I never imagined that after thirteen years of marriage, Grace would cheat on me.
She loves dancing—whether it’s modern dance or ballet, she’s mastered them all.
When she once said she didn’t want to tarnish her passion for dance with the burden of money, I worked tirelessly after our marriage, often eating just one meal a day.
Even so, I made sure to come home every day to have dinner and take a walk with her and our child.
I handled most of the household affairs, hired two housekeepers, and no matter how busy I was, I always made time to help our child with homework in the evenings.
But now, when she talks about divorce, all she has left for me is blame.
She justified her affair by saying I didn’t spend enough time with her.
She said she wasn't a rose in a greenhouse that just needed daily watering and care—she needed someone who could resonate with her soul.
Resonate with her soul?
She used to tell me that I was her rock, her pillar of strength.
I guess being her rock and resonating with her soul aren’t the same thing. Maybe I never really understood her.
But that young man—his eyes told me everything the moment he saw me. There’s no way he’d ever marry Grace.
The calculation and greed in his eyes were so obvious. How could Grace, who I’ve sheltered so well, ever see through it?
“How long have you been seeing him?”
I struggled to get the words out, feeling as if a wound in my heart had been torn open and sprinkled with salt.
Grace pursed her lips and turned away, clearly unwilling to say more.
“Why are you asking so much? Just sign the papers—nothing else concerns you anymore.”
I sighed.
Despite the anger burning within me, I still didn’t want them to be deceived.
“Grace, that man, Alex White, isn’t as simple as he seems. You…”
“Dad, I’m so disappointed in you. I used to think you were at least an upright man, but now you’re badmouthing someone behind their back. Do you think that will break the bond between Mom and Alex?”
Before I could finish, my daughter cut me off.
Her eyes were full of disgust and disdain as she looked at me.
Grace also looked at me coldly and said, “There’s no need to stir things up. You’ll never understand the connection between me and Alex.”
“I’ve lived for thirty-eight years, and I’ve never met anyone like Alex. He understands what I’m thinking with just a glance or a gesture.”
“We are so in sync; he’s the missing half of my circle, my destined one.”
“And you? What can you give me besides throwing money at me?”
When she talked about Alex, her eyes were filled with admiration and love.
But when it came to me, all she saw was money and contempt.
Even my daughter, who I cherished as my most precious treasure, looked at me with disdain.
Am I the one who’s lost it, or have their values been completely skewed?
The anger in my heart felt like it had burst out of its cage, and I let out a bitter laugh.
“Fine, fine. It’s all my fault. It’s my fault for giving you a comfortable life, my fault for wanting to give you the world.”
“You want a divorce? Fine, I’ll grant you that.”
Both Grace and Ava's faces lit up with joy.
I smirked and continued.
“But Grace, since you cheated, you leave with nothing.”
There’s no way the money I worked so hard to earn is going to end up in the hands of that pretty boy.
Grace's face darkened again, and she pressed her lips together tightly.
“Ethan, how could you be so heartless? At least leave me a place to live.”
“Didn’t you just say all I do is use money to insult you? If you think giving you money, a comfortable life, and a big house to live in is an insult, then why ask for more now?”
See, that’s Grace's double standard for you.
When she doesn’t love you, everything you give her is an insult; when she does, even a slap is seen as an expression of love.
Grace’s face turned red with anger as she shouted, “Fine, I don’t want it! Do you think everyone is like you, valuing money above all else?”
I lowered my eyes.
I never valued money above all else. I used to value them above all else, which is why I worked so hard to earn it.
But unfortunately, no one ever appreciated my efforts.
I took a deep breath and looked at Ava. “And you? Are you staying, or are you going with your mom?”
Ava snorted, “Of course I’m going with Mom. Staying with you would only turn me into someone who reeks of money.”
“And one more thing, I really can’t stand you. You come home every day just to talk about homework and make me study. You have no idea what I really want, and you’re not a good father.”
“Now that you’re being so heartless, kicking us out without even leaving us a place to stay, don’t expect me to ever acknowledge you when I grow up.”
I stumbled back a step.
My daughter’s words felt like a steel needle piercing my heart—painful and suffocating, leaving me utterly disappointed.
“Do as you please.”
With those words, I stopped arguing with them and took my blanket into the study.
They say men don’t cry easily, but only because they haven’t been truly heartbroken.
I sat at my desk, tears falling uncontrollably.
In the living room, just a door away, Grace and Ava turned on the stereo and danced to celebrate.
They were celebrating their freedom from me, celebrating the freedom they’d have tomorrow.
I took a deep breath, wiped away my tears, and called my lawyer.
If they no longer love me, why should I hold on?
“Hello, Mr. Thompson. Please draft a divorce agreement for me. She gets nothing, and also, check if my wife has spent any money on another man—if she has, I want it back. As for my daughter’s living expenses, just follow the standard amount; I won’t give a cent more.”
Grace, Ava—since you both long for this so-called freedom, I’ll grant it to you.
The next morning.
My lawyer Mr. Thompson arrived at the house with the divorce agreement.
I had the housekeeper call Grace down from upstairs.
When she heard I wanted to recover the items she had given to Alex, Grace immediately protested.
“Ethan, we’re married; I have a right to those assets as well. Why shouldn’t I be able to use them?”
“You can use them for yourself and Ava, but spending them on another man is neither legal nor in line with my wishes.”
I crossed my legs, forcing myself to ignore the pain inside, and for the first time in front of her, used foul language.
Before, I refrained from cursing, not because I was pretending, but because I cared and always tried to set a good example for Ava.
But now, seeing things clearly, I just wanted to be unrestrained.
After the divorce, I have no intention of expanding the company further.
I used to work hard to ensure their comfort; now, I just want to make up for myself.
To hell with so-called love—it’s all fake.
“Ethan, I didn’t expect you to be such a petty man. I gave you the money; it’s mine now. What’s wrong with me giving some gifts?”
“Miss Grace, according to marriage laws, any joint assets given to others during the marriage must have the consent of the other spouse; otherwise, the other spouse has the right to recover them.”
Mr. Thompson couldn’t listen any longer and directly interrupted, pushing the divorce agreement towards her.
Grace was infuriated and nodded sharply.
“Fine, I’ll sue you. I want half of your assets, and I’ll hire a lawyer too.”
I sighed deeply and took a stack of photos from my folder, throwing them in front of her.
“You want half of my assets? I also have evidence of your asset transfer during the marriage.”
“You… you investigated me?” Grace stared at me, her anger boiling over as she picked up a teacup and threw it at me.
I didn’t dodge; I let the teacup shatter above my head, and blood immediately streamed down.
“Boss,” Mr. Thompson panicked and tried to press on my wound with his sleeve, but I pushed him away.
I stared at Grace, making her uneasy.
“You… I…”
“I’m not investigating; I’m gathering evidence. The cup you threw just now could be considered intentional harm.”
That cup shattered whatever remaining feelings I had for her.
Now, I just feel it’s not worth it!
Perhaps our shouting woke Ava, who, wearing her fluffy pajamas, rushed downstairs and immediately stood in front of Grace.
“Dad, do you really have to be so petty with Mom? No wonder people say men are cold-hearted.”
She shielded her mom, ignoring the blood on my face.
Who’s really cold-hearted here?
I struggled to suppress my impulse to reprimand my daughter and nodded with a stern face.
“Yes, I’m cold-hearted, petty, and small-minded. It’s a pity you’ve spent thirteen years with me. Now you can be free of me; sign the agreement, and you can leave, never to face someone like me again.”
Ava stubbornly looked at me for a moment before turning to tug at her mom’s hand.
“Mom, just sign it. We don’t care about his filthy money. Alex isn’t materialistic. Let’s leave him to live alone and regret it.”
Grace was already somewhat shaken, but with Ava’s support, she immediately said, “Okay, I’ll sign.”
Watching Grace sign the papers so eagerly, I couldn’t help but smile.
Alex isn’t materialistic?
If he weren’t, why would he ask Grace to buy a small villa and a car worth over fifty thousand dollars?
The day I saw him, he was decked out in brand-name goods from head to toe.
Grace and Ava have been sheltered too much by me—no, they’re just foolish!
It’s good that they’re signing now.
The reason I rushed Mr. Thompson to handle the divorce was also to guard against Alex.
After years in business, I’ve met countless people, and just one look at him told me he was not ordinary. If I didn’t push Grace to sign quickly, Alex would waste even more of my energy.
After signing, Grace threw the pen down on the coffee table with force.
“Ethan, I admit you’re talented at making money, but don’t you think you’re a failure in other aspects? Your parents abandoned you when you were young, you have no siblings, and now even your daughter rejects you. Yet you still act so high and mighty. Hmph.”
She dropped this stinging remark and triumphantly took Ava upstairs to pack.
I was left staring at her retreating figure, my heart aching with anger.
My parents are a constant source of pain and resentment in my heart.
When I was four, my parents divorced, and neither of them wanted me. I ended up being placed with my father.
After my mother left, she completely cut off contact and disappeared.
As for my father, he used the excuse of working away and left me with my elderly grandmother, also vanishing from my life.
My grandmother and I survived on government aid until I was ten, after which she passed away from a fall.
I was then sent to an orphanage.
At the orphanage, I was bullied quite a bit due to my frail stature.
My childhood was not happy, and Grace knew this.
From the beginning of our relationship, I was completely open with her.
I never expected that my openness would turn into a weapon in her hands, ruthlessly stabbing at me.
Mr. Thompson looked at me with sympathetic eyes, having already collected all the materials from the table.
I gave a wry smile, “Thanks for making the trip today. Please recover the money from Alex as soon as possible.”
“Understood, boss.”
As he turned to leave, Mr. Thompson hesitated and looked back at me. “Boss, don’t you think you should get your injury checked at the hospital?”
I shook my head, sighing. It was ironic that even a subordinate cared more about me than my wife and daughter.
After Mr. Thompson left, I went to the bathroom to wash my face. The wound had already clotted and the blood on my face had dried; there was no need to go to the hospital.
After cleaning up and changing clothes, I went upstairs.
I pushed open the door to find Grace packing up the designer bags and jewelry I had bought for her.
She glanced to the side, and Ava was also there, eager to take everything with her.
I didn’t stop them from taking these items. After all, even if they sold everything, it wouldn’t amount to more than a hundred thousand dollars.
I walked straight to the safe. Inside was a set of jewelry worth millions that I would never allow her to take.
Seeing me change the safe's combination and remove her fingerprints, Grace’s face changed.
“That set of jewelry is mine.”
“Grace, do you know what it means to leave with nothing? Don’t just think about this set; even the bags you’re holding, if I don’t want you to take them, you don’t have the right to.”
Grace was truly speechless now.
The coldness I displayed in front of her today was something she had never seen before.
She was actually a bit scared of this side of me.
What I didn’t expect was that with so many things to pack, Grace didn’t hire a moving company but instead called Alex for help.
Alex and Grace argued on the phone, with Grace crying and glaring at me.
I was floored by her behavior.
When Alex arrived at my house, the first thing he said was, “Where’s the divorce agreement? The previous one is invalid; we need to re-sign it.”
"What gives you the right?"
I stared at this man, who had so boldly walked into my home with an air of arrogance, and let out a cold laugh.
"And what role do you think you're playing here? The homewrecker's savior?"
Alex's face twisted with anger as he glared back at me with venom in his eyes.
With him around, Grace seemed to regain some of her confidence. She pointed at me, her voice sharp.
"Ethan, how can you be so uncivilized?"
I snorted. "Oh, right, because you're the civilized ones—a man who seduces a married woman and a wife who cheats without shame."
"Ethan, don't keep bringing up cheating like it's the only thing that matters. If I sought comfort elsewhere, it's because of your failures!"
What kind of twisted logic is that?
The woman I once loved now seemed like a complete stranger. Is this really the Grace I fell for?
Was I blind back then?
"Cut the crap," Alex interrupted, silencing Grace with a glance full of disdain.
She obediently stood behind him, clutching the back of his shirt, playing the role of a demure little girl.
Honestly, I used to find all of Grace's mannerisms endearing, especially when she cried or pouted.
But now, the sight of her makes my stomach churn with disgust.
How does Alex even tolerate this—a woman in her thirties acting like a coy teenager?
"Ugh," I couldn't hold it back and actually retched into a nearby trash can, releasing a foul stench.
Alex's speech was abruptly cut off by my sudden reaction, and he looked even more irritated.
Once I finished, the housekeeper quickly handed me a glass of water and replaced the trash can.
I rinsed my mouth twice and smiled. "Sorry, I was just so disgusted that I couldn't hold it in."
"Now, Mr. Homewrecker, what were you saying? Go ahead."
Alex's hand clenched into a fist, veins bulging as he tried to suppress his rage.
Is that it? He looks like a thug, and Grace had the nerve to call him a god? Venus? Seriously, what a joke!
"None of that matters," Alex said, trying to regain his composure. "But as a man, you shouldn't be so harsh on your wife and child, right? Ava will be staying with Grace, and if you leave them with nothing, how will they survive?"
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "And what do you suggest I do?"
Alex's eyes gleamed as he spoke, "You should hand over all your properties, cars, money, stocks—everything to Grace. You're a businessman, right? You can just rebuild your wealth, no problem."
I clapped my hands.
What a load of crap.
He actually believes I would hand over everything I've worked for over the past decade, just so Grace and this fool could live the high life while I start from scratch again?
Alex's face grew more smug, clearly thinking I was agreeing.
"Idiot."
His smile froze. "What did you just say?"
"I called you an idiot. Let me be clear—I won't just kick them out with nothing. I'll also sue you both. The money Grace spent on you, I'll get that back. And the assets she transferred during our marriage? I'll recover every last cent."
Alex's face darkened, but he wasn't ready to give up.
"If you're this heartless, aren't you afraid Ava will never acknowledge you again?"
"Yes, she already told me she wouldn't recognize me as her father when she grows up. So, you're welcome to raise her. I'm sure she'll recognize you instead."
Alex stood there, mouth half-open, choking on his words.
He probably didn't expect to be stuck with two 'useless' teammates.
I was tired of this pointless back-and-forth. It was time to show them out.
"Everything's settled. If you're done packing, you should leave now. If you need help, I can have security escort you out."
Alex sneered, his tongue pressing against his cheek.
"Fine. We'll see about that."
He barked at Grace to move her things downstairs herself.
Wanting to speed up their departure, I had the housekeepers lend a hand.
For the first time in years, I finally felt a sense of peace.
I collapsed onto the large bed but found myself unable to sleep. Perhaps it was the bed itself.
I left the master bedroom and slept deeply in the guest room. The first thing I did when I woke up was instruct my assistant to liquidate all the properties under my name, including the one I was currently living in.
My reasoning was simple: I was afraid that they might regret their decision and come back to beg at my door. I'm not a heartless man. Before, I could harden my heart in the face of their coldness and make decisions. But if they returned, looking pitiful and remorseful, I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn’t be swayed by family ties.
The best solution was to change all my living arrangements once and for all.
Besides, I did own quite a few properties—most of them bought during vacations with Grace and Ava. They were picky and always found something to complain about when staying at hotels.
To be safe, I also had someone look into Alex’s background. The look in his eyes when he left was like that of a predator.
Once everything was arranged, I canceled my scheduled appointments and some work commitments. Most of the ongoing projects were handed over to my assistant and the operations manager.
Without Grace and Ava in my life, I had no desire to overwork myself. It was time to enjoy life on my own terms.
I decided to first take a vacation in Paris, followed by a visit to Lake Como.
After taking care of business at the office, I went home, grabbed my documents, packed a small suitcase, and gave the housekeepers some time off. I was ready to leave.
Three days later, I received all the information on Alex.
His family background was rough—his father was an alcoholic who became violent when drunk. Alex’s college degree was fake; in reality, he had been kicked out of middle school after getting involved in gang fights.
He had been hustling on the streets since his teenage years, never holding down a proper job. He wasn't the type to work honestly, but he always found a way to get by. He even did time for theft.
After reading the brief, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
A god of love? What a joke.
Ten days later, while I was marveling at the grandeur of the Louvre, I received a text from Mr. Thompson.
He informed me that all the assets Grace had tried to transfer during our marriage had been recovered.
As for Alex, everything he owned—houses and cars—was seized. The rest of the money? Gone, spent by Alex long ago. Grace had to sell all her luxury items to cover the debt, and even then, it wasn’t enough.
I told Mr. Thompson to leave it at that. They didn’t have much left, and I wasn’t interested in driving them into the ground.
A month later, I was at Lake Como when I met a young, vibrant woman. Her smile was like sunshine, impossible to resist.
Over the years, as my career flourished, I was surrounded by women like butterflies. But I always remained faithful to my marriage, treating them with cold indifference.
Love should be loyal. I never wanted to do anything to hurt my family, but it turns out there’s always someone who will, like Grace.
This girl had clear, straightforward eyes, and she didn’t mince words.
“Three thousand a night,” she said.
I agreed. We spent the entire night playing online games together—she carried me through every match.
After she left, I sighed to my assistant, “This is what life should be like.”
After a brief silence, my assistant replied, “Boss, if you don’t come back soon and buy a new place, both you and your safe are going to end up on the street.”
I shot up from the bed, nearly forgetting the whole situation.
“Get me a place with top-notch security for now, just to store my stuff.”
My assistant muttered under his breath, “Damn capitalist.”
I raised an eyebrow. Has he grown this bold lately?
“What did you just say?”
I intentionally raised my voice, making him jump.
“I said, have a great vacation, boss! I’m going to look for a place right now. Bye, boss!”
He quickly hung up.
I fell back onto the bed, unable to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside me.
Living life differently isn’t so bad after all.
Happy times are always fleeting.
The day I returned home, Ava was waiting for me outside the company building.
I looked up at the twelve-story office and thought, do I have to relocate the company as well?
“Dad, why did you sell all the houses? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?”
Ava had lost weight, and her skin was darker. She was still wearing the Chanel I bought her, but it looked worn and dirty.
“Is there something you need?” I asked, my tone cold.
My indifference caught her off guard, and for a moment, she hesitated, but then her eyes filled with tears.
“Dad, please don’t be angry with Mom and me. We know we were wrong. That Alex is just a con artist. He tricked both Mom and me…”
I raised my hand to stop her mid-sentence. “What you and your mom do is none of my concern. If you were deceived by Alex, you can report it to the police. There’s nothing I can do for you.”
“Dad, I’m your daughter! You used to love Mom the most. How can you just turn your back on us like this?”
Ava threw herself at me, crying harder.
Now she remembers I’m her father. Remembers that I once loved her mother.
But their words from a month ago still echoed in my ears—one called me disgusting, and the other said she despised me.
I firmly pried Ava’s hands off me, holding her shoulders to keep her from clinging to me again.
“Ava, I’ve fulfilled my legal obligations by providing child support.”
“But, Dad, what can we do with just $500 a month? Mom’s had to start dancing in clubs to make ends meet. Don’t you feel even a little bit sorry for us?”
Why should I feel sorry for them when no one feels sorry for me?
$5000 is more than enough. She doesn’t realize that many families don’t even earn $5000 a month. If they stopped buying luxury items and lived like ordinary people, $5000 would be more than sufficient.
“Yes. And from now on, don’t come looking for me.”
I pushed her away, my face a mask of cold indifference.
I turned and walked into the building, heading straight to the top floor.
But my conscience tugged at me. I stood by the window, looking down, and saw that Ava was no longer at the entrance.
Just as I was about to return to my desk, I saw Ava being slapped hard by a man on the street corner opposite the building.
Judging by the build, it seemed to be Alex.
So, it was Alex who sent her to find me for money!
Back at my desk, the image of Alex slapping Ava kept replaying in my mind.
It made me uneasy. After all, she’s my daughter, and I could never bring myself to hit her.
I made a phone call I hadn’t made in a long time.
Grace once said I had no real friends, but she was wrong.
I have a few close friends—people I never introduced to her, fearing they might intimidate her.
Over the years, even though we hadn’t kept in touch, I always sent money when they needed it, and they knew I still cared about them.
The bond between men isn’t something you talk about; it’s something you just know.
A few days later, I got word.
Alex had been jumped, beaten badly, and was hospitalized.
Grace came to me, asking to borrow money to pay his medical bills. I didn’t even see her. I just had my assistant send her a message: “Get lost.”
Grace called me heartless, only to have a subordinate of mine, who’d taken a liking to me, throw a drink in her face. Grace had never been humiliated like that before.
Heartless? Everyone at the company knows how well I treated her in the past. And now, after cheating on me, she has the audacity to ask for money? The nerve!
With my subordinate leading the charge, others in the office started to mock Grace, making snide comments.
Grace had never experienced such humiliation.
She never came back to the company after that.
After my vacation, I quickly slipped back into my workaholic habits. It wasn’t that I was desperate for money, but I had a lot of people depending on me for their livelihood.
One day, I had to deal with a client from Gen Z who insisted on meeting at a bar to discuss business. As luck would have it, just as I entered the bar, I bumped into a familiar face—the girl I met at the lake.
"Oh, you’re finally here, Mister!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me with a playful tone, though her eyes betrayed a hint of panic.
I glanced over at two men not far from us and quickly pieced together what was happening. I slipped an arm around her waist, playing along.
"My bad, I’m late. You can punish me however you like later," I said with a smile.
My client looked at me, clearly impressed. "Wow, you’ve got game, bro."
I chuckled and followed him into a private room, the girl still by my side. Once inside, she visibly relaxed and released her grip on me.
"Thank you," she murmured.
I smiled and told her to make herself comfortable. But no sooner had we sat down than the bar manager entered, leading in a group of about eight girls. I froze for a moment when I saw Grace among them.
Had she really fallen so low that she needed to work as a hostess in a bar?
Grace’s face went pale when she noticed me, and even more so when she saw the girl sitting next to me. Her lips began to tremble.
"Ethan, how could you be with another woman?" she demanded, loud enough for everyone to hear.
I hadn’t expected her to be so delusional after our divorce. I wrapped my arm around the girl next to me, giving her a reassuring smile.
"What are you talking about, Ms. White? This is my girlfriend," I said smoothly.
Tears welled up in Grace’s eyes. "You promised you’d only ever love me."
I couldn’t help but laugh. "Ms. White, you cheated on me, so don’t expect me to remain devoted to you. That’s just disgusting."
Grace stumbled forward, trying to grab my arm, but the girl beside me clung to me tightly, pouting.
"Darling, you can’t let her touch you. If you do, I’ll leave you," she said, her voice full of mock seriousness.
Before I could respond, my client burst into laughter. "This is rich! This lady had a handsome, wealthy guy like you, cheated on him, and now she’s working as a hostess? Karma’s a bitch!"
He wasn’t wrong. I looked at Grace with a smirk. "So, where’s Alex? He’s not taking care of you anymore?"
Grace flinched and suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me.
"Ethan, I know I was wrong. Please, help me. I’m only doing this because Alex forced me to. I realize now how much I messed up."
My client let out a dramatic "Wow!" and started clapping. "Now that’s true love! Working as a hostess for the man you cheated with—bravo!"
The girl beside me rolled her eyes. "Serves you right. Cheating on your husband gets you exactly this. Mister, you better not go soft on her."
I playfully pinched her nose, redirecting the affection I once had for Grace onto her. "Don’t worry, I won’t."
Grace tried to say something more, but the girl turned to the manager, glaring. "What are you waiting for? Get her out of here!"
The manager, who had been awkwardly standing by, quickly moved to drag Grace away. When she resisted, a few of the other girls helped to forcibly escort her out.
My client laughed so hard he could barely breathe, signing the contract as he did so. "Damn, bro, you’ve had it rough. I’d feel guilty not doing business with you."
I pressed my lips together, suddenly less interested in the deal and more in the idea of punching him.
Alex had kidnapped Grace and Ava.
When I first received Alex’s call, I didn't believe it. But after my assistant checked, it turned out Alex had amassed a significant gambling debt recently.
I was furious.
The bastard! I didn't care if he kidnapped Grace, but Ava is my daughter. Even though she’s said many ungrateful things to me, that doesn’t mean I can tolerate anyone hurting her.
Alex refused to let me involve the police and demanded twenty million dollars in cash.
I had no intention of complying with his demands without involving the authorities, so I signaled my friend to alert the police.
Fortunately, I had sold all my properties recently. Otherwise, coming up with twenty million in such a short time would have been nearly impossible.
Alex seemed to be living in some spy thriller, instructing me to drive around the city with the cash, and he even made me switch my phone to an old-model one.
What a crazy situation.
After driving around all day, I was exhausted and finally reached the last location— the dock.
There were many large boats docked there. As I walked past them, a beam of light suddenly flashed in my face. Instinctively, I raised my arm to shield my eyes as someone snatched the suitcase from my hands. I turned around and saw a shadow disappearing into one of the boats.
I looked at the person who had been shining the flashlight. He used the beam to illuminate his own face and made a grimace. He was a young boy with a dark complexion, probably a local fisherman.
“Where’s Alex?” I asked.
He pointed to a large steel boat and then ran off.
Without hesitation, I boarded that boat.
Once inside the cabin, I found it lit but empty. Grace and Ava were tied to chairs, their mouths taped, and their bodies covered in bruises.
When they saw me, they both started crying and struggling, their faces wet with tears and their eyes filled with fear.
“Do you know why I came in here with the money?” Alex said, holding a baseball bat and pacing in front of me, watching me with a sinister interest.
Does he want to scare me? He’ll be disappointed. I’ve seen a lot in the business world. A baseball bat won’t intimidate me.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Let my daughter go now, and I’ll leave you with some dignity when I beat you.”
“Go to hell.”
Seeing that I wasn’t frightened and was instead challenging him, Alex got angry. He swung the baseball bat at me.
I dodged and kicked him in the side. He fell to the ground, unable to get up for a while.
I squatted down and patted his face. “Kid, you’ve messed with the wrong guy. I’ve been trained. This is like hitting iron.”
He glared at me, fuming, but was too hurt to stand.
After building my business, I took up kickboxing to protect my family. Kickboxing focuses on exploiting weak points in an opponent, and the side of his body, with its lack of bone and internal organs, was particularly vulnerable.
However, I regretted hitting him so hard that he couldn’t retaliate. I couldn't keep beating him— that would be illegal.
So I resorted to taunting him instead.
“Get up, you worthless piece of trash. Weren’t you tough a moment ago?”
“Pathetic. I prefer the arrogant version of you from earlier,” I said, shaking my head and turning to walk towards my daughter, deliberately leaving my back exposed to him.
Sure enough, he picked up the baseball bat again and swung it at me from behind.
I ducked and swept my legs to knock him down. Before he could react, I was on top of him, raining punches on his face.
Damn it, you dared to kidnap my daughter, you had the nerve to hit her. You’re asking for it.
By the time the police arrived, I had already taken out my frustration on him.
