Chapter 52 Gathering the Third Cub
Chapter 52: Gathering the Third Cub
John’s brow furrowed; he was surprised by his son’s injuries. Ben was the most rebellious of his three children, unwilling to tolerate any injustice. If he’d been wronged, he’d usually create chaos. These injuries were clearly intentional.
Amy asked, “Weren’t you going to run away? We’re taking you home, and you’re not going?”
Hearing his sister mention his escape plan and noticing his father’s lack of reaction, Ben realized he’d been betrayed.
“I haven’t gotten my revenge yet. I’m not leaving. I was going to help Joey escape.” “What happened?” John pressed.
Ben looked at his father with disbelief.“You used to only ask if it could be solved. If I said yes, you didn’t care. Now you want to know the details?!”
John’s face darkened. He’d intended to show Lily his good father side, but his son had exposed him mercilessly. This was embarrassing!
“Nonsense! I’ll always step in if you can’t handle something. Don’t bring up the past!” John said sternly, glancing at Lily, his heart pounding. Was she more upset than before? Ben remained silent, thinking *No way! Dad never cared. He’s used to it. What’s with this sudden concern? He looked at Lily. The difference was her.
“You still haven’t said who she is!”
“Let’s talk about your situation first.” Lily was usually calm under pressure, but not when her children were involved. She’d become a ticking time bomb since seeing Ben’s injuries john chimed in, “Tell us what happened!”
Amy urged, “Hurry up!”
Ben:…
Why did it feel like his father and sister were totally subservient to this woman? Intrigued, he decided to confess. It was embarrassing.
He lowered his voice.“We were tricked…”
After the marathon, Ben was pleased with his performance. That night, he and two classmates along with a new friend they met at the race, went out for dinner. They discussed their hobbies; they all loved basketball. The new friend mentioned a basketball training camp in Boston, showing them a flyer he’d found. They all agreed to participate.
The “new friend” was a sales agent, earning a commission for referrals. He hadn’t participated in the
camp; he’d just made it up! The advertisement was false; no famous players were involved, and the facilities were tiny!
The WestDragon Mountain base seemed legitimate and impressive, but it was merely rented Coach Kaire, their coach, was a former trainer from a bankrupt gym, hardly qualified. space. This information was gleaned from documents Ben had seen and conversations he’d overheard. The flyer promised amazing things; it was a complete scam!
“And they were trying to bully and manipulate us!” Ben fumed. He hadn’t let them get away with it. The money they’d paid wasn’t going to be wasted on a twenty–day scam! It was more than just being scammed. The organizers had selected team leaders and captains, choosing those who disliked Ben. They subtly suggested using their authority; the coaches were complicit.
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Chapter 52 Gathering the Third Cub
This escalated from verbal to physical conflicts. Ben’s attempt to help Joey escape followed a fight where Joey was injured; the coaches refused to give him time off, deliberately tormenting him. They escaped through a blind spot in the security cameras.
As soon as Ben returned to the dorm, a coach approached him. He’d almost been caught!
His plan was to beat up the three team leaders and two captains who’d injured Joey and then throw excrement on the coaches who’d enabled
before escaping. them,
He kept his voice low and closed the window; the coach at the door couldn’t hear. The young coach had informed the organizer about Ben’s family’s arrival; they seemed wealthy. The organizer’s response was to distance themselves if students complained, arguing that the students had fought amongst themselves, and they were only responsible for supervision. If the parents complained, they’d call him back; he had ways to deal with them. The coach was reassured.
Inside the room,
“You think it was that simple?” Lily challenged.
Ben blinked. Simple? He thought it was quite complex!
Amy tilted her head. Simple? It seemed very complicated to her!
John put his hand on Lily’s shoulder, nodding slightly; they were thinking alike. “What are you doing?” Ben jumped up, pointing at his father’s hand on Lily’s shoulder. “Dad’s getting handsy with your friend!”
Amy:…Her brother was utterly clueless, lacking her social skills.
“She’s not my friend!” Amy whispered in his ear.“She’s Dad’s girlfriend.” The volume was loud enough for everyone to hear.
Ben had considered many possibilities for Lily’s identity; he hadn’t considered this. He’d even imagined she might be his father’s benefactor’s daughter. He hadn’t known who that benefactor was, but it explained his father’s subservience. He exclaimed, “Old man dating a young girl! John’s face darkened again. One son deliberately annoyed him; the other did it unintentionally! Seeing his father’s expression, Ben quickly composed himself.“It’s been years. Find someone; Mom won’t blame you.”
“I’ve told you everything. You can go. I’ll handle the rest.”
Lily sighed; this child was incredibly frustrating.
“Do you
to think they’re waiting for you
act tonight?” Her impulsive child!
