My younger sister, Angela Schrute, got married at 20. By 21, she already had a child.

I'm Elizabeth Schrute, 27 years old, and still unmarried.

Over the years, I've brought home a few boyfriends. But every time the subject of marriage comes up, my father, Michael Scrute, will take them into his study.

I don't know what he said to them. But whenever they come out of that room, they will turn cold and frightening. It's like their hands are itching to wrap around my throat and squeeze the life out of me.

My latest boyfriend thinks Dad is being unreasonable… until he follows him into the study.

When he emerges, his eyes burn with rage. He breaks up with me on the spot and slaps me. Twice.

I still can't figure it out. What is it that drives each of them away? And what secret is hiding in Dad's study?

"You really are a bitch, aren't you? Aren't you disgusted with yourself? Next time, I should just let one of your boyfriends kill you. Maybe then you'll finally learn your lesson."

After my boyfriend stormed off, Dad glared at me menacingly and began cursing.

The truth was, over the years, I had five boyfriends. Without exception, every single relationship had ended in an ugly breakup.

Before they turned cruel and violent toward me, every one of them had stepped into Dad's study. As much as I didn't want to believe that people could change so quickly, the facts spoke for themselves.

I frowned at Dad, hoping to hear even a single word of apology. But instead, he looked at me as if he wished he could tear me apart.

He even regretted that my boyfriend had spared me instead of strangling me to death.

Dad had always favored my younger sister, Angela, and never seemed to care about me.

When I was young and wanted to date, he had forced me to break up immediately. But when Angela turned the legal age for marriage, he let her plan her wedding right away.

Why was it so different for us?

Angela's husband, Lawrence Earlhart, treated her with love and devotion. He did so every day after moving into our house following the wedding.

Watching their life together, I couldn't help but envy her for getting to stay with the man she loved.

But whenever Dad caught me staring at Lawrence, he would kick me to the ground and tell me to stop staring. He insisted that I should never even think about marriage.

When Angela and Lawrence left for their honeymoon abroad, Dad punished me by forcing me to kneel at home. He demanded I reflect on my so-called wrongdoings.

He even told Angela to convince me never to marry, warning that I would only ruin other people's lives.

I never imagined he would go to such extremes to destroy my chances at love. Sometimes, I even wondered if I was adopted.

But after hiring a private investigator, I learned that I truly was his biological child.

I couldn't make sense of it, so I vented online. Netizens began offering their theories.

"Maybe your dad had to give up on a huge deal on the day you were born. Your birth might have cost him that opportunity and set him on a difficult path. His resentment toward you could stem from that loss."

"Or maybe you look like his mistress. Your mom could have despised you for it, and your dad just went along."

So I started investigating in secret, but nothing added up.

Dad was a teacher. He had no business experience at all. He had always been upright and principled, and he had never had an affair.

I truly didn't understand why he was so determined to keep me from dating or getting married.

The irony was that I was beautiful and admired everywhere. Often, I seemed to find true love, yet it never lasted.

Dad destroyed every relationship. When I couldn't take it anymore, I turned to my uncle, David Schrute.

I asked him to talk some sense into Dad. Uncle David also thought that he had gone too far.

Who in their right mind would want their own daughter to end up alone? He went to our house and confronted Dad.

"You should be supporting your daughter since she's found someone she loves! What kind of parent tries to talk their child out of dating? Have you lost your mind?"

Dad only stared at him in silence. Then, he grabbed Uncle David's hand and led him into the study.

The moment Uncle David stepped out, his gentle gaze turned vicious. Not only did he drop all talk of me dating, but he also kicked me square in the chest.

"You filthy bitch," he spat. "How dare you still dream about love at your age? You don't deserve it."

Just then, my aunt, Felicia Hailbrook, came by my home. She was looking for Uncle David.

The second Aunt Felicia saw what he'd done, she tore into him, screaming like he was the scum of the earth. But after Dad pulled her into his study, she turned on me too.

She told me never to think about marriage ever again, or she would poison me.

I was left completely puzzled. What was it about that study that made everyone flip on me the moment they stepped inside?

Even Angela, who had always been close to me since childhood, tried to talk me out of marriage.

She even went so far as to secretly burn all my photos with my ex-boyfriends and block their numbers on my phone. She refused to let me meet or contact any men.

The entire situation weighed on my mind day and night. I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Everything about it felt… creepy.

At the very least, I still had Mom on my side, but she was always busy.

She ran three restaurants and worked herself to the bone from dawn till dusk. She hardly had time to breathe, let alone protect me from what happened at home.

I wouldn't lie, every breakup had left me devastated. I cried and made a fuss, but nothing ever changed.

The disappointment crushed me.

Dad shot me a disdainful look before he settled into the couch to watch television. I walked over and stood in front of him, my expression dead serious.

"Dad, just tell me the truth. Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you? Am I just in your way? Why can't we talk this out like adults? Does it really have to come to this?"

We were family. If there was a misunderstanding, we could talk it out.

But he didn't even look at me. His eyes stayed glued to the television, cold and detached.

"I've told you," he said flatly. "You're not allowed to date or get married. If you dare defy me, I'll kill you myself."

Then, Dad narrowed his eyes at me, his glare sharp enough to send a shiver down my spine. He wasn't joking.

Suddenly, he stood up and went into the kitchen. Then, he came back with a knife and charged at me like a madman.

Terrified, I locked myself inside my room and called my best friend, Susan Collins. I begged her to get the police.

The police officers arrived quickly, with Susan right behind them.

A female officer immediately subdued Dad, wrestled the kitchen knife from his hand, and hurled it across the room. Finally safe, I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out of my room.

"Mr. Schrute, you're under arrest for attempted murder. You need to come with us to the station for questioning!" the officer declared.

But even as they cuffed him, Dad still wore a smug expression on his face. He wasn't scared at all.

When Susan saw the cuts on my arm from the knife, her face went pale. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

She punched Dad in rage and shouted, "Are you insane? She's your daughter! You actually tried to kill her just for wanting to get married?"

Susan broke down and sobbed into her hands until she could barely catch her breath. I had no doubt that if the police officers weren't right there, she would have thrown herself at Dad just for my sake.

It hit me then that there were people in my corner who genuinely cared for me and my happiness.

The police officers questioned Dad sternly. They demanded to know why he had done it, but he just stared back and showed not a shred of remorse.

Then, Susan stepped forward and raised her phone.

"I have evidence," she said. "Since Elizabeth was 20, her father had forced her to break up with every single boyfriend. He even encouraged them to hit and insult her! I have all the photos she sent me of her injuries. Every one of these monsters needs to be punished.

The moment her words fell, Dad let out a low, chilling laugh. His face twisted into something terrifying.

He signaled for the officers to release him, then turned to Susan with a cold smile.

"I'll go with you," he said calmly. "But first, I need to get something from my study. It's something you'll want to see. If you're afraid I'll run, you can all come with me."

I gasped sharply, a cold chill rushing through me. Without a second thought, I moved to block the way to the study.

Cold sweat beaded on my forehead, and my eyes brimmed red with panic. "No! No one is allowed to enter!" I cried.

A cold dread washed through me. I knew that once they stepped inside with Dad, they would come out changed—just like all the others before.

Seeing how terrified I was, Susan wrapped an arm around my shoulder to comfort me.

"Ellie, are you alright? It's okay. I'm here now, and so are the police. Your dad can't hurt you anymore."

She watched me, concerned, but I stood firmly in front of the door. I gripped the handle tightly, refusing to let anyone enter.

I was terrified and desperate. Even the police officers seemed puzzled by my intense reaction.

Then, two female officers approached me with gentle smiles. They took my hand and guided me to the side.

"It's okay, Elizabeth. They'll just let him get some stuff. He won't be able to harm you," one of them reassured me.

I shook my head desperately as tears streamed down my face. "No, please. You can't let him go in."

My resistance only affirmed the police officers' belief that the study hid some terrible secret.

One of the female officers ordered me to stay put as everyone else followed Dad inside. I could do nothing to stop them.

Even Susan couldn't hold back her frustration. "Now that you're at death's door, let's see what tricks you have up your sleeve!" she snapped. "How dare you try to kill your own daughter! The law will make you pay no matter what you've done!"

She was the last to enter the study. Just before stepping in, she turned and gave me a quick, reassuring wink and a smile.

It was as if to say that there was nothing to worry about and that with her there everything would be fine.

I stood there, my emotions in turmoil. A part of me clung to hope that perhaps, Susan's will was strong enough to resist Dad's influence.

Even if she went into that study, surely she would still be the same person I trusted. But as it turned out, I had been too naive.

Through the crack in the door, I watched as Susan's expression shifted from fear and panic to anger and hostility. Grinding her teeth in rage, she grabbed a teacup and hurled it to the floor.

At that, Dad looked up smugly, as if he had expected it all along.

When she finally came out, she destroyed her phone. Then, she smiled sweetly at the police officers and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Schrute was only trying to bond with his daughter. He never intended to hurt her. I misunderstood the entire situation."

The officers frowned, their expressions stern as they fixed their eyes on me.

"Don't you dare make another false report!" one exclaimed. "We'll let you off with a warning this time, but next time, you won't be so lucky!"

Hearing that, I slumped to the ground like a deflated balloon. The shift in their attitude was clear—I had lost my last chance at help.

Susan then jabbed her nails harshly into my temples and snarled. "You heard that, didn't you? If you hadn't lied about someone trying to kill you, I never would've made a false report. You'd better reflect on what you've done!"

Everyone glared at me before the police officers released Dad. Then one by one, they all left.

As the door closed, Susan turned back with a bitter and scornful look.

She stormed into the kitchen and grabbed two knives. Then, she shoved them into Dad's hand and urged him to just finish me off.

"You were right, Mr. Schrute. Elizabeth is nothing but a disgrace. She'd rather throw away a good life just for some romance. You should just finish her off since she refuses to listen. Trash like her doesn't deserve to breathe. She's better off dead."

Upon hearing that, my tears fell uncontrollably as I stared at her in disbelief.