More than twenty missed calls flashed across my phone screen, all from “Mom and Dad Tuong.”

I glanced at them, let out a cold, humorless chuckle, and powered down the phone.

When I finally arrived back at the estate, the house was plunged in pitch darkness, suffocatingly quiet.

I smirked bitterly to myself, this place had truly never belonged to me.

The moment my foot hit the bottom step of the staircase, Mrs. Tuong’s voice cut through the silence as she stepped out into the foyer:

“Tuong An! Where on earth have you been? Your father and I have been calling you non-stop!”

Seconds later, Mr. Tuong and Minh Chau came down the stairs as well.

Minh Chau crossed her arms, her tone sickly sweet and completely fake:

“Sister, where did you go? Mom, Dad, and I were all so worried about you.”

She sighed dramatically, adding, “Even if you hate parties, you can’t just up and leave like that.”

Mr. Tuong’s expression darkened into a scowl. “Spending the night out without a word, you’re dragging the entire Tuong family name through the mud!”

I burst into laughter, my eyes sweeping over the three of them standing before me.

What a picture-perfect, happy family, there just wasn’t an inch of space reserved for me.

I set my purse down on the console table, slipped off my blazer, and slowly walked toward Minh Chau.

Before she even had time to process what was happening, I grabbed her by the hair and brought my hand down across her face in a flurry of brutal slaps.

Minh Chau’s sharp shrieks echoed through the grand foyer.

Mrs. Tuong rushed forward, trying desperately to pry me off, screaming, “Tuong An! Have you lost your mind?!”

I didn’t care to listen. I just kept raining down blows, pouring every last ounce of resentment into every single strike.

Finally, I reached out and raked my nails straight across her soft, porcelain face.

A long, jagged line of red burst across her skin, glaring and vivid.

“She’s gone insane! Completely insane!” Mr. Tuong bellowed, clutching his chest in shock.

Ignoring him entirely, I snatched a pair of sharp kitchen shears off the counter and sheared off huge clumps of her long, silky hair.

“Ahhhh! Tuong An! You crazy bitch!” Minh Chau sobbed hysterically, tears streaming down her face. “Mom! Dad! Help me!”

I don’t know how long it lasted, but when the fiery rage inside me finally began to cool, I stopped, breathing heavily.

Before me, Minh Chau curled into a ball, sobbing uncontrollably with her hair in ragged tufts and her face covered in deep red scratches.

“Tuong An, you psychotic freak!” she shrieked, her eyes bloodshot.

Mrs. Tuong wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter, looking at me with absolute terror.

I calmly smoothed out my dress, offering them a faint, icy smile.

“Didn’t you all want to know where I spent the night?”

I locked eyes with them. “Your precious little angel drugged me so she could drag me into Chu Minh Kiet’s bed.”

The air in the living room instantly froze solid.

“Or maybe…” I let out a soft laugh, my voice dropping to a whisper, “…the two of you quietly gave her your stamp of approval?”

Mrs. Tuong’s eyes widened in horror, her voice trembling: “What are you talking about?! How could we ever do something like that?!”

I sneered. “Don’t play innocent. Dad was pushing for me to marry into the Chu family from day one, wasn’t he? Did you hate me so much that you were willing to throw me right onto his bed?”

Mr. Tuong’s brows locked together, his tone heavy and stern: “We wanted a strategic alliance, yes, but we would never stoop to something so filthy!”

Minh Chau tried desperately to compose herself, forcing a cold laugh: “You’re claiming I did this? Where’s your proof, huh?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I have proof. Money makes anyone talk. The server you hired already spilled everything.”

Minh Chau’s face instantly drained of all color. “That’s impossible! It wasn’t me!”

An eerie silence fell over the room.

No more words were needed. Minh Chau had just walked right into her own confession.

That was the trap.

The moment I stepped through that door, I struck fast and hard. Catching her in a state of pure panic and utter terror, my bluff made her blurt out the truth before her brain could even catch up.

Only after the words left her mouth did Minh Chau realize what she had done.

“No! That’s not what I meant! I misspoke! This has nothing to do with me!”

I gave a casual shrug, turning my gaze back to Mr. and Mrs. Tuong.

“Is this the perfect, gentle daughter you were so proud of raising?”

I looked at them, my voice laced with quiet pain. “I genuinely don’t understand what I ever did to make her hate me this much. I knew you favored her, but I’m your biological daughter too. Why did you stand by and let her humiliate me like this?”

The weight of my words settled heavily over my parents. Their gazes shifted slowly, landing squarely on Minh Chau.

Minh Chau scrambled for composure, her voice cracking: “You have no real evidence! Don’t you dare frame me!”

But it was too late. My parents were already convinced.

“We truly had no idea about any of this… Are you alright, Tuong An?” Mrs. Tuong stepped forward, reaching out to offer a comforting embrace.

I took a step back, pulling my hand out of her reach.

Mr. Tuong’s tone softened, attempting to play peacemaker: “Look, she was wrong, but you’ve already beaten her up and vented your anger. What more do you want?”

I let out a faint, chilly laugh.

“I’m the victim here. Is it really too much to make a few simple demands?”

I met their eyes steadily.

“I’m not doing any arranged marriages, at least not anytime soon. And second… I’m moving abroad.”