The next morning, after breakfast, Deanna planned to take the two children and her grandmother back home.
Lance didn't stop them and personally drove them.
However, when they arrived at the community, they found a crowd gathered at the entrance, including media reporters.
"What's going on here?" Old Ashley craned her neck to look outside the car, curious.
Deanna and the two little ones were also puzzled.
Lance frowned, parked the car by the street, and unbuckled his seatbelt. "I'll go check it out. You all stay in the car."
"I'll go with you," Deanna said, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the door to get out.
Lance couldn't stop her.
Together, they approached the edge of the crowd.
Just as Deanna was about to ask someone what was happening, someone spotted her and shouted.
"Isn't that Miss Jones? Madam, the person you're looking for is here."
The words caused an uproar, like water splashing into hot oil.
"Dr. Deanna is here."
"Dr. Deanna, you're finally back."
"Dr. Deanna, if you don't come back soon, the old lady won't make it."
Deanna was stunned.
What was going on?
She looked at Lance in confusion.
Lance shook his head slightly, indicating he didn't know either.
Seeing the excited crowd, he subtly moved Deanna behind him, standing protectively in front of her.
Deanna noticed his gesture and felt a warmth in her heart.
At that moment, the crowd suddenly parted to make way.
Ricky's mother, supported by a seven or eight-year-old child, walked over shakily.
Deanna's face darkened at the sight of her.
The old lady seemed oblivious to Deanna's cold expression.
The moment she saw Deanna, she knelt down and choked out a plea. "Dr. Deanna, please spare my son. I know he was wrong, but he's my only son. If he goes to jail, we'll lose our breadwinner."
Deanna was shocked.
She quickly stepped aside and frowned. "Your son broke the law. It's not up to me to forgive him."
But the old lady didn't listen.
"You can do it. As long as Dr. Deanna doesn't press charges, my son will be fine. He's my only son. Dr. Deanna, please have mercy on me and spare him."
The old lady pleaded again, even pulling her grandson to join her in begging.
The child looked at Deanna with tearful eyes. "Auntie, please let my dad go. Besides my grandma, he's my only family."
Hearing this, Deanna felt a pang of sorrow.
As a mother herself, she couldn't bear to see a child suffer.
But this wasn't about her feelings; it was about principles.
The onlookers began to feel sympathetic and spoke up for the old lady.
"This old lady is really pitiful. She only has one son. If he goes to jail, how will she survive with her sick grandson?"
"Yeah, Dr. Deanna is fine now anyway. Why not just let it go?"
"Come on, it's freezing out here. How can you let a sick old woman kneel on the ground? Don't you have a conscience?"
Hearing these increasingly accusatory comments, Deanna felt both sad and wronged.
She couldn't help but tear up, clutching Lance's coat tightly, unsure of what to say.
Lance noticed her emotional change and heard the self-righteous comments around them. He laughed angrily.
"So now the weaker one is always right? Have you forgotten that this poor old lady's son tried to harm his own mother for money?"
His words left the crowd speechless.
Seeing the silent crowd, Lance sneered coldly.
Some of the more thin-skinned people wished they could disappear into a hole in the ground.
Ignoring them, Lance turned his cold gaze to the old lady and the child. "As a mother, you may forgive your child's harm because you are his mother. But others are not obligated to pay for your child's mistakes. To put it bluntly, your child's current situation is due to your poor upbringing. Spoiling him only ruined him!"
The old lady trembled at his words and then slumped, looking ten years older as she wept bitterly.
"What can I do? He's my only son. I wanted to teach him well, but he has a bad temper and never listens."
Seeing the old lady's heart-wrenching despair, Deanna couldn't hold back any longer and stepped out from behind Lance.
She took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice. "Have you ever thought that letting your son go to jail might not be a bad thing for either of you? If you can't teach your child properly, let society do it. Maybe you'll see a different side of him."