Chapter 2

The moment Uncle David stepped out, his gentle gaze turned vicious. Not only did he drop all talk of me dating, but he also kicked me square in the chest.

"You filthy bitch," he spat. "How dare you still dream about love at your age? You don't deserve it."

Just then, my aunt, Felicia Hailbrook, came by my home. She was looking for Uncle David.

The second Aunt Felicia saw what he'd done, she tore into him, screaming like he was the scum of the earth. But after Dad pulled her into his study, she turned on me too.

She told me never to think about marriage ever again, or she would poison me.

I was left completely puzzled. What was it about that study that made everyone flip on me the moment they stepped inside?

Even Angela, who had always been close to me since childhood, tried to talk me out of marriage.

She even went so far as to secretly burn all my photos with my ex-boyfriends and block their numbers on my phone. She refused to let me meet or contact any men.

The entire situation weighed on my mind day and night. I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Everything about it felt… creepy.

At the very least, I still had Mom on my side, but she was always busy.

She ran three restaurants and worked herself to the bone from dawn till dusk. She hardly had time to breathe, let alone protect me from what happened at home.

I wouldn't lie, every breakup had left me devastated. I cried and made a fuss, but nothing ever changed.

The disappointment crushed me. It felt as if a hole had been torn straight through my chest, and the breeze from the window left a chilling cold deep inside.

Dad shot me a disdainful look before he settled into the couch to watch television. I walked over and stood in front of him, my expression dead serious.

"Dad, just tell me the truth. Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you? Am I just in your way? Why can't we talk this out like adults? Does it really have to come to this?"

We were family. If there was a misunderstanding, we could talk it out.

But he didn't even look at me. His eyes stayed glued to the television, cold and detached.

"I've told you," he said flatly. "You're not allowed to date or get married. If you dare defy me, I'll kill you myself."

Then, Dad narrowed his eyes at me, his glare sharp enough to send a shiver down my spine. He wasn't joking.

Suddenly, he stood up and went into the kitchen. Then, he came back with a knife and charged at me like a madman.

Terrified, I locked myself inside my room and called my best friend, Susan Collins. I begged her to get the police.

The police officers arrived quickly, with Susan right behind them.

A female officer immediately subdued Dad, wrestled the kitchen knife from his hand, and hurled it across the room. Finally safe, I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out of my room.

"Mr. Schrute, you're under arrest for attempted murder. You need to come with us to the station for questioning!" the officer declared.

But even as they cuffed him, Dad still wore a smug expression on his face. He wasn't scared at all.

When Susan saw the cuts on my arm from the knife, her face went pale. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

She punched Dad in rage and shouted, "Are you insane? She's your daughter! You actually tried to kill her just for wanting to get married?"

Susan broke down and sobbed into her hands until she could barely catch her breath. I had no doubt that if the police officers weren't right there, she would have thrown herself at Dad just for my sake.

It hit me then that there were people in my corner who genuinely cared for me and my happiness.

The police officers questioned Dad sternly. They demanded to know why he had done it, but he just stared back and showed not a shred of remorse.

Then, Susan stepped forward and raised her phone.

"I have evidence," she said. "Since Elizabeth was 20, her father had forced her to break up with every single boyfriend. He even encouraged them to hit and insult her! I have all the photos she sent me of her injuries. Every one of these monsters needs to be punished.

The moment her words fell, Dad let out a low, chilling laugh. His face twisted into something terrifying.

He signaled for the officers to release him, then turned to Susan with a cold smile.

"I'll go with you," he said calmly. "But first, I need to get something from my study. It's something you'll want to see. If you're afraid I'll run, you can all come with me."