Chapter 2

Lucas' POV

I stood outside the door, my hand quivering beyond control as I clutched Leo's death certificate so fiercely that my nails nearly dug into my palm.

How could she do this to me?

She set out to repay a debt of gratitude, yet the cost of that repayment was my son's life.

…

I never opened the door. Instead, I turned around and went back to the hospital by myself.

Leo had always been afraid of the dark since he was little. I just couldn't stand the thought of him lying all alone in that freezing morgue.

On the way to the crematorium the next day, my phone buzzed nonstop with missed calls and texts from Madeline.

I didn't answer a single one.

Cradling Leo's urn in my arms, I started reaching out to our relatives and friends to let them know he was gone.

By the time I had finished everything, a full day had passed.

When I finally made it back to our cramped rented apartment, Madeline was sitting by herself in the living room.

She had already changed out of her designer dress and back into her usual cheap clothes.

As soon as she spotted me, she rushed over and grabbed my hand.

"Where were you last night? Your phone was switched off. I came home right after my shift ended. I haven't eaten anything yet," she said with a tenderness that felt strangely out of character.

I stared at Madeline and nearly laughed out loud.

She was such a brilliant actress. However, the expensive perfume that clung to her was completely out of place in our run-down home, and its heavy fragrance was so overpowering that it almost made me sick.

"I was with Leo last night," I said, doing my best to sound calm.

After that, I walked toward the bedroom.

Madeline sensed my coldness right away.

She came up behind me, wrapped her arms around my waist, and whispered gently, "Lucas, don't be mad at me. I know I've been away too much for work, and I haven't been paying attention to you or Leo. But I'm doing all of this for us, for our family's future, aren't I?"

I lifted my head and willed myself not to cry.

Work?

Was that her excuse for throwing an expensive graduation party for her childhood friend's son?

The smell of her perfume turned my stomach.

I struggled to break free, but Madeline clung to me.

She took off her clothes, pulled me onto the bed, and tried to seduce me without any shame, as if that would prove she still loved me.

"Lucas, from now on, I'll make it up to you and Leo."

Those words cut straight through the last shred of my composure like a knife.

I clenched my hands into fists so tightly that my knuckles began to ache.

Leo was dead.

How could she ever make it up to him?

Using every bit of strength I had left, I pushed her away.

"Let's go to bed. I'm not in the mood."

Irritation crossed Madeline's face when she saw that I wasn't interested. She got up, made a phone call, and left the apartment in a fury.

As she left, I lay back on the bed, feeling utterly drained.

I stared emptily at the ceiling, where stains from water leaks and strips of peeling paint reminded me of how broken everything was.

Tears streamed silently down my face.

Strangely, beneath the crushing weight of my sorrow, I felt the faintest glimmer of relief.

For the past 18 years, I had worked myself to the brink of collapse for this family, for Madeline.

It was finally time for that life to end.

…

On the morning of Leo's burial, Madeline returned to the apartment with several shopping bags stuffed with clothes and toys.

"Lucas, come on. Get ready. Let's grab Leo and take him to see the fireworks."

Grab Leo?

Could we really still bring him back?

I ignored the sight of the love bite on her neck and focused instead on the educational toy set she had bought.

She had probably forgotten that Leo was already 18. He was about to start college and far too old for such childish gifts.

"Come on. I haven't seen Leo in ages. He must be missing me terribly," Madeline urged, pushing me to get dressed.

A wave of bitterness swept through my chest. It turned out she did know that Leo had been missing her all these years.

"Alright. Let's go and pick him up."

I handed Madeline the address for Pinewood Memorial Gardens.

As we neared the cemetery, solemn funeral music filled the air.

Madeline scowled in frustration.

"Why would Leo come all this way out to the suburbs? And of all things, there's a funeral going on right here. What terrible luck."

I sat there in the passenger seat without saying a thing. I just wondered what kind of expression she'd have when she finally saw Leo's portrait.