The Day I Kissed An Older Man

Adam could not help but express his frustration when he saw her daughter’s desperation. “Do you truly believe he has any
affection for you? He’d rather endure a hundred blows from me than take responsibility for you! Why would you still want to cling
to him? He’ll only look for other women!”
Sophia ignored this. She knew her father’s temper well, and Jeremy was bound to die if Adam continued to strike him.
“I don’t care! If you want to hit him, you’re going to have to go through me!”
“You’re nothing like me, Sophia...” Adam gazed at his daughter as she protected Jeremy in such a steadfast fashion. Sophia’s
interruption left him displeased, but he eventually compromised and spared Jeremy’s life.
In the meantime, Jeremy poured in all his energy to get to his feet. His voice was firm and cold as he said to Adam, “Are you
tired already? You have ten more strikes to go. Do it and complete the job.”
Just as Adam was about to throw the bat away, Jeremy’s defiant request—showing a distinct lack of fear toward death—
rekindled his anger. ‘Does he think I won’t beat him to death?’ he thought to himself.
He tightened his grip on the baseball bat and raised it while declaring fiercely, “Move aside, Sophia! I’ll be tarnishing the
reputation that I’ve built up over the years if I don’t keep my word!”
Sophia looked at her father’s resolve and realized she could no longer dissuade him. She turned her attention to Jeremy and
pleaded urgently, “Please don’t provoke my father at this time, Jeremy. He’ll kill you!”
Jeremy remained unmoved and told Sophia off. “Move. Don’t be a busybody.”
Sophia was distraught and on the verge of tears. “Jeremy! Please don’t do this, Jeremy! Please! My dad has a terrible temper.
Stop provoking him! Do you want him to kill you? I’m begging you... Don’t...”
Jeremy ignored her and continued to taunt Adam. “Do it!”
Adam lost control of his anger. He signaled his men to come over and move Sophia out of the way. Several people then came
forward and forcibly pulled Sophia away despite her resistance. With Sophia no longer in the way, Adam struck Jeremy forcefully
with the bat.
Jeremy coughed up blood as he lay on the ground.
Sophia collapsed and shouted, “That’s enough, Dad! Are you sure you want to kill him? I’ll sever all ties with you if you do!”

Despite Adam’s fondness for his daughter, she was no deterrent to his temper when it flared up. He paid no heed to Sophia’s
cries and continued to assault Jeremy relentlessly. It was not until Sophia’s scream reached Adam’s current wife that the
violence ceased. She entered the gym with her young daughter and was horrified by the gruesome scene before her.
Melinda shouted, “Stop it, Brian! What are you doing?”
As soon as his wife and youngest daughter arrived, Adam stopped hitting even though there were only a few strikes left to go.
He said to his wife, “Please stay out of this, Mel! I’m going to prove to him that I have no hesitation in crossing the Holdens for
bullying my daughter!”
Melinda approached with a stern expression and wrested the baseball bat from his grip. “Brian! This has gone far enough! Have
you forgotten our agreement? Are you willing to jeopardize our stable life?”
Adam remembered his promise and kept quiet. He no longer attempted to take the bat from him.
Melinda wasted no time and ordered, “Quick! Someone, call a doctor for Mister Jeremy!”
Adam sighed in disappointment. “Fine! He got lucky today.”