Chapter 4

I pulled Dad back. “Dad, run…”

Before I could finish, Yvonne and Cecilia rushed toward us.

Yvonne grabbed Dad by the wrist. She wrapped her other arm around his waist and dragged him toward the gray van at the end of the alley.

I rushed over and bit her arm. “Let go of my dad!”

However, my body was only seven years old.

Cecilia grabbed me from behind and lifted me off the ground.

She shoved me into the back seat. Yvonne pushed Dad in from the other side.

Cecilia took Dad’s phone and locked the doors.

The van drove away. We were going to the city hall.

“Are you crazy?” Dad’s voice was quivering. “You’re kidnapping us!”

“Kidnapping?” Yvonne laughed. “You’re my fiance. I’m just taking you to the city hall so we can get married. If you call the police, they’ll probably just see it as a cute little couple’s spat.”

“Let us go!”

Dad reached over and grabbed Yvonne’s hair.

Cecilia pulled a dagger out from under her seat.

She held it by the handle with the blade pointed down. She pressed the tip against my knee.

“Move, and I’ll push it in.”

Dad froze.

Yvonne looked at us through the rearview mirror. A slow smile spread across her face.

I sat in the back seat. My whole body shook.

The pain from my past life came rushing back to me.

Had I really gotten a second chance, only to find out that I still could not save Dad?

The van arrived at the city hall.

Yvonne parked right outside the main entrance and opened the door.

Dad looked at me. The dagger was still against my knee. Then, he haltingly got out.

I quickly followed him.

Cecilia slipped the dagger into her sleeve.

She walked beside me on my left. One hand rested on my shoulder. The tip of the dagger pressed against me through her sleeve.

There were only a few people in the lobby.

Yvonne put her usual gentle and elegant smile back on.

She checked in. Three minutes later, they called them over.

“IDs and marriage-license paperwork, please.”

Yvonne handed over the documents and nudged Dad with her elbow.

Dad took his ID out of the inside pocket of his jacket.

His fingers were shaking.

The clerk took the documents and looked at Dad.

“Do you confirm that you are voluntarily entering this marriage?”

Dad’s lips moved. “…Yes.”

The clerk started typing.

Names, dates, ID numbers. One line after another appeared on the screen.

A smug smile appeared on Yvonne’s face.

My head started to pound.

No. I could not let Yvonne get her way!

“Miss, I need to use the restroom!”

The clerk stopped typing.

Cecilia tightened her grip and squeezed my clavicle.

“Hold it in.”

“I can’t! If you don’t take me to the restroom now, I’m going to pee right here!”

I reached for my pants.

Everyone else in line turned to look at me.

“Hey, hey, wait, kid.”

The clerk stood up and came around the counter.

She took my hand and led me toward the restroom.

Cecilia followed us.

The clerk looked back.

“You can wait outside. You can’t go into the men’s restroom.”

Cecilia stopped. She glared at me.

The clerk stopped outside the restroom door too.

“Go ahead. Your mom and I will wait here.”

As soon as I entered the restroom, I knocked on the door of an occupied stall.

“Excuse me, can I borrow your phone?

“I can’t find my dad. Please, I really need your help.”

I started to cry.

A hand with a phone reached out from under the stall door.

My fingers shook so badly that I could barely press the numbers.

“Grandpa, come to the city hall now!

“Someone is forcing Dad to get married at knifepoint! Call the police! Hurry!”

Cecilia shouted from outside, “Are you done yet?”

I quickly ended the call and handed the phone back.

When I returned to the lobby, the clerk was confirming the information with Yvonne.

Yvonne had one arm around Dad’s shoulder.

To anyone else, they looked like a loving couple.

Yvonne turned and looked at me. The corners of her mouth curled up.

I knew that look. She had given me the same look every time she hurt Dad in my past life.

Yvonne nodded. “Everything is correct.”

The clerk was about to click the mouse when the glass doors to the lobby opened.

Two police officers in uniform walked in.

A man followed them.

“Wait! They can’t get married!”