Chapter 575: Selena’s Parents
The next day, Selena stepped out of her house, the early morning air still carrying a faint chill, only to freeze in place when she saw two familiar figures standing right outside her gate. Her parents.
Her mother, Yuna, and her father, Marco.
The moment they noticed her, their eyes lit up, and without hesitation, they hurried toward her, crowding her space as if they had every right to be there.
Selena instinctively clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as a wave of irritation and unease rose within her chest.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice cold, though her pulse thudded loudly in her ears.
The moment those words left her lips, Yuna’s face twisted, her brows knitting together as her voice rose sharply, "Is that how you speak to your parents? Have you completely forgotten your manners?"
Selena let out a dry chuckle, the sound laced with bitterness.
"Manners?" she echoed, her lips curling slightly. "I don’t really know what kind of manners I’m supposed to use for people who kicked me out the moment I told them about my sexual preferences."
For a brief second, the air turned suffocatingly still.
Yuna’s expression stiffened, her lips trembling before she sputtered,
"What nonsense are you spouting? How can you say such disgusting things out loud, in public, no less? Have you no shame?"
Beside her, Marco’s face flushed a deep red, anger radiating off him as he jabbed a finger toward Yuna. "Look at her," he snapped. "Just look at the child you’ve raised."
Selena rolled her eyes, exhaling slowly as if trying to rid herself of the suffocating tension.
"If you both have such a huge problem with me," she muttered, her tone dripping with sarcasm, "then you could’ve just stayed away. Why are you standing here like this?"
Marco’s eyes narrowed, his finger now pointing directly at Selena. "You’ve truly become unfilial," he barked.
Selena tilted her head slightly, her expression turning indifferent. "And yet, here you are," she replied coolly. "Why don’t you just leave? Or should I call the police and report that two strangers are trespassing on my property?"
At those words, both Yuna and Marco visibly stiffened. A flicker of unease passed between them, their earlier arrogance faltering just a little.
"We... we just want to talk," Yuna said, her tone softening abruptly, as if flipping a switch.
Selena watched them quietly, a faint, mocking smile tugging at her lips. ’How amusing,’ she thought. ’Just a moment ago, they were acting like they owned everything... and now look at them.’
Aloud, she chuckled softly. "You two really know how to put on a performance," she murmured. "But I’m not interested. You can leave."
Yuna’s eyes widened slightly, panic flashing across her face as she quickly added,
"How can you say that without even hearing us out? What if it’s something important... like your inheritance?"
Selena raised an eyebrow, her gaze sharpening. "Oh?" she said slowly. "So you’re here to transfer all your inheritance to me?"
For a split second, Yuna’s expression twisted with barely concealed rage, her hand twitching as if she wanted to slap Selena right then and there.
"Don’t be ridiculous!" she snapped. "Even if you’re still our daughter, how could we possibly hand over everything to you?"
Selena gave a soft laugh, shaking her head. "So... you’re not here to give me my share?" she asked, though there was no interest in her voice.
Deep down, she knew better.
Her parents were far too traditional, too rigid, to ever willingly put even a single penny in her name.
Yuna, already seething, pointed at Selena, her voice rising again, but before she could explode further, Marco placed a hand on her arm, stopping her. He stepped forward instead, forcing a thin, controlled smile.
"We are indeed here to give you your share," he said, his tone measured. "But first, we need to see your sincerity."
Selena let out a quiet breath, lifting her hand to rub the bridge of her nose with her index finger, as if already exhausted. "If that’s the case," she replied flatly, "then I don’t need to hear anything more. You can leave."
Marco’s smile stiffened. "As long as you show your sincerity," he continued, "by giving us at least one million dollars, we will give you an inheritance of ten million."
Silence. Selena blinked once, then slowly turned her gaze from Marco to Yuna. And then...
She laughed.
The sound burst out of her uncontrollably, loud and sharp, echoing through the quiet corridor.
It was so sudden, so unrestrained, that even a few distant neighbors might have heard it. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as her shoulders trembled slightly.
Yuna and Marco exchanged uneasy glances, their confidence wavering.
"Why are you laughing?" Marco snapped, his voice tinged with irritation.
Selena wiped at the corner of her eye, still chuckling. "Because you’re hilarious," she said, her voice trembling with amusement.
"You’re talking about a ten-million-dollar inheritance... and saying you’ll give it to me? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time. How come I never knew that our family was so well off?"
Her gaze turned sharp, almost piercing.
"Tell me," she added slowly, "who are you, people? Because there’s no way my parents would ever say something like this. Did someone else take over their bodies?"
Yuna’s face darkened instantly, fury blazing in her eyes. She pointed at Selena, her voice trembling with anger.
"This is exactly why we never wanted to dote on you properly!" she shouted. "You’re too sharp, too cold! You’ve never shown even a bit of warmth toward us, unlike Sel! To us, you’re practically nothing!"
For a moment... Selena fell silent. The laughter faded, replaced by a faint, hollow stillness.
Even though she had told herself countless times that she no longer cared... The words still pierced deep, like a blade sliding straight into her chest.
’How strange...’ she thought, her throat tightening. ’I thought I had already let go of everything... so why does it still hurt like this?’
But then... a familiar presence surfaced in her mind.
Aurora.
Aurora’s teachings echoed quietly: ’strike where it hurts the most.’
Selena inhaled slowly, steadying herself, and then looked up at Yuna with a faint, almost amused smile.
"Maybe you’re right," she said lightly. "But looking at you and your unreasonable demands... I can finally understand why even the heavens refused to give you a son."
The words landed like a slap. Both Yuna’s and Marco’s faces contorted with rage as they raised their hands almost simultaneously... but Selena had already stepped back.
Their palms sliced through empty air.
Yuna pointed at her, shaking with anger. "If you had even a shred of shame left," she yelled, "you would stand still and accept your punishment!"
That was the last straw.
Selena’s expression turned completely cold. Without another word, she pulled out her phone, her fingers moving swiftly as she prepared to dial the police.
"Stop! "Yuna shrieked, panic flooding her voice. "If you dare call the police, then don’t ever think about reuniting with Mia again!"
The moment those words left her mouth...something in Selena snapped.
Her grip on the phone tightened, her knuckles turning pale as a dangerous chill settled in her eyes.
"Reunite?" she repeated softly, her voice eerily calm.
Then her gaze turned razor-sharp.
"Let me make one thing very clear," she said, each word slow and deliberate. "If you dare threaten me using Mia... or if you so much as touch a single strand of her hair..."
Her voice dropped, cold enough to freeze the air around them. "...I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your lives."
"I’ll make sure you cry tears of blood," Selena finished, her voice dropping into a chilling whisper.
At that exact moment, something in her eyes shifted.
A terrifying, bloodthirsty glint flickered within them, so sharp and real that it didn’t feel like an empty threat. The air around her seemed to grow heavier, as if even the faint morning breeze had stilled in fear.
Yuna and Marco both froze.
A shiver crawled up their spines.
For the first time, they truly felt it... Selena wasn’t joking.
Seeing their expressions pale, Selena let out a quiet breath, her tone turning cold and decisive.
"I’ll give you five minutes," she said flatly. "If you’re still here after that... I will call the police."
Yuna blinked, snapping out of her daze as her mind raced. Forcing an awkward smile onto her face, she tried to regain control.
"You can’t kick us out like this," she argued quickly. "We’re your parents. Even if we enter your property, at most, it’ll just be considered a family dispute."
Selena let out a soft chuckle, though there was no warmth in it. "This apartment isn’t mine," she replied calmly. "And it definitely isn’t under your name either. So yes... I can call the police."
The words hit harder than expected.