The sharp crack echoed off the walls.My head snapped to the side, the stinging heat bursting across my cheek like a sudden fire. My vision blurred for a fraction of a second, the metallic taste of fresh blood instantly filling my mouth where my teeth cut the inside of my lip.The room fell into an absolute, suffocating silence.Mom didn't gasp. Karl didn't jump. Even Claire's pathetic, sniffling whimpers cut off into a quiet gasp of shock.In my first life, this was the exact moment I would have broken down. I would have dropped to my knees, holding my burning face, sobbing violently while suffocating under the weight of their rejection. I would have screamed “I’m sorry!” to a father who didn't care and a mother who despised my existence.This time, I didn't even shed a tear.Slowly, deliberately, I turned my head back. I met my father’s glaring, bloodshot eyes. My expression didn't flicker with pain, rage, or fear. It was completely, terrifyingly blank."You slapped me," I said, my
Last Updated : 2026-08-13 Read more