I Stopped My Father From Marrying A Domestic Abuser

Dad gazed down and stared at me. His smile froze for a moment.

“Ryan, what’s wrong?”

“Dad, you can’t go!”

I rushed over and wrapped my arms tightly around his leg.

Dad was alive. He was healthy and unharmed.

I hugged his leg even tighter.

“Ryan, what’s wrong?”

Dad crouched down. I caught the faint scent of his cologne.

He had put on a new suit and gotten his hair done for that special day.

Waiting for him was a woman who had slapped him across the face on the first night of their marriage in my past life.

“I had a nightmare. I dreamed that Ms. Zane beat you every day.”

“How could she?”

Dad reached out and gently rubbed my head.

“Yvonne has always been so good to us.

“Remember when you had a fever last time? She came over in the middle of the night and took you to the hospital. You haven’t forgotten that, have you?”

“I haven’t.”

My voice shook badly.

“But I dreamed it!

“I dreamed of you marrying her. She slapped you on the first day of your marriage.

“Then, she beat you with a belt, smashed liquor bottles over the back of your head, and hit you with sticks.

“You had three broken ribs, and your arm was covered in cigarette burn scars.

“One day, you collapsed on the floor and never got back up.”

“Silly boy.”

Dad smiled and gently brushed his thumb across my cheek.

“Dreams are the opposite of reality. Don’t you worry.”

Another loud horn blared from downstairs.

“Come on. The driver is waiting for us downstairs.”

With that, Dad reached for the doorknob.

“Dad, please! You can’t go!”

I grabbed his shirt and held on as tightly as I could.

My reaction caught Dad off guard.

“Dad, you can’t marry her.”

While Dad still hesitated, I ran toward the balcony in tears.

“If you marry her, I’ll jump!”

“Ryan!”

Dad screamed and grabbed me.

“Okay, okay! I won’t go.”

He pulled out his phone and canceled the cab.

Then, Dad opened his contacts.

He tapped “Yvonne”.

The call connected.

“Yvonne, maybe we should… pick another day?

“Ryan is crying really hard. He refuses to let me leave.”

There was silence on the other end for two seconds.

Those two seconds felt so long that my heart nearly stopped.

Yvonne Zane finally answered in a soft, gentle voice.

“What’s wrong with Ryan? Is he feeling sick?”

“No, no. He just… had a nightmare and is throwing a fit.”

Yvonne chuckled.

“He’s just a kid. That’s normal.

“He’s worried you’re going to leave him. Talk to him and calm him down.

“It’s such a special day. It’d be a shame to change our plans now.”

“But he—”

Dad turned and looked at me. I was crying so hard that I could barely catch my breath.

“Why don’t we do this?”

Yvonne cut him off. Her voice was still gentle.

“I’ll come and pick the two of you up.

“I’m getting Ryan some strawberry mousse cake on the way. He loves it. He’s just a kid. Some cake should do the trick.”

I frantically shook my head.

Dad tightened his grip on the phone.

“Maybe we should do it another day. Ryan—”

“I’m already on my way.”

Yvonne let out a soft laugh.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Wait for me.”

The call ended.

“Ryan, Yvonne will be here soon.

“Looks like we have to get married today after all.”

Dad wiped the tears from my face with a tissue.

A chill ran up my spine. I shivered.

I looked up at the clock in the living room.

We only had seven minutes left.

If we went downstairs, we would probably run into her at the entrance of the building.

“Dad, lock the door! Hurry!”