I swallowed the ache in my throat and fought back my tears. I forced myself to stand tall, refusing to let him see me break. "Say whatever you want, but all I want is freedom." I paused, letting the silence stretch. "And, by the way, fuck you too."
That pushed Ashton over the edge.
His hand came down hard, hitting my face with a force that made my vision blur. And just like his other slaps, this one made me taste my own blood again.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tiana, still lounging comfortably on the couch, a silent spectator to the chaos unraveling between Ashton and me.
The satisfaction in her eyes was unmistakable. She was enjoying this, savoring every moment of my suffering, and I could feel her quiet hunger for even more of my pain.
I wiped the blood from my lip, fury simmering beneath my skin. Without a warning, I slapped Ashton back—harder. His head snapped to the side, shock flaring in his eyes. He hadn't expected this; I'd never stood up to him like this before.
"How does that feel?" I spat.
"What the—"
I didn't let him finish.
"Listen to me, Ashton. I'd rather live on the streets like a rat than stay in this mansion with someone as evil and heartless as you. You're the Alpha's son but you're nothing like him! You're a coward and a disgrace. And you're a terrible father!" I shouted, my voice shaking.
Years ago, when Bryan was first diagnosed with the life-threatening Blue Blood Disease and urgently needed a blood transfusion specifically from his father, Ashton had promised to donate.
The healers and I had waited anxiously for his blood, but in his usual careless way, Ashton's donation arrived three weeks late—even though he knew Bryan was in critical condition and urgently needed it.
To make things worse, his blood only deteriorated Bryan's condition.
Aside from that, Ashton never visited Bryan in the infirmary or made any effort to spend even a moment with him.
"Mother… when will Father come to visit me?" Bryan asked, his voice small and cracking.
I wiped my tears away as I kissed Bryan's forehead. "I'll try to convince him to come tomorrow, alright?"
But each time I begged, Ashton only refused.
Remembering that painful memory now made the tears I'd been holding back slip down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away, determined not to let the past control me.