Chapter 6

When Holly returned home from the police station, there was no one around.

She didn't think much and was about to head upstairs when footsteps sounded at the door.

When the door swung open, Frank and Mary stormed in. Behind them was Colin, holding Stella, who was shaking all over from crying.

Seeing Holly, Frank and Mary immediately flew into a fit of fury. "You crazy brat, what were you thinking? Were you the one who called the cops? Stella merely stepped on the accelerator accidentally. She didn't hit you on purpose.

"Why did you call the cops? Do you want her to get into prison?"

While comforting Stella, Colin didn't forget to lecture Holly, saying, "You only got injured a little, but do you realize how long Stella was lectured? If we hadn't signed the waiver, who knows how much she would have suffered?

"Stella's frail. Could you take responsibility if something were to happen to her?"

Yes, she got hurt a little, just barely skirting death, while Stella got lectured for hours.

Holly laughed bitterly with anger and gazed defiantly at her parents for the first time. "Yeah, it was me who called the cops. So what?"

She was usually so obedient that Frank and Mary couldn't tolerate her being openly defiant today. Without hesitation, they moved to strike.

"How dare you say that? I must teach you a lesson today!"

As soon as the words left their mouths, the bodyguards behind Holly stepped forward and tied her up with ropes.

Holly let them tie her up and was forced to kneel on the ground numbly, like a dead fish.

Frank picked up the whip and lashed it sharply against her. "Ungrateful child!"

Each strike of the whip left a bright red mark across her skin.

Once, twice, thrice…

She had lost count of how many lashes she'd taken, aware only of the sharp whoosh of the whip and Mary egging it on.

"Good, she needs to be taught a lesson. If we'd known, we wouldn't have her at all!"

Holly's body shuddered as she suddenly lifted her head, her eyes filled with blood and tears.

Seeing the utter despair in her eyes, Frank instinctively froze, the whip still in his hand.

Holly bit her lips until they turned pale. Every word she uttered spilled out through blood and tears, drenched in pain and despair.

"You don't want me as a daughter, but does that mean I want you as my parents? You brought me into this world and forced me to be Stella's blood bank. Did you ever stop to ask if I wanted it?

"All my life, I wore the clothes she didn't want and ate the food she refused. We share the same birthday, yet you never gave me a gift.

"Have you ever really seen me as your daughter? Do you know what I like to eat, what my favorite color is, what I'm allergic to, and what I'm scared of? If I could choose, I'd never want to be born. No one in this world loves me."

Everyone present froze. Hearing her voice out each of the past hurts aloud made their chests tighten in an unexpected, suffocating way.

When Oscar arrived at the Webster residence, he immediately saw Holly kneeling on the ground, covered in injuries.

When he heard her utter in despair that no one in this world loved her, his heart sank.

He stepped forward to help her up. "Holly, you have me. I love you…"

Holly flashed a half-smile and shook her head before turning to head inside.

Oscar was about to go after her, but Stella suddenly held her own head and collapsed backward.

"Mr. Moss, my head hurts…"

He faltered, then chose to head back to Stella.