Chapter 1 Losing Temper

• “Dominic, go wash the socks! They've been piling up for days. Are you blind?” Just as Dominic Lloyd finished washing the dishes and was about to sit down on the couch, his wife, who was watching TV next to him, gave him a nudge.
• Dominic's wife, Cherilyn Sanders, was clad in a sheer nightgown, her skin fair and delicate. Her fingernails and toenails were painted a bold red. A very sensual sight, indeed. Regrettably, even after more than a year of marriage, Dominic had never so much as touched Cherilyn's hand. Any attempt to get a bit closer and Cherilyn would lash out with harsh words.
• Dominic staggered slightly, his body exhausted from a day's worth of hustle and bustle, feeling as if he was falling apart. He was a courier, starting work at six in the morning and often not finishing until seven or eight in the evening!
• Upon returning home, he had to cook, wash dishes, and mop the floor... Even during meal times, he couldn't sit at the table. He could only eat the leftovers from his wife and mother-in-law. Sometimes, he simply couldn't get enough to eat.
• Meanwhile, his wife would finish work every day at five in the afternoon. His mother-in-law, on the other hand, spent her days line dancing and playing poker, not lifting a finger to do anything. Everything at home was left for Dominic to handle.
• Why?
• That was because Dominic was a spineless son-in-law who lived with his wife's family.
• Dominic hailed from a rural village, and his family was steeped in poverty, lacking the funds to afford a wife. When Cherilyn's family initially agreed to have Dominic as their live-in son-in-law, they felt as though Dominic had gained an enormous advantage.
• “All right. I'll wash them now!” Dominic took a deep breath, hurriedly entered the bathroom, washed several pairs of socks clean, and hung them up to dry.
• Dominic had to endure. His parents were getting on in years, and he had to hand over his monthly salary. If he wanted to show filial piety by giving his parents a few hundred, he had to ask Cherilyn for permission.
• Dominic had just emerged from the bathroom when Cherilyn began to instruct him again, “Go and peel some apples for me and Mom!”
• “All right!” Dominic, holding some apples, went to the kitchen and peeled three. He handed one each to Cherilyn and his mother-in-law, leaving one for himself. Dominic picked it up, ready to eat. He had only eaten a bit of leftovers earlier and was far from full.
• However, before Dominic could even take a bite of the apple, Cherilyn slapped his wrist. “What are you doing? Who said you could eat the apple?”
• “Exactly. Do you know how much these apples cost per pound? Can you even afford to eat such things?” His mother-in-law at the side also chimed in, criticizing him.
• A surge of anger welled up in Dominic's heart. He had toiled relentlessly, delivering packages for a month, and hadn't he earned around five or six thousand? Was he not even allowed to eat an apple?
• However, remembering that he had to take five hundred from Cherilyn today to give to his parents, Dominic managed to hold back. He placed the apple on the plate, paused slightly, and then spoke up hesitantly. “Cherilyn, um... it's time to give money to my parents this month. My father fell ill again...”
• Dominic's words instantly stunned Cherilyn, her face reddening in an instant. “Money, money! All your impoverished parents know is to ask for money. Do they know anything else? They have the audacity after raising such a cowardly son!”
• Every time he asked for money, Cherilyn always had this attitude, which constantly irritated Dominic. But he always held his patience until he heard Cherilyn insulting his parents. He could bear it no longer. “Cherilyn, watch your words. They are, after all, my parents!”
• As he spoke, Dominic's face turned beet red, so flustered that he abruptly stood up. His fists were clenched tightly, veins bulging, as if he was ready to throw a punch at any moment.
• Cherilyn straightened up from the couch, looking at Dominic with a face full of disdain. “Oh, what's this? Rebelling, are you? Want to hit someone? Come on, give it a try. If you dare to lift a finger today, you can forget about getting anything from me!”
• Dominic had handed over his payroll card, so whenever he needed some money, he had to plead earnestly with Cherilyn as if he were a beggar.
• As Dominic thought of his parents suffering back in his hometown, his wrists trembled slightly with suppressed frustration.
• I have to endure it!
• For the sake of sparing my parents some hardship, I'll bear these grievances myself!
• “I'm... I'm sorry...” Dominic lowered his head, settling back down on the couch, and quietly apologized to Cherilyn.
• Cherilyn sneered triumphantly, “Hmph! I bet you wouldn't dare! Not to speak ill of your sickly old father, but he might as well be dead. His existence is even worse than that of a dog...”
• Cherilyn continued to berate Dominic's parents, but at that moment, Dominic's head seemed to explode with a loud bang, his eyes turning bright red. “Cherilyn, what did you just say? I dare you to say it again!”
• At that moment, Dominic was like a mad dog, giving Cherilyn quite a scare. His mother-in-law, standing nearby, couldn't help but tug at Cherilyn's sleeve.
• Insulting someone's parents by calling them dogs was indeed a bit too much.
• However, Cherilyn, confident that she had Dominic wrapped around her finger, scoffed and said, “I've said it before. I said your father is worse than a dog, so what?”
• No sooner had Cherilyn finished speaking than Dominic abruptly stood up. Without uttering another word, he swung his hand, and a fierce slap landed on Cherilyn's face.
• Smack!
• A solid slap landed on Cherilyn's face, immediately leaving the imprint of five fingers. Cherilyn was knocked back onto the couch, her face filled with disbelief as she looked at Dominic. “You... you've turned against me. You actually dared to hit me?”
• At this moment, Dominic seemed like a completely different person. “Hmph, so what if I hit you? You wicked woman, I've had enough! If it comes to it, we can just divorce... I don't need to treat you like a queen...”