Dad, I'm Letting You Go

Mom's harsh insults rang in my ears. "You bastard, I've treated you so well, yet you dared to run away."She held a whip with an indifferent expression and struck Dad repeatedly as he hung from the tree.Dad's body was covered in wounds, blood dripping onto the ground. He didn't even have the strength to scream.Grandma stood nearby with a frown, her voice thick with contempt. "I told you long ago that this man couldn't be trusted. Using him to get pregnant was one thing, but when I told you to chain him so he wouldn't run away, you actually felt sorry for him!"If that little brat hadn't tipped me off this time, he would have gotten away! If he escaped and brought others back here, everything we're doing would be exposed."Dad struggled to lift his head. When he looked at me, his eyes held no trace of their former affection, only pure hatred. He cursed at me in a hoarse voice, "You little brat, I should have choked you to death back then!"Mom grabbed a thick wooden stick and th

At night, I slipped out of the compound and made my way to the hill behind it. The wild grass back there was thick, slicing my exposed skin until it was covered in blood. I endured the pain and gathered the herbs I recognized.After coming back down, I stashed the herbs in my hiding spot and slowly walked toward the house.The clouds had swallowed the moon, leaving everything in darkness. In the faint light, Mom's house in the compound looked like a giant beast with its mouth wide open, sucking the life out of Dad.At dawn, I fought off my sleepiness and got up to cook, wanting to let Dad rest a little longer.After I served breakfast, Mom glanced at me between bites. "This little brat is actually somewhat useful."Grandma lifted my chin, sizing me up like merchandise, then smiled in approval.She said, "Just as expected of a child born to someone from the city. Even at such a young age, you can already tell he's good-looking. When he grows up, he'll definitely sell for a good pr

Three hours ago, I parted ways with Dad on the hill. I knew very well that the drug I used lasted at most two hours. They would definitely catch up to Dad after waking up and bring him back.So, I prepared for everything. I threw on the clothes Dad always wore and strapped two light scarecrows to my back. Then I ran in the opposite direction and placed Dad's shoes at the fork in the path.Using my small frame and familiarity with the hill to my advantage, I misled them for over three hours.At last, I reached the edge of the cliff. I gently ran my hand over Dad's clothes, hung them in the bushes, and then looked at the drop in front of me. The steep cliff loomed in the darkness, almost daring me forward.I looked back one last time at the rapidly approaching torches, a smile spreading across my face. Then I leaped off the bottomless cliff.The wind whistled in my ears. I thought I heard Dad's gentle yet firm voice again. "Ben, I'll definitely take you with me and escape this hellh

Dad spoke anxiously in my defense. "Mom, Ben is my son too. If he hadn't helped me this time, I wouldn't have escaped."After hearing Dad's words, his family softened toward me. They discussed it for a while and decided to accept me, bringing me to live with them.I spun around happily in the air. This time, I finally had a real family of my own.Dad went to the police station with his family to file a report and hand over the evidence Lucas had gathered. The police treated cross-border trafficking cases with great seriousness. They formed a special task force from the provincial capital and deployed many officers to investigate the compound.The locals stopped the police cars as soon as they entered the town. They used their numbers to block the vehicles and refused to let them pass. Some even tried to destroy the cars.I drifted back to the compound and saw everyone, under Mr. Sinclair's command, hurriedly throwing bodies off the cliff to destroy the evidence. They had locked ev

Eventually, Dad decided to see a therapist at his family's urging. I stayed by his side and accompanied him to every appointment. He took his medication and did his exercises every day, working hard to overcome six years of trauma.Six months later, Dad looked remarkably handsome. His face grew rosy, and the scars on his skin gradually faded, leaving it smooth again. His once-hunched back straightened, and his dark eyes hardened with resolve. He radiated a vitality he had never shown.Accompanied by Uncle Julian, Dad re-enrolled in school. I stayed by Dad's side, looking around and wondering if this was the life he was meant to have. Flowers bloomed all around, and everyone wore a bright smile on their faces.I couldn't help but think that if Dad had never been taken, I might have been this happy too.…I stayed by Dad's side for four years, watching him grow more cheerful by the day, as if he had completely moved on from those painful years. Still, he always wore that rough lucky