When I heard the older boy, I looked at him coldly and said, “I’m not your mother’s secret lover. Your father is.”
“You bad guy! Not only do you want to take my mommy away, now you’re saying my daddy is the secret lover!”
“I’ll beat you up!”
He actually rushed at me, throwing a thin little fist toward my chest. I caught his arm and gently pushed him away, but the boy fell to the ground and burst into loud, dramatic sobs.
Gregory’s face twisted with anger.
Without hesitation, he shouted at the bodyguards, “Hold him down!”
The two bodyguards grabbed me and forced me to the ground. Gregory stepped forward and slapped me twice hard. My face stung, but I glared at him with nothing but hatred.
“Alexander,” Gregory called my name in a mocking tone while he was smirking.
He continued, trying to hurt me, “Suzanne and I actually love each other.”
“You think she ever really loved you?”
He scoffed as he kept speaking, “You have no idea, do you? That kidnapping years ago? She planned it with the kidnappers.”
I froze.
“She knew you’d give up everything for her. She used it to trick you. She even took back half the ransom you paid!”
“She built her little empire with your money,” he added, sneering.
“And guess what? She was already pregnant with my child back then.”
My entire body went cold. I … never knew about this. So, all those promises... all those tears... everything was a lie?
Gregory leaned closer, his voice turning cruel as he said, “You probably caught some disease in that filthy place you came from. Honestly, you're probably still alive because you learned to live like a dog.”
“Men like you? You’re only worthy of crawling.”
He grabbed a metal bowl and dumped dry dog food into it right in front of me.
“You don’t deserve real food. You deserve this.”
Then, without warning, he slapped me again and shoved a handful of the dog food into my mouth. I tried to resist, to spit it out. But he gripped my jaw tightly, forcing me to swallow.
“Listen, Suzanne won’t be back for a few days,” Gregory said, brushing off his hands like I was dirt.
“You better stay right here, nice and obedient.”
“And this,” he kicked the bowl toward me.
As he directed the bowl to my face, he continued, “This is all you’re getting to eat.”
The older boy watched me from the corner, giggling when he saw what his father had done.
“He’s a puppy! A dirty puppy no one wants!”
He skipped over to me and stomped on my face with his small foot before laughing and running off.
Gregory stayed a moment longer, towering over me.
“What? Can’t handle it?” he asked mockingly.
He continued, “I’m sure you’re used to this by now. You survived all those years like a mutt, didn’t you?”
“Hell, they probably released you because you were too sick to keep.”
I didn’t respond. I just stared at him, burning with silent fury. He gave me one last smug smile, then turned and walked away.
Again, I had to be patient. Besides, I would ruin their lives forever. I just had to wait.
