Chapter 2

I raised my hand to wipe the filth from my eyes.

Limping, I walked toward the edge of the crowd.

"Daniel!"

My mother's voice rang out behind me, trembling with disbelief.

"Where are you going?"

I didn't look back and kept walking forward.

My ex-wife Kaya quickly stepped forward to block me, pressing her lips tightly together.

"Daniel, come home with us first. Stop making a scene."

My steps paused. I dragged my half-crippled legs toward them.

The voice rolling from my throat was like sandpaper scraping:

"Home? Do I still have a home?"

My gaze fixed on my father's face.

"Dad, you were the one who pointed at my nose and called me a bastard, said I didn't deserve the Williams name."

My father's face suddenly froze.

I looked at my mother and gave a crooked smile.

"Mom, when you handed over everything I had to someone else, did I still have a home?"

My mother looked away.

"Daniel Williams!"

Kaya grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my flesh.

"Can't you just talk nicely?"

I shook her off like I was shaking off something filthy.

"Almost forgot about you."

"Congratulations. So happy you two finally got together. By the way, Liam went to great lengths to marry you—killed his own daughter, then drove his wife to death..."

"Kaya, when you and Liam are having sex in bed, I bet their mother-daughter souls are right there beside you, faces covered in bloody tears, watching!"

Slap—

My father's palm struck me so hard my head snapped to the side, my ears ringing.

"Bastard!"

My father's face flushed red with rage, his whole body trembling.

"You committed the crime yourself, and now you're pinning the blame on Liam and Kaya. You're nothing but a vicious bastard!"

My mother chimed in shrilly.

"Daniel, what kind of attitude is this! Kaya married Liam to atone for your sins. What right do you have to slander them?"

"It's bad enough you're rotting in the gutter yourself, but you want to drag them down too. What a poisonous heart you have!"

Kaya's eyes reddened:

"Daniel, Liam and I really aren't what you think..."

"When Liam lost two family members, he drank himself into gastric cancer day and night. I only married him to take care of him."

She stepped forward to touch my face:

"I married Liam as a temporary measure. Now that you're back, we can go back to how things were."

I used every ounce of strength to slap her hard across the face.

My voice trembled but carried bone-chilling coldness:

"Go back to how things were?"

"Kaya, you disgust me!"

"What makes you think I'd want a woman who's been screwed rotten? I want to vomit just touching you!"

My father's hand veins bulged as he grabbed my throat and roared:

"Daniel, you're insane! Shut your mouth!"

Talk nicely?

"What did I do wrong?" I stared into each of their eyes, word by word. "From beginning to end, what exactly did I do wrong?"

"Liam is the real culprit!"

"You held him in the palm of your hand but couldn't wait to grind me into the dirt, threw me in prison without reason, and ruined my life!"

My mother snarled.

"What real culprit! Watch your filthy mouth!"

That man charged at me again, a steel pipe smashing viciously onto my already crippled legs.

The dull sound of bone shattering.

I collapsed to the ground, cold sweat instantly soaking my entire body.

"How dare you slander Mr. McKenzie's reputation! I think you're tired of living!"

My ruined legs took hit after hit, the pain making me tremble uncontrollably.

Kaya looked at my twisted legs, her face showing reluctance.

"Daniel, come home with us. Whatever you want, I'll compensate you."

I spat a mouthful of blood on her face.

"You're all so hypocritical! Get lost! I feel sick just looking at you!"

My father flew into a rage, pointing at my nose and cursing:

"Daniel, I'm giving you one last chance. Apologize to Liam and Kaya!"

"Otherwise... get out of this family and never come back!"