Chapter 458

Chapter 458Chapter 458 Dog
“Forget it, Jared.” Ingrid waved her hand before wiping her tears and forcing a smile. “It’s no use talking
about it. Besides, I’ve already accepted my fate.”
“Tell me, Ingrid,” he insisted. “I will help you.”
“Yes, Ingrid,” added Josephine. “We’ll both do.”
Ingrid gazed at Josephine for several moments before deciding to trust them. “Jared, do you remember
Dog?”
Jared nodded. “Of course I do. He’s the dropout who used to collect protection fees from his victims
outside the school gates, isn’t he? He even gave me a kick that I haven’t forgotten.”
“That’s the man I’m marrying,” Ingrid murmured in a small voice. her head hung dejectedly.
novelbin“What?” Jared shouted, his eyes widening with rage. “He’s a degenerate who did not even graduate
middle school! How did Aunt Sarah allow you to marry him?”
Though Josephine did not know Dog, she already had a negative impression of him painted in her mind’s
eye from the way the others were talking about him. This girl is beautiful and vivacious. She deserves to
marry somebody better than that unsavory-sounding fellow.
Ingrid began crying again as she recounted to Jared her tale of woe.
When she was done, Jared turned blue with rage and slammed a fist down on the table, crushing it
instantly into powder.
“How dare he!” Josephine shouted.As it turned out, Dog did not explore different career opportunities after his expulsion. As the rate of
industrialization in Horington exploded in recent years, inhabitants of the numerous villages around the
area had required a nudge to cooperate given the large investments dumped into Avenport for property
development. Due to a combination of high stakes, impatient investors. and tight project deadlines, Dog,
who had secured a contracting apprenticeship and worked his way to make a name for himself in
Avenport, had put his bullying skills to good use in a secondary aspect of his job.
Aside from his actual contracting engagements, Dog had negotiated agreements with the developers
who were anxious to expedite the demolition. As soon as construction for the day ended, Dog would
bring the very same men to the occasional stubborn residents who rebelled against the developers’
terms and beat them into submission, often succeeding in coercing them into agreeing to a lower rate
than what was originally offered. As his reputation spread, residents of Avenport began to steer clear of
Dog.
Taking a fancy to his schoolmate, Ingrid, he came to the school one day and blackmailed the principal to
expel her. Then, he threatened Ingrid with her parents in exchange for her promise to marry him, albeit
out of fear.
Dog was also in charge of recommending the valuation of properties for approval. In an attempt to curry
favor with his future in-laws, he valued Ingrid’s family’s house for a million, and their entire village to be
slightly higher than the market rate. As a result, their village viewed Dog with an impression of
benevolence that would have stood starkly at odds with any allegations Ingrid might make. As a result,
Ingrid could only suffer in silence.
“D*mn it!” Jared muttered through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing dangerously.
He would not have cared if Dog was going to marry any other girl, as incidents of local thugs
collaborating with developers occurred wherever urbanization occurred. I can’t intervene every time thathappens. I’m not a missionary! But when it comes to Ingrid, there is no way in hell I’ll allow Dog to do as
he pleases with her!
“Please don’t act rashly, Jared!” begged Ingrid. “I’ve already made my peace with it. Dog has a group of
men under his command, you know. I’d heard that he even has ties to the underground king of
Horington. Those people commit murders without batting an eye! I can’t let you bear that kind of risk for
me.”
“Are you referring to Tommy Lewis?” Jared asked.
Ingrid thought hard for a moment. “That sounds about right. I just heard Dog mention that name once in
passing.”
“Leave it to me, Ingrid. I’ll get you out of this marriage and sign you up for university in Horington. You
need a diploma, at the very least.”
“Jared, I-” Ingrid began.