Yasmin instinctively pulled away, and her mother, Lastri, immediately stopped eating.
"Ow!"
Rayya grimaced in pain, clutching her foot. Blood was visibly running from the wound on the sole of her foot. When Yasmin saw it, she immediately started toward her, but Mona screamed in panic first.
"Sweetheart! Look at this! Poor Rayya. She's only been living in this house for one day, and she's already being treated like a maid!" Mona deliberately raised her voice. She made herself look extremely worried, and even her eyes appeared watery as she looked at Yasmin's father.
Yasmin clenched her fists. She was disgusted by Mona's behavior, which she believed was nothing but an act.
But her father immediately glared at Lastri, his face filled with rage.
"Lastri! Why did you make Rayya do all the work in this house? What were you thinking? Look, she's hurt!"
Lastri looked shocked. She quickly shook her head.
"But I didn't tell her to do it, Anton. Rayya wanted to help on her own. I never forced her."
"Dad, don't blame Mom!" Yasmin cut in at once. She couldn't stand watching her mother being accused like that. "Mom didn't tell Rayya to do it! You're always like this, Dad. You're mean! You're cruel!"
The room suddenly fell silent.
Anton’s face turned even redder. He glared angrily at his daughter. His hand suddenly rose and swung toward Yasmin's face.
"Anton!"
Lastri immediately stood and called out to her husband.
His hand stopped just a few centimeters from Yasmin's face.
Yasmin froze. Her breath caught. For a moment, she truly thought her father was going to slap her.
Lastri hurried over to Yasmin and gripped her arm.
"That's enough, Yasmin. Don't defy your father, sweetheart," she whispered.
Yasmin looked at her mother. She could see the fear on Lastri's face, but the disappointment and anger inside her had grown too great.
Her father shouted again.
"Lastri, teach your daughter some manners! Look how disrespectfully she talks to her own father!"
Yasmin let out a harsh breath. She no longer cared.
"What do you call a father who betrays and hurts his own family?" Yasmin asked sharply.
Lastri immediately turned to her, her face anxious. "Yasmin..."
But Yasmin didn't back down. She stared bravely at her father, even though her heart was pounding.
"You're the one who made us like this."
Her father's expression changed. His anger became even more apparent.
"You..." His voice trembled as he struggled to contain his emotions. "You ungrateful child!"
Crash!
He threw the chair beside him, sending it tumbling to the floor.
The impact left everyone silent. Yasmin flinched. She stared at the chair lying overturned on the floor. Her body tensed, but she tried hard not to show her fear.
From the corner of her eye, Yasmin saw Mona. The woman was no longer pretending to cry. A faint smile curved her lips—a satisfied smile because the argument had grown even worse.
"Oh, my poor baby. Her foot is hurt. Come on, Rayya, let Mom treat it," Mona said, guiding Rayya to sit in a chair and calling a maid to tend to her foot.
That night, the atmosphere in the kitchen remained tense. No one dared to speak after what had happened.
Dad stood in front of Lastri and Yasmin, his face cold. His gaze was sharp as he looked at them both.
"There will be no dinner for you. You aren't allowed to eat tonight. That's your punishment," he said firmly.
Yasmin stared at her father in disbelief. She wasn't very hungry yet, but hearing those words still made her heart ache.
Anton didn't wait for an answer. He turned and left the kitchen at once. Mona quickly followed behind him, holding onto his arm. She looked pleased.
Before leaving the kitchen, Mona glanced back at Yasmin and Lastri. A faint smile played on her lips, making Yasmin even more irritated.
"What an evil woman," Yasmin muttered. "She's happy to see Mom and me being punished."
When Lastri heard her, she immediately reached for her daughter's shoulder.
"This is my fault, Yas..." Lastri's voice was full of regret. "Because of me, you don't get any dinner."
Yasmin quickly shook her head. "It's okay, Mom. I already ate a lot. I'm still full."
She smiled, trying to keep her mother from worrying even more. Lastri only looked at her daughter. The woman looked exhausted. Although she was already in her forties, Lastri was still beautiful. But that night, her face looked much older under the weight of the troubles she was facing.
They then went back to cleaning the kitchen. They barely spoke. Lastri swept the floor and put away the things scattered around after the argument, while Yasmin helped lift several objects that were still lying around.
After a while, Yasmin could no longer keep her question to herself.
"Mom..."
Lastri stopped what she was doing and turned to her.
"Why has Dad become so mean to us?" Yasmin asked softly. "He was never like this before."
Lastri fell silent. Yasmin lowered her head. Her voice began to tremble. "I'm sad, Mom."
Her eyes started to fill with tears. She quickly wiped them away before they could fall.
Their home had always felt comfortable before. Her father often joked around with her, while her mother was always smiling. But now, whenever her father was home, Yasmin felt afraid instead.
Lastri didn't answer right away. She simply stood there, staring blankly. Her lips trembled, but not a single word came out. Suddenly, Dad's voice rang out from the direction of the bedroom.
"Lastri! Get in here!" Anton shouted.