Chapter 189

An hour later, Penelope and her brother were sitting on the steps in front of a supermarket, each eating an ice cream bar.
Timothy glanced at her. “So, when exactly did you go blind?”
Penelope rubbed her scalp, which was still sore from having her hair pulled. “A few years ago. My vision just recently cleared up.”
“Hmph. Your fighting skills have gotten rusty, too.”
“That’s because they don’t fight fair. You should have seen me with those thugs-”
She caught herself and quickly shut her mouth.
Timothy snorted. “I was going to handle it myself.”
“You’re a student. You can’t get into fights. But your big sister is a working adult. I won’t get suspended if I get in a brawl.”
“But you could end up in jail.”
“It’s fine. I’d be out in a day.”
Timothy had come to see their father. When he heard he wasn’t there, he stood up to leave.
“I’m getting married in ten days. You have to be there,” Penelope said, grabbing his arm.
He shook her off. “If it’s with that Zebulon guy, I refuse.”
“Of course it’s not him. I found a new husband. He’s pretty decent.”
“Tch. That’s what you said about Zebulon.”
“My brain was waterlogged back then.”
“Shake your head now, and I bet you’d hear even more sloshing.”
Penelope rolled her eyes. “Just be there. You have to.”
“I’m busy.”
Timothy got on his bike and rode off. Even she couldn’t do anything about her stubborn younger brother.
When she got home, she saw Zebulon helping a groaning Mr. Sullivan out of the house. He was clutching his lower back, his face twisted in pain. During the fight, she’d seen Timothy land a solid kick right to his spine. A young man in his twenties, full of testosterone and brute strength, hadn’t held back. Mr. Sullivan probably hadn’t felt it at first, but now the pain was setting in, forcing a trip to the hospital.
Mrs. Sullivan followed behind, her eyes burning with hatred when she saw Penelope.
“You injured him! Just you wait
“Go ahead, call the police,” Penelope offered helpfully. “Have me arrested. I promise I won’t resist. I’ll confess to everything.”
“How can you still be so arrogant?”
“And then the police will ask why we
were fighting, won’t they? And le
have to tell them all about how you tricked me into a fake marriage.’
“Aren’t you ashamed?”
“What do I have to be ashamed of? The real question is, are you?”
“You-!”
“Oh, right. That would be fraud, wouldn’t it? And possibly bigamy? That’s two crimes. You could be facing prison time.”
That shut them up. Mrs. Sullivan’s seething stopped, Zebulon’s glare faded, and they shuffled away in defeat.
Penelope strolled cheerfully back
her house. While washing her face, she noticed a bruise forming on her left Cheek where someone mus have hit her
She wasn’t about to let that go.
That evening, after a shower, she lay in bed, opened her phone, and went to the Sullivan family group chat. She started by sending a photo.
It was one she’d taken at the bridal shop: Zebulon in a tuxedo and Rebecca in a Official source ıs
wedding gown. It was finally coming in handy.
The chat immediately lit up.
“Zebulon’s getting married? Your fiancée is beautiful!”
“We got the invitation! We’ll definitely be there!”
“You really kept this under wraps. We didn’t know about Zebulon’s wedding until
the invitation arrived!”
“I know, right? And it’s so soon!”
Once she saw the Sullivan relatives
taking the bait, Penelope sent
another photo one she’d taken of
Zebulon and Rebecca during one of
their secret trysts. fo