Chapter 246

Chapter 246

By the time Veda came out with the food, Hayden had already lost his patience.

Especially when he saw Veda looking so disheveled and messy, Hayden got even angrier. He grabbed a nearby vase and smashed it hard near Veda's feet.

"It's just cooking a meal, why are you taking forever? Anyone would think I asked you to make some fancy feast."

Veda jumped in fright and took two steps back. She knew Hayden was in a bad mood right now, so she didn't dare provoke him.

"Dad, after all, this is my first time cooking. You eat while it's hot, I'll go buy you some alcohol."

After saying this, Veda hurried out of the Brown Villa. When she came back with the alcohol, Hayden gulped it down without saying a word, looking particularly scary.

Veda sat across from him, eating very carefully. Ever since their family's misfortune, she knew Hayden blamed everything on her.

Especially now that Hayden was in a bad mood, if she said one wrong thing, she might very well anger him.

After Veda quietly finished eating, she was about to slip back to her room, but by this time Hayden was already drunk.

Seeing Veda get up, he immediately snapped at her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Veda took a deep breath and said nervously, "Dad, it's getting late. Of course I'm going to bed. You enjoy your drink, and just rest when you're done. I'll clean up tomorrow morning."

At this moment, Veda felt like her life was about surviving in the cracks.

Hayden snorted coldly with an angry glare.

"Veda, don't think that just because you're being careful around me I'm not mad at you. If it weren't for you and your mom always causing trouble, how could we have angered Sophia?"

"If Sophia hadn't been desperate, she wouldn't have turned to James. If James wasn't backing her up, the Brown Group would still be mine."

Hayden really regretted it now. He shouldn't have supported Veda and Chase being together in the first place.

Originally, Chase and Sophia were the ones engaged. If Sophia had married Chase, even if Sophia wanted to reclaim Ava's inheritance, no matter what he said about not giving it to her, she wouldn't have been able to do anything about it.

After all, Chase would never have stood up for Sophia. Even if Sophia had married Chase, it would have been for nothing.

But Sophia married James instead, and that changed everything completely.

Veda paused slightly, knowing Hayden was about to throw a drunken fit.

Before, when he was still at the company, Hayden would throw drunken fits after coming home from business dinners. But back then, at least Hazel was there to back her up, so Hayden didn't dare go too far.

But now Hazel wasn't by her side, and she had become the Brown family's sinner. When Hayden threw his drunken fits, she felt there was no escape.

"Dad, let's talk about this after you sober up."

Veda was really worried that Hayden would throw a fit, so after saying this, she still tried to head upstairs.

But Hayden had no intention of letting her go. He grabbed an empty wine bottle and threw it directly at Veda. This time he showed no mercy, hitting her squarely.

Veda's wounds hadn't healed yet, and now the empty bottle hit her hard on the back. She cried out in pain.

"That hurts! Dad, what are you doing? You told me to cook and I cooked for you. You told me to buy alcohol and I bought it. Now that you've eaten and drunk your fill, just go to sleep."

Veda really couldn't take it anymore. After all, she had always lived a pampered life before. Today she had suffered so much, cooking for the first time in her life.

And she had pitifully bought him alcohol. Why wouldn't Hayden just let her go? All she wanted now was to go back to her room and get some sleep.

Was such a simple request really so hard to fulfill?

"Can't you understand what I'm saying? I just said that if it weren't for you and your mother, our family wouldn't have ended up like this today. Can't you understand what I'm saying?"

Veda's tears kept falling. She didn't know if it was from feeling wronged or from the pain in her body.

"Dad, how can you say that? I didn't want our family to become like this either. Mom is suffering in prison every day, and you've lost the Brown Group. Are you saying all of this is my fault?"

Hayden snorted coldly and took another drink.

"If it's not your fault, then whose fault is it? You and your mom are both disasters. I never should have gotten together with your mother in the first place. If I hadn't been with her, I wouldn't have had a bastard like you."

Hearing this, Veda clenched her hands into fists in anger.

"Dad, I'm your own flesh and blood. How can you say that? If I'm a bastard, then what does that make you?"

Hayden could hear the defiance in Veda's tone.

He was someone who wanted authority in the family. Hearing Veda's words now, he immediately got furious.

Everything that had happened recently had been torturing him inside, and he just needed somewhere to vent. He strode directly up to Veda.

"Say that again if you dare! Veda, am I being too nice to you? I've fed you and housed you all these years, and now you don't know how to be grateful at all."

Veda got anxious.

"Dad, how else should I show gratitude? Our family is already like this, but I'm still taking care of you. I cook for you, I cleaned this room today. What more do you want from me?"

Veda knew Hayden had drunk too much, but she still couldn't control her emotions and talked back to him. As soon as she finished speaking, Hayden raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face.

Veda was completely stunned.

"Dad, at a time like this, how can you still hit me? My wounds haven't even healed yet. Can't you show me some mercy?"

Hayden just found it laughable.

"I show you mercy? Who's going to show me mercy? I told you and your mom over and over again not to cause any more trouble, to just stay home quietly. Did either of you listen to me?"

"I'm telling you, our family ending up like this today is all thanks to you."

After saying this, Hayden reached out and grabbed Veda by the hair, yanking her toward him.