Chapter 2

2.

The room went dead silent.

Everyone turned to the source of the voice.

My daughter stood there, looking up with her big, clear eyes.

She said softly, "I saw the comments. They're all saying: 'The little white flower is finally fainting. The male lead is about to dump his wife. The proposal scene is coming up.'"

Serena's face froze. A flash of panic crossed her eyes.

Caleb's face turned grim when he heard the words "dump his wife."

"Luna Reed!" He stood up abruptly, his voice harder than I'd ever heard it.

"Who taught you to say such nasty things? Your mother is raising you to be just as spiteful as she is!"

Luna stared at him, confused. She bit her lip and whispered back.

"No... Mommy didn't..."

SLAP!

A sharp sound rang through the room. He hit her across the face.

Luna's small body shook. A red handprint appeared on her pale cheek instantly.

She was stunned. Her eyes filled with shock and pain, unable to understand why her daddy just hit her.

The VIP room was deathly quiet.

Serena's eyes widened, but a flicker of victory hid in the depths of her gaze.

Caleb sneered, gritting his teeth.

"Like mother, like daughter."

My brain felt like it exploded.

"Caleb!" I screamed, rushing forward to scoop Luna into my arms.

Luna curled into me, her tears held back by sheer stubbornness.

She looked at me and whispered, "Mommy... did I say something wrong?"

My throat felt tight. I fought back the urge to kill him right then.

I stroked her hair gently. "No, baby. You did nothing wrong."

"Then why doesn't Daddy love me anymore?"

"Are we really going to die?"

My heart shattered. I whispered in her ear, "No, baby."

"Mommy will protect you. Don't be afraid."

I gritted my teeth and stood up. I carried her out of that room without looking back.

At the hospital, Luna lay on the bed. The red mark on her face had faded slightly, but the bruise was still there.

She curled up under the blanket like a wounded kitten.

I held her hand, feeling a weight on my chest so heavy I could barely breathe.

Caleb had never hit her before.

From the moment she was born, he had been a gentle father.

I remembered him holding her for the first time, whispering, "Daddy's here."

When she learned to walk, he was always there to catch her.

When she first said "Dada," he bought her a mountain of toys and spun her around the living room.

I really thought he loved her.

But today, he looked at her with nothing but coldness.

He slapped her because of Serena Vance.

My nails dug into my palms.

Maybe it was all an illusion.

He never truly cared about us.