Cannot Hold On to Loved Ones

My parents' enemy had kidnapped me, and the kidnapper was brazenly live-streaming the whole thing.

Twelve hours had passed at this point, and I was down to just one finger.

The comments section rolled by at lightning speed.

'I can't take this anymore—the kid's screams are too much!'

'Didn't they say the parents just had to show up and the kid would be released? Where are the parents?'

'How can they leave their own child to suffer?'

The kidnapper was losing patience. He finally tore off the tape over my mouth. I was about to explain that my parents were special-ops officers often sent on dangerous missions, that they couldn't help it.

But right then, a vacation photo from their adopted son popped up on my phone.

'Will, we just landed in Havai with Mom and Dad! They said you'd only spoil the mood if you came, so they're spending my birthday with me alone.'

In the photo, my parents stood on either side of Ezel Lewis, their eyes full of tenderness. Behind them stood aunts, uncles, cousins, and even my gray-haired grandmother—the whole family was having the time of their lives. So, while I was being kidnapped and live-streamed, not one person in the family had noticed.

The kidnapper shot me a suspicious look and ordered me to call home. As soon as my mother heard my voice, her tone turned impatient. "I knew you'd call to ruin the mood! Ever since the day we brought you back from the countryside, there hasn't been a single day of peace in this house. Ezel's never had a proper birthday once. This time, no matter what you say, we won't make Ezel suffer because of you."

Ignoring the bitter ache in my chest, I rushed to speak. "Mom, I've been kidnapped—"

"Will Lewis!" My mother cut me off, her voice dripping with disgust. "You're such a drama queen! Only call me after you're dead!" At that, she hung up without a second's hesitation.

At the same time, another message from Ezel appeared. 'Will, Mom and Dad really hate you. After Mom hung up on you, Dad blocked your number too. He even forbade me from speaking to you again.'

It felt as if someone had crushed my heart in their fist—worse than the pain in my fingers.

…

In a daze, my consciousness began to slip away, and a bucket of cold water splashed over my head.

"Don't even think about passing out. You'll keep suffering until your parents show up. You've still got one finger left. After that's gone, we'll go for your toes. And then your ears."

The comments section exploded with curses—some at the kidnapper's cruelty, but even more at my parents' cold-bloodedness. Others turned their anger on the special ops unit.

'What are the special ops even doing? It's been 12 hours and they still haven't found the kidnapper's location!'

'Forget the kidnapper, just drag those two heartless parents here first!'

'You cowardly kidnapper! If you're so tough, go after the adults. What's the point of tormenting a child?'

No matter how frantic the scrolling comments grew, the kidnapper still raised his knife. My last little finger was chopped off.

It hurt. God, it hurt. It hurt so badly I wanted to die.

My sharp, broken cries made viewers cover their ears. Even the comment section seemed to freeze for a moment. Then a bold, highlighted message caught the kidnapper's eye.

'Connect me to the livestream! I'm Shaun Lewis, Special-Operations Captain!'

The name jolted my foggy brain awake for one fleeting moment.