Chapter 1

My mom had been blind for three years.

My father, who supposedly loved our family more than life itself, brought his abused ex-lover, Scarlett, and her daughter, Violet, into our home.

The moment they walked through the door, Scarlett's toy poodle went wild and lunged at my mom.

Scout, my mom’s guide dog, let out a fierce bark and scared the poodle back.

Scarlett clutched her trembling poodle, her eyes welling up with tears.

And my dad, pointing at the very guide dog he had personally trained, roared:

"You filthy beast! Bark again and I’ll pull every single one of your teeth out!"

I rushed home the moment I saw the security feed on my phone.

By the time I arrived, Scout was lying on the floor, his mouth drenched in blood. His shattered teeth were scattered all over the ground.

My dad looked at my mom and said:

"Scarlett has suffered so much over the years. Now that I’m successful, I won’t let her and Violet suffer another second of misery!"

When he spoke of Scarlett, his eyes were filled with an unshakeable tenderness.

But he didn’t know that the "success" he was so proud of was entirely built on my back.