Chapter 39 Disgusting
Nigel nodded. “I know. I’m trying to think of something.”
“What other ways could there be?” Dan asked worriedly. “The whole of Dusktown is Sebastian’s territory. As long as he doesn’t give in, Phoebe will never be released! Dad, should we talk to Sebastian? Didn’t Sebastian say that Joel and Quincy are his sons? The Taylor Family helped take care of his sons as they were growing up. Isn’t this how he should be repaying us?”
“When are you going to grow up, Dan?” Nigel stared at his son exasperatedly. “We might have been able to ask him to repay us in the past, but as you said, Madeline might be your aunt’s daughter. If she’s your aunt’s daughter, then Quincy and Joel would be your aunt and uncle’s grandchildren. If that were the case, then it’d be our responsibility to care for the two boys, right? If we try to use this to get Sebastian to repay our deeds, your aunt and uncle might hear about this someday. What would they think about us then? Do you want them to look down on us?” Nigel asked.
“What should we do, then?” Dan stomped his foot with annoyance. “Dad! We have to save Phoebe! We can’t just leave her alone!”
“I’m not going to leave her alone,” Nigel uttered with a sigh. “I’ll visit her at the detention center and ask if she has a way to contact Madeline and beg Madeline personally. We’re all family, after all. If Phoebe apologizes to Madeline, Madeline might forgive her and help her get out of there.”
Earlier, Nigel was so embarrassed by Sebastian’s mocking statements, he felt the urge to stick his head into a hole. He no longer dared to go to Sebastian or Madeline personally. But since Phoebe was the main person involved, it would make sense for her to talk to them. Phoebe had always been the one bullying Madeline, after all. This time, if Phoebe was willing to bow down and apologize to Madeline, and if Phoebe could be extra nice to Madeline, Madeline might just forgive her.
Nigel didn’t believe it when Sebastian claimed that Madeline didn’t have a say in this matter. Nigel could tell that Sebastian only uttered those things in an attempt to protect Madeline. Sebastian said that Madeline wasn’t respected and had no say at his house only because he wanted to reduce the pressure placed on Madeline. Sebastian was trying to bear some of Madeline’s stress. The more he did so, the more it showed that he cared for Madeline.
Nigel believed that Sebastian would listen to Madeline if Madeline was willing to speak up for Phoebe. Then, Sebastian would let Phoebe go. At least, that was what Nigel thought. Dan agreed that it made sense as well.
“Let me come along! Phoebe’s stubborn, and I’m afraid she might not apologize to Madeline. I can help convince her,” Dan suggested. “You can come if you want to,” Nigel replied. Both father and son left the villa and headed to the detention center. After going through the usual procedures, they successfully managed to arrange a visit with Phoebe.
Phoebe, whose face was swollen and puffy, began to wail the moment she saw Dan and Nigel. “Nigel! Dan! What took you guys so long? Are you guys here to save me? Hurry… Hurry up…” She held her cuffed hands up in front of the policewoman. “Release me now! I’m free! I’m free!”
Nigel spoke in an awkward tone. “Calm down, Phoebe.” When Phoebe saw how the policewoman was standing still and eyeing her with a look of disdain, she froze before turning to Dan and Nigel. “Dan, Nigel, aren’t you guys here to get me out of this place? No. No! You guys must be here to save me, right? Hurry and get me out. I can’t stay here for another second. I need to leave now! Now!”
“That’s enough! Stop shouting!” Nigel barked.
Phoebe shuddered in fear as she recalled how Nigel hated it whenever she shouted. She immediately lowered her voice before looking at him with a pitiful expression on her face. “Please help me get out, Nigel. This place isn’t meant for humans. If I stay here any longer, I’m going to die!”
It was too scary in there—eight prisoners had to share a room as there weren’t any single rooms. There was nothing else apart from eight beds and a single toilet bowl in one room. She was the last person to be sent into the room, so her bed was right next to the toilet bowl. She couldn’t block the disgusting scent of human waste even if she kept her nostrils shut.
Phoebe couldn’t stand it, so she slammed her hands on the metal doors and begged for the wardens to put her in a different cell. However, no wardens showed up, and her roommates gave her a hearty beating. She was beaten to the point where she had to kneel on the ground and beg for mercy.
The other prisoners forced her to scrub the toilet bowl countless times before they finally set her free. Her whole body ached after receiving the beating, and she didn’t get much sleep at all that night. Just the day before, she skipped dinner because she was angry, but her food was snatched away by one of the prisoners. The next morning, someone snatched her food away again. She was already starving by that time, so she made a report to the wardens.
The food in prison was worse than the food she fed her dogs at home. By the time she finished eating and returned to her room, the rest of the prisoners teamed up and beat her up again. She had only been inside for less than two days, yet she felt like she had never suffered as much in her whole life.
Every second of her time there was spent anticipating that Nigel and her sons would hurry over to get her out. She couldn’t spend another minute in that place. “I want to get you out of here, but you need to know that we’re in Dusktown and not Worrick,” Nigel uttered while glaring at her angrily. “How many times have I told you to use your brain before acting on impulse? Why don’t you ever listen to me? It’s fine if you cause trouble in Worrick, but why did you do it here?! Dusktown is the Hart Family’s territory—I’d need to have some power to be able to get you out of here!”
“What do you mean by that, Nigel?” Phoebe asked in a shaky voice. “Are you saying that you and Dan aren’t here to get me out right now?! No… No, no, no…” She shook her head frantically as she grabbed Nigel’s hand while sobbing. “You have to save me, Nigel. You have to get me out. I know my mistakes. I’ll never do this again. I’ll listen to you from now on. I’ll pay attention to everything you say…” Her hands were covered in black, slimy stuff as she grabbed Nigel’s hand, and Nigel shuddered in disgust as he told himself, I have to control myself. I can’t show my disgust! This is the daughter of the man who saved my son! Before Bryan died, I swore to him that I would take care of his daughter and protect her for the rest of her life. I promised that she would never have to suffer. I’m a man, and a man has to keep his word. Phoebe is my responsibility. No matter what she does, I cannot abandon her.
In the end, he pulled his hand away from her with some force before addressing her concerns. “If you wish to leave this place, there is only one way now…”
Her eyes lit up with hope. “What way is it?” she asked anxiously.
“Give Madeline a call and beg her to forgive you…” Nigel pulled his phone out and placed it in front of Phoebe.
“What? You want me to beg that b*stard?!” Phoebe screamed. “No! I’m not going to beg her for anything! I’m only in this situation because of her and her two nasty boys! That b*stard…”
“That’s enough! Shut up!” Nigel was furious to hear her cursing, and his veins popped out on his forehead as he shouted at her. “I don’t want to hear you scolding Madeline, Joel, and Quincy ever again!” he said while slamming his palm on the table.
Phoebe trembled upon receiving a scolding. “W-Why?” she asked shakily. “They are the ones who got me into this state. Why can’t I scold them?”
