Chapter 679

"Dora always seemed like such a gentle, kind-hearted person. She was really helpful too last time when I bought too many groceries and couldn't carry them all, she happened to pass by and even helped me bring them home. Who would’ve thought she’d turn out to be a thief!" "You never really know what’s in a person’s heart. These days, you can’t trust anyone!" "Hey, doesn’t Haittie work as a cleaner in the complex? She only makes three thousand a month, yet she’s somehow saved up fifty grand. That’s pretty impressive!" "You think Haittie’s just making ends meet on a cleaner’s salary? Look at the clothes and stuff she wears none of it’s cheap. How could she save that much on such meager pay?" Just then, Dora’s voice rang out from inside the apartment. "I didn’t steal your money! This is my own savings money I’ve scraped together to go see my daughter! Stop trying to take it from me, or I’ll call the police!" "Ha! You little wretch, go ahead and call them! That’s my money you stole! Let’s see who the cops haul away you or me!" Jane’s face darkened as she listened to the commotion inside. Without hesitation, she turned to the driver beside her. "Auntie Mariah, kick the door down!" They had already knocked, but whoever was inside was too caught up in their shouting match to answer. Mariah didn’t hesitate. She raised her foot, ready to slam it into the door But before her boot made contact, the door burst open with a crash. A stout, square-faced middle-aged woman stormed out, half-dragging Auntie Dora behind her. "I’ll show everyone exactly what kind of trash you are!" she snarled. This time, Mariah didn’t wait for Little Jane’s order. In one swift motion, she chopped down on the woman’s wrist with the edge of her hand. "AAARGH—!" Haittie let out a shriek like a slaughtered pig, her eyes instantly reddening with pain. Tears streamed down her heavily made-up face, smearing her garish makeup into an even uglier mess. Clutching her injured wrist with her other hand, she glared furiously at Mariah and Jane. "Who the hell are you? What do you think you’re doing?!" After finishing her words, she suddenly had an epiphany, pointing a finger at Jane and the others with a sneer. "Oh~~, I get it now. You're all in cahoots with this little bitch, aren't you? Daring to bring backup, huh? I'll make sure every last one of you regrets this!" As she spoke, she lunged toward Jane and her friends. Mariah swiftly locked her in a chokehold. The intense suffocation made Haittie gasp for air, her chubby hands instinctively clawing at Mariah's grip. Meanwhile, Dora, still trembling with fear, clutched a plastic bag tightly as she stood up from the floor. When she spotted the trio, her panicked expression softened. She looked at Jane and asked, "Jane, Mina, Harold, what brings you here?" "Auntie Dora, William said you were resigning, so we came to check on you," Jane replied in her sweet, childlike voice. Her bright, sparkling eyes darted between Haittie and Dora. "Auntie Dora, what exactly is going on here?" Dora hugged the plastic bag protectively. "I withdrew some money to visit my daughter. Just now, while I was counting it in my room, Haittie came back unexpectedly. I didn’t have time to hide it. She saw it and accused me of stealing her money. But this is all the money I’ve saved over the years working for your family! How could it possibly be hers?" Harold stepped forward, his voice calm and reassuring. "Auntie Dora, don’t worry. I’ve already called the police. Just tell me which bank did you withdraw this from? Banks have surveillance footage. If you didn’t steal anything, no one can frame you." Meanwhile, Jane had already pulled up Haittie’s information. After scanning it, she turned to the woman with a sharp gaze. "You claim Auntie Dora took your money. Where’s your proof?" Haittie’s pudgy face quivered with indignation. "What proof? Money doesn’t have names on it! If I say it’s mine, then it’s mine!" "Fine. Then tell me how much did Auntie Dora supposedly steal from you?" "Fifty thousand!" Haittie puffed out her chest, declaring with exaggerated bravado. "Auntie Dora, was the money you took out fifty thousand?" Jane turned to ask Auntie Dora. "No, I only withdrew thirty thousand for emergencies. I was afraid I might end up in some remote mountainous areas while searching for my daughter, where withdrawing money would be difficult," Auntie Dora explained. Haittie's eyes flickered with panic upon hearing this, but she still defiantly retorted, "Well, I had fifty thousand! How was I supposed to know she only took out thirty? Either way, that ten thousand is mine! She has to give it back!" "But your monthly salary is only three thousand. You still owe sixty-eight thousand in online loans and thirty thousand in credit card debt. How on earth did you manage to save up fifty thousand?" Jane's sweet, childlike voice pressed relentlessly, leaving Haittie no room to react. "If you claim you had fifty thousand in total, then show us the other twenty thousand to prove the money in Auntie Dora’s hands is yours!" Haittie visibly flustered, but her greedy eyes gleamed as she stared at the cash in Auntie Dora’s grasp. "You little brat! Why should I show you my money? Don’t you know it’s foolish to flaunt wealth?" Jane pouted. "Fine, if you don’t want to prove your innocence, that’s your choice. But the police will be here any minute. You insulted Auntie Dora, assaulted her, and tried to steal her money all of which are crimes. The officers will clear Auntie Dora’s name soon enough." No sooner had she spoken than the police arrived. After hearing the details, they quickly contacted the bank and retrieved surveillance footage of Auntie Dora’s withdrawal. They also verified the serial numbers of the bills she had taken out each one matched the cash in her hands. However, the officer also informed Dora, "Dora, regarding the injuries Haittie inflicted on you, we do have eyewitness testimony, but a medical evaluation is required to determine the severity before we can proceed with sentencing. "As for the defamation, the offense is minor under the law, so we can only issue a formal reprimand. "Though she attempted to steal your money, the act was unsuccessful and didn’t result in serious consequences. Therefore, the penalties are limited to administrative detention and a warning." Jane’s face scrunched up in frustration as she listened. While she respected the law’s authority, she couldn’t help but feel that sometimes it was far too lenient on wrongdoers!