Chapter 2: I quit being your daughter

The next morning, Elena and Amber arrived at her father's huge mansion, where she always felt dread and suffocation, even though it was also her home.

Elena froze at the entrance, nervous and mentally preparing for the chaos she was about to encounter.

Standing behind her, Amber softly squeezed her hand. "It's okay, Elena." No matter what happens inside, I've got your back. Ok."

Elena took a big breath and exhaled, "OK." Thanks."

After receiving Amber's encouragement, Elena pushed open the door, and they both got inside. As they walked into the living room area, they were greeted by a vibrant atmosphere where Sophia, Alex, and Elena's stepmother, Veronica Dawnfire, were cheerfully conversing as Elena's father, Gregory Dawnfire, was talking on the phone.

It took a few minutes for Elena's father to notice, and when he did, he hung up the phone and greeted them with a severe frown and cold, disapproving eyes. Amber stood by Elena's side, calming her fast-beating heart at the sight of her father.

"Elena," her father said, his voice cold as he walked towards her. "Where the hell have you been? Why didn't you answer my calls and come home when I told you to?"

At the mention of Elena's name, Veronica stopped her lively conversation with Sophia and Alex and looked over to where she was. She and Sophia smirked, while Alex gave Elena an indifferent look. This causes her blood to boil as she stares angrily at them.

"I was at Amber's house. I don't want to be in the same house as her," Elena angrily said while pointing at Sophia. "As for the reason why I didn't answer your calls, I knew very well that you would scream at me if I did."

Gregory started to get annoyed at Elena's tone, but he bit his tongue and looked up and down at her. "Well, I hope that while there, you've had time to cool off."

"Yes, I did," she bitterly shot back.

"Does that mean you're going to apologize to your sister?" Gregory said while folding his arms

Elena clenched her jaw, her fists tightening at her sides, as she met her father's gaze head-on and said, "No."

Her father's expression darkened at her words, his mouth thinning into a line of disapproval, and then he screamed, "And why not?!"

"Why should I?" She screamed back, her tone dripping with disdain. "She's nothing more than a conniving little snake that's been a thorn in my side since the day she was born. If anyone deserves to be called names, it's her. In fact, I went too easy on her yesterday. I should have called her a slut who I have no respect for since she had the audacity to sleep with someone I was dating and say she fell in love."

When Elena said this, Sophia began to start crying and put her head on her mother's chest.

Veronica, in an angry tone, said, "Stop being jealous of Sophia and calling her a slut. It's going to stress her out and hurt the baby.

"What baby?" Elena said she was shocked and confused.

Sophia magically stops crying and turns to Elena, saying, "Alex and I are going to have a baby." She said while rubbing her belly, "You're going to be an aunt."

Even more shocked, Elena became weak in her knees and almost fell to the floor. Thankfully, Amber was there to catch her before she could.

She then ushered Elena to a nearby unoccupied couch and said, "I knew it. This affair has been going on for a very long time."

Sophia got up from where she was seated and walked over to Elena and said, "Don't be sad, Elena, and be happy for me." She reaches out her hand to touch Elena's.

"Don't touch me!" Elena screamed while slapping away Sophia's hand.

She took advantage of the situation, weakly fell to the floor, and began to cry again. Veronica ran over to Sophia and began to console her. She screamed at Elena, "What is wrong with you? Are you trying to make her have a miscarriage?"

Enraged, Gergory walks over to Elena and slaps her across the face. Her hand cupping her swollen chick, she looked at him, her eyes filled with shock and betrayal. In the corner of her eye, she could see Sophia smirking while on the floor, fake crying.

Amber quickly pushes him away, then screams at him, "What's wrong with you? You're supposed to be angry at her, not at Elena." In a sad and soft tone, she asked, "Why do you hate her so much?"

"Stay out of this, Amber. This is between me and my family." Gregory said before looking at Elena, who was now staring at him in anger. "As for you, your sister is now dating Alex and got pregnant, so what? You're acting like he's the only man in this world. Just get over it already and stop trying to hurt Sophia and my grandchild."

After saying that, he walked over to the opposite couch, sat down, and crossed his legs, then continued, "Since you are still not over, Alex, how about I help you? As you know, the CEO of ElectroNava, Mr. Nightshade's wife, died a few months ago, and his only heir (looks at Amber) refused to take over his business. He is now looking for a wife who will give him children in the future."

He looked up and down at a shocked Elena and continued, "Like how you are now single and hopefully pure, you could marry Mr. Nightshade, and I am sure your body is healthy; you can also give him children. Doing so can also benefit the business and make it grow."

He looks at Elena, who is now shocked while Amber was standing behind her slack-jawed. He ignores their expressions, pulls out his phone, and says, "Before you came, I was on the phone with Mr. Nightshade and proposed the idea. He agreed to it, and now all we have to do is book a wedding day. You can have his number and give him a call ...."

"NO!" Elena exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief. Her blood ran cold at the announcement, her heart hammering in her chest as she struggled to comprehend his words.

Amber managed to pick her jaw off the floor before screaming, "Mr. Dawnfire, have you lost your mind?! You're trying to marry off your own daughter to my father. You and I and everyone know that my mother killed herself after he gave her an STI, and my stepmother, your sister, died from a heart attack after she found out that I had eight half-siblings and probably more out there. Is that the future you want for Elena?"

Her father's face darkened with anger, then he said, "As long as she learns from her mistakes with Alex and now knows how to please a man, unlike your mother and my sister, she has nothing to worry about. If he still does go out, then she shouldn't throw a tantrum like those two and be grateful since she doesn't have to worry about a roof over her head, fancy clothes, and food. Just tell him to wear a condom before his adventures, and you're good to go."

"No. I am not going to marry him. Never." Elena said, tears running down her face.

"You will do as I say, Elena, and marry him," he said, his voice a low growl of warning. "If you don't, I will see it as you preventing the family from becoming prosperous and disowning you. You are going to move out, find a new job, and suffer the consequences for being disobedient, you ungrateful brat."

Elena's breath caught in her throat at the ultimatum, her chest tight with fear and anger. And then, with a sudden surge of defiance, she found her voice.

"I don't need you, Father," she spat, her words a defiant challenge. "I don't need any of this. I quit. I quit being your assistant, I quit living in this house, and I quit being your daughter."

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed from the room, her heart pounding in her chest as she fled to her room and began packing her things while crying.

After she finished packing her suitcases, she walked over to her nightstand to get her important documents out. When she opened the drawer, she pulled out her documents as well as a blue sapphire necklace with the gem in the shape of a tear.

She didn't remember the name of it but she kept it close to her because it was a gift from her mother before she disappeared.

"Where are you when I need you the most, Mom?" Elena cried before clutching the necklace to her chest and sitting at the foot of her bed.

Just then, Amber stepped into the room, her hair a mess like she was in a fight.

"What happened to you?" Elena asked while sniffling

"When you ran to your room, Sophia tripped me. I punched her and we got in a fight," Amber said while smirking

Elena became tensed when she heard that and then exclaimed, "The baby ..."

"Oh relax. I made sure to only aim for the head. Here is my reward." said Amber as she held up her hand filled with a chunk of Sophia's hair.

After shaking the hair out of her hand, she walks over to Elena and stops when she sees the necklace. She was shocked at first but managed to compose herself before Elena noticed.

Elena sighed before she asked, "Why does he hate me so much? I did so much for him. I scored good grades in school, I gave up going to my dream university to help out with the business, and I declined a lot of offers to work at other companies. All of that and it is still not good enough for him. Am I not his daughter."

Amber sat down beside Elena and hugged her, then said, "Just like my dad, your dad is a scoundrel. In their eyes, women are nothing more than playthings and incubators."

"But he treats Sophia well," Elena said.

"Then I don't know why," Amber said, then began to lift Elena off the floor. "Let's not mope about it here anymore and leave this place. I can sense another fight coming, when we get downstairs."

Elena and Amber gathered up all her things, then headed downstairs and walked through the living room to get to the door. While doing so, Elena sees Sophia crying, being comforted by Veronica, with a visible bold spot on her head. This left her speechless as she and Amber walked towards the door while everyone else was angrily staring at them.

While they were walking out, Elena's father screamed, "Mark my Elena Elizabeth Dawnfire, you will regret disrespecting me. I will tell everyone that you did a terrible job as my assistant. Let's see if any company will accept you. Then you will come back to me, begging on your knees for forgiveness like the imbecile you are. And as for you, Amber, how dear did you hurt Sophia?"

"AH, Sue me then!" Amber screamed before she slammed the door shut.

They both then pack all their suitcases in Amber's and hop in the car to drive away from Gregory's mansion.

While leaving, Elena sighs and says, "It's finally over."

"Yes," Amber said. "Yes, it is."