Chapter 2

Just as Kaz was about to punch Lindsay, Perseus' gaze flared crimson, a beacon of his fury. He raised his leg instantly and kicked Kaz in the chest with all his might. The force of Perseus' kick sent Kaz, a hulking mass of 220 pounds, sprawling backward. He slammed into the courtyard with a bone-jarring thud. Bloodshot eyes blazing, Perseus thrummed with violent energy. He was more than eager to paint the town red with the hooligans' blood. "Perseus, don't fight! Have you forgotten what happened three years ago?" Lindsay pleaded in a choked-up tone as she held Perseus back with all the strength she could spare. It was then Perseus steadied himself on his feet before slowly unclenching his fists. He couldn't bear to watch Lindsay shed her tears because of him again. At the same time, he needed to be there to support his shattered family. His top priority right now was to find out what on Earth happened to the Caitfords. Also, where the heck was Rochelle? Why didn't Lindsay mention her at all? "You got balls, punk! How dare you hit me!" Kaz was helped up by his lackeys. Blood trickled slowly down the corner of his mouth. He hissed in pain, feeling a nauseous feeling building up whenever he breathed. "Tell your boss that I'll pay every single cent my family has owed him. But in return, I'll take back every single thing you owe my family!" Perseus spat out, his gaze icy and sharp. "Heh! You really are ballsy, punk! Just you wait!" Once Kaz was done threatening Perseus, he and his lackeys fled back into their van and left the area. "Mom, a lot has happened to our family over the past three years. Didn't Roch drop by to visit you at all? Did she not lend you a helping hand?" Perseus finally asked that question once the unwelcome hooligans were gone. He had been dating Rochelle since their high school days. Both of them were in a steady relationship. The reason why Perseus got imprisoned was because he defended Rochelle's chastity by hurting the pervert when they were still medical interns. Also, Rochelle came from a well-off family as well. Her parents mainly dealt in medical equipment manufacturing and trading. For her, getting a job was another way of experiencing how life worked for the commoners. She had a monthly allowance of at least 200,000 dollars, after all. Why didn't she help Perseus' family in their time of need? "Perseus, Rochelle… isn't a good match for you," Lindsay averted her gaze hurriedly while stammering. "What's wrong with her, Mom?" Perseus immediately realized that something was wrong. "Also, Dad's a pretty skilled doctor who has a prestigious reputation in this village. No matter how poor we are, we shouldn't have to resort to getting a loan from the loan sharks just to treat Vincent's illness, right?" "We lost our clinic a long time ago, Perseus." Upon realizing that she could no longer hide the truth, Lindsay chose to come clean with him. "What? We lost our clinic? Why?" The news shocked Perseus greatly. Caitford Clinic was passed down from his grandfather's generation, meaning it had existed for a century. In a way, the clinic was the Caitfords' legacy. How could it be lost? "Rochelle took it from us." "Roch? Why?" Perseus widened his eyes before shaking his head in disbelief. Lindsay explained, "About a month after your imprisonment, Rochelle visited us. She claimed she was pregnant with your child and that she wanted alimony from us. "Your father could tell that Rochelle was pregnant. He thought about how long you two had been in a relationship, so he sold the clinic for 300,000 dollars. Then, he gave the money to Rochelle. "We thought that our family owed her that much. After all, you being in prison was a scandalous affair." "She was pregnant?" Perseus raised an eyebrow at the revelation. Energy began coursing through his veins as he clenched his fists subconsciously. He wanted nothing more than to murder people now. The truth was that Perseus was never physically intimate with Rochelle. He respected her too much to do anything to her. Every time they went out, he limited his displays of affection to hand-holding and kissing. Heck, he never saw Rochelle naked, so how could she be pregnant with his child? He couldn't believe he was made a cuckold. "Yeah." Lindsay sighed. "One year later, we went to her house to visit the baby, only to be informed that she suffered from a miscarriage…" "Mrs. Caitford? Mrs. Caitford, are you home?" a clear voice suddenly rang out. Perseus turned around to see a flash of green darting into the courtyard. He felt that the figure looked familiar. "I'm inside the house, Camie. Come in." Lindsay immediately recognized the voice's owner. She promptly invited the latter into the house. "Camilla? Is that you?" "You're Perseus? You… You got out of jail?" Stunned, Camilla Wagner stared at Perseus for a while. Her jaw had gone slack when she first saw him. Perseus nodded in response. He was quite familiar with Camilla. "Yeah, I just got released from prison. What are you…" Perseus and Camilla had been classmates since their high school and university years. Upon graduating from the university, Camilla chose to work at another hospital. Perseus didn't expect her to visit Skyview Acres at this time. "Perseus, you need to thank Camilla properly, alright?" Lindsay said as she handed a glass of water to Camilla. "She was the one who helped us out during our time of need over the past three years. Thanks to her connections at her hospital, we managed to get a huge discount for Vincent's medical bills." "Thank you." Finally, Perseus felt warmth flooded into his heart. He didn't expect Camilla to help the Caitfords out. After all, they had been locked in an academic duel since high school, both vying for valedictorian. Their rivalry ran deep. "Oh, it's nothing. I try to help out wherever I can." Camilla flipped her long hair, her cheeks now dusted pink. Truth be told, she was extremely beautiful. Her long green dress added a touch of a young maiden's charm, but it couldn't hide her curvaceous figure. A pair of dimples could be seen on her heart-shaped face, making her smile look adorable and innocent. However, lost in the moment, Camilla didn't notice a red invite dropping to the floor the moment she raised her hand. Perseus stooped to pick it up. A familiar face was staring back at him when he unfolded the invite. "Perseus, I…" Camilla tried to snatch the invite when she noticed Perseus' stormy expression. The photo within held a smiling woman, arms wrapped possessively around a man. It was Rochelle, clinging to none other than Gilbert Martin—the pervert Perseus had beaten up three years ago. Perseus could never forget their faces. "Are they getting married?" His voice rasped, laced with barely contained rage. Perseus was forced to waste three of his best years in jail because of Rochelle. Yet, she had spent those years usurping the Caitfords' clinic, leaving them to drown in their crises. Rochelle was undeniably responsible for causing the Caitfords' current state of poverty. "Perseus, don't be sad. Rochelle doesn't deserve to be with you." Lindsay spotted the wedding invite as well. She sighed before continuing, "On the year you got imprisoned, your father and I picked up on a few rumors from the gossip mill. "A year ago, your father witnessed Rochelle getting into a man's car when he was running his stall. They seemed rather intimate." "Mom, I'm fine." Perseus forced out a small smile. "I'm not sad because of her. I just hate myself for being blinded by love and causing you and Dad so much worry. The whole family suffered a lot because of me. It's all my fault." He promised, "But don't worry, Mom. I'm back now. From now on, I'll work hard to support this family so you and Dad can have the wonderful lives you deserve." "It's good to have you back. Making mistakes is part of life. I know you'll rise above this," Camilla said comfortingly. Earlier, Camilla had heard from a neighbor that some people had barged into the Caitford residence, so she rushed over as soon as she could in hopes of helping Lindsay out. Now that Perseus was back, she didn't want to intrude further. She left after exchanging phone numbers with him. "Camie is a wonderful woman. She's been a great help to us these past few years," Lindsay remarked as Camilla departed. "Mom, you should rest at home. I'm going out to take care of something." Perseus was extremely agitated right now. He desperately needed to do something to vent his frustrations. "It's almost noon. What's this 'thing' that you have to deal with? At least have lunch before going out." "No, thanks. I need to find a job," Perseus lied. In truth, he had no need for employment, given his capabilities. What he truly sought was the truth. Why did Rochelle lie to him? Why was she marrying Gilbert? And there was a score to settle with Tom Dawson, too. The loan sharks were fearless enough to barge into Skyview Acres—they didn't know that Perseus was the Prison King.