Suddenly, Mona sank onto the sofa. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and then tears began to trickle down her cheeks. She hurriedly wiped the corners of her eyes, trying to hold back the sob that threatened to escape.
“It seems your daughter doesn’t like me, dear,” she whispered, her hoarse voice sounding utterly exhausted. “She had the nerve to slander me like that…”
Beside Rayya, Raina, who had been silently listening all this time, immediately flushed. Without thinking, she rushed forward and shoved Yasmin hard.
“Don’t you dare slander my Mom!” she yelled, her eyes glistening with anger. “You’re horrible!”
Anton, who had been holding back his emotions, finally exploded. Without warning, he stepped forward and slapped Yasmin hard across the cheek. The sound of the slap echoed throughout the room.
Yasmin staggered, then fell onto the floor. Her cheek immediately reddened. She clutched her face and burst into sobs.
“Aaaah…!” she cried out in pain.
Lastri, who was standing near the door, immediately widened her eyes. She ran to her daughter, her entire body trembling violently.
“Anton! How dare you hit my daughter?!” she cried, hugging Yasmin as she sobbed.
“I told you to watch your attitude. You’ve never taught your daughter any manners, have you?”
In the corner of the room, Mona merely smiled faintly. Her smile was filled with satisfaction, as if the scene unfolding before her were the most entertaining show in the world.
Anton wasn’t intimidated. Instead, he pointed at Lastri and Yasmin with a trembling finger.
“Your daughter slandered Mona! She deserved that slap! You two should get out of here. Just move out!”
Lastri let out a long breath, trying to calm herself even as tears filled her eyes. She helped Yasmin to her feet, then looked at Anton with profound disappointment.
“Come on, Yasmin. Let’s get out of here,” she said quietly but firmly.
Yasmin was still sobbing, her cheek throbbing with pain. She turned to her mother with tearful eyes. “But, Mom—”
“Come on,” Lastri urged.
Farhan, who had been standing on the stairs watching everything, was stunned. His eyes widened when he saw his father slap Yasmin, sending her to the floor.
Without thinking, he hurried down the stairs, shouting.
“You’re mean, Dad!”
Farhan’s voice rang loudly throughout the room. The seven-year-old boy stood in front of his father, his face flushed with anger. Both hands were clenched at his sides, and he stared at his father with fearless determination.
“Why did you hit Older Sister Yasmin?!” he demanded.
“Because she was disrespectful to Mona. She wasn’t kind to Mom Mona either, sweetheart,” his father said, trying to calm Farhan’s anger.
But Farhan shook his head vigorously. He didn’t accept that explanation at all.
“No! Older Sister Yasmin isn’t mean!” he protested. “I saw it myself. Older Sister Yasmin only said something, and then you got angry and hit her!”
His father fell silent for a moment. His gaze hardened.
“Farhan, you’re still little. You don’t know what really happened.”
“She was disrespectful to Mom Mona. Mom Mona is your mother too, Farhan. You have to respect her,” his father said firmly.
Farhan immediately shook his head. His expression grew even more serious.
“No.”
His father furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
“We only have one Mom,” Farhan replied firmly. “The Mom who gave birth to us. Not Mom Mona.”
“Farhan!”
His father’s voice rose. His face turned red, and his sharp gaze fixed on his son.
Before the situation could grow even more heated, Lastri quickly stepped forward. She took Farhan’s hand, then grasped Yasmin’s hand.
“That’s enough, Farhan. Come on,” Lastri said softly, struggling to contain her emotions. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Farhan looked at his mother in confusion. Though he was still upset, he obeyed and let Lastri pull him along.
“Mom, where are we going?” he asked as they started walking.
Lastri paused for a moment. Her chest felt tight. She turned to her two children, then tried to smile even as her eyes began to glisten with tears.
“We’re leaving, sweetheart.”
Farhan furrowed his brow. “Where are we going?”
Lastri drew a deep breath before answering.
“We’re moving out of this house.”
“What?” Farhan was shocked. He never expected his mother to say that.
Lastri looked at her two children. This time, the tears she had been holding back finally fell.
“I can’t stay here anymore,” she said quietly. “I’ve endured this for far too long. But if we have to keep being treated like this every day… I think enough is enough.”
Yasmin looked at her mother with tear-filled eyes. Meanwhile, Farhan tightened his grip on Lastri’s hand.
For the first time, he felt afraid.
Afraid that after they left, their lives would never be the same again.