Chapter 183 - Two More Options
Unfortunately, no matter what anyone said now, the situation had already been set in stone.
Benjamin's assistant, Simon, opened a laptop by Benjamin's side, revealing several videos. Among them was the copy taken from the Rodríguez family's house, which had already been shared earlier. Another video showed the situation inside a bar.
In these videos, it was evident how Amy had schemed against Martina and conspired with others. The videos captured not just actions but also the words spoken, leaving no room for rebuttal.
Adam was left utterly astonished. While his initial impulse was to instinctively shield his sister, he found himself grappling with uncertainty. The primary motivation behind his unabashed persistence was to minimize any potential blame on his sister.
"How is this even possible? My sister would never do such a thing. Besides, what if this is a misunderstanding? What are we going to do then?" Adam's eyes reddened, whether from being on the verge of tears or due to his inner turmoil, it wasn't clear. He just seemed really off.
"Benjamin, you can't just easily believe Martinez like this. Regardless of anything, she initiated the trouble with Amy today. Are you going to ignore that?" Adam continued.
Benjamin appeared to be losing patience. He moved slowly over to Martina's side, while Elena promptly stepped aside, not wanting to hinder Benjamin's actions.
In the following instant, Benjamin shared a glance with Leslie. Leslie then proceeded to unlatch the restroom door, revealing Amy who emerged completely soaked from head to foot.
When Amy had been locked up, her clothes were still dry and clean. Now, however, she was soaking wet. It wasn't clear whether it was due to something she did in the restroom or from being terrified to the point of breaking into a cold sweat.
Her hair was disheveled, sticking to her face like a ghostly veil. Her complexion was as pale as a sheet, and her once intricate makeup was long ruined, appearing anything but appealing. In fact, her appearance was deeply repulsive, an internal disgust manifesting externally.
In stark contrast to Martina's natural beauty, even without makeup, her faint gaze had an alluring quality that was hard to escape. Perhaps this was the most significant contrast between the two.
At this critical moment, Elena's thoughtful gaze fell upon Leslie, and her face was red. It was unclear what she was thinking, but after a while, her composure finally returned, yet she dared not meet Leslie's eyes.
Thankfully, everyone's attention was focused on Adam and Amy, so no one noticed the change in Elena. Otherwise, it would surely have sparked some gossip.
Amy, who had collapsed onto the ground, promptly stood up and rushed over to Adam upon seeing him, as if seeking salvation. Her tears flowed like a river, appearing to stand as an unwavering defense for herself. Even though her defense was feeble and there seemed to be no other option, she kept striving.
Amy was truly born to be evil and stupid. Even when caught red-handed with evidence of her wrongdoing, she was unwilling to admit it. If this wasn't being evil, then what was?
Grabbing hold of Adam's arm, Amy clung to him as if this was the only way to find comfort. Her trembling was intense, resembling a frightened pet. "Adam, it's not true. Really, I haven't done anything. It's all a misunderstanding, Martinez must have misunderstood me..."
Perhaps realizing that something was off with Adam's current situation, Amy hastily shifted her gaze to Benjamin.
"Benjamin, you have to believe me. I already learned a lesson last time. How could I dare to do something like this?" Amy pleaded desperately.
Elena couldn't hold back her sarcasm. "You dare not? After all, you're the most pampered lady of the Paloma family. There were only things others wouldn't dare to do to you. What is it that you wouldn't dare to do? Moreover, the evidence is clear. Do you still want to argue and excuse yourself here? Have you no shame?"
Elena grew more impassioned as she spoke, probably recalling the events of that night and feeling greatly disturbed.
It wasn't the first time Amy had behaved this way. If it had been the first time, one could argue it was due to extreme jealousy. But doing this repeatedly indicated that a demon must be inside her.
Even if it were rooted in jealousy, did that justify treating others this way? Nonsense! For others, this was a tremendous hurt.
If it weren't for luck, who could guarantee what the consequences might have been? Martina and Elena might be dead by now.
Elena grew increasingly infuriated as she thought about it, her words not holding back at all. "At the very least, you're a woman. If you have no sense of shame left, why not transition and become a man? Acting all high and mighty, but lacking the guts to back it up – that's truly a disgrace to women!"
Amy blushed furiously at the words, but she still clung stubbornly to her denial. It was only at this moment that Benjamin finally spoke, his tone unhurried.
"Amy Paloma." It was rare for Benjamin to utter the other person's full name himself.
A shiver ran down Amy's spine involuntarily, a profound fear spreading throughout her body. It truly made her want to admit defeat.
It was terrifying, utterly terrifying. Why did her actions always get discovered by others? Why?
She had been so cautious, hadn't she? What on earth had happened?
See, even at this point, Amy's greatest regret was that she hadn't been cautious enough, leading to her exposure, and yet, she remained devoid of any sense of guilt.
"Benjamin, please..." Amy began to plead, trying to appear pitiful. "You can't treat me like this. I promise I won't offend Martinez again in the future. But I really didn't do what you think."
Martina had been watching without saying a word. Yet, this entire situation was rooted in her, and no one dared to say a bad word about her.
Benjamin's well-defined fingers nonchalantly ruffled Martina's hair, eliciting an annoyed swat from her.
"You knowingly committed a crime and yet repeated the offense. It seems the lesson from last time wasn't enough," Benjamin said to Amy. "In that case, I'll give you two more options."