“You—” The word strangled itself before completion, choked by overwhelming emotion. Becker’s rage approached apoplectic proportions, his eyes protruding alarmingly from their sockets.
“What process transformed you into this unrecognizable creature? Had I foreseen this metamorphosis, I would have prevented your departure with your mother at all costs!” His finger jabbed the air, pointing at Elissa with increasing vehemence, his voice climbing to dangerous decibels. Discover more novels at Find?Novel.net
“Does shame hold no meaning for you? Has propriety abandoned your character entirely? Does this deplorable behavior reflect your mother’s influence?”
His accusation pierced her carefully constructed defenses.
Moisture welled instantly in Elissa’s eyes, betraying the wound his words had inflicted.
“Devoid of shame? Bereft of social graces? Very well—if that represents your assessment, I shall embrace the identity you’ve assigned me.”
The burden of his condemnation had weighed upon her shoulders for half a decade, a familiar load she had learned to bear.
“Should my development disappoint you, refrain from attributing responsibility solely to my mother! The general public may remain ignorant of certain truths, but you possess full awareness, do you not? While biology designated me your offspring, your participation in my upbringing remained conspicuously absent.”
Her statement remained incomplete as Becker suddenly slapped her hard across the face, the crack of contact reverberating through the room. The force of the blow wrenched Elissa’s head sideways, shock momentarily robbing her of cognitive function.
“What are you doing?” The question cut through the stunned silence. Addy, who had maintained strategic silence throughout the exchange, erupted with righteous indignation. “Was the physical assault of your daughter your singular purpose in coming here? Enlighten me regarding the specific transgression in Elissa’s words. Has your paternal role extended beyond biological contribution during her lifetime?”
“Dad…” The plaintive address carried undertones of desperation.
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Becker’s features contorted with defensive displeasure. “Cease this protective intervention! Are you cognizant of the extensive difficulties she has precipitated over the years?”
“Does this perpetual grievance not revolve entirely around Robin?” Weariness colored the inquiry.
Addy’s hand sliced through the air in a gesture of impatient dismissal. “Those events transpired in the distant past. Even Robin has relinquished his grievance, so what purpose drives your continued fixation?”
Accompanying his words, he drew Elissa protectively toward him, establishing a physical barrier between father and daughter.
“Elissa, come closer… Has he caused you pain?” Concern softened his weathered features.
Elissa’s awareness returned abruptly to the present moment. Despite the fiery throbbing radiating across her left cheek, she manufactured a reassuring expression. “The injury is inconsequential, Grandpa, I’m fine.” Physical discomfort registered as mere triviality, as authentic suffering originated from wounds inflicted upon the soul.
“Oh, come now,” Addy interjected, his gaze fixed on her flushed cheek. “Surely that must have hurt?”
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