The Monster at My Feet novel Chapter 10

The sight of the bruise ignited a protective fire in the hot-blooded teenager.

Lucas furiously shoved Sylvie behind him, shielding her from his mother.

"Mom! I can't believe you're actually abusing your stepdaughter!"

"Sylvie has no idea how she offended you, yet she wanted to apologize and make peace, and your first instinct is to beat her?!"

"She's already suffered enough! Nobody protects her, nobody loves her, and this is how you treat her? Are you even human?!"

Helena trembled uncontrollably with absolute rage.

But at that exact moment, the girl hiding behind Lucas flashed her a sickly sweet smile.

Tears still stained her cheeks, but the expression on her face was anything but fearful.

It was vicious, mocking, and deeply amused, as if to say—

Look at how pathetic you are.

Helena saw red. Losing her mind entirely, she swung the heavy ruler down with all her might!

Because Lucas was shielding Sylvie, the blows rained down heavily on his back and arms.

The girl cried out in utter panic.

"Helena, stop! If you want to hit someone, hit me!"

She tugged frantically at Lucas's shirt, tears pouring down her face. "Does it hurt? Get out of the way, please..."

Hugo finally stepped in to pull them apart.

The woman's shriek was loud enough to shatter the windows.

"You're all idiots! You're blind! Lucas, I wasted my life raising you! Look at the expression on that little bitch's face!"

Lucas spun around, just in time to see a perfect tear roll down from Sylvie's beautiful, terrified eyes.

She looked like an absolute wreck, fragile and helpless.

"Stop acting like a psycho!" Unable to tolerate his mother's unhinged behavior a second longer, Lucas gave her a hard shove!

Helena stumbled backward, nearly hitting the floor before Hugo caught her.

She stared at her son, shaking from head to toe. "You pushed me? Over this little tramp?"

Lucas rubbed his stinging arm and sneered. "If I didn't step in, I would have had to watch you beat her to a pulp."

"If no one else in this family will protect her, I will!"

With that, he grabbed Sylvie by the wrist and marched straight out the front doors!

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