Substitute Wife for the Mafia King R18-Chapter 387: At My Feet
"So, are you going to get on your hands and knees to beg? How much longer will you keep me waiting?" I asked while pointing my index finger at the empty floor right in front of my feet.
If looks could kill, I would have died an extremely painful death, stabbed by the millions of daggers flying out of my father’s eyes from the way he was glaring at me. Even when I was clearly his only route of escape from the impending hell that was awaiting him, it was clear that my father felt nothing but hatred for me. I returned his stare with one of my own as I continued pointing to the floor where I wanted them to get on their hands and knees.
"I’m still waiting. Oh, but if you’re not willing, then I’ll make sure that some men will escort you out," I said before grinning at them. I could tell that my father was hesitating, and that meant that he was truly considering abandoning whatever pride he had left to get down on his hands and knees to beg for help from his long-abandoned daughter.
Time moved so slowly, as if it was giving me the opportunity to properly savor the moment. I found it quite hard to believe that the scene I truly thought was impossible was actually unfolding right before my eyes. My stubborn and prideful father slowly dropped down to his knees right in front of me, and my mother followed suit. At that moment, I couldn’t care less whether their act of submission was entirely genuine or not. I stared down at them with passive eyes, feeling slightly surprised that seeing the two of them kneeling right in front of me did not bring me the joy or the satisfaction that I had anticipated. If anything, all I felt was a sense of emptiness and a lack of connection. I let out a scoff at how ridiculous my parents were. Their actions were a very clear reminder to me of how hypocritical they truly were. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
"So, why don’t you try begging me for my help again?" I asked, although I had absolutely no intentions of helping them out. However, that didn’t stop me from teasing them just a little for my own entertainment.
"Dahlia, my dear daughter, please help save our family from ruin. You are the only one that can do it. Please help us. Please help us talk to the king," my father genuinely begged me with tears in his eyes as he stared up into my face.
It took quite a lot of self-control to stop myself from bursting out laughing at their apparent desperation. The more hopeless they felt, the more exhilarating it became for me. I didn’t like to think of myself as being someone evil, but I was never really that kind of good girl either.
"You did very well in begging. Sadly, for you both, I want nothing more than for this damn family to be destroyed once and for all. The king will never give you his pardon, and I will make sure that you pay for all the sins that you have committed, whether it be against me or anybody else," I said slowly and clearly through clenched teeth.
All the hope that sparkled in my parents’ eyes faded away in the blink of an eye when they realized that I wouldn’t be helping them out in any way. The way that their faces suddenly contorted into an expression of extreme fury only reaffirmed the fact that I was right in deciding against helping them. There was no way that my parents would truly consider me part of the family because, to them, I was a convenient tool that they thought they could wield at their disposal.
"Diana... please... say something to your sister!" my mother yelled for Diana to step in to save the day.
"She’s doing the right thing," Diana replied bluntly.
"I thought you made it very clear the day that you sent me away that we were no longer family. But since it seems like you’ve forgotten, I’ll remind you again. I am no longer your daughter, and perhaps I never was," I said as relief flooded my chest.
"I will make you pay for this betrayal!" my father yelled as he got up to his feet.
He quickly approached me as he pulled his hand back to slap my face. I stood my ground in defiance without shielding myself. It was partly because I didn’t fear him any longer, but also because I knew that Bradon would never let anyone hurt me.
"I thought I told you before that violence in this place will be paid back with equal, if not more, violence," Bradon warned coldly as he held my father’s arm.
Seeing Bradon acting so protective of me brought a warm feeling to my chest, and it also reminded me of the morning after our wedding day. Back then, he also tried his best to shield me and protect me in this way. I only wish that I was willing to open my heart to understand him more back then.
My father openly cursed at me as the guards dragged them both away. My mother was bawling her eyes out as if she could see her life crashing down right before her eyes with no way to escape. In a way, that was probably very close to the truth. I watched dispassionately as Bradon stood by my side and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. When I looked up into his face and our eyes met, all of my father’s hateful words immediately faded away into the distance.
...
**A few days later**
Whoever picked that day for the announcement of the royal engagement of the king to his future queen clearly did not consult the weather forecast. Instead of the day having perfect weather to celebrate what was supposed to be an auspicious occasion, the sky and the atmosphere felt extremely gloomy, as if the clouds above were barely able to hold back the rain.
–To be continued...
