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Freya even rushed into the kitchen, grabbed two knives, and shoved them into Arthur’s hands, urging him to kill me.
She shouted, “Arthur, you’re right. Arabella’s such a bitch. She has a good life, but she keeps trying to date. Since she’s so disobedient, you might as well kill her.
“A piece of trash like her should die!”
Tears welled up in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks instantly. I stared at her in disbelief. “Freya, do you know what you’re
saying? You’re my best friend.”
Freya shook my hand off with disdain and looked at me coldly.
“I mean every word. You brought this on yourself.”
My heart felt like it was being torn apart in an instant.
Freya had been my best friend since we were kids. I couldn’t
believe she’d turned into this.
When I was a child and got punished by Arthur for doing something wrong, he wouldn’t let me eat, but Freya would sneakily bring bread and hide outside my house to give it to me, afraid I’d go hungry.
She said she’d be my good friend for life and would always treat me well.
Onge, I held Freya’s hand while we took a walk. “What if I can b6
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Freya looked at me with burning eyes, full of enthusiasm. “It’s fine if you can’t. I bought a house, right? You can move in with me. I won’t get married either, and I’ll take care of you for life. We can adopt a kid. Then, we’ll be a family.”
She always comforted me not to be sad, saying that those men could change their minds in a flash and weren’t truly in love with me, and she was glad I didn’t get married.
But now, what was the difference between Freya and those men?
My heart felt like it was being pounded by a heavy hammer, and the dull pain spread through my whole body. That tiny doubt in my mind was like thorns twining around me, making it hard to breathe.
I was very curious. What kind of magic did Arthur’s study have that could make people who loved and cared about me change their attitudes in an instant and even want me dead?
After that day, Freya and I completely cut off contact and became strangers.
Though I didn’t have any physical injuries, I suffered a lot psychologically. For a long time after that, I went to see a therapist, trying to regain the happiness I once had.
Arthur and Emily didn’t care about me at all. They just kept trying to control and dominate me.
Finally, I waited for Matilda to take her annual leave. Every year, she’d take some time off to rest and spend quality time With the family.
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When she found out I’d gone to the hospital for psychological treatment, she felt extremely guilty.
Matilda came into my room, stood by the bed, and looked at me, who had lifeless eyes, tears streaming down her face.
She hugged me tightly. “Arabella, it’s all my fault. I’ve tried to
talk to your dad so many times, but he just won’t listen.”
Matilda looked pained, as if she wished she were the one suffering all the psychological torture.
I knew how difficult it was for her.
If it weren’t for her love for me, I probably couldn’t have held on in this family.
Whenever Arthur deliberately scolded or hit me before, Matilda would stand up and fight him to the end without hesitation.
They’d known and loved each other for decades. She knew how stubborn Arthur was. All she could do was treat me even better
to make up for the abuse Arthur inflicted on me.
But she was busy running her restaurants from morning till night. By the time she got home late at night, I was already asleep.
Still, I could feel her love for me. And because of that, I knew there were still people in this world who loved me and wouldn’t reject me for those weird reasons.
Phad thought about moving out before, but Arthur kept a close6
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and get secretly married. He made it clear that if I dared to move out and he caught me, he’d torture me until I wished I were dead.
An image of the study popped into my head, and I shuddered.
I wrapped my arm around Matilda’s and said softly, “Mom, will you believe whatever I say?”
Matilda stroked my head gently and said, “Yes, Arabella. You’re my favorite daughter. No matter what you say, I’ll listen to you.”
I looked at her earnestly. “Then, you absolutely can’t go into my dad’s study. Can you do that?”
“Is there something hidden in your dad’s study?” Matilda asked.
I insisted, “I don’t know. But just don’t go in. Okay?”
Matilda comforted me, “Calm down, honey. I will listen to you. If you say not to go in, I definitely won’t.”
“Mom, you’re so good to me,” I said.
She smiled, “Of course. I will always be this good to you.”
Matilda looked serious, so I thought she wasn’t lying.
If she hadn’t gone into Arthur’s study, she wouldn’t have been brainwashed by him. Then, Matilda would still love me as she always had.
Matilda said Arthur was stubborn and unsociable and told the06
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dating website with someone who had great conditions. She also said no parents would want their daughter not to get married, feeling it was ridiculous.
I was so relieved and agreed to meet the guy over the weekend.
But the next day, Matilda told me the blind date was canceled.
We’d planned to go have breakfast early in the morning, but she didn’t wake me up, so I slept until noon.
I thought she was busy at the restaurant again. But as soon as I opened the door, she threw a plate from the dining table at my head.
My forehead throbbed with pain, and blood gushed out, dripping onto the floor.
Arthur shouted in anger, “You don’t do a thing all day but sleep in. Why don’t you just sleep your life away so I can bury you?”
Suddenly, fear and grievance swept over me, and my tears fell violently.
Matilda was sitting at the dining table, eating honey mustard ribs, not caring about me at all.
Arthur looked smug, walked over with a whip, and lashed it at
- me.
It hurt so much, and I wailed loudly, “Dad, I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong. It’s bad enough that you’ve been coming Between
me and the people I like for years. Now, do you want to
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Arthur breathed violently as if venting his inner hatred. “It’d be better if I killed you. Every time I see you walking in front of me, I can’t help but want to skin you alive.
“You want to get married? How about I arrange a posthumous marriage for you when you’re dead?”
The whip whistled through the air and lashed at me, tearing my skin open and splattering blood everywhere.
The excruciating pain made me lose control and scream until my voice was hoarse. I struggled like a madwoman, and my consciousness was swallowed by endless pain.
Matilda was eating and scrolling through short videos, laughing out loud, not caring at all if I’d be beaten to death.
he next second, I struggled and ran to Matilda. “Mom, make Dad stop. He’s going to kill me.”
I thought Matilda would fly into a rage, push Arthur away, and hug me tightly, but she didn’t move a muscle.
She glanced at me impatiently, saying, “Who made you piss your dad off all the time? It’s normal for him to teach you a lesson.”
At that moment, I felt my head go numb, and my arms trembled uncontrollably.
I suspected that Matilda had also been in Arthur’s study.
I cried my heart out, “Mom, tell me. Did you go into Dad’s
Sudy?
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“You said you’d listen to me and never go in. And you promised to go on a blind date with me. Have you forgotten all that?”
I screamed hysterically, and Arthur’s face turned red with anger.
Matilda, provoked by my shouting, threw her fork at my face.
She shouted, “Are you done? Who went into the study? With your attitude, do you think you can get married? If you don’t behave, I’ll let your dad choke you to death and save you from ruining other men.”
Now, Matilda had changed. Like everyone else around me,
she didn’t want me to date or get married and wanted me dead if I didn’t obey.
If I wasn’t mistaken, Matilda had also been in that strange study.
Otherwise, how could the gentle and kind–hearted woman yell at me like this?
Emily and David got dressed and were ready to go out and play.
When they walked into the living room and saw me covered in blood from the beating, they weren’t surprised at all and just left indifferently.
Arthur’s fists and kicks rained down on me. I curled up, and
every blow felt like a heavy hammer hitting a vital spot. The pain made my vision go black, and cold sweat poured down.
He only stopped when he was satisfied.
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bedroom together.
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Both my mind and body had suffered great harm, and I even felt the source of this pain was inexplicable.
I didn’t understand. I was a normal girl. Why couldn’t I date and get married like everyone else?
Even though it was summer, I felt a chill in my heart.
Now that Matilda didn’t want me either, if I stayed in this house, I’d be tortured to death one day.
Late at night, I secretly packed my important documents into my backpack, planning to leave as soon as they fell asleep.
I was sneaking out of the living room in the dark, I saw a n in the study.
rough the crack in the door, I saw Arthur sitting at the desk with an incredibly eerie and sinister smile on his face.
I froze in place and felt a chill running down my spine.
Now, I finally understood why Arthur didn’t want me to date or get married.
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