Chapter 2

2

I lunged forward, trying to snatch my mother’s hard-earned money from his hands. But the disparity in our strength was too great, and he twisted my arm behind my back in an instant.

With his other hand, he clamped down on my throat. His fingers dug viciously into my flesh, cutting off my airway until it felt like my throat was tearing apart.

I couldn't struggle or make a sound. Involuntary tears leaked from my bloodshot eyes as darkness crept into the edges of my vision. In that terrifying second, I thought he was going to strangle me to death.

He looked down at me with cold, ruthless eyes.

“Getting cocky, huh? Threatening your own old man? What do you think will happen to your fragile little mother if you blab about this? You can take a beating, but can she?”

Using my mother against me left me completely powerless.

Right before I blacked out, his hand finally let go. He shoved the cash deep into his pockets and strode out the door, leaving me gasping violently on the living room floor.

Mom woke up naturally not long after. After pulling up my collar to hide the dark bruises around my neck, I walked over to her side.

I begged her to divorce him and kick him out for good, but she just gave me a soft, sad smile and shook her head.

“We're still husband and wife, Tessa. What's mine is his. Just let him take it. That's how we've lived all these years.”

Her voice was as gentle as ever, but I caught the heavy endurance buried deep in her eyes.

The throbbing ache in my neck served as a burning reminder of what just happened. I clenched my fists tightly, swearing to myself that I would pull my mother out of this living hell.

Back at the dorm, there was no point in hiding the bruises anymore. When Nadine spotted them, she put on a fake display of concern and leaned in.

“Oh my gosh, what happened to your neck? Who laid their hands on my future stepdaughter like that?”

“Take a wild guess. It was your darling lover. Keep acting this stupid, and you'll be next.”

Drained both physically and mentally, I had zero patience left for her delusions, so I laid out the blunt truth.

Yet, I still underestimated how deep into the rabbit hole she was. She completely dismissed his violent tendencies.

“That’s just how real men are. I actually love how dominant and rugged he is.”

The mere mention of my father made her giggle like a lovesick schoolgirl. She even began lecturing me, using her affair to act like my superior.

“Your dad works hard, you know. As his daughter, you should be way more understanding.”

She told me to drop my attitude and show her some respect. If I behaved, she claimed she might whisper a few good words for me in bed.

Already seething with rage, I was done humoring her.

“Stop flattering yourself. He’s nothing but a scumbag using you for cheap thrills. Don't come crying to me when you get burned.”

I dumped every harsh truth right onto her face.

It felt like I struck a nerve because she jumped to her feet in fury. In her twisted logic, she believed I was saying all this purely out of jealousy. She convinced herself that I was desperate to break them up so I could hog my father's love.

“I only showed you respect because you're his daughter! Since you want to be a stubborn bitch, don't blame me for ruining you!”

Nadine screamed at me, pointing her manicured finger right at my nose. She was far beyond reason.

A few days later, the university posted the list of recipients for low-income financial aid. Nadine finally found her opening. Looking at the list, she let out a venomous laugh, gloating that she had me by the throat.