I know what awaits me in the Shen mansion tonight, so I'm uneasy on the way back, hoping the carriage will slow down.

But the journey comes to an end, and there are some storms that I have to face alone.

"Is there anything else I need to do?"

General Xue seems to sense my unease, but I don't want to show my weakness. Especially in front of him, I have to pretend to be strong, useful, and able to weather the storms. I'm afraid of losing my value as a partner, and if I can't rely on this big tree, I'm done for.

"No, I can handle it."

"Get someone to pass a message to me if there's anything."

I gave him a confident smile and then walked into the "purgatory."

Sure enough, as soon as I entered the mansion, I was brought to the ancestral hall. The furnishings here are so familiar to me. This has been my second bedroom from childhood to adulthood.

Dad and stepmother are sitting upright, and my sister Shen Anrong is standing on the side, looking fierce as if she could swallow me whole.

"Kneel down."

Dad roared, and I had to kneel in front of him.

"What have you been up to? Have you been pretending to be well-behaved since you were little? At this critical juncture, you tripped up your own sister. Are you still a member of the Shen family..."

As he spoke, Dad picked up the ruler and was about to hit me. But this time, it was different. I was no longer the timid and cowardly illegitimate daughter.

I suddenly stood up, and it startled Dad, who slowly withdrew the ruler hanging in the air.

"What are you trying to do? Are you rebelling?"

"I don't know where I went wrong, but I can't just accept this beating for no reason."

This was the first time I had talked back to Dad, and my sharp words were completely unlike before. Even Dad's look at me became unfamiliar.

At this point, stepmother, who had been waiting to watch the show, couldn't sit still:

"You dare talk to your father like this before you've even hooked the second son of the Xue family? If you marry into the Xue family, this ancestral hall will be torn down..."

She was right. I had long wanted to tear down this ancestral hall that had trapped me for a lifetime, and I believe it won't be long before she can see it with her own eyes.

"If I have grievances, I will naturally voice them. If you're going to interrogate me, there should at least be a chance for me to defend myself. I won't accept being beaten without explanation, Dad."

"Alright, I'll give you a chance to defend yourself. If you can't explain yourself clearly, I'll make you understand that the rules of the Shen family are not to be trifled with."

Dad was so angry with me that he was panting like a cow, threw away the ruler and picked up a switch from the wall.

I was hit with this switch twice, and each time, I had to rest in bed for at least a month.

At this moment, stepmother was smiling, and Shen Anrong's eyes were sharp as daggers. They were both waiting for my screams.