Chapter 455: You've Completely Disgraced Me

Zeke Walton rushed his mother to the hospital.

While the doctors worked to save his mother, he pulled Amina over to the surgical department for an examination.

Fortunately, she wasn’t seriously hurt. Aside from her face still being a bit red and swollen, her head had stopped spinning.

Her worst fears were coming true. As she waited with Zeke outside the emergency room, Amina’s heart was pounding with anxiety.

Zeke squeezed her hand.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m here for you, nothing bad will happen. I’m their biological son, after all—their only son. My mom’s just all talk; she’d never actually disown me. The only thing you need to do right now is trust me and let me handle this. No backing out, and no pessimistic talk, understand?”

Amina knew that if she told him to give up, to leave her so he could have a better life, it would only add fuel to the fire for Zeke.

So she said nothing and just nodded obediently.

The two of them waited outside, holding hands. After some time, Mr. Walton arrived in a frantic hurry.

Just then, his mother was stabilized, and the doctor came out of the room.

After hearing the doctor’s summary of the situation, Mr. Walton spun around and slapped Zeke across the face.

The force and speed of the blow startled everyone present.

Just like Amina moments before, Zeke’s nose and mouth started to bleed and his head spun, but the slap didn’t surprise him.

Because his father was a very traditional oriental father.

He was a man of few words, not one for warmth and affection. He was perpetually busy with work and rarely communicated with his children. When he did, it was usually to lecture them.

Growing up, his father hadn’t hit him often, but every time he did, it was for the same reason: defying him.

In the past, he’d been hit for things like homework or school choices. Now that it was about marriage, there was no escaping it.

The doctor was taken aback, but it was a family matter, so he didn’t dare say anything and quickly left.

Amina looked at Zeke, her eyes instantly turning red. She cupped his face.

“Zeke, Zeke, are you okay?”

“So you’re the woman who’s got him completely bewitched?”

Mr. Walton looked Amina up and down, his eyes filled with contempt.

“I thought you’d be someone impressive. Turns out you’re just… this?”

When Mrs. Walton had humiliated her, Amina had been hurt, but it was still within a tolerable range. After all, they were both women.

But hearing these words from Mr. Walton was different.

That disdain, that scorn, felt like a mountain crashing down, completely crushing the already insecure Amina.

She felt profoundly poor, ugly, and uncultured. She wasn’t good enough for Zeke. She was so ashamed she couldn’t even bring herself to look at him.

Zeke hadn’t been angry about the slap, but he couldn’t stand hearing his father talk to Amina like that.

“What are you saying? She’s a girl, how can you talk to her like that?”

Mr. Walton’s face darkened.

“What did I say? Am I not allowed to speak the truth? If she weren’t a girl, I’d… So what? You’ve gone blind for some girl like *this*, and I’m supposed to go blind with you? Do you expect me to kneel down and sing her praises?”

Zeke: “…Now you’re just being argumentative. You know that’s not what I meant!”

“Then what do you mean? I really don’t get what you mean, Zeke. Did your mother and I bring you into this world just so you could be a burden? Tell me, how much trouble have you caused us since you were a child? I don’t expect you to have some great talent and bring glory to the family, but at the very least, you could stop embarrassing me, right? You tell me, since you graduated and came back, besides that stupid website of yours that’s seen a little success, what have you accomplished? You just find new ways to disgrace me every single day! Damn it, the good name I’ve spent half my life building is being ruined by you!”

“It’d be one thing if you were just playing around, but you actually want to get serious with her? Do you really think your mother and I are dead and gone, that you’re so grown you can do whatever you damn well please?”

Mr. Walton’s tirade left Zeke stunned.

He never imagined that in his father’s eyes, he had always been such a disappointment.

He’d always had excellent grades in school, and his aunts and uncles were always praising him whenever he was mentioned.

Sure, he hadn’t achieved the same level of success as Damien Vaughn, Brandon Jacobs, or Wyatt Wynn, but it wasn’t like he was embarrassing his father day in and day out, was it?

“Dad, is all that true? Is that really the image you have of me in your heart?”

Mr. Walton looked at his son, blood dripping from his nose and mouth, and at the woman cowering beside him. He was so disappointed he wanted to bang his head against a wall.

“My whole life, I might not have set the world on fire or achieved anything spectacular, but at least… Of course it’s true! Why the hell did I have such a good-for-nothing son!”

“I’m laying it all out for you today. It’s not like I’m too old to have more kids! If you insist on defying me and keep doing things I can’t stand to look at, I’ll divorce your mother and find someone else to have more children with! You can go live or die for all I care, I won’t give you a single penny! Go fend for yourself! I’ll just pretend I never had a son like you!”

“The problem is you’ve never suffered a day in your life. We spoiled you rotten, so you have no idea how good you have it! You’re looking for hardship where there is none! Fine! Then go get your fill of it! I’ll just raise a few new kids who are ten times better than you!”

In the past, when his father got angry and hit him, his tone was always one of disappointment, like he hated that his son wasn’t living up to his potential. He never expected him to say something so severe today.

It wasn’t just his pride that was wounded; Zeke felt his very dignity had been insulted.

“In your eyes, am I a person or your property? Or am I just a dog you raised? I have to do whatever you say, and the moment I do something you don’t like, you’re ready to throw me away? I’m in my twenties, and I’m not allowed to have my own thoughts? That’s ridiculous, you know that?”

“Ridiculous or not, I’m your father! That gives me the right to call the shots! Don’t believe me? Let’s test it! I’ll give you one hour. Get rid of her, come apologize to your mother and me, and you’re still a part of the Walton Family. Otherwise… I’ve had it up to here with you, you goddamn embarrassment!”

Zeke had always thought he was the apple of his parents’ eye, that no matter what decision he made, they would eventually understand and support him.

As it turned out, he was just a replaceable accessory.

‘Just great.’

‘He’s going to find someone to have new kids with and tell me to get lost? Just great!’

Zeke grabbed Amina’s hand and started to leave. Seeing this, Mr. Walton looked like he was about to die of fury.

“Made your decision that quickly? I’m warning you, Zeke. If you dare walk out that door today, we are completely done!”

“Then we’re done! I don’t want a single penny from you! I refuse to believe I can’t survive without you! You’re right. You’re so young and capable, go find someone and have a few new kids! I hope you get what you want soon!”

Outside the hospital entrance, seeing Zeke’s ashen face, Amina didn’t even dare to breathe.

Fuming, Zeke pulled her into the car. His hands trembled as he started the engine. He took several deep breaths, finally suppressing his rage before turning to look at her.

“Come here. Were you scared?”

Tears immediately welled up in Amina’s eyes.

She threw herself into Zeke’s arms, holding him tightly and sobbing uncontrollably.

“It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault… I knew this would happen…”