Chapter 402
Penelope’s body froze, unable to move. Her mind was flooded with memories of Lucien beating her when he was drunk.
“You’re just the bastard child your mother had with some other man p>
“Your father dumped you on me! Why should I have to raise you p>
“You little bastard, I’m going to kill you p>
Lucien had beaten her because she wasn’t his biological daughter. Hans was beating her because she had hit his beloved granddaughter. But p>
His blood ran through her veins too.
Penelope had almost forgotten the sting of a belt on her skin. Hans was making her remember, making the pain fresh all over again.
Her fists clenched. The next time the belt swung toward her, she shot out her hand and caught it. With a savage pull that sent a searing pain through her own body, she ripped it from his grasp.
She looked up and saw them all, the Bishops, standing together. One, two, three… nine of them. The entire family, united against her. Their faces were twisted with malice, their eyes filled with an arrogant glee, as if killing her would be no more difficult than crushing an ant.
Penelope started to laugh. A loud, wild laugh.
She took out her phone, turned it around, and took a selfie, capturing her own bruised face and the vicious expressions of the Bishops behind her in a single, damning frame.
“What are you doing?” Mrs. Bishop demanded.
Penelope looked back at them. “I’m making a memory p>
“Hah. A memory might be good for you. Maybe next time you’ll know better than to cross the Bishops p>
A humorless smile touched Penelope’s lips as she mouthed the words silently: “The Bishop family is finished p>
“You little bitch, looks like you haven’t learned your lesson! Hit her again p>
Penelope’s eyes turned glacial. With a roar of fury, she heaved the massive dining table, sending it crashing over. As plates shattered on the floor, she swung the belt, whipping a painting off the wall.
Another crash.
The Bishops stared, wide-eyed. In their minds, Penelope had gone completely insane.
And she had. She smashed everything she could in the dining room, then hurled the belt straight at Hans.
“You dare to throw a tantrum!” Hans bellowed. “I won’t let you get away with this!” “That’s right, don’t let her p>
“Keep hitting her p>
The others egged him on, Ruby even picking up the belt and handing it back to him.
Donald kept trying to intervene, but Jonas held him fast.
“Don’t you all forget, she is
Theodore’s wife! Mrs. Stapleton.!” he shouted. “Do you really think, Theodore is someone to be trifled with?” Śwnovels
The name finally seemed to register with them.
“Hmph. The Stapleton family would never sever ties with us over her,” Mrs. Bishop said coldly.
“Of course not. Our family’s influence in Orenth is nearly as strong as theirs,” Jonas added.
But the warning had given Hans pause. “I am an elder teaching a junior some manners The Stapletons Saren’t so unreasonable as to not see that. Still, we should show them some face p>
Before he could finish, a series of crashes echoed from the living room. The family
rushed to see Penelope systematically destroying it.
“She’s out of control! I’m going to p>
Jonas started forward, but Hans shot him a look.
“Let her smash it p>
“Dad p>
“When the Stapletons ask why we hit her, we’ll tell them she destroyed our home first. Then they’ll have nothing to say. Hans said, his eyes narrowed.
Mrs. Bishop sneered. “Let the idiot do it. We’ll just send the Stapletons the bill afterward p>
Penelope was consumed by rage. She didn’t care about the consequences. All she wanted was to tear the Bishop family home down to its foundations.