Part 3On My Engagement Day, I Discovered My Dad's Affair Was With My Best Friend

I returned to my family's house like a soulless zombie.

The servants were nowhere to be found, leaving the massive mansion eerily quiet.

My parents were in a standoff in the living room.

"Henry, I can smooth over this engagement fiasco, but I want 10% of the company shares in return," Mom said calmly, sipping her tea as she negotiated with Dad.

Dad leapt up from the sofa, eyes blazing. "Mia, don't push your luck!"

Mom scoffed. "I'm pushing it? You're the one who couldn't keep it in your pants. At least have the decency to be discreet and not let Hazel find out. You're relying on her marriage to the Parkers to gain leverage in the company. You could have any woman you wanted, why go after Yasmin of all people? Talk about poor taste."

Dad settled back down, casually smoothing his hair. "Hazel and Yasmin were such good friends. I was just... strengthening family ties," he said with a smirk.

Mom rolled her eyes. "You're truly shameless. Enough talk - are you giving me the shares or not?"

I stood silently in the foyer, tears rolling down my cheeks.

So in their eyes, I wasn't a daughter or even a person. Just a tool to be used for their benefit.

All these years of pampering me were just an investment, like fattening up livestock.

And now it was time to cash in on their investment.

I slowly walked out to face my parents, my expression dead and hopeless.

"So why even have me in the first place? If you just wanted a pawn, wouldn't adopting have been more cost-effective?"

Dad's expression instantly reverted to normal when he saw me. He casually picked up an ornate ruler from a side table, weighing it in his hand as he fixed me with a stern look.

"Hazel, is that any way to speak to your father?"

Mom watched coldly, even moving to leave.

I ignored Dad's intimidating aura and turned to Mom. "You never loved me either, did you?"

So all that maternal affection was fake. All that gentle guidance had ulterior motives. All those choices forced on me in the name of love were just cold calculations.

Mom looked me over and sighed. "Hazel, coming home looking like this... it's embarrassing."

The pain that lanced through me was even worse than when Parker had slapped me.

"Embarrassing? Ha! Is there anyone in this city more embarrassing than Henry and Parker right now?"

Dad slowly stood and approached me, disappointment etched on his face.

"Hazel, you seem to have forgotten your place. We didn't invest all these years raising you just for you to act so recklessly."

I laughed bitterly, staring at him through my tears. Even his fatherly concern looked twisted and grotesque now.

"Of course. How foolish of me to seek genuine family love. I forgot - in the deep waters of high society, there are always monsters waiting to devour you."

Dad nodded, utterly unmoved. "Since you insist on being obstinate, you need to be taught a lesson. Go kneel in the ancestral hall. Have Chen bring the red cushion."

I looked up at him in horror.

The "red cushion" was something Dad used to punish disobedient employees. It was covered in hard, sharp spikes that would shred your knees to a bloody pulp within minutes.

Seeing my reaction, Dad smiled. "Hazel, Daddy's in a very bad mood today. You've misbehaved - did you think there'd be no consequences?"

I tried to flee this hell, but the guards outside instantly restrained me.

At Dad's command, they dragged me kicking and screaming to the ancestral hall and forced me onto the red cushion.

The pain was excruciating, tearing through me.

I fixed my parents with a crazed, bloodshot glare as they stood watching impassively in the doorway. Through gritted teeth, I spat out:

"I will never marry Parker or stay in this family again. As long as I'm alive, I'll stay far away from all of you and never look back!"