Page 100 of Billionaire’s Cruelty

“Language, Kai.”

“Mommy,” he pleaded, his voice suddenly small. “Please, let her go.”

“Wait for it…” Her laughter cracked through the air, shrill and piercing, sending a chill down my spine.

“Say it,” she sneered, yanking my hair like I was nothing more than a ragdoll. “Say you’re not going to marry him.”

“No, of course not,” I gasped. “We’ve only been on, what—one or two dates?”

“You hear that, son?” Another laugh, sharp and mocking. “And yet, you already fucked this whore, didn’t you? What more do you want? Haven’t you had your fill?”

“Let her go,” Wendy demanded.

“Shut up.” Mrs. Li spat. “You’re exactly the same. Just like her. Denying your own roots. Calling yourselves American. Prancing around town like you’re open for anyone to fuck you.”

“Stop insulting her,” Kai growled, his voice edged with barely contained rage. “You don’t know the half of it.”

“We’re the worst. I admit it. My mother used to say the same thing about me.” I said, hoping to appease the crazy woman.

Mrs. Li had lost control of her emotions. If I had to guess—judging by her erratic mood swings and what Kai said earlier—she suffered from some kind of mental disorder. There was no official diagnosis, but I knew one thing for certain: we had to try a different approach.

“You hear that?” Her hand jerked, and the dull edge of her nail file sawed against my throat. I leaned back, trying to ease the pressure.

“What else did she say?” she demanded.

“Oh, a lot actually.” I forced out a laugh, though my heart pounded against my ribs. “I can tell you all about it over coffee.”

“Yes, Ma. June’s not that bad.” Kai’s voice was surprisingly steady. “Her mother is half-Chinese. She’s actually here in China to learn more about her roots.”

I had no idea what he was thinking. Mrs. Li had been keeping tabs on Kai—his whereabouts, his life, the women he had been seeing. She must have known why I was here.

“No.” She tightened her grip on my hair, yanking my head back once more. “I don’t want to ever see her in your life. I want her gone. Now.”

“Of course, I’ll take that million-dollar offer.” I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the sharp sting on my scalp. “I don’t even like Kai that much.”

“That hurts,” Kai muttered, playing along with my game like he could read my mind.

“You think I’m stupid?” she snapped, “What made you change your mind so quickly?”

She struck me on the head with the back of the nail file. The impact rattled through my skull, but I didn’t dare react. I thought about running, but the moment I even considered it, she pressed the file against my throat again.

“Do you know how long I’ve known Kai?” I asked carefully.

“Yes. What are you getting at?”

“I had a crush on him when I was eighteen.”

“He was a dreamboat back then…” she mused, her laugh softer this time, almost nostalgic.

“Yes. Perfect. Still is. But, you know, we American girls prefer American boys.” I wasn’t sure if this was the best angle, but playing the American card might be my only way out with a racist like her. “Falling for Kai wasn’t an option, so I did what I knew best.”

“And what is that?”

“Fucked him out of my system.”

She let out a sharp, hysterical laugh, throwing her head back.

“See, I was right. She’s a whore.”