On my first day of being a newlywed, my father-in-law beat my mother-in-law up because of a dish.

I tried to stop my father-in-law out of concern for my mother-in-law's life. However, he scolded me for being rude and claimed out loud that subduing others with force was a family tradition.

I was thrilled when I saw that my husband was also itching to have a go at me.

Hurrah! I could finally unleash the demon inside me!

Unexpected Violence

My name was Melinda Summers. As the meaning of my name suggested, my appearance looked like a sweet, tender, and beautiful woman. I practically possessed all the qualities a man would desire in an ideal girlfriend.

I'd been doing image management for many years and gone through the strict training on how to become an eligible wife.

My parents had been laying the foundation for me to marry a fine young man in the future by teaching me to become a gentle, kind, and sweet young lady since I was young.

They often educated me on how a well-mannered young lady should behave. "As a young lady, you must be submissive and gentle because only then can you please your husband's family and marry a fine young man.

"We will disown you and have another obedient child if you ever behave like one of those disobedient children out there."

They would reprimand me whenever they saw that I'd gotten into a fight, "Melinda! Who allowed you to fight with others? Tell me, is this even the manner a decent young lady should have?"

They would also lecture me if they noticed me wearing non-ladylike outfits. "As a proper young lady, you should wear skirts and dresses! Pants are simply unacceptable! Do you think you can be like your brother? He is a son and the mainstay of our family."

I had mastered speaking in a voice that didn't exceed 40 decibels according to their wishes, regardless of the situation. I only ever owned dresses and skirts, which signified femininity, in my closet.

Once I grew up, I followed their advice and applied to a normal school specializing in training educators. Then, I became a teacher as soon as I graduated. Afterward, I went on a blind date with Oliver Kingsley, the man of my parents' choice.

Since I was young, beautiful, naive, and completely lacked experience with romantic relationships, Oliver adored me very much when he first met me. Thus, we completed our engagement ceremony within two months.

After getting engaged, I strictly followed my parents' guidance and tried my best to express my virtuousness, knowledge, sensibility, and any other qualities that would make me an eligible daughter-in-law in front of all members of the Kingsleys.

Sure enough, Oliver became more satisfied with me, and the entire Kingsleys also fancied the idea of me marrying into the family.

We held a grand wedding under our parents' arrangements a year later.

Today was the first day that I officially married into the Kingsleys and became Oliver's wife. I got up on time at 7.00 AM and showed up in the dining hall to prepare breakfast. Logically speaking, the housemaid should be the one making breakfast.

Therefore, I was surprised to discover that my mother-in-law, Charlotte Kingsley, was busy in the kitchen.

When she saw me, she snorted in derision, "Remember to get up early to make breakfast next time."

Although I felt disgruntled, I still raised the corner of my mouth and flashed her my typical sweet smile while nodding in agreement.

At the dining table, my father-in-law, Alexander Kingsley, picked a piece of an extremely delectable oven-baked sea bass and put it into his mouth.

However, he frowned as soon as he savored it. Then, he started rummaging through the dish with his fork.

It wasn't until he found an unnoticeable yellow slice in the dish that his originally gentle-looking face abruptly turned gloomy. After that, he furiously threw the fork at Charlotte's face.

"Why is it so hard for you to make a decent meal? I have told you plenty of times that I don't want to see even a trace of ginger in the dish! Even if the recipe requires it, you still have to take it out! Are you deaf or dead? Did you not understand my instructions?"

As he spoke, he suddenly slapped Charlotte's cheek. The slap sounded so sharp and crisp that it sounded like he must have slapped her with 100% of his strength.

Yet, things didn't end with the slap. Soon, Alexander rolled up his sleeves and kicked Charlotte, who had been sitting, to the ground.

I was so frightened by this unexpected situation that I sprung up from my seat and instinctively wanted to help the trembling Charlotte up from the ground.

I had just made a move when Oliver, who was sitting beside me, violently grabbed the hem of my dress. "Sit down. Dad is just disciplining Mom. It's fine."

Conflict

Oliver then continued to calmly pick up a piece of creamy garlic prawn using his fork and gave it to me. "Eat. We have to catch a flight later."

When he saw that I was still looking at Charlotte, who had fallen on her knees, with a worried expression, he went on and patiently explained to me, "Mom did something wrong, so she deserves to be punished.

"It's fine. She is already used to it. Besides, she will continue to make mistakes if Dad doesn't discipline her. Don't worry. The family doctor will be here soon."

His tone when he spoke these words was so calm that it sounded as if the one being beaten in front of him wasn't his mother but a mere pet dog or cat.

It also clued me onto the fact that it was very much expected for Alexander to beat Charlotte up just because of a tiny slice of ginger.

My parents often taught me to treat the elderly with respect and be dutiful to them and my husband. After all, only a gentle, submissive, and well-behaved woman could keep hold of her husband's love.

Logically speaking, I should listen to Oliver's advice. Still, I couldn't bear to stay out of things when I saw Alexander already grabbing his bowl and smashing it at Charlotte.

At this point, even if the bowl of soup didn't kill her, she'd be badly hurt..

My body reacted faster than my brain as I stepped forward to block Alexander's powerful blow. The hot soup sprinkled over my arm, which instantly reddened the skin.

As I endured the pain, I said softly, "Father, are you allergic to ginger? It's rather tough on Mother for having to wake up early and make breakfast today. So, maybe she didn't mean it."

My original intention was solely to fix the dreadful atmosphere in the family. Unexpectedly, the atmosphere at the dining table became even more tense because of my actions.

Perhaps Alexander never thought that anyone would come forth to stop him, so he was momentarily stunned. Then, he looked at me intently for a while before shooting a cryptic glance at Oliver.

A trace of irritation suggesting he was annoyed with me flashed across Oliver's face, but he quickly concealed it.

Then, he gently pulled me over. "Darling, I already told you that it's fine. Dad has been disciplining Mom like this for so many years. This is between them, so we shouldn't meddle in it.

"Besides, we are newlyweds, and you have just joined our family today. So, you must understand this and know your place."

I mused upon hearing his words. 'Must they resolve it this way whenever they're in conflict?'

My family of origin also firmly held onto the belief that men's work centered around the outside, while women's work centered around the home.

Still, my father was an overpowering head of our family, and he had never beaten my mother.

Likewise, they didn't teach me what to do if I witnessed a husband beating up his wife.

Judging from Oliver's words and attitude, he seemed to agree with such a solution.

Regardless, I kept feeling like something was wrong.

Meanwhile, Alexander remained silent. Perhaps it was mainly because he agreed with Oliver's statement. Or he was somewhat dissatisfied with my intervention.

Just when I still wanted to argue, Charlotte, who had been quiet and trembling, interjected before I could say anything, "Shut up! Just eat your breakfast!"

The redness and swelling on her cheek were still visible. Yet, instead of expressing her gratitude toward me for stopping her from getting beaten, she looked at me with a hint of resentment in her eyes.

It was as if me pleading mercy for her and helping her brought her great shame.

I genuinely didn't expect that my aid would become a burden to her.

"Melinda, maybe you're clueless about this, but all the rules in this household are up to me to decide. Whoever is the strongest has the right of speech! I initially thought you were a sweet and polite young lady.

"I'm surprised you would argue against me on your first day marrying into our family. Is this how your parents taught you?"

Each word from Alexander indicated his dissatisfaction with me. However, I couldn't help but focus on his initial sentence, "Whoever is the strongest has the right of speech."

It flashed back and forth in my mind so much that I couldn't help but ask again, "Father, are you implying that whoever is the most powerful in this family is the one who calls the shots?"

Alexander and Oliver exchanged a smile upon hearing my query. "Of course. The family motto of the Kingsleys is to subdue others with force! Men are the symbol of strength!"

Superhuman Strength

Truth be told, the main reason why my parents had been very strict with my education since I was a child was that I was born with superhuman strength. To make matters worse, I had an awfully violent temper.

When I was five, I gave the older man in our neighborhood, who tried to take advantage of me, a fatal blow on his lower body. It was that momentous occasion where my parents witnessed a sight that made their scalps tingle in the hospital.

From then on, their eyes carried a hint of fear whenever they looked at me, especially my father. He seemed to view me as a monster, and I could always hear him giving my mother an earful behind my back.

"That sure is some kind of monster you had given birth to! She is so freakishly strong! We can't let anyone know about this. Otherwise, my reputation will be ruined!"

As I was aware that my mother disliked me and my father was afraid of me, I had always been subservient to them. I would do whatever they asked me to do, even if it was something I didn't want to do.

I would gladly endure hardships as long as I could receive a little more love from them.

Later, it was proven by facts that my parents indeed would pay a little more attention to me as long as I listened to them. I was content even if it was only one-tenth of their affection for my brother.

Therefore, when Alexander confirmed that their family motto was subduing others with force, I was so thrilled that it felt like a gigantic firework had been set off in my heart. In fact, his words instantly let out my desire for "freedom," which I had sealed for a very long time.

I didn't even have time to pay attention to Charlotte, who was howling in pain after getting beaten by Alexander.

Perhaps they assumed that I was shocked by this "revelation" as I stood still for way too long.

Alexander triumphantly slapped Charlotte's face for one last time before starting to enjoy his breakfast calmly.

I, on the other hand, embarked on my honeymoon with Oliver half an hour later. When we set off, Oliver still instructed me, "Darling, don't interrupt Dad when he is talking from now on. The elders naturally have their own reasons for doing things. We just need to conform to it."

Oliver's babble rang in my ears as he continuously instilled in me the Kingsleys' precept that men were the most superior.

"Honey, didn't Father say our family motto was subduing others with force?" I interrupted him. "What he meant was that he will obey whoever is the strongest, right? So, will he do whatever Mother says if she can resist his beating?"

Oliver was momentarily caught off guard before sneering and sizing me up with an extremely disdainful look on his face. "Yes, that's right. You are absolutely right. Still, men and women are inherently different. So, you must also listen to me, understand?

"Otherwise, I will discipline you like how Dad did with Mom."

I didn't respond. The excitement I felt had already made me work up. I would have laughed out loud now if it weren't for the fact that I was raised not to reveal any emotions on my face over the years.

Perfect! Now that Oliver confirmed that he would beat me like Alexander beat Charlotte if I disobeyed him, all I had to do now was wait for the right moment.

As long as he hit me, I would have a reason to unleash the demon that I had suppressed inside me for many years!

Since I truly looked forward to the moment I counterattacked him, I was very disobedient for the first time. I got rid of the me who constantly had a pleasant smile on her face and ignored everything Oliver said.

Nevertheless, as my current action had severely contravened my parents' teachings in recent years, I inevitably felt a little uneasy.

However, my guilt of disobedience disappeared without a trace as soon as the thought of me soon being able to compete with my husband in terms of force crossed my mind.

At first, he would still talk to me gently. However, his patience ran out shortly after as he regarded with stormy displeasure.

He completely exploded with rage once we got off the plane and arrived at the hotel.

"Are you telling me that this is the hotel you had booked? What kind of a lousy hotel is this? There isn't even a valet attendant in sight!"

"The hotel does have several valet attendants. They're just parking other guests' cars right now."

"Damn! This crappy room doesn't even pass off as a sea-view room! Let's check out and book another hotel!"

"It's the peak tourist season now, so we're considered lucky to be able to book this hotel."

…

At this moment, Oliver struggled to grasp why I, who was so gentle and sweet the day before, seemed to have transformed into a different person the day after we got married and kept going against him.

He frowned and looked at me, anger slowly emerging in his eyes.

Meanwhile, I took my time and unpacked our luggage while deliberately being argumentative, saying snidely, "Honey, you are too demanding. The hotel's not the problem. It's you.

"You should make another booking if you want to switch hotels. Don't always expect me to do everything for you, okay? I'm your wife, not your nanny. You are a man of indomitable spirit, for God's sake!"

The exasperated Oliver clenched his fists tightly and was ready to hit me.

Although I was unpacking the luggage, I was discreetly observing him out of the corner of my eye.

I saw with my own eyes how he shed the gentle look on his face that he had shown me thus far. Now, his face was contorted with a fearsome scowl as he approached me with his fist raised and his teeth bared. "Melinda! I didn't expect to have to discipline you today!"