Chapter 18*

There was a thunderous knock at the door as almost always and the little boy feared, more than ever, his mother's fate than his.

In the darkest corner of his small room, was the terrified lad, his knees buried in his chest as he sobbed bitterly. Obedient to his mother's order to not leave his niche no matter what, all he could do was listen, cry, quiver, and listen.

All he ever wanted was his mother's happiness and if it meant wishing his father to dot out of the earth, Santa Claus should be expecting his first ever wish list. For the first time, he wished for the white-bearded old man to exist.

The fight had gone on for too long this time around that he fought to keep his sanity with his hands plugged to his ears yet, it helped no less; he still heard them as clear as day.

'If you're not going to leave I'm calling the police on you,' His poor mother's quaky voice crept into his room.

'I won't do that if I were you. Just give me my son and you'll be out of trouble's way.'

Heavy,