Father Lin’s grip was as strong as an iron vice, refusing to let go of Lin Ning. He insisted that she was crazy and needed to be sent to a mental hospital. His “good son,” Lin Yong, helped him push Lin Ning out the door.

Mother Lin exclaimed in surprise, “Old Lin, Lin Ning doesn’t have any mental illness!”

Father Lin shot her a glance, and Mother Lin suddenly shivered. Though they had been married for years, she had never seen such a murderous look in his eyes before.

Mother Lin froze in place, watching Father Lin and Lin Yong drag Lin Ning away. At that moment, she understood everything and felt an inner struggle.

It was true that she didn’t like her second daughter. Lin Ning was introverted and dull, with little talent—not as likable as Lin Yong or Lin Qiao. To her, Lin Ning’s greatest value was the bride price she could bring.

But she had never thought of killing Lin Ning!

Mother Lin grabbed her husband’s hand. “Old Lin, don’t go too far. Don’t cause a death!”

“Nonsense! Lin Ning is mentally ill, and we’re taking her to the hospital for treatment!”

Mother Lin hesitated but eventually let go. Lin Ning was disobedient, so maybe some discipline would teach her a lesson. A few days in the hospital might make her more compliant, and then they could bring her back.

Nearby, Lin Qiao was terrified. Working in a hospital, she immediately realized what her father was planning—to label Lin Ning as mentally ill!

Lin Qiao shuddered. She had been to mental hospitals and knew how awful they were. Even a healthy person could go insane there. Patients were fed medicine daily, shocked with electric batons, and chained up. Corrupt doctors and nurses even harassed female patients. A young woman like Lin Ning would be ruined if she ended up there!

A sense of dread washed over Lin Qiao. If she ever angered her father one day, he might sell her off as well.

But she was too afraid of getting involved, so she kept her mouth shut and watched as Lin Ning was dragged out.

Lin Ning could easily overpower them, but today, she wanted to put on an act and let everyone see the true colors of the Lin family.

She shouted, “Let me go! Help!”

Hearing the commotion, Lao (Old) He and the workers rushed over. “Boss, what’s going on?”

“Lao He! Help! They’re trying to hurt me!”

Father Lin interjected, “Lao He, this is a family matter. Don’t get involved. My daughter is mentally ill, and we’re taking her for treatment.”

Lin Ning struggled. “To hell with that! I’m not sick! Let go of me!”

Father Lin roared, “You cursed your grandmother! That’s proof you’re crazy! Now come with me!”

Something felt off to Lao He and the others. The Lin family had shown up, bossing everyone around without lifting a finger to help. And now, they were claiming Lin Ning was insane? It didn’t add up.

“Stop right there! You can’t take the boss away!”

Lao He’s workers, over twenty of them, grabbed their tools and blocked the Lin family. “Let her go!”

Father Lin, annoyed, said, “I’m her father. It’s my duty to discipline her. Get out of the way!”

“I’ve signed a contract with the boss. If you don’t let her go, I’ll call the police!”

The workers stood firm, tools in hand, glaring at the Lin family.

At that moment, Lin Ning delivered a sharp kick to her father’s shin, making him yelp in pain and loosen his grip. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Ning broke free.

She declared, “I’m calling the police to have all of you arrested!”

Hearing this, the Lin family bolted immediately. They had no desire to deal with the police station again.

After they left, Lao He and Liu Fen asked, “Boss, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Thank you for stepping in.”

Thinking back to her father’s murderous look, Lin Ning felt a chill. This time, he had genuinely wanted to harm her.

In her past life, Father Lin had seemed like a decent parent because Mother Lin was always the one doing the dirty work while he played the good guy. As a result, Lin Ning had thought he wasn’t too bad.

But no one sleeps under the same roof as someone entirely different. If Mother Lin was bad, how could Father Lin be good? His hypocrisy made him even worse.

This time, Lin Ning’s success and wealth had awakened Father Lin’s greed. He no longer hid his true nature and went straight for her.

Lin Ning realized she couldn’t just sit back and take it anymore. She needed to strike first. Before her father could destroy her, she would take him down.

Thinking about Lin Yong, who had helped her father, and Mother Lin and Lin Qiao, who had stood by doing nothing, Lin Ning smirked coldly. None of them would get away with this.

As for the Lin family, they returned home and sat silently, watching Father Lin smoke his pipe, the thick smoke making them cough. But no one dared to say a word. Father Lin’s actions earlier had been terrifying. For the first time, they realized just how ruthless he could be.

After a long silence, Father Lin said, “Lin Ning doesn’t recognize her family and even cursed her grandmother. She’s clearly crazy and needs treatment.”

Mother Lin asked, “Old Lin, what do we do next?”

“Leave her alone for now. Let her finish building the house. Once it’s done and the workers are gone, we’ll find a way to take it over. Such a big property can’t be left to her.”

Mother Lin frowned. “But Lin Ning is already 21, and now she has money. What if someone introduces her to a match, and she gets married?”

This was indeed a concern. As long as Lin Ning was single, her money could still be claimed by the family. But if she married, her money would belong to her husband’s family, making it harder for them to take it.

“That’s easy. Don’t let her have a match or get married.”

“But Lin Ning is at the perfect age, and she’s not bad-looking. Now that she’s wealthy and building a house, matchmakers will line up to introduce someone.”

“Ha! It won’t matter because we’ll say she’s a barren woman.”

“…Barren?”

Mother Lin was puzzled. “But Lin Ning’s periods are normal. She’s not barren.”

Father Lin rolled his eyes. “Idiot! If we say she’s barren, then she is. We’re her family—who’s going to doubt us?”

Mother Lin nodded. “Right. We know her best.”

Father Lin continued, “Spread the word over the next few days. You’re her mother, so people will believe you. No man would dare marry a barren woman!”

Lin Yong looked at his father with admiration. If he had this level of cunning, the Fan family would have been at his mercy.

Lin Qiao, however, remained silent. Her father’s behavior was shocking. He had always seemed distant and strict but somewhat mild-mannered. Now, his actions were terrifying.

Following Father Lin’s orders, Mother Lin deliberately spread the rumor that Lin Ning was barren. The news quickly circulated, and curiosity drove people to her construction site just to catch a glimpse of her.