Chapter 535: Completely Controlled

Chapter 535: Chapter 535: Completely Controlled

Since Mrs. Dunn was the mother who had raised him, Danny spoke with deep sincerity. He hoped his wife could be a little more understanding, promising that he would have a proper talk with his mother that night. Cameron believed him, assuming there would be a positive outcome the next day.

To her surprise, Mrs. Dunn only doubled down on her mistreatment the very next morning. What had started as mere verbal jabs had escalated into outright physical torment. Under the guise of saving money for her son, Mrs. Dunn fetched water from a public pipe to mop the floors and clean, leaving the entire apartment reeking of a foul stench. The moment Cameron voiced her complaints, she was berated for not being frugal enough. Meanwhile, her husband acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, remaining completely silent throughout the ordeal.

Soon after, Mrs. Dunn began assigning Cameron endless chores, ensuring she didn’t have a single minute of rest. Aside from her actual job, a mountain of housework awaited Cameron the moment she stepped through the door. She simply couldn’t catch a break. Initially, Cameron would complain to Danny, hoping he might share some of the burden. But everything changed after he slapped her across the face.

It was as if a switch had been flipped in Danny. Whenever he was upset, he would grab Cameron and beat her. At first, he showed some restraint, specifically targeting areas hidden by clothing. But gradually, his behavior grew more brazen. Aside from her face, there wasn’t a single spot on Cameron’s body left unbruised. Left with no other choice, she had to wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers to cover up the injuries, terrified that her colleagues or students might discover her situation.

This time, completely unable to bear it any longer, she had taken time off work and returned to her parents’ home for some peace of mind. She never expected them to instantly uncover the domestic abuse she had been suffering.

"How dare their family treat you like this! Divorce! You must divorce him!" Mr. Yorke slammed his hand angrily onto the table.

Mrs. Yorke nodded in fierce agreement. "You have to divorce him. Once something like this happens, it’ll happen again. He’ll never stop. You can’t let your heart soften. He’s testing your boundaries. If you forgive him just like that, you’ll be the one suffering endlessly later!" At this point, she poked Cameron’s forehead in deep frustration, her tone strict. "Did you hear me? Bring it up the moment you go back. No, wait. What if you suddenly cave in? Or what if that mother and son fly into a rage out of humiliation and attack you? We’re going back with you!"

Hearing this, Cameron hurriedly waved her hands, insisting that she would handle it herself and didn’t need her parents to accompany her. Mrs. Yorke wanted to argue, but Mr. Yorke stopped her.

Staring at his daughter with a solemn expression, Mr. Yorke said, "You can tell him yourself, but you must prioritize your safety. Don’t go back tonight—make your stance clear. If they refuse to agree, your mother and I will go over and help."

Cameron naturally nodded in rapid succession, promising that she understood.

The next day, ever since Cameron left, the Yorke couple had been plagued by restless anxiety. They constantly checked their phones, anxiously awaiting their daughter’s call. It wasn’t until the evening that they finally received a call from Cameron. However, she hadn’t called to say she had successfully brought up the divorce. Instead, she told her parents that she was pregnant.

The elderly couple felt as though the wind had been knocked out of them, unable to catch their breath. Yet, they couldn’t bear to scold their child, so they simply said they would visit her the next day.

The following morning, when Mr. and Mrs. Yorke rushed to the young couple’s home, they discovered the situation was far worse than Cameron had described. Just standing in the hallway, they could smell the foul odor emanating from the apartment. Cardboard boxes and empty bottles were piled up right outside the front door. Whenever neighbors passed by, they would furrow their brows, eyeing the space with looks of sheer disgust, as if staring at a garbage dump.

When they stepped into the living room, they realized the issues inside were even more severe. A wire cot was set up in the corner, made with the very bedsheets their daughter normally used. Her clothes were piled up at the foot of the bed. Though the living room appeared somewhat tidy, the elderly couple still noticed some disturbing details. Several empty bottles had been hoarded, and some even contained unidentified liquids.

Forcing herself to look away, Mrs. Yorke shifted her gaze to Cameron. Compared to yesterday’s bleak despair, Cameron looked completely radiant today. As she spoke with her parents, she would subconsciously touch her belly, proving her excitement for the unborn child through her actions.

"What on earth is going on?" Mrs. Yorke asked in a hushed voice, shooting a glance at Mrs. Dunn, who was sitting not too far away. They had agreed that Cameron would demand a divorce. Not only had Mrs. Yorke received zero updates the entire previous day, but the sudden call announcing a pregnancy had brought her far more shock than joy.

Cameron stroked her belly before briefly recounting the events of the previous day. Upon returning, she had fully intended to ask Danny for a divorce. But the moment she walked through the door, Mrs. Dunn—who had been preparing fish in the kitchen—spotted her. The older woman had charged over, jabbing her fingers reeking of raw fish right in Cameron’s face, scolding her for neglecting the family. Mrs. Dunn sniped that since Cameron hadn’t come home the entire night, she was probably out fooling around with someone else.

Cameron, already seething with anger, was suddenly hit by the overwhelming stench of raw fish. An inexplicable wave of nausea surged up her throat, and she immediately threw up.

At first, Mrs. Dunn thought Cameron was simply disgusted by her. Furious, she shrieked that she was going to have her son teach Cameron a lesson. But then, as if something clicked, she shoved her unwashed hands back in front of Cameron’s face. Watching Cameron vomit her guts out, Mrs. Dunn excitedly dialed Danny’s number, claiming his wife might be pregnant and telling him to rush home to take her to the hospital for a check-up.

From there, Danny had taken her to the hospital, where the pregnancy was confirmed. Once Mrs. Dunn heard the news, she pulled her son into the bedroom for a private chat. By the time they emerged, the mother-and-son duo’s entire attitude had shifted. They spoke to Cameron in gentle, soothing tones and refused to let her lift a finger. After dinner, Mrs. Dunn even offered to pack up her things and sleep in the living room for the next few days, insisting that Cameron move back into the master bedroom.

That night, Danny wrapped his arm around Cameron’s shoulders and apologized to her over and over again. He admitted that he never should have hit her, nor should he have sided with his mother to bully her. He begged Cameron to give him another chance, promising to be on his best behavior and give their unborn child all the paternal love he himself had never received.

Deep down, Cameron still had feelings for Danny. Now pregnant and in a highly sensitive emotional state, hearing his "heartfelt" apology and sob story completely melted her resolve. Her once-firm decision to get a divorce vanished into thin air, and in the midst of it all, she completely forgot to call her parents. It wasn’t until the next day, when she wanted to share the good news with them, that she finally remembered her promise.

After listening to Cameron’s explanation, Mrs. Yorke sighed heavily in her heart, realizing that her daughter was thoroughly under the thumb of that mother and son!

"But Mom, I just don’t want my baby to be born fatherless."