bChapter /bb566 /b

After Aubree finished bspeaking/b, ba /bvisible struggle flickered across Josephine’s bface/b. Ultimately, fear prevailed. Even if she didn’t bcare /babout herself, bshe /bhad to bthink /bof bher /bson.

At bworst/b, it would cost her life, but her bson /bbwas /bstill so young. She couldn’t afford to mess bwith /bthe bvige /bhead’s family.

Josephine pressed her lips into a bitter line and shook her head firmly. She said, “Thank you for what you did today, but I hope you won’t tell anyone about this.”

Samuel’s eyebrows shot up, a smug grin spreading across his face as he thought, These outsiders really think they’re something bspecial/b, huh? Once this blows bover/b, I’ll make that bitch pay for it in bed. I’ll make her beg for mercy and then finish her off.

bAs /bfor these outsiders, I would get Dad to bteach /bthem a lesson they’d never forget.

‘How dare that guy actually hit me! Just wait, bI’ll /bsmash his legs to pieces. And that woman? She’ll find out bexactly /bwhat bI /bcan do to her.

Aubree stepped forward and hugged her,forting, “You have to stand up on your own. If everyone keeps twisting the truth, then bgo /bahead and call them out. Hit them so hard they won’t dare to push the me on you again.”

Samuel clung to Aubree’s shouldersb, /bcrying so hard she couldn’t stop. “bI /bcan’t do it. As long as I’m still stuck in this vige, there’s nothing bI /bcan do,” she sobbed.

Those words made Aubree realize even more clearly that if the vige head of Ridgehaven Town wasn’t dealt with, nothing she wanted to aplish here would ever work out.

And the look on Samuel’s face just now said it all—he knew he could get away with anything.

Josephine bwas /bterrified of retaliation from the vige head’s family.

Compared to Aubree’s gentle approach, Bowen was like a force of nature.

He yanked Aubree to his side as he said, “Since she’s already said that, let’s just act like we never saw anything.”

Josephine started shaking even harder.

Aubree looked back at Bowen, her beyes /bfull of disapproval. bIf /beven she could see what was happening, Bowen must have realized it even sooner.

Bowen didn’t budge as he said, “Sob, /bare we leaving or what? bIf /bshe really thinks that giving in will make Samuel let her off, then why should we bother with any of thisb?/bb” /b

Josephine was left speechless as he’d hit the nail right on the head.

“She doesn’t even dare say a word to us here. Once we’re gone, bif /bshe ends up getting bullied to death, well, that’s on her.

“Only an idiot would think that backing down will ever make the bullies stop,” Bowen scoffed.

Josephine trembled, but those words really hit home.

‘If I don’t dare do anything to Samuel now, will the vige head’s family really let me go once they’re gone?‘ she questioned herself.

Deep downb, /bshe already knew the answer.

Instead of waiting for them to leave and then suffering the vige head’s family’s revenge, she might as well give Samuel a taste of his own medicine right now. Even if they came for herter, at least she wouldn’t go down without a fight.

With that thought, Josephine clenched her fists, suddenly reached out, and pushed Samuel to the ground. She red between his legs and sent a vicious kick right where it hurt most.

“Ah!” Samuel let out a scream that was even more blood–curdling than Josephine’s. It bwas /bso shrill it could have shattered the sky and knocked down the walls of Josephine’s house.

Finally, Aubree let out a sigh and thought, ‘She should have done this long ago.

However, none of them realized that the scream had been heard loud and clear by the vige head himself, who was hurrying over.

The blond guy with him piped up, “Sir, that sounded just like Samuel!”

“Let’s move faster!” the vige chief snapped.

b3:41 /bPM

Soon, a knock sounded at the door, and ba /bbooming male voice came from outside, b“/bJosephineb, /bbare /byou home? bI /bneed a word with you.”

When Josephone heard that voice, her bface /bbwent /bpale as she whispered, “Don’t open the door. It’s the vige chief.”

Samuel, who bwas /bstill writhing on the ground, recognized his old man’s bvoice /btoo.