Chapter 4

Even though I knew my dad would always side with my mother, hearing those vicious words from his mouth made my entire body shake with rage.

But my dad only yelled louder.

"You are going to break up with that guy right now, and then you're going to get on your knees and apologize to your mother! I'm telling you, if you keep seeing him, you are no longer our daughter!"

I closed my eyes. Adrian's warm, smiling face appeared in my mind.

When I opened my eyes again, I stood up straighter. "I'm getting married."

"To whom?!"

I wasn't surprised by his fury. "To Adrian."

"In your dreams!" Dad's eyes went wild with rage. The sheer hatred in his expression made me shudder.

In my entire life, I had only seen my dad make that face twice. The first time was when I was eight. I had gotten into a fight with a classmate, and the school called my parents. My dad felt humiliated.

That was the first time he looked at me like that. The consequence was that he beat me so badly I had multiple fractures and spent months in the hospital.

From that day on, I became extremely cautious at home. I did whatever they told me to do. I never dared to say no.

And the second time was right now.

Slap.

A sudden, violent slap sent my head spinning. My cheek burned, and my ears started ringing.

The pain hit me like a thousand needles. I wiped the corner of my mouth and realized I was bleeding.

"Oh, Richard, honey, don't be so angry. How could you hit Chloe?"

I heard Vanessa's voice. I looked at her.

She was standing right next to my dad. Though she said those words, her hands were resting calmly by her side.

She had no intention of stopping him. When our eyes met, I saw a flash of pure schadenfreude in her eyes.

"You are just too kind! You spoiled her, and now she has zero respect for her elders!" Dad pointed at me, his nostrils flaring with anger.

"What's with that look? I'm your father! It is my right to teach you a lesson!"

My dad was strong. If I fought back physically, I would lose. If I stayed here, I would end up in the hospital again.

I slowly backed toward the door, forcing a smirk.

"Go ahead and be angry. Hit me all you want. Adrian and I already got legally married at city hall this afternoon. Under the law, we are already husband and wife."

I watched my dad's face contort into something monstrous with absolute rage. It felt amazing.

I knew provoking him wasn't the smartest move, but... why shouldn't I?

The moment my dad reached for the baseball bat near the table, I bolted out the door.