The strong stench of antiseptic filled the room. Penny peeled off her blood-stained gloves, tossing them aside gently.
Her eyes lingered on Osvaldo's unconscious form, his chest rising and falling as he slept.
She sighed in relief, drawing the sheets to cover his body. As Penny watched him, she wondered how this man had survived up until now.
With the kind of punishment he went through today, she doubts she'd survive if it were her.
The Adkins family were heartless even if they knew that he was their only source of livelihood. They have been brutal to him. Penny couldn't begin to imagine the type of pain they had put him through all these years.
And here she thought her life was shitty, well, here comes a man with a more shitty life.
Ariana's sharp claps sounded in Penny's ears immediately and she turned to face her sister. "Good job, Penny," she drawled, lips curling in that fake sweet smile as she rose from where she sat. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor.
"You almost look like a real doctor just now." She mocked stepping closer but Penny ignored her words.
"This is not over Penny. You still have my projects to complete." Ariana continued to see her sister nod.
"Of course sister. I'll handle it any time." Penny smiled.
Now this is the Penny she knew of. The stupid obedient one.
Ariana headed for the door, but before she could reach it. The door burst open with three men in black suits walking in.
The three Adkins lawyers stood frozen in the doorway, their expensive suits failing to mask their aging frames. Silver streaks already invading their black hair strands.
Dewitt Adkins had carefully selected the best of the best lawyers for his son because he knew the Petersons were never to be trusted.
He knew even if he gave them a huge sum of money, they would never be satisfied and might end up killing his only son.
Their furious gazes swept over Osvaldo's unconscious form before snapping to the two women in the room like vipers locking onto prey.
Both girls looked alike, but one was young and beautiful, and the other fat and ugly.
"What the hell did you do to our Young Master?" the lead lawyer barked, his voice cracking with barely restrained fury.
Ariana parted her lips, ready to spin her web of lies. These men looked important, perhaps they could be the Adkins Lawyers Abby had spoken about. There's no way she'd let Penny expose her.
Her reputation mattered to her more than anything. Plus they looked so terrifying.
"Who is Penelope here?" Another interrupted sharply.
Penny raised her hand slowly, fingers still stained with Osvaldo's blood. "I am." She said softly.
The moment she did, all three men recoiled as if she were something vile, their faces twisting in open disgust.
How the hell did their Young Master end up married to this thing? Their eyes screamed. Of all the women in the world, why her?
An ugly duckling.
But Penny didn't flinch at their action. She was already used to people treating her this way, so it didn't matter to her.
They had thoroughly examined the marriage certificate. There were no loopholes, nothing. The signatures were correct, and the seal was correct. The names were boldly written. She was indeed Osvaldo Adkin's wife.
They couldn't understand it. Why would the Petersons choose her of all people?
Still, none of that mattered now. They were here to protect their Master's assets. And unfortunately, that meant dealing with Penny.
Their hatred wasn't only born from appearances. It was deeper.
Abby and Greg had already whispered lies into their ears. Said Penny hurt Osvaldo. Said she was a threat. A burden that needed to be tamed. They needed them to teach her a lesson.
Just as planned.
Penny would take the blame for everything they do to Osvaldo. She's their scapegoat anyway.
If the lawyers already believed she had hurt him today, then tomorrow, they'd believe she murdered him in cold blood when they finally killed him.
"How dare you defy our Master this way?" the third lawyer hissed, his knuckles whitening around his cane.
Penny's brows furrowed. Defy him? Did they really think she had hurt Osvaldo?
No, this was a clear misunderstanding. Penny opened her mouth to speak, but before she could.
"Penny didn't mean to harm him," Ariana cut in smoothly, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "She was only trying to defend herself." Penny frowned at her words.
Penny turned sharply. "That's not what..." Before she could complete her words, the door opened again.
Abby, Greg, and Chris stepped in. Their faces filled with fake guilt. They looked like worried relatives, but deep down this was just another game they had planned.
Behind them was Hughes who hurried to her new Madams side. In the game of life, Penny has found one trusted ally.
"Madam, are you okay?" Hughes whispered, shielding Penny like a silent knight. She would not let anything happen to the key to their master's heart.
"Mr. Timothy, Mr. Treadwell, Mr. Willy," Abby began smoothly, addressing the three men with a fake warm smile. "We're so sorry. There seems to have been a misunderstanding."
"Indeed," Greg added supporting his wife. "Our Osvaldo almost killed this girl earlier. Penny only asked the guards to discipline him."
Lies. All lies and manipulation.
And Penny stood frozen in place as they threw her under the bus. She couldn't believe it. They were all pushing the blame on her.
So this was their plan all along.
"What do we do, Madam?" Hughes whispered beside her. "They're blaming you."
Penny's eyes stayed on the three men. "Who are they?" she asked calmly.
"They're the Adkins' core lawyers. They control everything, the inheritance, the company, and Osvaldo's rights. They're the only reason the Petersons haven't killed him already."
"They would do anything to protect our master, Osvaldo," Hughes said. She had seen them as their savior before, but right now, she saw them as foolish men.
Penny nodded slowly. This was only her second day in the house, and already the war had begun.
She thought things couldn't get worse. But then...
"...But even so," one of the men said coldly, "she had no right to harm our Master."