Before Zac could finish his act, Arthur cut him off. "Alright then, go ahead and leave." Zac’s expression faltered. He stared at Arthur in shock, as if he couldn’t believe what he just heard. The Gray family members were equally stunned. Susie was the first to snap out of it. "See? He got caught! He knows Zac is kind, so he said that on purpose just to force him out!" John was furious. "Arthur! What exactly is your problem? Do you really think I won’t sign?" "Then sign it already! Why are you still talking?" Arthur smirked, making himself look even more infuriating on purpose. "You ungrateful brat! Ungrateful brat!" John was shaking with rage, pointing at Arthur but too angry to even form a sentence. "Arthur! How could you say that? Zac was just trying to help you, and you’re telling him to leave?" Raelynn said, looking at him with disappointment. It seemed like no matter what Arthur did, Raelynn always looked at him like that. "Where exactly was he helping me? You really can’t see through his little act?" Arthur wasn’t interested in arguing anymore. "But Zac did say one thing that was true—I can’t stand him. You’re the only ones who actually like this fake little snake." "Arthur! I won’t let you talk about Zac like that!" Raelynn snapped. "You’re the one with a filthy mind!" Susie said with disgust, looking at Arthur like he was something vile. "Calling Zac a snake—just because you’re bitter doesn’t mean you have to drag him down too!" Right on cue, Zac clutched his chest, his voice full of pain. "Dad, Mom, Susie, please don’t argue with Arthur because of me. I’ll leave. I’ll survive out there, I promise." Arthur stared blankly. Is this a play? And of course, the Gray family ate it up. Raelynn pulled Zac into a tight hug. "My poor baby!" Arthur rolled his eyes. Great, another performance.Zac buried his face in Raelynn’s shoulder, sobbing dramatically. "Mom... I-I’ll be fine on my own, don’t worry... I can do it... The kindness you’ve shown me... I-I’ll have to repay it in my next life..." Arthur was done. What the heck is this? My brain, my ears, my eyes—everything is suffering right now. He couldn’t take it anymore. He finally snapped. "Zac, you are so goddamn disgusting! You’re a grown-ass man crying in your adoptive mother’s arms for pity—can you have some basic dignity? I swear I’m about to throw up! And what the heck do you mean you’ll take care of yourself? You think you’re the main character in some tragic sob story? I’ve been living on my own for years, and guess what? I’m still alive! And ‘repay you in my next life’—what kind of nonsense is that? Is the Gray family some kind of magical safe zone? You think you’ll drop dead the second you step outside? Get the heck out already!" Arthur spat on the ground, completely fed up. He didn’t want to waste another second watching this ridiculous performance. He reached into his coat and pulled out two copies of the declaration of estrangement, both already signed and stamped with his fingerprint. He stormed up to John and slammed the documents down in front of him. "Sign it! If you want to keep up this ridiculous act, do it without me. I’ve had enough!" The entire room froze at Arthur’s sudden explosion. John, however, recovered quickly. "Arthur! You must have a death wish! You dare curse at me to my face?" Furious, John lifted his hand and swung it toward Arthur’s face. Zac, still pretending to be pitiful, could barely keep the smirk off his face. Yes! Hit him! Hit him as hard as you can! And then sign that paper right away! Once Arthur is gone, everything in the Gray family will be mine! Just as John’s slap was about to land, Arthur suddenly raised his arm and blocked it. Arthur had been trained in combat and had spent years doing backbreaking labor. His arms were unbelievably strong. The sheer force of the block sent John reeling backward. He lost his balance and fell to the floor. "Dad!" "John!" The entire room filled with panicked cries. Any pretense of acting was gone as everyone rushed toward John in a frenzy. "Arthur! How could you hit Dad!" Zac shrieked, his voice breaking.And just like that, the entire situation flipped. What had been John failing to hit Arthur was now twisted into Arthur attacking John. Arthur had barely moved—he had only defended himself. But that was enough for them to spin a different story. Susie joined in, screaming, "Arthur! You’re heartless! How dare you hit Dad!" Raelynn just stood there sobbing, whispering over and over, "This is my punishment... how did I raise such a disgrace of a son..." John’s right arm tingled with numbness. In that moment, he finally realized—his son, the boy he had ignored for eight years, wasn’t a little boy anymore.