Chapter 3

Alicia insisted that Mike hadn't always been like this. He only started changing after Hannah's business took off, though she didn't know exactly why.

I told her it wasn't normal, but she just muttered that they had survived this way for years.

I shot back that the fact they had survived like this for years was exactly what made it so terrifying.

The yellowish living room lights were dim. Neither of us noticed the master bedroom door on the second floor had cracked open.

The next day, I woke up at dawn, having barely slept all night.

After a quick wash, I packed my bag and planned to say a quick goodbye to Alicia before leaving.

Every second spent in this house felt suffocating.

Feeling sorry for Alicia was one thing, but there was no way I was going to gamble with the rest of my life.

Yet, the moment I opened my door, a white figure collapsed right toward me, hitting the floor by my feet and wailing at the top of his lungs. "He pushed me! This horrible man pushed me!"

I stood there, completely dumbfounded.

"It hurts so bad!" Mike thrashed on the floor, pounding the hardwood tiles in agony. "He pushed me on purpose! I don't want to live anymore!"

The commotion was so loud that Alicia and Hannah came rushing out of their respective rooms.

Seeing that his audience had arrived, Mike amped up the theatrics. "I don't want him in this family! He's evil! He spent all of last night trying to drive a wedge between Alicia and me. I heard everything!"

He hiccuped through his tears. "I'm still just a baby! I won't allow my daughter to have a boyfriend so soon. I want my daughter to stay with me forever!"

For once, Hannah didn't immediately start coddling him. She just stood there, frowning.

Lately, her company had been plagued with constant issues, and she was already exhausted. She rubbed her temples and let out a heavy sigh. "You—"

"Mrs. Bennett," I interrupted, stepping forward. "You don't need to say anything."

I looked down at Mike, who was still sprawled on the floor wiping away fake tears. "Mr. Bennett, you've got it all wrong. It's true that I love Alicia. But anyone who meets a father-in-law like you would walk away without a second thought."

Alicia looked visibly hurt, and her head dropped instantly.

The crying paused for a split second.

"I assume your house has security cameras?"

I pointed to the corner of the hallway ceiling. "Since you claim I pushed you, let's pull up the footage. Otherwise, if Prince Mike gets a bruise, I certainly won't be able to afford the medical bills."

Mike's expression instantly shifted.

"You…" His lips trembled.

Hannah glanced up at the camera, then fell completely silent.

She didn't say a single word, but her silence spoke volumes.

Heartbroken, Alicia looked from Mike's face to mine. Her lips parted, and she lunged forward to grab my arm. "Let me explain. My dad is just—"

"Don't bother." I shook her hand off and kept walking downstairs without looking back. "Let's just call it quits."

Behind me, I heard Hannah snap at Mike for the very first time. "Enough!"

Then came Mike's piercing screech, "You're actually yelling at me because of that man? You're all ganging up on me!"

I hurried down the steps outside the house, my dress shoes clicking sharply against the stairs.

My phone was buzzing relentlessly with texts from Alicia.

"I'm so sorry… I never expected this to happen… Please give me a chance to explain…"

I ignored every single one.

I hailed a cab back home and collapsed onto my couch.

Then, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was a text from an unknown number.

"What kind of spell did you put on my daughter? She actually argued with me because of you! I will never let you set foot into this family. Just you wait!"