CHAPTER 516: 303_1

「Outside the house.」

Dean listened to the noise inside without any change in expression, as if it were all too familiar.

Many law enforcement agencies across numerous countries often require the guidance of psychologists. This is precisely why ethical dilemmas and issues of human nature, rarely encountered by ordinary people, are just another day at work for them.

Without strong psychological coping abilities, one is not suited for frontline work.

Selica’s father’s endurance was average—or perhaps Selica was particularly skilled.

The commotion inside lasted little more than a minute before ending.

「Inside the house.」

After swallowing the savory protein to her satisfaction, Selica diligently placed a pre-prepared towel and clothes before the man. She said softly, "I’ve prepared hot water and food. Hurry up and wash. Slip is dead; let’s celebrate tonight."

"Hmm."

The tired man seemed even more worn out after his release.

With a simple grunt, he entered the bathroom, attended by his daughter.

Was it an illusion? His daughter seemed much more proactive today, the man mused.

Selica licked her lips and followed him into the bathroom with a seductive look in her eyes.

Neither of them noticed, under the cover of the running water, that a tall figure had silently appeared in the room.

Dean listened to the sounds coming from the bathroom, shook his head, and silently closed the doors and windows of the house. He then opened the natural gas valve before returning to the bathroom door, melting into the shadows like a ghost.

Selica’s father, likely worn down by daily exploitation, appeared weak.

Amidst Selica’s dissatisfied muttering, he exhaled deeply and said in a low, tired voice, "You didn’t leave any evidence at Slip’s place, right?"

Selica, head down, idly stirred the water in the bathtub. "I’ve taken care of everything."

"That’s good." Selica’s father nodded in satisfaction. "I didn’t expect Teague’s father to actually hire a detective to investigate that bitch Toddy’s case, but this also helped us get rid of the principal, that nuisance."

He didn’t notice that his daughter’s behavior today was somewhat abnormal.

Selica slowly lifted her head and looked earnestly at her father. "But the principal used his credit card to take me for the abortion. That doctor from the illegal clinic should remember me. I’m worried the detective won’t let me go; he knows there’s something wrong with me!"

Selica’s father stretched out his rough palm, his hand making a repetitive motion beneath the water as he reassured her:

"No worries, Selica.

"When I came back, I already inquired. That detective left at noon. And even if your situation is exposed, it will only add the disgraceful crime of defiling a female student to the principal’s name.

"We can even take this opportunity to claim compensation from the school. Maybe some women’s organizations will donate and offer you help...

"Ugh, it’s just that the principal is dead now. There’s no one to give you money anymore.

"It’s all that stinking bitch Toddy’s fault for discovering our affair! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had to kill her myself, and everything wouldn’t have been ruined!"

As he finished speaking, Selica’s father gave his daughter a strange look.

Thankfully, my daughter, though her face is plain, has a good figure. With the principal gone, if we move to downtown Los Angeles, she can find countless other ’principals’ to foot the bill.

Selica stared fixedly at her father’s increasingly haggard face. Meeting his strange gaze, she quickly lowered her head again and said softly, "Yes, Father..."

Her mother had died when she was very young, and she had lived with her coarse father ever since.

In Selica’s memory, although her father drank heavily and had a terrible temper, he had at least provided for her. Though they lived in poverty, life had been relatively peaceful.

This peace lasted until after Selica’s first menstruation. Her physical development far surpassed that of her peers, and her father’s gaze upon her grew increasingly bizarre, bringing her peaceful life to an abrupt end...

By the time she realized how ugly and twisted everything was, it was too late. She could no longer return to a normal life.

To make matters worse, just as she was about to turn sixteen, Selica discovered she was pregnant.

In their small town, this was a very noticeable event. Going to a hospital would be troublesome. Worse still, her father, who squandered money on alcohol, had no funds to take her to an illegal clinic.

Ultimately, the two of them set their sights on the principal.

If Teacher Toddy hadn’t seen her and her father in a compromising situation—which forced her father to murder the teacher—they would have continued to leech off the principal, feeding on him as they strayed further down this path of no return.

Father and daughter both retreated into their own inner worlds. For a moment, the bathroom fell back into a dead silence.

..

「Outside the house.」

Dean’s expression shifted to one of sudden understanding. So that’s how it was. Teacher Toddy discovered the affair between Selica and her father, and that’s why she was silenced. The principal purely paid the price for his own desires.

He just didn’t know how Selica had threatened the principal, making him prefer to take the blame and commit suicide rather than expose her. After all, to a normal person, ruining one’s reputation and serving a few years in jail would seem preferable to suicide on top of having one’s reputation destroyed, right?

Just as Dean was preparing to enter, personally conduct an Interrogation, and satisfy his curiosity, the previously silent bathroom stirred with movement again.

SPLASH.

The sound of water subsided.

Selica slowly rose and stepped out of the bathtub. She took a towel, wrapped it around her body, then stood before the tub. Inside, the man’s eyes were closed as he slowly drifted to sleep. Selica watched him, her expression complex.