Watching the assault, Katherine and Shawn grimaced.
Weak and helpless, Lina cried out, admitting her mistakes just to end her misery.
âIâm sorry! Iâll never do it again! Just please stop!â
âI came here to bring our daughter to see you, but instead, I find you flirting with another man. Am I dead to you, huh?â Kaleb was about to hit Lina again when Shawn grabbed his wrist. Katherine walked over and helped Lina up with a straight face.
âWhat kind of coward hits a woman?â
Kaleb sneered.
âItâs a family matter and none of your fucking business!â
âYou two are divorced,â Shawn reminded pointedly, releasing his wrist and pushing him away. âHit her again, and youâll be facing criminal charges.â
Kaleb laughed contemptuously.
âWhat is this, Shawn? Youâre defending her? Have you forgotten how she treated you back then?â
Katherine stepped forward, retorting strongly, âThatâs a separate issue. No matter her faults, you canât use violence against her, especially in front of a child. Do you know how much trauma that inflicts on your daughter?â
Keeping a stern gaze at Kaleb, Shawn took out his phone.
âI think itâs time to call the police.â
As soon as they heard the threat of police involvement, Kaleb and his mother quickly took the child and fled.
Katherine and Shawn escorted Lina back to her hospital room.
âDo they often abuse you?â Katherine inquired.
Lina attempted to sniffle, but the blood from her nose retracted, causing her to almost choke. Disoriented, with ringing ears, she was nonetheless aware that Shawn and Katherine had come to her rescue.
âAfter our divorce, I was granted custody of our child. They couldnât accept that and have been pressuring me to hand the child over. When I refused, they resorted to violence.â
âWhy didnât you call the police?â
With a wry smile, Lina shook her head.
âItâs useless. Kalebâs father is a cop. If Kaleb ends up in prison, I canât predict what his mother might do to my daughter.â
Family disputes can be particularly complicated and tough to resolve.
Katherine felt bad for her, but she knew it wasnât her responsibility to sort out. Moreover, she and Shawn preferred not to delve deeper, so they limited their involvement.
Once the doctor arrived, they readied themselves to leave.
âMiss Nash,â Lina said, looking down awkwardly. âThank you.â
Katherine dismissed it with a wave of her hand.
âI hope you make wise choices moving forward, and I appreciate you not pursuing things further with my future husband.â
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