Return of the Prodigy

Chapter 04: Expelled

Bang.

With a muffled sound, the wooden stick smashed onto Adam's head, causing immediate bleeding!

"Mom, Dad, why are you here? What are you doing?" Katie hurriedly rushed over to intervene.

A woman in her forties, wearing home clothes, grabbed Katie, speaking harshly, "Don't interfere. Today, your dad will beat this bastard to death. It's all because of him that our family has fallen to this point."

"Six years ago, it was because of him that you were rejected by the Smiths, and Matilda took away your fiancé. Otherwise, you would be the mistress of the Smiths now, living a luxurious life. We wouldn't have faced the family's rejection."

"Six years ago, he left, causing our family to become a laughingstock in Lisle. You, the goddess of Lisle, also became a despised widow with no one wanting you."

"For six years, our family has been looked down upon, we have to watch our every step, and you have been suppressed at work... All of this is because of him."

"And his useless daughter, you insisted on having her despite us advising against it. You even ran away from home to live in this stinky toilet. Is it worth it for this useless, mentally ill person? Are you an i***t or have you become mentally ill like him?"

Gemma roared and scolded, her eyes bursting with resentment as if she wanted to swallow Adam alive.

"Yes, today, if we don't beat this useless trash to death, my hatred won't be resolved." Trey also gnashed his teeth, swinging the wooden stick down with all his might.

Slap.

The force was too strong, and the wooden stick broke.

Adam stood still, not moving a muscle, letting Trey punch and kick him.

"Mom, Dad, six years ago, it was my fault, but now I'm back. I promise to make it up to Katie and take good care of you. I won't let you suffer anymore..."

"Enough of your nonsense! You useless mentally ill person! What do you have to make it up with? What guarantees do you have? Who do you think you are? You are just a jinx. Apart from bringing trouble to our family, what else can you do?"

"Mom, Dad, please stop. Today's matter is not his fault..."

"Not his fault? Whose fault is it then? Does he think he's invincible? A word from the Hartley family can make him nowhere to bury himself. Anyway, tomorrow you all should get a divorce. If he wants to die, don't involve our family." Gemma said angrily.

"Mom, Dad, why do you always force me every time, six years ago, and now? Can't you let me make my own decisions? I am a person, not a puppet in your hands." Katie cried out.

"Cry, cry, cry, always crying. We're doing this for your good."

Just then, a small figure rushed over, opened her arms, and hugged Trey, raising her little face, her eyes teary and pitiful, "Grandpa, Grandma, don't hit Dad, don't scold Mom anymore. If you want to hit someone, hit me. It's all my fault for making him fall. Dad hit him to vent his anger on me."

Trey's raised hand froze in the air, slowly lowered it, and rubbed Annie's head.

"Annie, go back inside."

Trey gently pushed her, and Annie, who was already injured, suddenly softened and fell to the ground.

"Annie." Katie rushed over to hug Annie.

"Katie, I didn't mean to..."

"Enough, leave, all of you leave," Katie shouted in a breakdown of emotions.

Trey sighed, wanting to explain but had nothing to say. He pulled Gemma and gestured for her to leave.

"Go if you want, but this useless person can't stay here."

With a cold snort, Gemma tore Adam away and walked towards the park exit.  

Adam let them pull him away, looking back at Katie and their daughter with reluctance.

Katie carried Annie back into the house, and the door slammed shut with a bang, cutting off Adam's line of sight and closing the only entrance to this home.

Outside the park, Trey and Gemma, still filled with anger, cursed a few more times before slowly leaving on a worn-out electric bike.

Adam sat on the roadside.

Before long, an off-road vehicle arrived, and Black Dragon jumped down, exuding a strong aura.

"Drake the Dragon, they deserve to die! As long as you give the order, I guarantee that they will be dealt with overnight..."

Adam raised his hand to interrupt him.

"Was it the heroism you're doing?"

"No, that wasn't me. Your identity is a sensitive subject, but the army felt that these guys from Lisle might offend you if they didn't know who you were. That's why they told that Allen guy. After Allen found out, he insisted on coming to see you. Although I tried to stop him, I couldn't resist him. I could only ask him to find a suitable reason and not reveal your identity." Black Dragon explained in detail.

Adam nodded.

Black Dragon continued, "The Black Snake Brigade has a subsidiary here in Lisle, and from what I can tell, it's worth at least ten times the Hartley. How about taking your wife out of there and then destroying their family?"

Adam shook his head, a glint of coldness in his eyes. "Help me choose a few houses. Tomorrow, I'm taking them to buy a house. Also, find out what the Hartley family needs. Arrange for someone to go to the company tomorrow. You know what to do."

"Yes, leave everything to me. Moreover, that neighborhood with fancy villas was built by our regiment. If you want—"

"No need, you can go."

Black Dragon helplessly left.

Alone on the street for an hour, Adam got up and returned to the park, sitting outside the door.

From today onwards, he would guard them, the mother and daughter, providing them with a lifetime of prosperity and countless honors.

Creak...

The rusty iron gate suddenly opened.

Adam immediately turned his head and saw Annie sneaking out, wearing only a small vest and shorts, holding some biscuits she hadn't been willing to eat for a long time.

Approaching, Annie handed the biscuits to Adam, whispering, "Dad, you probably haven't eaten yet, right? These are the biscuits Mom bought for me. They're delicious. Hurry up and eat."

Adam's eyes warmed, and he opened his mouth but didn't know how to respond.

Bending down, Annie also wanted to sit on the ground like Adam.

"Don't, you just took a shower, sit on the bag." Adam quickly patted the non-existent dust on the bag.

Annie sat down, hesitated for a few seconds, and couldn't resist her curiosity, asking softly, "Dad, are you my dad?"

Adam nodded with a guilty expression.

"Really? Then where did Dad go before? These years, Annie missed you so much. Annie's classmates all have dads, but Annie doesn't..."

"Everyone says I'm a child born to a mother but raised without a father. Dad, are you going to leave again in the future? Is it because Grandpa and Great-grandpa, like how they bullied Mom and Annie, also bullied you, so you left?"

"Dad, Annie will be very good in the future, please don't leave again, okay?"

Tears streamed down Adam's face, "I won't leave, Dad won't leave anymore..."

"Dad, did you go through a lot of hardships outside? You don't have a mom like Annie to accompany you. Dad, in the future, when you're not happy, you can talk to Annie, okay?"

"Oh, by the way, Dad, come with me. Annie has prepared a surprise for you."

Suddenly, Annie remembered something and happily pulled Adam towards a corner behind the public restroom. A few trees were blocking the way.

Reaching the corner, she pushed aside some overgrown weeds. Adam saw a little yellow dog and a pile of dirty, old plastic bottles, and aluminum cans.

"Bad Little puppy, you bit my bottles again. I'll scold you!"

Annie waved her tender fist at the little yellow dog and pointed to the pile of plastic bottles, saying, "Dad, look, Annie is amazing, aren't I? I picked all these up. I'll give them to you, so you can sell them to buy gifts for Mom. Then Mom won't be angry with you anymore."

Adam couldn't hold back anymore. He suddenly crouched down, crying loudly like a child. Annie quickly reached out to wipe away his tears, "Dad, don't cry. I'll be a good girl, I promise..."