Chapter 6
1287 Words
At that moment, Natalie burst through the door. She had overheard Ethan saying their mother had gone to confront Daniel alone. Worry gnawed at her, and she came as fast as she could.
When she arrived home and saw her Ethan bruised, she was furious. Then she noticed the red mark on Grace's face.
Natalie's eyes widened with anger. "Daniel, how could you do this?"
Her voice was trembling with restrained fury and disappointment.
Daniel's expression remained cold and unbothered. "What? Are you here to lecture me too?"
"I never thought you'd turn into someone like this. You hit my family so hard. Is this all you learned in prison? You're not a beast, Daniel—you're a person. Why do you think violence is the answer to everything? I'm so disappointed in you!"
"Disappointed in me?" Daniel sneered. "And what are you to me? Did your family ever treat me like a human being?"
Natalie faltered for a moment, her words caught in her throat. "But... no matter what, you shouldn't resort to violence."
"They started it," Daniel said flatly, his tone unyielding.
Natalie exhaled sharply, trying to steady herself. "Daniel, why do you always drag my family into our problems?"
"They dragged themselves into it," Daniel replied coldly.
Tears sprang to Natalie's eyes. "Daniel, is there really nothing left between us?"
Daniel turned his face away. "It was the Clark family who killed whatever was left between us."
"It's not our fault, Daniel. It's about facing reality. I know you don't want to accept it, but what else can you do about it? With your current status, what do you have besides your fists?" Natalie's voice was filled with helplessness but sounded final.
"Facing reality, huh? That's your excuse for abandoning me, isn't it?" Daniel's laugh cut short, replaced by bitter silence.
"Daniel, you need to understand. The world is cruel. You were born into nothing. Back then, marrying you was a foolish mistake I made while I was young. I didn't know any better. But now I do."
Natalie's words landed like a blow, each one striking deeper than the last.
Daniel's face went pale. He stared at her, his lips trembling. "So... all this time, you thought our marriage was a mistake?"
"Yes," Natalie said. "That's the truth. Stop bothering me. Look at us. My bag alone costs thirty thousand dollars, and the clothes I'm wearing are worth nearly a hundred thousand dollars. And you? What you're wearing doesn't even add up to a hundred bucks. That's the difference between us, Daniel." Her words cut like knives, each one sharper than the last.
Daniel's gaze grew distant, his voice hoarse as he stared at Natalie in a daze. "So, in your eyes, money is everything, right? What about the love we once had for each other? Does it mean nothing to you?"
"Love?" Natalie let out a cold laugh. "Can it put food on the table? You're too naive, Daniel."
Her coldness was like a wall, impenetrable and unyielding.
Daniel's fists clenched at his sides, his body trembling with rage. "I must've been an i***t to think you were different from all those shallow, vain women."
Natalie's eyes narrowed in disdain. "And you're the one who refuses to see reality. You're still living in some foolish fantasy."
Daniel inhaled deeply, trying to steady himself. He was afraid of losing control and taking her life if he let his anger take over.
"Daniel, I used to feel guilty about losing you. But now, seeing you like this, I don't regret it anymore. And as for the money I promised you, I won't give you a single cent. Consider it repayment for my mother and brother's medical bills."
Natalie's words grew sharper, cutting through whatever fragile connection still lingered between them.
Daniel's eyes burned with fury, and the veins on his forehead stood out. "You're so heartless, Natalie. I don't care about the money. All I ever wanted was fairness."
Natalie scoffed, her voice dripping with contempt. "Fairness? In this world, fairness is money and power. You have neither of them, Daniel. So what fairness are you even talking about?"
Daniel's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His bloodshot eyes burned with fury like a lion on the verge of attack.
"What? Do you want to hit me? Do it if you've got the guts!" Natalie leaned in closer defiantly.
Daniel's fist froze midair, trembling as his gaze locked onto her. Her taunting expression only fueled the storm of anger, pain, and despair raging inside him.
"Natalie, don't push me!" Daniel's voice came out low and strained as though forced through gritted teeth.
But Natalie didn't flinch. "Hit me! Isn't that what you're so good at? Go ahead!"
Daniel's fist dropped, his chest heaving as he took a few steps back. "Natalie, I won't hit you. Laying a hand on you would only dirty me."
Natalie let out a sneer. "Hah, you're just a coward. You only know how to act tough in front of women. Is that all you're capable of?"
Daniel inhaled deeply, his jaw tightening as he tried to rein in his emotions. "I'm not doing this because I'm afraid of you, Natalie. I just refuse to stoop to your level."
"Keep telling yourself that, Daniel," Natalie shot back. "You're nothing but a pathetic loser, a worthless piece of trash. Don't think that just because you spent three years in prison for my brother, you can use that to guilt me. Let me make one thing clear—no one knows the truth about what happened except a few of us. Even the victim believes it was you!"
Natalie's words hit him like daggers. Back then, Ethan had been the one using drugs, but the victim had always believed Daniel was the culprit. To make sure the evidence was convincing, Natalie even placed a used condom of Daniel's at the crime scene, one that carried his DNA.
The evidence was airtight. That was why Daniel had spent three years in jail.
Grace's eyes glinted with joy as she listened in. The victim's family was clearly dangerous. If they let them know Daniel was out of prison, they could easily find someone to get rid of Daniel.
If Daniel died, the Clark family's shameful past could be wiped clean for good.
"Daniel, I don't ever want to see you again! Mom, let's go." Natalie turned and walked away.
Daniel stood frozen, watching them leave, his rage bubbling just beneath the surface, threatening to consume him.
"Natalie, you'll regret this!" he roared after them.
Natalie's steps faltered for the briefest moment, but she quickly regained her composure and kept walking, never looking back.
The room fell silent. Daniel's legs gave out beneath him, and he sank to the floor, his hands clutching his head. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision.
Outside, the wind howled, its mournful cry echoing his pain.
Daniel had gone to prison for Natalie's brother, taking the blame without hesitation. He had even worked in secret to secure foreign investments for Natalie's company, all because of how deeply he loved her. But now, her betrayal made his heart feel as though it had been ripped apart.
Just then, a slender figure appeared in the doorway. The faint breeze swept past, making her seem fragile as if she might collapse at any moment.
It was a young woman, her face pale and weary, her eyes filled with worry.
"Daniel..." Her soft voice trembled as she called his name.
Daniel slowly lifted his head, his dazed eyes settling on the figure at the door. It took him a moment to recognize her.
"Shirley? Why are you here?"
- Writer
