Emerald's expression turned icy. "Your precious daughter may like that kind of trash, but sorry, I don't." She turned to leave.
Seeing her cold demeanor and how little she regarded him, her father's anger boiled over. Before Emerald could react, he slapped her hard across the left side of her face.
"You're still trying to deny it? You and Ethan were at the beach hotel together last night! What, rekindling your old flame? Let me tell you, don't end up like your mother, always seducing men…"
The stinging pain radiated through Emerald's left ear. It felt as if an old wound had been torn open again.
Her hearing on that side faded, and a warm liquid began to trickle down. When she raised her hand to touch it, she saw blood smeared on her palm.
A sharp female voice suddenly cut through the tense air. "What did you just do to our family?!"
Emerald stared at her father's mouth as it opened and closed, his angry words blurring into nothingness.
