughter married into a good family, the Stapletons, I believe p>
That was Mr. Lancaster Sr.’s voice. At the mention of the Stapletons, Penelope’s grip on her phone tightened.
“No matter how well-off you are, you can’t just disown your own grandparents!” the caller said indignantly.
“I p>
“Which Stapleton family? It couldn’t be the one that owns Zenith Group, could it p>
Penelope’s brow furrowed. She didn’t care if the Lancasters ruined her reputation, but she couldn let them drag the Stapleton’s into this. This had nothing to do with them.
“I’m on my way p>
When she arrived at the restaurant, it was packed with people, many of them recording with their phones. In the center of the crowd were Mr.
and Misaster, still weaving
their tale of a doting, wronged couple.
Penelope suppressed her rage and pushed her way through the crowd.
When Mr. Lancaster Sr. saw her, his eyes flashed with malice before he turned away, covering his face as if to weep.
Mrs. Lancaster, however, wailed openly, pulling Penelope down to sit beside her.
“Penelope, Grandma’s sweet girl! Look how much you’ve grown. It’s been so many years since Grandma has seen you p>
Penelope leaned in close and whispered, “Don’t test me p>
Mrs. Lancaster immediately adopted a look of fear and guilt. “Are you angry that Grandma and Grandpa came to see you without calling first p>
Penelope gritted her teeth. The phone cameras were still on her. She forced a smile.
“Let’s go. Come home with me,” she said.
But Mrs. Lancaster held her back. “My sweet girl, you must be hungry. Grandma
saved some food for you. There’s a big chicken leg in it p>
Penelope looked at the table of scraps, at the bowl of rice with a half-eaten chicken leg sitting on top. Her fists clenched.
They were really trying to disgust her, making her eat leftovers.