It was the first time my father-in-law, Lincoln, took the initiative to go on a playdate with my four-year-old daughter.He had always been unwilling to even fetch her to and from kindergarten. Were pigs about to fly?"Really?" my daughter, Gillian, squealed. "Grandpa, you're the best!"Seeing my daughter's eyes light up struck me with melancholy.Grandfather and granddaughter grabbed their water bottles and headed out, giddy with excitement. With time on my hands, I returned to my room and resumed sleeping. Lo and behold, I was soon rudely awakened by Lincoln's rough yells."Why are you crying, you brat? Had I known earlier, I would have strangled you!"An ominous feeling crept up my chest. I hurriedly threw on a shawl and rushed out of the room. The first thing I saw was my poor daughter's face, flushed from crying. Lincoln, meanwhile, sat on the couch with a dark face.Facing the scene before me, I felt fury burn in my chest. "Dad, what's all this? She's your granddaught
Suddenly, Maria recalled her husband's words. As she turned her attention to the report on the floor, something clicked in her mind.When Lincoln showed her the report and she saw his name together with Gillian's on it, anxiety flickered in her eyes. A second later, she snapped back to attention, sat on me, and started scratching my face viciously."How dare you do something like this while Leonard works so hard to feed the family! You're shameless! I'll ruin your face! Let's see how you'd go out seducing men after this!"When Lincoln saw this, a smile finally flickered on his face. "Yes, teach her a good lesson! She's shameless, and her child is a bastard. They've been mooching off us all these years! Kick them out of the house! Just looking at them disgusts me!"Hearing that, Maria struck me even harder. I blocked her blows with my arms, but couldn't avoid getting scratched. Hot, searing pain spread across my cheeks. Mustering as much strength as I could, I pushed her away
To my utter disbelief, even my husband didn't believe me.As it turned out, Leonard had concluded that Gillian wasn't his child. His shouts startled his parents awake. When Lincoln saw that Leonard was back, tears fell down his cheeks; he looked just like a lost and helpless child."My son, you're finally back! If you came any later, this family would probably take another name! I was so afraid I would die of anger because of this woman, and never see you again!"Leonard hurried forward and held Lincoln's arm while glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.I looked straight at him, trying my best to calm myself down. Despite my best efforts, my voice still trembled."I didn't expect our decade-long relationship to be so fragile. You saw me pregnant with Gillian for nine months. You saw me give birth to her. She's your flesh and blood! How could you doubt her?!"Yet, Leonard remained unmoved and continued looking at me in disdain."My ten years with you have been in vain. I could tell
"You're not my daughter!"A four-year-old girl was still too young to stand against Leonard's violent slap.Gillian collapsed on the floor from the impact, looking blankly ahead. Blood trickled from the corner of her lips onto the floor, the dripping sound like a clap of thunder in the quiet room.I let out an agonized cry and fled toward Gillian, carefully scooping her up into my arms. When I saw the finger marks on her cheek, I sobbed brokenly."Leonard!" I roared, anguished. "Are you even human? How could you bear to slap Gilly?! She's only four!"However, he glanced indifferently at Gillian. "She's nothing but an illegitimate child, no better than a dog to me. I should beat her to death so she doesn't embarrass me. What a bother."Maria's eyes lit up at Leonard's words. "Yes! Beat her to death, then all this will be over!"With that, she lurched forward and strangled Gillian's neck. Veins popped up on the back of her hand as her face twisted savagely. Gillian's face was turn
The anxiety in my heart gave way to calm.Now, it seemed the Jenkins were the true suckers. They didn't raise a child of another man for just four years—no, they probably did it over five times that duration!Recalling how cruel and merciless they were to Gillian and me yesterday, my anger gradually gave way to laughter. I couldn't wait to see how things would develop once the truth was exposed!At that thought, I pulled out my phone and searched for a private investigator to tail Maria and figure out what exactly was going on with her.After calculating our assets, I contacted a lawyer I was friends with and drafted a divorce agreement. I kept records of all proof of injury. When all that was completed, I returned home with the divorce papers in hand. Leonard probably had no choice but to sign the papers today.When I opened the door, they rushed out looking shocked. "I changed the locks! How did you manage to open the door?!"Maria was the first to step out. Anxiety flash
"But…" I interrupted them, "since you violently attacked Gillian and me yesterday, I'll bring this matter to the court all the same. Oh, yes. The court might ask for other witnesses or relatives. Do call Mom and Dad's relatives over to make a stand."At my words, Maria's face turned pale. She nudged Leonard, urging him to sign."Leonard, sign it, quick! We'll be thoroughly humiliated if we go to court! How are we going to face others when we return to our hometown? Sign it, quick!"Leonard clenched the divorce papers in his fist. He glared at me wordlessly, wishing he could tear me to pieces.Seeing Leonard standing there, unmoving, Maria kept stuffing a pen in his hand. "Don't forget, you slapped Gillian and your father hit Madeline. Do you want to go to jail? You'll lose your job and your entire life! Sign it, please!" she begged.The tears falling relentlessly down Maria's cheeks almost made me believe she was a kind mother who loved her son deeply.A pity that it wasn't Leo
Leonard's anger dissipated at my words. He snatched the report from Lincoln's hands and went through it carefully.Maria's face turned pale when she heard me. She tried to refute my claims, stuttering all the way. "Don't…don't try to sow discord here… I gave birth to Leonard! How could he not be his father's child?!"The stamp on the report was the stamp Lincoln was very familiar with. It was identical to that of the hospital he brought Gillian to.He slapped Maria's cheek hard, his eyes turning bloodshot. "Where is my child? Where did you take my child? You wicked woman!"I leaned against the door frame, preparing myself for the good show unfolding before me. Adding fuel to the fire, I said, "Mr. Jenkins, seems like I'm not the source of your family's bad luck. You really should get to the bottom of the matter. You've been cuckolded for so many years, I think it's time to put an end to it."Lincoln, infuriated by what I said, kicked Maria hard.In turn, she wrapped her arms ar
Passers-by who saw us threw us curious glances.I dragged Leonard away and snarled through gritted teeth, "We're divorced now. Stay away from us!"He kept following me, muttering under his breath, "Gillian is just four years old. Can you bear for her to be fatherless? I was possessed and believed my parents' words. They paid for their wrongs. Take it as our compensation for you. Please give me one more chance, won't you?"He pinned the blame on his parents with just a few words, as if he were an innocent party in everything.A filthy coward like him wasn't fit to be Gillian's dad."Honey, I was wrong," he went on, trying to coax me. "Dad is in the police station, and Mom is in the hospital right now. We're family…"I refused to waste my breath on him and quickened my pace, wanting to leave. Leonard followed closely behind me, refusing to let up.More and more people were gathering around, their curious stares making me furrow my brows.I was getting increasingly frustrated with
Leonard's anger dissipated at my words. He snatched the report from Lincoln's hands and went through it carefully.Maria's face turned pale when she heard me. She tried to refute my claims, stuttering all the way. "Don't…don't try to sow discord here… I gave birth to Leonard! How could he not be his father's child?!"The stamp on the report was the stamp Lincoln was very familiar with. It was identical to that of the hospital he brought Gillian to.He slapped Maria's cheek hard, his eyes turning bloodshot. "Where is my child? Where did you take my child? You wicked woman!"I leaned against the door frame, preparing myself for the good show unfolding before me. Adding fuel to the fire, I said, "Mr. Jenkins, seems like I'm not the source of your family's bad luck. You really should get to the bottom of the matter. You've been cuckolded for so many years, I think it's time to put an end to it."Lincoln, infuriated by what I said, kicked Maria hard.In turn, she wrapped her arms ar
"But…" I interrupted them, "since you violently attacked Gillian and me yesterday, I'll bring this matter to the court all the same. Oh, yes. The court might ask for other witnesses or relatives. Do call Mom and Dad's relatives over to make a stand."At my words, Maria's face turned pale. She nudged Leonard, urging him to sign."Leonard, sign it, quick! We'll be thoroughly humiliated if we go to court! How are we going to face others when we return to our hometown? Sign it, quick!"Leonard clenched the divorce papers in his fist. He glared at me wordlessly, wishing he could tear me to pieces.Seeing Leonard standing there, unmoving, Maria kept stuffing a pen in his hand. "Don't forget, you slapped Gillian and your father hit Madeline. Do you want to go to jail? You'll lose your job and your entire life! Sign it, please!" she begged.The tears falling relentlessly down Maria's cheeks almost made me believe she was a kind mother who loved her son deeply.A pity that it wasn't Leo
The anxiety in my heart gave way to calm.Now, it seemed the Jenkins were the true suckers. They didn't raise a child of another man for just four years—no, they probably did it over five times that duration!Recalling how cruel and merciless they were to Gillian and me yesterday, my anger gradually gave way to laughter. I couldn't wait to see how things would develop once the truth was exposed!At that thought, I pulled out my phone and searched for a private investigator to tail Maria and figure out what exactly was going on with her.After calculating our assets, I contacted a lawyer I was friends with and drafted a divorce agreement. I kept records of all proof of injury. When all that was completed, I returned home with the divorce papers in hand. Leonard probably had no choice but to sign the papers today.When I opened the door, they rushed out looking shocked. "I changed the locks! How did you manage to open the door?!"Maria was the first to step out. Anxiety flash
"You're not my daughter!"A four-year-old girl was still too young to stand against Leonard's violent slap.Gillian collapsed on the floor from the impact, looking blankly ahead. Blood trickled from the corner of her lips onto the floor, the dripping sound like a clap of thunder in the quiet room.I let out an agonized cry and fled toward Gillian, carefully scooping her up into my arms. When I saw the finger marks on her cheek, I sobbed brokenly."Leonard!" I roared, anguished. "Are you even human? How could you bear to slap Gilly?! She's only four!"However, he glanced indifferently at Gillian. "She's nothing but an illegitimate child, no better than a dog to me. I should beat her to death so she doesn't embarrass me. What a bother."Maria's eyes lit up at Leonard's words. "Yes! Beat her to death, then all this will be over!"With that, she lurched forward and strangled Gillian's neck. Veins popped up on the back of her hand as her face twisted savagely. Gillian's face was turn
To my utter disbelief, even my husband didn't believe me.As it turned out, Leonard had concluded that Gillian wasn't his child. His shouts startled his parents awake. When Lincoln saw that Leonard was back, tears fell down his cheeks; he looked just like a lost and helpless child."My son, you're finally back! If you came any later, this family would probably take another name! I was so afraid I would die of anger because of this woman, and never see you again!"Leonard hurried forward and held Lincoln's arm while glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.I looked straight at him, trying my best to calm myself down. Despite my best efforts, my voice still trembled."I didn't expect our decade-long relationship to be so fragile. You saw me pregnant with Gillian for nine months. You saw me give birth to her. She's your flesh and blood! How could you doubt her?!"Yet, Leonard remained unmoved and continued looking at me in disdain."My ten years with you have been in vain. I could tell
Suddenly, Maria recalled her husband's words. As she turned her attention to the report on the floor, something clicked in her mind.When Lincoln showed her the report and she saw his name together with Gillian's on it, anxiety flickered in her eyes. A second later, she snapped back to attention, sat on me, and started scratching my face viciously."How dare you do something like this while Leonard works so hard to feed the family! You're shameless! I'll ruin your face! Let's see how you'd go out seducing men after this!"When Lincoln saw this, a smile finally flickered on his face. "Yes, teach her a good lesson! She's shameless, and her child is a bastard. They've been mooching off us all these years! Kick them out of the house! Just looking at them disgusts me!"Hearing that, Maria struck me even harder. I blocked her blows with my arms, but couldn't avoid getting scratched. Hot, searing pain spread across my cheeks. Mustering as much strength as I could, I pushed her away
It was the first time my father-in-law, Lincoln, took the initiative to go on a playdate with my four-year-old daughter.He had always been unwilling to even fetch her to and from kindergarten. Were pigs about to fly?"Really?" my daughter, Gillian, squealed. "Grandpa, you're the best!"Seeing my daughter's eyes light up struck me with melancholy.Grandfather and granddaughter grabbed their water bottles and headed out, giddy with excitement. With time on my hands, I returned to my room and resumed sleeping. Lo and behold, I was soon rudely awakened by Lincoln's rough yells."Why are you crying, you brat? Had I known earlier, I would have strangled you!"An ominous feeling crept up my chest. I hurriedly threw on a shawl and rushed out of the room. The first thing I saw was my poor daughter's face, flushed from crying. Lincoln, meanwhile, sat on the couch with a dark face.Facing the scene before me, I felt fury burn in my chest. "Dad, what's all this? She's your granddaught