Chapter 4

“The end of this month is the final deadline. When would you be able to come back?”

After Dad hung up, he made another call.

“Hello? Patrick, you finally called me!”

Mom sounded almost pleasantly surprised on the other end.

But Dad only frowned.

“How long has it been since you went home? Management came to inspect the gas line, and no one was there.”

Mom clearly realized he hadn’t called to catch up. Her tone turned sharp at once.

“Isn’t that little bastard still at home?”

“That’s impossible. They said they went over several times and no one answered. Go back and take a look.”

Mom’s mocking voice came through the phone.

“I’m not going. He’s your son. You don’t care about him, but you expect me to?”

Then she added, “But let me remind you, he’s only seven. If something happens to him, you’re finished.”

With that, she hung up.

Dad cursed through gritted teeth.

Henry tugged at the hem of his shirt.

“Daddy, do you have something to do? It’s my birthday today. You’re supposed to stay with me.”

Dad looked down at Henry, torn.

Then Henry suddenly burst into tears.

“Daddy, you liar! You clearly have another child outside, so why did you lie and say you’d only ever love me?”

Dad panicked. He quickly picked Henry up and comforted him in a gentle voice.

“When did I say I was leaving? And I really only have one child. I love you the most.”

It didn’t take long for Dad to coax Henry back into a good mood.

Henry happily carried his new toys home with Dad.

After they got home, building management called Dad again.

Left with no choice, he dialed the landline at my house.

The ringing was loud.

But even after he called several times, no one picked up.

Anger flashed in Dad’s eyes.

“That brat. He’s learning from his mother again, lying and pulling a disappearing act for attention. When I get there, I’m going to teach him a lesson.”

I floated beside him, full of guilt.

“Dad, I’m sorry. I’m not ignoring your call on purpose.”

“It’s because I’m already dead.”

It took Dad a long time to coax Henry to sleep.

Only then did he drive over to my house.

The moment he arrived, he saw a crowd gathered outside the door.

Two police officers were there too, along with the building manager.

The building manager’s eyes lit up the second he saw Dad.

“Officer, he’s the owner of this apartment.”

The police officer looked over and showed Dad his badge.

“We received a report. Over the past two days, a strong odor has been coming from inside your apartment. The caller said it smelled like there might be a body inside. We need to go in and check.”

The anger in Dad’s eyes deepened.

“How could it be a body? That brat must have put something inside to make me come over.”

“He’s just like his mother. Always using disgusting little tricks. Honestly, I almost hope it is him stinking in there.”

“I’ll open the door right now and let you check.”

At that, my tears finally spilled over.

Dad, I really wasn’t that kind of child.

Mom was the one who kept hitting me and forcing me to lie to you.

And it really was my body giving off that smell.

In the June heat, I must have been in terrible condition by now.

The police officers and the building manager stared at Dad in disbelief.

Maybe they couldn’t believe a father could say something so cruel about his own child.

The officer looked at Dad and said, “If the child really is inside, then something may have happened to him.”

Dad froze.

His eyes flickered for a second before he shook his head.

“No. He’s always been like this. He loves lying. He definitely isn’t inside.”

As he spoke, he took out his key and unlocked the door.

The moment it opened, everyone froze in place.