Eugene pressed play.

At once, the sound of Louise’s cries echoed from his phone.

“Daddy... I want Daddy...”

Because the screen was facing only me, I could see everything clearly—Eugene was slapping Louise, one blow after another. That’s why she was crying and calling out for me.

But her sobs were so loud, they drowned out the sound of the slaps.

“Louise, be good. Your dad’s just busy right now,” Eugene coaxed, his tone was sickeningly sweet. “Uncle made you some mango puree—it’s so sweet! Come on, let’s eat it all up, okay?”

Moments later, her crying stopped.

I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms.

Eugene knew Louise was allergic to mangoes.

She didn’t stop crying because she was comforted—she stopped because her throat had swelled shut from the allergic reaction. She physically couldn’t cry anymore.

Eugene smugly put away his phone.

The people surrounding us, unaware of what the video really showed, began to scold me instead.

“I’ve never seen such a heartless father! So obsessed with money he can’t even care for his own child. If it weren’t for this young man, the girl would’ve cried herself sick!”

“He’s the one who probably left his kid in the trunk just to shut her up. Bet he was off signing some stupid deal and didn’t want to be bothered!”

“This young man isn’t even related to the family and still tried to make sure the kid left the world smiling. And what does the real father do? Shows up just to yell and hit people. What kind of man is that? Parents like him deserve to be beaten!”

They were already grieving their own losses, and now they’d found a target for all that rage.

Like a swarm of hornets, they rushed at me—slapping my face, spitting on me, pelting me with rotten eggs. Fingernails raked across my skin, leaving long, bloody gashes.

I turned to Cindy, silently begging for help.

She shifted her feet slightly—but then Eugene pouted dramatically.

“Cindy, you promised you’d always protect me. If you help him now, it’s like admitting I’m a murderer. If word of that goes out, my future will be ruined. Are you going to break your promise?”

Cindy’s face hardened.

“Vance,” she said coldly, “you falsely accused Eugene first. If you won’t apologize, then this is just a bit of punishment.”

I didn’t know how long the beating went on. Eventually, the crowd grew tired and dispersed.

Battered and broken, I slowly picked myself up off the ground.

Cindy reached out to help me. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

I jerked away from her touch and slapped her across the face.

“Cindy, we’re getting a divorce. I’ll leave the company too. From now on, you and I are strangers.”

Her eyes immediately flared with rage. “You’re threatening me with divorce?! This is all your fault! I only wanted to give Eugene a fair chance!”

I didn’t reply. I just turned away and gently lifted Louise’s lifeless body, wiping the smeared makeup from her tiny face before walking toward the cremation chamber.

Cindy tried to follow, but I turned and roared, “Get out!”

She stopped in her tracks, stunned into silence by the look in my eyes.

I didn’t look back.

I stayed outside the cremation room all night, listening to the low rumble of the furnace, tears falling silently down my face.

“Louise... I’m sorry. Daddy failed you...”

—

The next morning, I arranged for Louise’s ashes to be temporarily stored at the funeral home.

I could no longer rely on Cindy for anything. I had to get out of this city—with Louise and my mother—and never look back.

When I came out, both Cindy and Eugene were gone.

My phone had been discarded on the ground.

The screen lit up and countless missed calls flooded the screen, all from the nursing home.

I immediately called the caregiver back. The line connected almost instantly.

Her voice on the other end was tinged with panic.

“Mr. Santos, why didn’t you answer your phone? Your mother... she tried to take her own life—her head...”

I didn’t wait to hear the rest. I rushed out, hailed a cab, and raced to the nursing home.

Outside the room, the nurse stood pale-faced, hand over her mouth, gagging uncontrollably.

“Mr. Santos... the scene inside is... horrifying. Please, prepare yourself...”

Inside, blood was everywhere.

My mother’s body was kneeling in front of a charred and exploded microwave, her head reduced to an unrecognizable, bloody mess above the neck.

“Why... why would she do this?!”

“We don’t know either,” the nurse stammered. “Last night, some men came by. Said they were friends of Mr. Delgado and had been sent to visit your mother. They wouldn't allow us to stay in the room while they were there.”

“President Contreras told us that Mr. Delgado’s instructions were as good as hers. We didn’t dare disobey. They stayed there for a long time... and left late. When I came this morning to change your mother’s bandages, I saw her with her head inside the microwave. I thought she was looking for something. Just as I was about to go in—it exploded...”

A terrible thought struck me. I rushed to the corner of the room and found the pinhole camera.

Because of Cindy’s threat yesterday, I’d used a bathroom break as cover and asked the nurse to help me install a hidden camera in my mother’s room. I helped her in the past, so while she didn’t dare openly go against Cindy, she quietly did me this one favor.

I connected the camera to my phone and began reviewing last night’s footage.

What I saw made my blood boil and my vision blurred with rage.

They humiliated my mother.

They even threatened her.

“Old hag, we recorded everything we did to you. Want to guess what will happen if we leak those videos? Think your son would have any dignity left?”

“President Contreras only cares about Eugene now. She didn’t even blink when he killed your granddaughter. And she’s already forcing your son to destroy all the evidence.”

“If you don’t want your son publicly ruined, you’d better talk him into divorcing Cindy and walking away with nothing. Otherwise, we’ll make sure your entire family gets wiped off the internet—and maybe off this earth.”

My mother sat in silence all night on the bed. Then, just before dawn, she turned on the microwave.

As if she knew there was a camera watching, she looked straight at the lens and gave a soft, gentle smile.

“Vance... Mom has never done anything to be ashamed of. I’m not afraid of their threats. But I know Cindy is using me to control you.”

“I don’t care about gossip or disgrace... but I won’t be your burden any longer.”

“I’m going to take care of Louise now, so you must protect yourself. Stay away from those monsters."

"I’m sorry. I dragged you into this…”

I couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

Clutching my mother’s body, I broke down in heart-wrenching sobs.

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

“Hello? I found your daughter’s smartwatch. It was outside the Starlight Tower. Can you come pick it up?”

My heart skipped a beat.

Louise’s smartwatch had a built-in video recorder.

It was a birthday gift I’d given her. She never took it off unless she absolutely had to. Could she have left behind evidence for me?

After arranging for my mother’s body to be taken to the funeral home, I rushed to Starlight Tower and retrieved the watch.

There were hundreds of video clips stored inside—all documenting how Eugene had abused Louise.

Including footage from the day she died.

Rage consumed me, searing through every vein. Without hesitation, I dialed the number of Cindy’s business rival.

“You once told me your company doors would always be open for me. Does that offer still stand?”

A woman’s pleasant voice came through the line, tinged with delight.

“Of course. As it happens, my team and I are currently in New Haven negotiating a deal. Name your terms.”

“Good. I need your help with something.”

...

After the call ended, I packed my resignation letter and divorce papers, and headed for the company.

As I passed the break room, I overheard Eugene on the phone, his voice full of smug arrogance.

“The footage turned out great. I’ll wire you all the payment soon.”

“Just got word from the nursing home—the old hag killed herself. Tough to the end, I’ll give her that. But imagining Vance bawling his eyes out? God, that’s satisfying. Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that he once helped build the company from scratch, Cindy would’ve dumped him ages ago.”

“He thought he could cling to the president’s seat? Then he better pay the price. Vance is a pathetic bastard. His daughter was a little bitch, and his mom was an old bitch. Now he doesn’t have to worry about who’ll take care of his daughter anymore—the old hag has gone to babysit her in hell. Hahaha!”

Rage exploded in my chest.

I stormed forward and slapped Eugene across the face.

The crack echoed.

Cindy rushed over and, without a word, shoved me hard. I lost balance and fell face-first onto a cactus on the bar counter—my hands were instantly covered in blood.

“Vance, are you done with this crazy act?!”

“Cindy...” Eugene said pitifully, “I don’t even know what I did wrong. As soon as Mr. Santos showed up, he hit me. Is it because you planned to celebrate our 100-day anniversary tonight? Is he jealous?”

“I get it. He thinks I’m beneath him. I’m just a poor student, nobody in his eyes—just your family’s servant. Maybe I should just leave and go back to school…”

Cindy grabbed his arm and turned to me, disappointment in her eyes.

“Vance, when did you become so petty and superficial?”

“Eugene is an orphan. He’s worked hard for everything he has, never once knowing what it’s like to be loved or protected. I’ve loved you for years—was that not enough? And now, over something this small, you hit someone out of jealousy?”

I laughed, cold and hollow.

“Petty? You think I’m the petty one?” My voice trembled. “Do you even know? My mother is dead—killed because Eugene sent men to torment her. They—”

Slap.

Her palm landed square across my face, drawing blood from the corner of my mouth.

Cindy’s voice was like ice. “Vance, how many times do I have to tell you—don’t use that tone when talking about Eugene.”

“You already blamed him for Louise’s death, just to drive him away. And now you dare curse your own mother too? Is there a shred of decency left in you?!”

Seeing her so easily, so naturally stood on Eugene’s side—I no longer had the will to argue.

Her heart had turned long ago. Nothing I said would ever matter again.

“...Fine,” I said, pulling out the resignation and divorce documents. “Sign these. I’ll leave. You’ll never have to see me again.”

She didn’t even look before scrawling her name and flinging the papers in my face.

“I know you’re bitter about Louise’s death. You want to lash out, buy whatever closure you think you need—I’ll sign it all.”

“But you humiliated Eugene again and again in public. Unless you kneel and apologize, I can’t promise your daughter’s ashes won’t suddenly go missing from the crematorium… or end up fed to the dogs.”

I shook with fury and heartbreak.

I no longer recognized the woman I once loved.

“...You win, Cindy.”

Swallowing every ounce of my dignity, I dropped to my knees before Eugene.

“I was out of line today. I’m sorry.”

Before I could even rise, he pressed my head down and slammed it into the floor—once, twice.

“Come on, Mr. Santos, you know what a real apology looks like. Only blood makes it sincere.”

Blood trickled from my forehead.

Cindy looked like she wanted to intervene, but Eugene leaned into her with a wounded whimper.

“Cindy, look at my face... do you think it’s bruised? He hit me in the face. Who does that?”

In the end, Cindy said nothing. She took Eugene’s hand and led him back to the office.

Soon, the unmistakable sounds of lust echoed from inside.

I ignored the looks from passing employees, stumbling out of the building like a ghost.

Just then, a long black Bentley limousine pulled up in front of me.

Its doors opened, and out stepped over a dozen sharply dressed women in suits—faces from both East and West.

A line of impeccably dressed women bowed in unison before me.

“Good day, Mr. Santos. We are the Perkins Corporation’s elite legal team—at your service.”