Chapter 1 - The Red Stain
The luxurious American suburban dining room was filled with the warm, festive glow of Christmas lights. The massive dining table was set to perfection with an expensive white cloth, crystal glasses, and silver cutlery. Relatives in fine clothes laughed and drank, celebrating the holiday in a picture-perfect display of wealth.
But the festive atmosphere shattered in a fraction of a second.
A sharp, violent slap echoed through the room.
Six-year-old Lily stumbled backward, her tiny hands flying up to cover her face. She was wearing a beautiful red velvet Christmas dress with a plaid sash, but a massive dark red juice stain was rapidly spreading across the pristine white tablecloth right in front of her.
Standing over her, breathing heavily, was her grandmother, Patricia. She was an elegant woman in her sixties, wearing a dark green dress, her face twisted in a cold, defensive scowl. She had just struck the little girl simply for knocking over a glass of cranberry juice.
Instantly, the heavy oak dining chair at the end of the table violently crashed to the hardwood floor.
Daniel, a man in his thirties wearing a crisp black button-down shirt, stood up furiously. He was Lily's father. His short brown hair was slightly messy, but his eyes radiated a terrifying, protective, and heartbroken wrath.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Daniel roared, his voice exploding through the dead-silent dining room.
He lunged forward to protect his daughter, but before he could reach her, his own wife stepped into his path.
Claire, a woman in her thirties wearing a floral blouse, stood up right beside her mother. Instead of comforting her weeping child, Claire glared at her husband with absolute, unadulterated venom.
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"She deserved it!" Claire screamed, completely shattering Daniel's world.
👉 How will a heartbroken father react when his own wife turns against their child?
