Chapter 2

I pushed open the front door and saw Scout tied up on the scorching, sun-drenched balcony.

A few bloody teeth lay on the concrete.

Blood was gushing from the empty sockets in Scout’s mouth.

My mom was holding Scout helplessly, her palms covered in raw scrapes.

My heart instantly tightened into a knot.

"Mom, what happened?"

"Georgina, please help Scout. He got into a fight with Scarlett's dog, and your dad..."

I looked at the bloody pliers lying on the floor, and everything clicked.

I stared dead at my dad. A flicker of guilt flashed in his eyes.

A guide dog is incredibly hard to train.

My dad had spent over two years personally training Scout just to protect my mom.

Scarlett noticed his momentary guilt.

She set down her coffee cup, slowly stood up from the lounger, and carried herself with the smug air of the new lady of the house.

"Back where I come from, a dog this poorly behaved would have been put down. Pulling a few teeth is getting off easy."

Violet stroked her poodle's head, chiming in:

"Exactly. My mom cherishes this poodle your dad gave her. She can't bear to see it get hurt at all."

I glared at them. "No one asked for your opinion."

Scarlett bit her lower lip, grabbed her suitcase, and made a show of leaving.

"Christian, I told you your family wouldn't welcome me. Why did I even bother coming here!"

"Violet, pack your things. We're leaving."

The guilt in my dad’s eyes vanished instantly.

He rushed forward, snatched her suitcase, and pointed at the bruises on her arm, his voice thick with heartache:

"Wyatt treated you like garbage, and you want to go back there to suffer?"

"As long as I am breathing, I will never let you or Violet suffer again!"

I let out a cold laugh, looking at this "saint" of a father.

"Dad, Scout is Mom's eyes. He is family."

"Did you forget? You were the one who said that."

He looked at me with a stern, cold face.

"From now on, Scarlett and Violet are also our family!"

"And as the man of this house, let me tell you this: I don’t care how spoiled you and your mother were before. From now on, you will respect them."

The midday sun was brutal. Scout’s mouth was still bleeding, and my mom’s clothes were soaked in sweat from the heat.

I quickly untied Scout, preparing to rush him to the veterinary hospital.

"Uncle Christian, what are these clothes?"

Violet walked out of my room, holding a few of my lace designer dresses.

Those were custom pieces gifted to me by a student I sponsored, who had won a prestigious fashion competition in Paris.

Scarlett tutted, turning to my mom.

"Betty, I don't mean to criticize, but even if you're blind, you can feel how expensive this fabric is."

"Georgina is a young girl. Wearing clothes like this..."

"If word gets out, it just shows how much you've failed as a mother."

"Christian is a respected CEO now. She's completely ruining his reputation."

With that, she handed a pair of scissors to my dad.

He hesitated for a second, but took them anyway. He threw both the scissors and the dresses right in front of my mom.

"Cut them up. Otherwise, neither of you is leaving this house today."

My mom’s hands trembled as she clutched her shirt, trying to explain for me:

"Christian, it's not what you think. These were a gift from a student Georgina helped..."

"I don't care what they are! You live under my roof and eat my food. Do I not even have a say in this house anymore?"

My mom looked lost and helpless. Scout lay on the ground, whimpering in pain.

Without another word, I picked up the scissors.