Chapter 2

Kieran fell silent. He was a smart reporter and immediately understood the value of this news. He would earn a handsome sum of money no matter whether he got footage of my so-called truth, or of Dad being a perfect father.

"How would I know that this isn't just another scheme that you cooked up to take revenge on your father?" he asked.

"You have no other choice," I said as I looked at him, smiling for the first time since the trial ended. "There's no better news for you to cover. I also won't give you a second chance."

I stopped entertaining him after I was done speaking, turning around and squeezing through the crowd.

The reporters continued to bombard me with questions and flashing lights behind me.

I knew that Kieran would agree to my request. He was just like me, after all. He was the type of person who wouldn't rest until he got what he wanted.

As expected, my phone vibrated not even five minutes after I slipped into a cab. I had received a message from an unknown number.

The message was short and simple.

"I'll do it."

…

Kieran was extremely efficient. His video went online the next day at 10:00 am. The title was very eye-catching: "A Great Father's 24 Hours".

No music had been added to the video. The only sounds came from the location's background noise.

The video opened with a shot of morning mist. Dad's back was hunched as he searched the area's trash bins for plastic bottles. He moved skillfully, stomping on the bottles until they were flattened before stuffing them into a huge woven bag behind him. It looked like he had been doing it for his entire life.

When the afternoon rolled around, he sat in a corner in a fast-food restaurant. There were no trays on his table.

When the young man who was sitting at the next table left, Dad immediately hurried over and grabbed the half-eaten burger and fries and stuffed them into his food container. He also gulped down the warm water that the restaurant provided for free.

The camera zoomed in on his face and gave him a close-up. His gaze was calm but satisfied, as if he was enjoying a delicacy.

The climax of the video happened late at night.

The scene took place in my living room. Mom's black-and-white portrait was placed on a shelf.

Dad knelt on the thin rug in front of the portrait. He didn't cry loudly and simply allowed his tears to silently stream down his face. His voice was barely above a whisper as he mumbled, "You have to watch over Cam, Luna. He has to stop being so stubborn.

"I understand that he's upset, but there's nothing that I can do. I don't blame him. I just want him to live a good life. I'm willing to do anything…"

The video got over a million views within an hour of being uploaded. My name also immediately shot up the trending topics chart.

"He's definitely the most ungrateful bastard of the year. No one's going to beat him."

"Where can you find a father like him? Is his son a beast? What gives him the right to file a lawsuit against his own father?"

"I was moved to tears. Mr. Locke's too amazing. His son should get on his knees and grovel for his forgiveness right now!"

"We should teach this ungrateful loser a lesson that he won't forget. Let's destroy his ability to ever show his face in public again!"

It didn't take long before my phone number, workplace, and home address were dug up and included in a photo with bright, red words. The photo was then pinned at the top of the comments section.

My phone exploded with notifications. I was bombarded with endless calls from unknown numbers. Whenever I picked up any of the calls, the other party would either furiously shout at me at the top of their lungs or curse me out.

I disconnected my home's landline and set my phone on silent mode. However, it was no use. My phone continued to chime nonstop with message notifications, causing the screen to flash endlessly.

My boss used the company's landline to call me. He sounded troubled and distant when he asked me to apply for leave of my own volition to avoid affecting the company's reputation.

My gossiping colleagues, who used to share their snacks with me in the company every day, also set their statuses to "do not disturb".

I became public enemy number one overnight.

I calmly pulled out my phone and dialed Kieran's number.