Chapter 1623

The woman’s expression flickered with unease. “Are you trying to scare me with that?”
“Whether it’s a scare or not depends on your actions,” Jamie replied, her tone sharp and laced with sarcasm. “An item left unattended is a lost possession to some, but to others, it might look like bait. Since when is returning lost property a crime?” The woman’s expression darkened as she realized she was losing the argument. The murmurs from the surrounding crowd began to shift in tone.
“You’re just trying to dodge responsibility!” the woman snapped, her voice growing shriller. “I’ve never seen someone so shameless. Instead of feeling guilty, you stand there acting so self-righteous.” “You’re throwing baseless accusations at my mom, and the fact that I haven’t torn into you yet shows how patient I’m being. Do you actually expect me to be polite about it?”
Jamie shot her a look that practically screamed, “Are you even hearing yourself?”
The woman’s breath hitched in frustration. With a clenched jaw, she glanced sideways, her eyes narrowing as she shot a threatening look at her daughter.
Jamie followed the gaze and froze for a moment.
The girl was painfully thin, her hair dull and brittle from malnutrition. The woman gave her daughter a shove, causing the little girl to fall to the ground, rubbing her eyes and crying pitifully.
The woman immediately turned the situation to her advantage. “Look at that! You scared my daughter into tears. You owe me compensation!”
Jamie couldn’t believe her ears. Was this woman out of her mind?
But the woman’s brazen tactics made it crystal clear that she was after money. Judging by how seamlessly the two worked together, this wasn’t their first attempt at such a scheme. Jamie glanced at the little girl again. Her heart twinged with pity at the sight of the child’s tear-streaked face, but pity alone wouldn’t solve this problem.
She wasn’t about to indulge con artists, no matter how pathetic they looked. Taking out her phone, she said coolly, “If we can’t settle this, let’s let the police decide.”
The woman’s face twisted with panic. She clearly hadn’t expected Jamie to escalate the situation.
“”No! No police!”
“What’s the matter? Planning to snatch my phone too? There are plenty of witnesses here. You wouldn’t be able to weasel out of it.”
The woman stared at Jamie, flustered and speechless, while the crowd looked on in amusement. Jamie’s calm confidence completely deflated her.
“Are you just going to leave your
dan the cold floor?” Jamie “Shell catch a chill if she stame
said, her voice soft but pointed
too long.”
there
Humiliated and out of options, the woman yanked her daughter up roughly. To Jamie’s shock, she twisted the girl’s ear hard enough to make her stumble.
“You useless brat! Raising you is
more trouble than it’s worth. What a waste, the woman hissed under her breath, her frustration venting onto the poor child.
The girl winced but bit her lip to hold back her cries. She was clearly used to this treatment, but her trembling frame made Jamie’s anger dissolve into pity. “Wait,” Jamie called out, stopping them in their tracks.
The woman turned, her eyes darting nervously. “What now?”
“You insulted my mother and bullied a child. Don’t you think you owe us an apology before you leave?” Jamie said, her voice firm.
“Apologize? Don’t push it,” the woman muttered, her face darkening.
Jamie didn’t bother responding. She simply held her phone up, her finger hovering over the call button.
The woman’s bravado crumbled. After a tense moment, she swallowed her pride and muttered, “I’m sorry.”
Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed her daughter and hurried off. The girl was practically dragged away, her frail, thin frame looking even more helpless and small next to her overbearing mother.
Jamie let out a soft sigh.
Charlie tugged at her sleeve. “Mom, that little girl looked so sad.”
She gently patted his head, trying to comfort him. However, she was unable to promise the girl any help.
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