Chapter 57 Sybil’s Parents

(John’s POV)

I could only look on, horrified, as Sybil’s mother slapped her. Then I immediately rushed over, grabbed Sybil and shielded her behind me. “Are you okay?” I asked, turning my head to look at her.

“I’m fine, John. Don’t worry about it.” She put on a brave face, but I could feel her trembling against my back. That got me wondering if this sort of thing was a regular occurrence.

I gaped open-mouthed at Mrs. Smith. The woman had just slapped her own daughter out of nowhere. Sybil hadn’t even done anything that should provoke her. At least nothing that I had noticed. She had simply offered to drive her parents home. Did that really warrant a slap?

Mrs. Smith could clearly see how disturbed I was by this. “I’m so sorry about that, John,” she said sadly, “I’m just upset about the hospital bill. It’s much higher than we’d imagined!” She did look distraught, but I could tell that she wasn’t sorry at all for what she did to Sybil. “I’m just glad that your family is helping us financ