Chapter 226: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Chapter 226: Chapter 226: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

A happy family, a beautiful wife, and adorable children.

A stable, well-paying job, and a mother who wasn’t a burden.

’Why did they get to live such happy lives, while I had to struggle, enduring my asshole boss’s constant criticism for a meager paycheck, living a life with no future in sight?’

’No!’

’He refused to accept it!’

’Since my own life has already turned to shit, I might as well drag them down with me.’

’Let them sink with me in this shitty world.’

Aunt Wallace’s expression was dazed. She had considered countless reasons, even wondering if he’d had a falling out with her son, if a loan hadn’t been repaid, or if they’d somehow accidentally dug up his ancestral grave, leading Leo to show up at her door in the middle of the night with a kitchen knife seeking revenge.

But she never would have imagined that this was the reason.

"But whenever we asked you to come over and help move something, we always had you stay for dinner. We’d even pack up more than half of whatever snacks and fruit we’d bought that day for you to take home," Aunt Wallace refuted anxiously.

Her son had once told her that Leo’s family was not well-off, and he hoped they could help him out more.

But, concerned about Leo’s pride, Aunt Wallace would always find excuses to ask him over to help with small chores.

Sometimes it was picking up a package, walking their big yellow dog, helping sweep the floor, or changing a lightbulb.

Usually, after he was done, Aunt Wallace would have Leo stay for a meal, bringing out any good dishes she had. After he ate, she’d have him take some fruit home too.

Aunt Wallace could have done all these things herself; she just wanted an excuse to have him over for a meal.

Whenever she bought clothes for her son, she would remember Leo’s size and get him something too.

She felt she had done everything she possibly could. Why did Leo still hold so much resentment toward her family, enough to try to kill them?

Besides, her son had said that Leo had thanked him on the phone several times, saying how grateful he was for Aunt Wallace’s care. He said he was just waiting for a raise, and then he would treat his "auntie" to a nice meal at a restaurant.

As for treating him like a dog, Aunt Wallace was certain she had never thought that way.

So she couldn’t understand, and she had to ask.

"Hah! If you really wanted to help me, why not just give me money? Trying to buy me off with a few scraps?

The loan sharks had me cornered at my own door! I came to you, begging for money to pay them back, and you refused without a second thought!" Leo’s eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Aunt Wallace, his body writhing frantically. He looked like he wanted to charge forward and tackle her to the ground. "If I hadn’t begged them for a few more days, they would have beaten me half to death by now!

Treated me like your own son? Sounds nice, doesn’t it? If you were so good to me, why didn’t you set me up on a blind date?

You old hag! It was all just empty words! Deep down, you were just laughing at me! I won’t be fooled by your sugar-coated bullets!"

After saying this, Leo spat in Zoe Sawyer’s direction. Heath Hale reacted instantly, pulling her back just in time to avoid being hit.

Leo glared at Zoe Sawyer and the others with hatred. ’It’s all these cops’ fault. If it weren’t for them, I would have succeeded!’

’Instead of this, where not only did I fail to kill them, but I got caught right away!’

"What the hell are you talking about?! I didn’t lend you money? The first three or four times you asked, didn’t I give it to you right away?

And what did you promise me then? Every single time, you said it was the last time, that you’d pay off your debts and never borrow again. And then what?

Time and time again, I lent you money and never saw a cent back! I’m not some rich guy! I have a family to support! How could I possibly keep lending you money forever?!" A breathless, unfamiliar male voice came from the doorway.

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw a young man leaning against the doorframe, panting as he refuted Leo’s claims.

The newcomer was none other than Aunt Wallace’s son, Sheldon Miller.

Seeing him, Aunt Wallace and her daughter-in-law seemed to find their pillar of support, and their expressions brightened with relief.

Sheldon Miller walked quickly to his mother and wife. After confirming they weren’t hurt, he patted their shoulders reassuringly before walking over to face Leo.

His face was filled with confusion, anger, and disbelief. "If my mom hadn’t made up all sorts of excuses to have you over for dinner, you would’ve collapsed from exhaustion long ago with your salary and heavy workload.

If you hadn’t refused to change your ways and kept borrowing from loan sharks, would you have ended up in a situation where you couldn’t pay them back?

And what about setting you up on blind dates? How many women did my mom introduce you to? Ten, wasn’t it? And every single time, the woman was scared off by how cheap you are and your poor hygiene. ℯℯ𝑙.

Every time, you said you’d change, you’d change. And then what? Ten women, ten promises. Have you changed at all? Your own situation is nothing special, yet you demand the woman be beautiful, rich, and educated, on top of doing all the housework and giving you three or four kids. Don’t you know you’re famous among all the matchmakers now?

And even so, my mom still managed to introduce you to ten people. She’s done more than enough for you, don’t you think?!"

Leo, who had been craning his neck stubbornly, blinked with a flicker of guilt upon hearing Sheldon Miller’s words. But then, his bravado returned. "So what? Since you introduced them, you should have been responsible to the very end!"

Hearing this, Zoe Sawyer finally understood. She muttered quietly to Sean Hughes, who was standing beside her, "Give him an inch, and he’ll take a mile."

If Aunt Wallace’s family had done anything wrong, it was being too good to this Leo. They saw him through rose-colored glasses, failing to see the scumbag for who he truly was.

"Whether they were good to him or not, the killer would have found an excuse to blame someone else. He’s rotten to the core," Sean Hughes said, shaking his head and offering his own opinion.

He was sure that if Aunt Wallace’s family had treated Leo like a normal friend, they still would have faced his retaliation later on.

The excuse would have just been something different.

This case was clear-cut. Not only had Zoe Sawyer and her team witnessed it, but Ben Miller, a local police officer from the station, had also seen the whole thing unfold.

Plus, Leo readily confessed to his crimes, so the case was wrapped up easily.

Leo was guilty of attempted homicide, having broken into a home with a weapon. The circumstances were severe, as his intent was to wipe out the entire family.

Therefore, the sentence should be life in prison.

Even if his sentence was reduced for good behavior and he got out early, he would be in his forties or fifties by then.

As long as the local police kept a close eye on Leo, an incident like this wouldn’t happen again.

By the time the case was handed over, dawn was breaking outside.

Pedestrians began to appear on the street.

"Thank you all for your hard work. If it weren’t for you, a real tragedy might have occurred," Ben Miller said sincerely as he saw Zoe Sawyer and her team to the door. He then tried to invite them to grab some breakfast.

Zoe Sawyer was about to refuse when she caught sight of a pedestrian approaching in the distance out of the corner of her eye.

"How about... I hand you another case?"