The Bond Between Us novel Chapter 231

At the police station, Penny was hauled into an interrogation room, and that was when the nerves really set in.

Previously, the cops had given her nothing more than a verbal warning for the abuse she'd inflicted on Pattie, given the fact that Penny had a son to look after. But it was pretty clear that those actions hadn't done squat.

Sitting on the cold hard chair, facing two cops, Penny was scared out of her wits. "Officers, did I break the law? I just hit my daughter, is that a crime now? Kids need discipline, right? Was my method of parenting wrong?"

One of the cops grilling Penny was a woman, a mother herself, and was boiling mad over Penny's actions. She tossed a picture of Pattie's injuries in front of Penny.

"What kind of mother beats her kid like this?" she snapped. "That child's in critical condition, and she's just a little girl. How could you have the heart to do this to her?"

"I didn't mean to, I just couldn't control my strength. That's just my temper." Penny feigned concern. "How's Pattie doing? Has her fever gone down?"

"You're only asking about her now, Penny?" another cop, a man, joined in. "Here's the hospital's medical report. Pattie's injuries are severe. You've committed serious child abuse. Our country's law dictates that for child abuse of this severity, you're looking at jail time."

"What, prison?" Penny was terrified and started bawling her eyes out. "I can't go to prison, I have a son to look after. Pattie was just being too naughty, I lost my temper and hit her, that's all. You have to believe me."