Chapter 184: Direct Them at Me
Hearing Benjamin's emotionless voice, Amy became increasingly anxious.
"W- What?" she stammered.
Observing Amy's tightly clenched hands, Martina found the situation quite ridiculous.
If Amy had realized her mistakes in the first place, perhaps the subsequent events wouldn't have occurred. Now, who was she trying to show her remorseful appearance to?
Honestly, though, Martina was curious about how Benjamin would handle this. Would he choose to act according to his own methods or would he, constrained by the Paloma family's status, let her off again?
Finally, Benjamin's words provided the answer to Martina's inner curiosity, "Last time, out of respect for your grandfather, I gave you a chance, but you didn't value it. Therefore, this time, I won't consider Mr. Gary Paloma anymore."
Amy's heart, turned to ashes by successive blows, found itself further twisted and distorted by this unending barrage of setbacks.
Within her perspective, the blame rested solely upon Martina. If only Martina had never come into existence at all.
However, Amy also dared not reveal her emotions outwardly. She could only gaze with teary eyes, as if only through this could she find a trace of solace for her inner self, even though this solace was meager and perhaps just an illusion within her own heart. Yet, she still yearned to strive.
Perhaps, this was the twisted thinking residing within some individuals' minds, and it was not easily changed.
Adam was overwhelmed by fear, his gaze fixed warily on the direction of Benjamin.
The current Benjamin was no longer the same person he used to be. He would lose his temper and become frantic because of Martina. For Martina, he was transforming into someone increasingly unrecognizable.
Adam understood that he couldn't change the situation, any interference would only worsen things. He had even discarded the respectful address for Benjamin from the beginning, opting to call him by his first name.
It seemed that the situation between the two had truly reached an irreparable point, otherwise, they wouldn't be in the current state.
"Benjamin, if you're seeking to address any issues, direct them at me. Don't bully my sister. She's just an innocent girl. Don't you fear being branded as cowardly for targeting a vulnerable young girl?"
Speaking such words was almost laughable. Was Amy not afraid of being called a demon for everything she had done to Martina?
In truth, Amy was the one truly bullying others, taking advantage of Martina's vulnerability. Unfortunately, they had gravely misjudged the situation. Martina wasn't alone? Benjamin was now her biggest and only support.
Benjamin maintained a cold demeanor towards everyone else, but it was different when it came to Martina. He wouldn't allow anyone to mistreat her.
Unfortunately, some people still hadn't grasped this reality and were even attributing all the wrongdoing to Martina. They simply knew that dealing with Benjamin was no easy feat.
Just when they were trying to take advantage of Martina's identity and bully her, intending to act deliberately, most people pretended not to understand.
Anyone with a little bit of intelligence could see through all of this, which was why Benjamin was so furious.
Thinking about Martina's experiences now, they were just a fraction of what she had endured before! Benjamin felt a deep sense of discomfort in his heart, and even more so because he himself was a source of it. If only he had taken the time to understand Martina better, to understand her situation more, perhaps the situation between the two could have been different.
It seemed as if Benjamin hadn't even heard what Adam had said, as he heartlessly left a statement that served as a punctuation mark for what Amy had been done.
"Either I call the police and let the law take its course, or we resort to tit-for-tat. Your choice."
Both of Benjamin's options were unfavorable for Amy.
The first option involved reporting to the police and getting arrested, which would have left an enduring impression even if she were eventually released on bail.
The other was Benjamin's personal revenge, but given his current determined demeanor, a tit-for-tat scenario was also unacceptable.
Still, the options were the same as before, and Amy was unwilling to choose either one. She never considered her own status or why she should be treated this way. If anyone else spoke to her like that, she would immediately lose her temper.
Adam was truly losing it, instinctively trying to rush over, but unfortunately, Leslie stopped him. After all, Leslie wasn't hired to sit idle; his role was to resolve such situations.
"Mr. Paloma, just calm down. If you have any problems, why not tell me? There's no need to get so angry here. It's not good for anyone," Leslie's tone sounded oddly gentle, yet his actions and words were bewildering.
Leslie's words even evoked a deep sense of fear within people, and if it weren't for Benjamin's tacit approval, he wouldn't dare to act this way.
Adam shouted out loud, and even at this moment, he didn't feel like he was wrong. Perhaps this was a common trait among them.
Both Amy and Adam embodied the same type of people, never placing blame on themselves.
"Benjamin, how could you do this? No matter what, my sister has grown up under your care since childhood. Can you really be so heartless?" Adam didn't even know what kind of mentality prompted him to say those words, which shocked everyone present.
"I'm not expecting you to have any feelings for her, but at the very least, don't hurt her. If you have any grudges, come at me, but you don't need to treat her this way."
It seemed as if Benjamin was bullying others, making even Martina roll her eyes in disbelief.
"Paloma, are you out of your mind? You should go to the mental hospital for help. Do you need me to offer a number to you?" Martina blurted out.
Adam retorted, "Shut up! If it weren't for you, my relationship with Benjamin wouldn't have turned out like this. He wouldn't have dared to bully my sister!"