Blurb：
Embark on an unforgettable journey with Elara, the fierce warrior with a mysterious past, and Kael, the rogue mage seeking redemption. In “Aria of the Forgotten King,” explore the enchanted realms of Eldoria, where ancient prophecies and dark magic collide. Fans of high fantasy will love the intricate world-building, dynamic characters like Elara and Kael, and heart-pounding action. Dive into a tale of betrayal, loyalty, and the power of forgotten legends. Perfect for readers who enjoy epic adventures reminiscent of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Name of the Wind.”
Content：
My younger sister, Angela Schrute, got married at 20. By 21, she already had a child.
I’m Elizabeth Schrute, 27 years old, and still unmarried.
Over the years, I’ve brought home a few boyfriends. But every time the subject of marriage comes up, my father, Michael Scrute, will take them into his study.
I don’t know what he said to them. But whenever they come out of that room, they will turn cold and frightening. It’s like their hands are itching to wrap around my throat and squeeze the life out of me.
My latest boyfriend thinks Dad is being unreasonable… until he follows him into the study.
When he emerges, his eyes burn with rage. He breaks up with me on the spot and slaps me. Twice.
I still can’t figure it out. What is it that drives each of them away? And what secret is hiding in Dad’s study?
Chapter 1
“You really are a bitch, aren’t you? Aren’t you disgusted with yourself? Next time, I should just let one of your boyfriends kill you. Maybe then you’ll finally learn your lesson.”
After my boyfriend stormed off, Dad glared at me menacingly and began cursing.
The truth was, over the years, I had five boyfriends. Without exception, every single relationship had ended in an ugly breakup.
Before they turned cruel and violent toward me, every one of them had stepped into Dad’s study. As much as I didn’t want to believe that people could change so quickly, the facts spoke for themselves.
I frowned at Dad, hoping to hear even a single word of apology. But instead, he looked at me as if he wished he could tear me apart.
He even regretted that my boyfriend had spared me instead of strangling me to death.
Dad had always favored my younger sister, Angela, and never seemed to care about me.
When I was young and wanted to date, he had forced me to break up immediately. But when Angela turned 20, the legal age for marriage, he let her plan her wedding right away.
Why was it so different for us?
Angela’s husband, Lawrence Earlhart, treated her with love and devotion. He did so every day after moving into our house following the wedding.
Watching their life together, I couldn’t help but envy her for getting to stay with the man she loved.
But whenever Dad caught me staring at Lawrence, he would kick me to the ground and tell me to stop staring. He insisted that I should never even think about marriage.
When Angela and Lawrence left for their honeymoon abroad, Dad punished me by forcing me to kneel at home. He demanded I reflect on my so-called wrongdoings.
He even told Angela to convince me never to marry, warning that I would only ruin other people’s lives.
I never imagined he would go to such extremes to destroy my chances at love. Sometimes, I even wondered if I was adopted.
But after hiring a private investigator, I learned that I truly was his biological child.
I couldn’t make sense of it, so I vented online. Netizens began offering their theories.
“Maybe your dad had to give up on a huge deal on the day you were born. Your birth might have cost him that opportunity and set him on a difficult path. His resentment toward you could stem from that loss.”
“Or maybe you look like his mistress. Your mom could have despised you for it, and your dad just went along.”
So I started investigating in secret, but nothing added up.
Dad was a teacher. He had no business experience at all. He had always been upright and principled, and he had never had an affair.
I truly didn’t understand why he was so determined to keep me from dating or getting married.
The irony was that I was beautiful and admired everywhere. Often, I seemed to find true love, yet it never lasted.
Dad destroyed every relationship. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I turned to my uncle, David Schrute.
I asked him to talk some sense into Dad. Uncle David also thought that he had gone too far.
Who in their right mind would want their own daughter to end up alone? He went to our house and confronted Dad.
“You should be supporting your daughter since she’s found someone she loves! What kind of parent tries to talk their child out of dating? Have you lost your mind?”
Dad only stared at him in silence. Then, he grabbed Uncle David’s hand and led him into the study.
Chapter 2
The moment Uncle David stepped out, his gentle gaze turned vicious. Not only did he drop all talk of me dating, but he also kicked me square in the chest.
“You filthy bitch,” he spat. “How dare you still dream about love at your age? You don’t deserve it.”
Just then, my aunt, Felicia Hailbrook, came by my home. She was looking for Uncle David.
The second Aunt Felicia saw what he’d done, she tore into him, screaming like he was the scum of the earth. But after Dad pulled her into his study, she turned on me too.
She told me never to think about marriage ever again, or she would poison me.
I was left completely puzzled. What was it about that study that made everyone flip on me the moment they stepped inside?
Even Angela, who had always been close to me since childhood, tried to talk me out of marriage.
She even went so far as to secretly burn all my photos with my ex-boyfriends and block their numbers on my phone. She refused to let me meet or contact any men.
The entire situation weighed on my mind day and night. I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Everything about it felt… creepy.
At the very least, I still had Mom on my side, but she was always busy.
She ran three restaurants and worked herself to the bone from dawn till dusk. She hardly had time to breathe, let alone protect me from what happened at home.
I wouldn’t lie, every breakup had left me devastated. I cried and made a fuss, but nothing ever changed.
The disappointment crushed me. It felt as if a hole had been torn straight through my chest, and the breeze from the window left a chilling cold deep inside.
Dad shot me a disdainful look before he settled into the couch to watch television. I walked over and stood in front of him, my expression dead serious.
“Dad, just tell me the truth. Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you? Am I just in your way? Why can’t we talk this out like adults? Does it really have to come to this?”
We were family. If there was a misunderstanding, we could talk it out.
But he didn’t even look at me. His eyes stayed glued to the television, cold and detached.
“I’ve told you,” he said flatly. “You’re not allowed to date or get married. If you dare defy me, I’ll kill you myself.”
Then, Dad narrowed his eyes at me, his glare sharp enough to send a shiver down my spine. He wasn’t joking.
Suddenly, he stood up and went into the kitchen. Then, he came back with a knife and charged at me like a madman.
Terrified, I locked myself inside my room and called my best friend, Susan Collins. I begged her to get the police.
The police officers arrived quickly, with Susan right behind them.
A female officer immediately subdued Dad, wrestled the kitchen knife from his hand, and hurled it across the room. Finally safe, I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out of my room.
“Mr. Schrute, you’re under arrest for attempted murder. You need to come with us to the station for questioning!” the officer declared.
But even as they cuffed him, Dad still wore a smug expression on his face. He wasn’t scared at all.
When Susan saw the cuts on my arm from the knife, her face went pale. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
She punched Dad in rage and shouted, “Are you insane? She’s your daughter! You actually tried to kill her just for wanting to get married?”
Susan broke down and sobbed into her hands until she could barely catch her breath. I had no doubt that if the police officers weren’t right there, she would have thrown herself at Dad just for my sake.
It hit me then that there were people in my corner who genuinely cared for me and my happiness.
The police officers questioned Dad sternly. They demanded to know why he had done it, but he just stared back and showed not a shred of remorse.
Then, Susan stepped forward and raised her phone.
“I have evidence,” she said. “Since Elizabeth was 20, her father had forced her to break up with every single boyfriend. He even encouraged them to hit and insult her! I have all the photos she sent me of her injuries. Every one of these monsters needs to be punished.
The moment her words fell, Dad let out a low, chilling laugh. His face twisted into something terrifying.
He signaled for the officers to release him, then turned to Susan with a cold smile.
“I’ll go with you,” he said calmly. “But first, I need to get something from my study. It’s something you’ll want to see. If you’re afraid I’ll run, you can all come with me.”
Chapter 3
I gasped sharply, a cold chill rushing through me. Without a second thought, I moved to block the way to the study.
Cold sweat beaded on my forehead, and my eyes brimmed red with panic. “No! No one is allowed to enter!” I cried.
A cold dread washed through me. I knew that once they stepped inside with Dad, they would come out changed—just like all the others before.
Seeing how terrified I was, Susan wrapped an arm around my shoulder to comfort me.
“Ellie, are you alright? It’s okay. I’m here now, and so are the police. Your dad can’t hurt you anymore.”
She watched me, concerned, but I stood firmly in front of the door. I gripped the handle tightly, refusing to let anyone enter.
I was terrified and desperate. Even the police officers seemed puzzled by my intense reaction.
Then, two female officers approached me with gentle smiles. They took my hand and guided me to the side.
“It’s okay, Elizabeth. They’ll just let him get some stuff. He won’t be able to harm you,” one of them reassured me.
I shook my head desperately as tears streamed down my face. “No, please. You can’t let him go in.”
My resistance only affirmed the police officers’ belief that the study hid some terrible secret.
One of the female officers ordered me to stay put as everyone else followed Dad inside. I could do nothing to stop them.
Even Susan couldn’t hold back her frustration. “Now that you’re at death’s door, let’s see what tricks you have up your sleeve!” she snapped. “How dare you try to kill your own daughter! The law will make you pay no matter what you’ve done!”
She was the last to enter the study. Just before stepping in, she turned and gave me a quick, reassuring wink and a smile.
It was as if to say that there was nothing to worry about and that with her there everything would be fine.
I stood there, my emotions in turmoil. A part of me clung to hope that perhaps, Susan’s will was strong enough to resist Dad’s influence.
Even if she went into that study, surely she would still be the same person I trusted. But as it turned out, I had been too naive.
Through the crack in the door, I watched as Susan’s expression shifted from fear and panic to anger and hostility. Grinding her teeth in rage, she grabbed a teacup and hurled it to the floor.
At that, Dad looked up smugly, as if he had expected it all along.
When she finally came out, she destroyed her phone. Then, she smiled sweetly at the police officers and apologized.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Schrute was only trying to bond with his daughter. He never intended to hurt her. I misunderstood the entire situation.”
The officers frowned, their expressions stern as they fixed their eyes on me.
“Don’t you dare make another false report!” one exclaimed. “We’ll let you off with a warning this time, but next time, you won’t be so lucky!”
Hearing that, I slumped to the ground like a deflated balloon. The shift in their attitude was clear—I had lost my last chance at help.
Susan then jabbed her nails harshly into my temples and snarled. “You heard that, didn’t you? If you hadn’t lied about someone trying to kill you, I never would’ve made a false report. You’d better reflect on what you’ve done!”
Everyone glared at me before the police officers released Dad. Then one by one, they all left.
As the door closed, Susan turned back with a bitter and scornful look.
She stormed into the kitchen and grabbed two knives. Then, she shoved them into Dad’s hand and urged him to just finish me off.
“You were right, Mr. Schrute. Elizabeth is nothing but a disgrace. She’d rather throw away a good life just for some romance. You should just finish her off since she refuses to listen. Trash like her doesn’t deserve to breathe. She’s better off dead.”
Upon hearing that, my tears fell uncontrollably as I stared at her in disbelief.
Chapter 4
“Susan, do you even hear yourself? You’re my best friend!” I cried.
I grabbed her hand, but she shook me off with contempt. Her face was cold.
“I’m only telling the truth,” she said. “You brought this on yourself.”
In that instant, my heart felt like it was being torn apart. This was my childhood friend, the one I had grown up with. I couldn’t believe that she had changed.
Then, I recalled a memory from when I was little, when Dad had punished me by withholding food. Susan would sneak over with bread, wait by my door, and quietly slip it to me so I wouldn’t go hungry.
She had once promised that we’d be sisters for life, that she’d always be there for me.
I remembered a day we had walked hand in hand. I had asked, “Hey, what if I never get married?”
Her eyes had shone with sincerity and warmth as she replied with unwavering conviction, “It’s okay if you don’t. I bought a place, didn’t I? You can live with me, and I won’t get married either. I’ll take care of you for life, and we can even adopt a child. From then on, we’ll be family.”
She was the one who told me not to cry over men. She said that men could change in a snap, and that only proved that they had never truly loved me.
But now, what made her any different from those men?
My chest ached as if it had been struck, while a thread of suspicion tangled like thorns in my mind, tightening until I could barely breathe.
I couldn’t stop wondering—what power did Dad’s study hold? How could it twist those who once cherished me, turning their care to cruelty… even making them willing to see me dead?
From that day forward, my friendship with Susan ended. We became strangers. I wasn’t physically harmed, but the damage ran deep.
For a long time afterward, I went to therapy, trying to reclaim some piece of happiness.
Dad and Angela didn’t care. All they knew was how to control and exploit me.
Then, Mom finally came home for her annual break. She would take a break once a year to spend time with family.
When she found out that I had been going to the hospital for therapy, she was filled with guilt. One night, she came into my room.
Mom stood by my bed and saw me lying there, my eyes numb and vacant. Her own face was streaked with tears.
She pulled me into her arms and said, “Ellie, this is all my fault. I’ve tried to talk sense into your father so many times, but he just won’t listen.”
Her voice trembled with pain, as if she wished she could take my suffering herself.
I knew how hard life was for Mom. Without her love, I wouldn’t have lasted this long.
Every time Dad tried to beat or scold me, she would always step in and oppose him for my sake. She knew his temper better than anyone, and since she couldn’t change him, she compensated by loving me even more.
But Mom was busy running her shop from dawn till dusk, and by the time she came home, I was already asleep.
Still, it didn’t matter. I could always feel her care for me. It was what reminded me that someone in this world still cared for me and wouldn’t turn against me for some strange, inexplicable reason.
I had thought about moving out, but Dad kept such a close watch on me. He was convinced that I would marry someone in secret the moment I left the house.
He even warned me that if I dared to move away, he would torture me until I begged for death. The very thought of his study sent a shiver down my spine.
I clung to Mom’s arm and playfully said, “Mom, will you always listen to me, no matter what I say?”
She stroked my hair tenderly and softly replied, “Of course, I will. You’re my beloved daughter. I’ll always listen to you, no matter what you say.”
Looking at her earnestly, I pleaded, “Then promise me that you’ll never ever go into Dad’s study. Can you do that for me?”
At that, Mom frowned slightly. “Is there something hidden in there?”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “But please, just promise me that you’ll never go in there, okay?”
“Don’t worry, my dear,” she reassured me. “I’ll listen to you. If you tell me not to go in there, then I won’t, I promise.”
“You’re the best, Mom.”
“Of course,” she said firmly. “I will always be good to you, always.”
Mom’s expression was so serious, and I believed her. As long as she stayed out of Dad’s study, she wouldn’t be brainwashed by him and would still love me.
She even tried to comfort me, saying Dad was just stubborn and difficult, that I shouldn’t take his words to heart.
Mom even told me that she had already arranged a blind date for me with a man of good character through a matchmaking site. She said no real parent would forbid their daughter from getting married, that it was unreasonable.
Feeling relieved, I agreed to meet the man that weekend. But the very next day, Mom told me the blind date had been canceled.
We were supposed to go for breakfast together that morning, but she didn’t wake me. I slept in until noon, thinking she had gone back to work.
When I finally opened my door, Mom was there waiting. Without a word, she hurled a bowl from the dining table straight at my head.
Pain shot across my forehead, and warm blood spilled onto the floor.
Chapter 5
Dad’s vein bulged on his forehead.
“All you do is sleep! Why don’t you just sleep until you die? It’ll be easier to deal with your corpse that way!”
Fear and hurt washed over me, and my vision blurred. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, Mom sat at the dining table, eating barbecue ribs. She acted as if I didn’t exist.
Dad’s face twisted with smug satisfaction. He picked up a whip and brought it down on me. The lash burned like fire across my skin.
I broke down, sobbing. “Dad, I don’t understand. What did I even do wrong? For years, you’ve destroyed every relationship I’ve ever had. Isn’t that enough? Are you actually trying to beat me to death now?”
His nostrils flared violently with every breath. Each one was a raw vent for the hatred burning within him.
“Beating you to death would be better!” he roared. “Just the sight of you makes me want to skin you alive! So desperate to be a bride, aren’t you? Fine. I’ll arrange a marriage for you after you’re dead. How about that?”
The whip cracked again and again, landing with brutal impact. As it did, a sharp, searing pain bloomed across my skin.
The unbearable pain tore a raw scream from my throat. I screamed until my voice gave out, and my body thrashed violently as my mind was consumed by the agony.
All the while, Mom ate her ribs and scrolled through videos on her phone. She even laughed out loud at one, without a single concern for my survival.
I stumbled toward her, desperate. “Mom! Please, make him stop! He’s going to kill me!”
I expected her to push Dad away and shield me like before, but she didn’t even move. Instead, she glared at me impatiently.
“You brought this on yourself. You keep provoking him, so it’s only right that he teaches you a lesson.”
At that moment, my head throbbed and my arms trembled. A horrifying thought seized me. Mom must have entered Dad’s study too.
I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. “Mom, tell me the truth! You went into Dad’s study, didn’t you? You promised me you wouldn’t! You also promised you’d go to the blind date with me. How could you just forget?”
I screamed hysterically, and Dad turned purple with rage at the sight.
Mom threw her fork at my face. “Enough! Who even went into that study? Just look at you. Who would ever want to marry you? If you keep this up, I’ll have your father strangle you right now, so you can stop ruining men’s lives!”
She had changed.
Just like everyone around me, she forbade me from dating and getting married. If I disobeyed, I was better off dead.
I was certain of it—she had stepped into that cursed study too. How else could the gentle, kind mother I once knew turn so cruel?
Then, Angela and Lawrence walked out. They were well-dressed and all set to head out for the day.
As they walked through the living room, they saw me beaten and bruised. But they showed no shock or sympathy and just left.
Dad’s fists and kicks continued to rain down on me. I curled tighter with each blow, every strike landing like a sledgehammer to the bone.
The pain darkened my vision and drenched me in cold sweat. Finally satisfied, Dad stopped.
Mom leaned sweetly against him, and together they disappeared into the bedroom.
The torment had broken me, both in body and spirit. I couldn’t understand. Why was I, a normal woman, forbidden from falling in love or marrying like everyone else?
It was summer, but a chill had taken root in my heart.
Now that Mom had abandoned me, I knew that remaining in this family meant nothing but a slow and painful death.
That night, I secretly packed my IDs and papers into my backpack. I would wait until the dead of night and escape once they were all asleep.
But as I crept into the living room in the dark, I noticed a faint glow from the study.
Through the crack in the door, I saw Dad sitting at his desk. His face twisted into a grotesque, sinister grin that stretched almost to his ears.
I stood there frozen, and my entire body went cold. At that moment, I finally understood why he would never allow me to date and get married.
Download the GoodNovel app, Search 【 313565 】reads the whole book.
