Chapter 1

The legal procedure for severing family ties was simple.

The parent seeking the severance would ask three questions. If the child could answer a single question correctly, the petition would be dismissed immediately.

On the day of the hearing, my son, Caleb Yates, was wheeled onto the judicial platform by a neighbor. His face was deathly pale, and his frame was so emaciated that he looked like a skeleton barely holding up his oversized clothes.

When his eyes met mine, his voice cracked. "Dad…"

I turned my head away and refused to look at him.

The jurors seemed deeply displeased by my actions. Their whispered criticisms and judgmental murmurs drifted into my ears.

The judge frowned tightly and announced, "Silence in the court. We will now begin the proceedings.

"You may present your questions, Bruce Yates. Are you ready?"

I nodded and went straight to asking my questions by skipping any pleasantries. "First question—why did I put my hands on you for the very first time?"

A subtle, knowing smile flickered in Caleb's eyes. "Because I skipped school."

He sighed softly, and a layer of sorrow clouded over his eyes. "Mom had just been rushed into the ICU after her accident. The family was falling apart, and you couldn't focus on work, spending nights without sleeping a wink.

"I didn't want to see you both suffer so much, so I secretly skipped school to work a part-time job, and you slapped me across the face."

"Oh, I remember that," a neighbor said. "The walls in our old apartment buildings are thin. They made a massive racket that night, and my husband went over to break up their fight."

"Sure, skipping school is wrong, but the boy was just trying to be a good son. How could the father beat him up for that?"

"Exactly! Caleb was knocked onto the floor by Bruce's slap, yet he still reached into his pocket with trembling hands and pulled out 500 dollars. He told Bruce it was the money he earned from the job and begged him not to get mad. It was absolutely heartbreaking!"

Though the debate around the courtroom was in hushed voices, they were clear enough for me to hear every word.

I didn't even blink and softly uttered a word, "Ridiculous."

The word instantly set off a powder keg.

Before Caleb could even respond, the onlookers rushed to his defense, one after another.

"Ridiculous? You're an unemployed, deadbeat father, while your thoughtful son skipped school just to earn money and support the family! And yet you have the nerve to say that?"

"The old man is utterly shameless. We shouldn't even waste time on a trial. Just grant the severance so he can't leech off his son when he gets old!"

I let out a soft scoff. "Fine by me. Cut the ties right now and save me the trouble."

Panic flashed through Caleb's eyes. He threw himself forward and tumbled out of his wheelchair onto the floor.

Lifting his tear-streaked face, he repeatedly cried out, "No… Dad, please! Dad, we can't sever ties…"

Some couldn't bear the sight and looked away, while others shot cold daggers at me with their eyes.

The judge looked at Caleb with pure pity.

When it was confirmed that Caleb wasn't physically injured from the fall, people in the courtroom let out a collective sigh of relief.

"That was the first time you ever laid hands on me, Dad, and it was because I skipped school. After that day, I listened to everything you said and never missed another class. I'll remember that moment for the rest of my life."

His eyes brimmed with tears, and his voice trembled violently.

Without saying a word, I slowly turned my head to look at the judge, whose pity in her gaze hadn't faded. But the second her eyes met mine, her expression turned cold.

She casually looked down to verify the "obvious" answer in the case file, but the moment her eyes fell on the text, her pupils contracted with shock.

"T-The answer is incorrect…"