"Ahhh!" Brenda clutched her face in disbelief as a stinging pain spread across her face.
Billy stared at his daughter with deep disappointment, shaking his head slowly.
"Not once," he said coldly, "not once have I imagined that I would have such a foolish descendant."
Brenda's eyes widened in disbelief. For a moment, she wondered if she had misheard him.
'Did he… really slap me? My own father? The same father who claimed he loved me and wanted to make up for everything he didn't give me earlier?'
Before she could fully gather herself, her mother's voice cut through the silence like ice.
"A foolish descendant must be punished properly," Alice said, her tone devoid of warmth. "Otherwise, she will not understand her mistakes going forward."
Brenda stared at Alice, her heart twisting in hurt.
"Mom… are you truly blaming me? This wasn't even my mistake. It was Lana who schemed everything! I… I just fell into her trap because I'm inexperienced. How is that my fault?"
