Chapter 3

3.

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" My father finally exploded, stepping in front of me to shield me from her venom.

"Your daughter was the one who practically begged on her knees for my blessing to marry my son!"

"And this is how the Shaw family treats him?"

My father-in-law casually set down his teacup and spoke in a condescending tone. "Let's not get hysterical. My wife spoke harshly, but it was just out of frustration."

"This is domestic drama between the women. Let's not interfere."

With a single dismissive line, he reduced my mother-in-law's malicious slander to harmless kitchen talk, leaving my father shaking with fury.

I gently placed a hand on my father's arm and turned my gaze toward Tristan. "You brought these flowers. Are you telling me you don't know what's coated on them?"

Tristan widened his eyes with wide, innocent confusion. "Mr. Albright, what are you talking about? I bought them straight from the flower shop."

"If you really think there's something wrong with them, I can call the florist right now."

He made a show of pulling out his phone.

I watched his pathetic performance in silence.

With a few carefully chosen words, he cleared himself of all blame, pushed the fault onto an unnamed florist, painted me as paranoid, and cemented his own innocence.

What a consummate actor.

Predictably, Hannah snatched his hand to stop him, glaring at me with disgust. "He's the one losing his mind. You don't need to prove anything to him."

She marched up to me, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me aggressively. "Zack, have you embarrassed this family enough tonight?"

"I embarrassed the family?" I shoved her hands off me. "What about you staying out all night at private hotels helping your male student edit his thesis?"

"That was professional work!" Hannah screamed back defensively.

While we stood deadlocked, a sudden, stinging slap landed across my face.

My mother stood before me with tear-filled, disappointed eyes. "Zack! Is this how I raised you? Have you lost all your dignity? Apologize to Tristan right now!"

The burning pain on my cheek was nothing compared to the ice settling in my chest.

My own mother hadn't even asked for my side of the story before believing strangers and striking me.

I held my cheek. Through my blurred vision, I saw the triumphant smirk on Hannah's face.

She even raised an eyebrow at me in quiet victory.

Behind my mother-in-law, Tristan covered his mouth with fake shock, but his eyes glittered with pure mockery.

They thought they had won. In their eyes, I was completely isolated, abandoned, and broken.

Hannah stood tall before me, letting out a haughty sneer. "Do you finally see how pathetic you are?"

She tilted her chin toward Tristan, speaking in an absolute, commanding tone. "Kneel down, kowtow, and apologize to Tristan. Admit that you're mentally unstable and making up paranoid lies. Do that, and I'll pretend tonight never happened."

"Don't you dare lay a finger on my son!" My father roared, pulling me behind him once again.

My mother, however, grabbed my father's arm, sobbing hysterically. "Haven't you caused enough trouble? What's the big deal about apologizing?"

"Do you really want to drag this into a divorce and make our entire family the laughingstock of everyone we know?"

I looked at my father, whose eyes were bloodshot from trying to protect me, and then at the smug pair standing across the room.

I gently pulled my arm from my father's grip, took a deep breath, and nodded.

"Fine."

I paused, giving them the exact words they craved. "I'll kneel. I'll apologize."

The entire living room fell dead silent.

Hannah's smug expression froze, clearly not expecting me to give in so easily.

Her tone softened into a manipulative purr. "Zack, stop throwing tantrums. Let's just live our lives in peace, okay?"