When Charles heard Molly's words, he tensed up. Before he could speak, a snake slithered into the living room.Molly went pale and almost fainted, while her mother's face lost all colors. With no other choice, Charles clasped his hands together and prayed to the snake. "Don't worry. I'll definitely fulfill my promise from the dream. I'll go and apologize to Draco later. My daughter is still young. Please don't get mad at her. I'll make sure she learns her lesson."Molly thought her father had gone insane, unaware that other families were also finding snakes appearing in their homes.These snakes were offerings from the Pahana, enabling him to locate souls through their resentment.…Meanwhile, in an old apartment building, no one dared to approach Draco's house. His neighbors avoided it, pitying his family but fearing their bad luck might be contagious.An old lady knocked on Draco's door. "Libbie, please eat something. I made extra roasted ribs today. Have some. Don't take what
Aria said meaningfully, "It's nothing much, but I found a witness."Witness? Landon looked at Sabrina.Without hesitation, Aria pulled Sabrina along, handing a child over to Martha. "Ma'am, please come with us. We need to confirm some things with your daughter-in-law."The "we" included both Draco and Libbie.When Sabrina realized she was being dragged into Draco's house, her face turned pale. "I don't want to go to their house! Stop!"Libbie had kept the door slightly ajar; she wasn't expecting anyone to enter their house. Just as she was about to shut it, someone grabbed her wrist.It was Draco, who had been bedridden with a fever for days. Libbie's eyes widened as tears streamed down her face. "You're finally awake! They are—"Aria met Draco's gaze through the small gap, still holding onto Sabrina. "I'm here to fulfill my promise, Mr. Pollard." Draco was taken aback, wondering if he was still dreaming. He hesitated to rise, unsure of how he would explain himself to the Carv
Sabrina snorted. "Just drop the act. What's with the slow walking? Why are you carrying all that stuff and pretending to be so weak? You're just like that daughter of yours!" "I'm not pretending!" Libbie's eyes flashed with anger. "And don't you dare insult my daughter! Everyone knows your husband is the problem. I've told you how he always ogles women in their dresses during summer!" Sabrina knew exactly what kind of man she had married, but there was no way she would admit to her poor choice. To her, it was always other women's fault. They were the ones being immodest and trying to seduce her husband. Why couldn't they just wear pants like decent people? Sabrina scoffed. "Whatever, I'm done with your excuses. You're married to a military man, so I know to watch my step. If Martha wasn't bringing you stuff, I wouldn't even bother talking to you." As Sabrina turned to leave with her child, Aria sent a silver needle whizzing through the air. Aria said calmly, "We usually bring
Martha panicked. She clutched her grandson as she pleaded, "Libbie, please say something. You know how Sabrina is—she's just tactless, not malicious. After all I've done for you, couldn't we just—" Draco spoke up, "No. Madam Berkin, no one can forgive these actions on Shirley's behalf. Not even me." Draco's fists were clenched tight. "You talk about being good to us, and you know exactly what kind of person my wife is. Yet you turned a blind eye to your son's behavior. Don't pretend you weren't part of spreading those rumors around the neighborhood." Initially, Martha had believed Libbie was the one flirting with her son. But after witnessing something herself, she realized her son was the real problem. She had tried being nice to the Pollards to keep things from escalating. She worried about her son's reputation and career if Libbie ever spoke up about what happened. That day, she had let her judgment slip when she mentioned to others how those from out of town loved dressin
Aria showed no mercy. Some people would never change. They would apologize not because they were sorry, but because they were scared. They were scared of losing face or all the privileges they had. The son was the real monster here, yet they had let his victim suffer the consequences of their gossip. They did that all to protect his precious career and reputation, huh? Well then, she would make sure everyone knew exactly what kind of trash the son and his family were. The police came to arrest them right in the neighborhood while another team raided his workplace. It caused quite a scene at the school where he worked. Pablo Clarkson was in the middle of self-righteously criticizing "today's unmotivated youth" when the police pinned him to his desk. He was arrested for sexual harassment. At first, his colleagues could not believe it. How could this well-mannered man in glasses be guilty of such a thing? His colleagues tried to stop the police. "Officers, this has to be a mista
"Yes, I heard." Aria met his gaze steadily. Draco smiled, but it looked more like he was crying. "Shirley was stronger than anyone. When she was little, she told me she wanted to be a soldier like me. "In elementary school, she'd always stand up for classmates who were being bullied. But these people dare say she was weak! That a few words drove her to suicide!" Draco's fists clenched. "I didn't even know what was happening. My daughter was gone before I could do anything. Don't I have the right to avenge her? These people, I..." In his youth, he had poured all his energy into protecting the border. He had wanted to keep drugs out, knowing they destroyed families. He had taken pride in protecting people. After retiring, the government treated him well by offering him another job. He was grateful and happy to have a simple family life. But he soon learned how hard things were without connections. New management meant constant overtime. Without connections or knowing how to p
Just as Draco was about to explode with anger, Aria gestured for him to stay calm. She then moved Charles' hand aside. Charles felt his stomach drop. He still remembered how this master had appeared in his dream. Aria bent down with a curious look. "Could you tell me why you call Shirley poor?" Seeing this pretty woman who wore designer shoes, Molly let her guard down. "It's obvious. Everyone at school knows they're from out of town with no money or connections. What else would you call that? "Our school isn't for just anybody. I don't even know how someone of her status could get in. Of course she did not fit in." Molly spoke casually while flexing her numb arm. Aria smiled. "So you're saying anyone who doesn't fit in is poor?" "Obviously." Molly nodded. "We have very clear divisions. Everyone knows who's who. Some people know their place, but Shirley had zero social intelligence!" Middle schoolers today really spoke with more confidence than adults. Aria noticed the poo
Molly's words shocked Draco. "What do you mean she offended someone she shouldn't mess with? Aren't there teachers watching you at school?" "Sir, are you really this naïve or just playing dumb?" Molly muttered under her breath, "So what if we're at school? Nobody really cares." Draco's head snapped up. He had been to the school countless times. After what happened to his daughter, he went there almost daily. The teachers told him that since it happened during class hours, they immediately called both the police and ambulance. A few students had broken down crying as they had no idea why Shirley jumped. They cordoned off the scene and even canceled classes for a day. The teachers looked devastated too. They mentioned how they had even arranged a scholarship for Shirley. Draco pounded his head. "I asked if anyone was bullying Shirley. They said no!" "Draco." Libbie cried, hugging him. "Please don't." "She lied to me!" Draco gritted his teeth. "She was lying! Someone was bully