The first time I attended my girlfriend Joyce's friend gathering, after a few rounds of drinks, her male best friend pulled her onto his lap.

With a cigarette dangling between his fingers, he grinned. "Call me daddy!"

Instead of getting offended, Joyce leaned into him, helpless but indulgent, and said, "Daddy."

I froze, scowling, but she waved me off without a care.

"It's just a joke! Lucius always never cared for the rules, and everyone knows we have a father-daughter vibe, okay? Don't get it all twisted, Henry! Aren't you a man?"

Lucius became even more provocative, throwing a smoke ring at me. "Yo, son-in-law! Aren't you going to bow to me? Come on, kneel and offer me a drink, and your dad's got your back!"

Everyone at the table burst into laughter as they waited to see me lose my temper and make a scene.

I just smiled, meeting Joyce's impatient gaze with an excited expression. "That's great! I like the way you think, so why don't you call me daddy too?"

Everyone in the room froze for a moment before erupting in laughter, and even louder jeers.

"Holy crap, he's got balls!"

"Is he trying to get Lucius to call him daddy too?"

Lucius's expression froze, clearly not expecting someone who always seemed so mild-mannered as me to react in the way I did. Quickly, his expression reverted to his usual roguish grin, his hand casually sliding over Joyce's waist.

"My dear daughter, this new boyfriend of yours doesn't seem very smart. What's he trying to pull here?"

Joyce's brows furrowed, clearly displeased. "Are you an idiot, Henry? Lucius was just joking with you, so why did you have to be so rude with him? Don't you have a sense of humor?"

I replied calmly, "Wasn't he the one who told you to call him daddy first? Since he wants to be a father, why can't I want the same? Also…"

As I spoke, I raised my hand and smacked Lucius's head, hard. "Hands off your daughter, you old lecher! How could you touch her like that? You're a father, you know?!"

"Damn you!" Lucius cried out in pain and sprang to his feet, throwing the cigarette in his hand hard onto the floor. "Looks like I've been too nice with you, huh? No one talks to me like that!"

Joyce's expression darkened, and she banged her glass heavily on the table. "Apologize to him right now, Henry! I brought you here to introduce you to everyone, not to cause a scene!

"Can't you even take a joke? What a buzzkill! At this point, just leave!"

I looked at the hot cup of tea in front of me, before looking back up at Lucius's arrogant face.

Slowly, I stood up and picked up the cup of scalding tea.

Thinking I was backing down, Lucius shook his leg smugly and even gave Joyce a slap on the butt. "That's more like it, my son-in…"

Splash!

I poured the cup of tea right over Lucius's head.

"Arghhh!"

His screams echoed nonstop.

Joyce stared at me in shock. "Henry, have you gone insane?!"

I pulled out a piece of wet tissue and wiped my hand with a gentle smile. "What are you getting all worked up for? I'm just helping my 'son' wash his face. He's already a father, but he's spouting crap all over his face, so I'm helping him clean up."

Lucius wiped the tea off his face, roaring at Joyce, "Are you going to just watch, Joyce? Look at what he did!"

Joyce raised her hand, about to slap my face, but I grabbed her wrist and used her force against her, pushing her backward. She stumbled, almost falling flat onto the ground.

I stepped forward, grabbed her by the collar, and forced her to bow toward Lucius.

"You should be worried about your father instead of yelling at your grandfather, Joyce."

Everyone around us was stunned.

No one had expected me to move so decisively, as mild-mannered as I'd always been.

Joyce struggled helplessly in my grasp, her face flushed dark red. "Let go of me!"

After Joyce was released, she coughed repeatedly, glaring at me with venomous hatred.

I looked at her foolish expression and brushed my hands together in disgust.

She and I were in a marriage of convenience. My family wasn't as high-profile as the Fosters in business circles, but my grandfather's authority in the military was a protective shield no money could ever buy.

So, Joyce had no choice but to marry me.

She resented all of it, so she decided to humiliate me today as some form of comeuppance.

It was a shame that there was one thing she'd failed to consider.

I'd trained in boxing since childhood and was proficient in kickboxing, grappling, and other martial arts.

Anyway, if she wanted to play rough, who was I to refuse?

Pointing at me, she screeched, "Henry, you have to apologize to Lucius and me today! Otherwise, I won't marry you!"

I scoffed. "You want me to apologize? Sure! If he bends the knee and calls me his grandfather right now, I'll forgive him for being so insolent. What kind of elder wouldn't give his idiot grandson a chance, right?"

Lucius blew up.

Relying on Joyce's indulgence, he'd ruled this social circle for years. Since when had he suffered such humiliation?

"Someone needs to teach you a lesson!"

Lucius grabbed a bottle of wine and swung it toward my head, eliciting shocked gasps across the room. Someone even whistled.

Joyce only watched, a mocking sneer on her face.

However, the expected bloodshed never came.

The moment the bottle came swinging down at me, I stepped to the side and grabbed Lucius's wrist with my left hand, fast as lightning.

Crack!

A sharp, sickening sound echoed in the room.

Lucius let out a shriek, the bottle slipping from his fingers and shattering on the floor. Meanwhile, I smiled faintly, my grip tightening little by little.

Lucius's face went deathly pale. His knees buckled, and he dropped straight to the ground.

"It hurts! It hurts! Let go! My hand's going to break!" he wailed, reaching to claw at my clothes with his free hand.

I lifted a leg and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying and knocking over the coffee table, utterly disgraced.

Then, I walked over to him, planted my foot on his chest, and leaned down, my voice low and calm.

"My dear grandson, if you can't handle the consequences, don't get started with me. Are you sure you want to start a fight?"

Deathly silence filled the room, and everyone stared in disbelief.

The ever-arrogant Lucius was taken down in a single move?

Joyce couldn't stand it anymore, screeching like a banshee as she ran toward me, trying to shove me away. "You've gone mad, Henry! How dare you hit him?!"

The moment Joyce attacked, I retracted my leg and took one elegant step back.

She fell onto Lucius, seeing his swollen wrist and the footprint on his chest, and immediately started tearing up.

"Lucius, are you alright? I'm calling the police, Henry! I'll make sure you end up in jail!"

Lucius clutched his wrist, in so much pain that he broke out in cold sweat."Joyce, my hand's ruined! How am I supposed to play games now? How am I supposed to stay with you? You have to avenge me!"

Joyce glared at me furiously. "Henry, you just came here to cause trouble, didn't you? You hurt Lucius, this isn't over!"

I chuckled lightly and straightened my collar. "Joyce, let's get things straight. You're the one who invited me here, and since he wanted to become a father, I just taught him how to be a proper citizen.

"Since he lacks discipline, I'll discipline him on behalf of his parents."

She ground her teeth.

"Fine, you've got guts! Don't think that just because your father arranged this marriage, I have to worship you. This isn't over! I'll make sure you'll kneel and apologize to Lucius!"

Honestly, I found her complete lack of common sense laughable.

Not wanting to stay here any longer, I asked, "Your good'father' looks like he's going to breathe his last. Are you sure you don't want to send him to the hospital?"

It was then that Joyce finally remembered she was lying on an injured man, and she frantically ordered someone to send him to the hospital.

Before they left, she gave me one last, venomous glare. "Our engagement is over! Just wait, your family's bound to go bankrupt!"

I watched the sports car disappear down the road and let out a soft scoff.

Joyce probably had no idea that even her real father had to lower his head with respect when faced with mine.

My family had always been low-profile, and I'd spent most of my life studying abroad. I hadn't made a habit of wearing expensive clothing, so clearly she thought I was an easy bone to pick.

That idiot probably thought I was some expendable pawn my family had sent to hers in a desperate cling to power.

Fine. Since she obviously had some unaddressed daddy issues, I'd discipline her properly!

The very next day, I drove straight to her villa. Only the housekeeper was there, saying that Joyce was still in bed.

I pushed open the master bedroom door, and was greeted by the thick stench of alcohol. Inside, Joyce lay sprawled over the bedroom, while a man laid beside her.

It was Lucius, one of his hands wrapped in bandages.

He was wearing nothing but boxers, stretched out casually next to Joyce, scrolling on his phone.

When he saw me, he wasn’t flustered in the slightest. Instead, he deliberately draped one leg over Joyce’s body.

"Woah, if it isn't the violent maniac? Joyce already told me that I can live in this house as long as I want, and throw anything that belongs to you away!

"I'm her daddy after all, so it's only natural I take care of my daughter."

I nodded calmly and walked to the bedside.

Then I yanked the blanket away.

The morning chill jolted Joyce awake. She blinked groggily, then exploded the moment she saw me. "What's wrong with you? Who let you in here?!"

Instead, I pulled out my phone and snapped several rapid-fire photos of the two half-dressed figures on the bed.

Then I opened a group chat. It was a group chat filled with Joyce's rich, trashy friends, one she pulled me into just to humiliate me.

Then, I sent the pictures.

[I came to see my girlfriend early this morning, and I found a thief in the house! Joyce, your dad's not very proper, is he? Why is he sleeping in the same bed as you? Wait… are you into incest, perhaps?]

The group chat exploded. All the people who'd been waiting to see me make a fool of myself ended up becoming enthusiastic spectators.

[Damn, that's wild! Joyce really knows how to play 'em, huh?]

[Hey, so that "we're just good friends" shtick they did was just so they could climb onto each others' beds easily, huh?]

Joyce's phone started ringing nonstep. She grabbed it, glanced at the screen, and her face turned red with anger.

"Henry! Delete those messages right now!"

She screeched, jumping off the bed and trying to snatch my phone away from me.

I nimbly evaded her, reaching for a golf club nearby, something Joyce kept around just to look classy, no doubt.

Crash!

I smashed the club straight at the floor lamp beside us, shattering the glass instantly.

The deafening crash made both Joyce and Lucius flinch.

I held the club loosely in one hand, weighing it as I smiled without warmth.

"Why should I? I'm just a fiancé, concerned for your private matters. I mean, he's not really your father, sure, but if you do this while acting like father and daughter outside, what's going to happen to the Foster family's reputation?"

Lucius's face went pale. "What nonsense are you spouting? We're completely innocent! This is just brotherly affection!"

I hooked the club under a piece of lace underwear on the floor and lifted it slightly. "Brotherly affection, huh?"

Joyce gritted her teeth. "You're crossing the line, Henry! He and I are clean! His hand was injured last night, so he just needed someone to take care of him!"

"Oh," I said mildly. "Take care of him, huh?"

I nodded.

"Fine, if that's the case, then you should behave like a proper caretaker."

I pointed the club at Lucius.

"Get dressed, and get out."

As I spoke, I casually swung the club once.

Lucius yelped in fear. Forgetting about his injured hand, he scrambled into the bathroom to change.

Joyce was trembling with rage.

"You scumbag! I'm calling off the engagement!"

I stepped toward her, pressing the golf club against her shoulder and forcing her back onto the bed.

"That's not your decision to make," I said calmly. "It's for your father to decide. And besides…"

I leaned down, locking eyes with her.

"Until I get bored, you'd better be good. If not, well… who knows what my golf club's going to hit next?"