Chapter 4

Uncle George slammed the lid of the box shut and sat directly on top of it, making absolutely sure I couldn't break out of it no matter what.

Mom and Dad watched this scene in disbelief, their expressions freezing for an instant before turning into terror and rage as they rushed over, screaming.

"What are you doing, George?" Mom yelled, her voice cracked and hysterical with tears.

Mom and Dad struggled to pull Uncle George down from the box.

Dad pushed himself to the limit, his face turning bright red, but Uncle George didn't budge at all, even adjusting to sit more comfortably.

Aunt Talia and Vincent also realized what was happening right after that and scrambled up onto the box one after another, terrified that I might escape.

"Vincent is my only son! He has been sheltered and pampered since childhood, and snakes are his greatest fear. He would die if they shut him in there!" Uncle George didn't sound even remotely guilty. Instead, he acted like he was doing us a massive favor.

"Kingsley has always been sensible and has always been looking out for Vincent. He should just take Vincent's place and endure this punishment instead. He's a tough one, so he'll be fine! He'll be out after being locked for 24 hours."

Uncle George spoke with total indifference, acting as if I were being forced to do something completely safe.

Those tribesmen, who had been restless moments before, ceased all movement after seeing that I entered the wooden box, waiting silently on the side.

Mom wept heart-wrenchingly, pounding her hands desperately against the lid of the box. "Get off there and let my son out right now, George! Kingsley is still in there!"

"Finally feel distressed now, huh, Heidi?" Uncle George scoffed.

His voice was dripping with malice and sarcasm while asking, "Why did you remain silent when Vincent was on the verge of being confined inside? You just stood there and watched it happen. Do you even deserve to be Vincent's aunt? You're losing it now just because it's your own kid, huh?"

He paused for a moment, his tone becoming progressively scathing while saying, "It's too late now, though. He's a mere nobody anyway, so he might as well die in Vincent's place. He'll at least be making one last contribution to the Walker family before perishing for good."

Mom was probably completely infuriated by Uncle George's remarks. She pulled and tugged desperately at his clothes, ripping a large section of his collar loose, as she cried, shrieked, and cursed in a hoarse voice.

Uncle George started losing his patience, his expression hardening drastically. He suddenly raised his hand and slapped Mom hard across her face. "What the hell? How dare you lay a hand on me! Have I been too lenient with you?"

Dad threw his usual politeness out the window, roaring as he lunged forward and violently yanked Uncle George's arm. He had spent his life buried in his study, though, so he was simply no match for Uncle George, who spent his years roaming the streets, making fights and brawls a commonplace matter.

Uncle George roughly shoved Dad aside within seconds. Dad staggered, took a few unsteady steps, and then fell hard to the ground, groaning in pain.

There were thumping noises emanating from within the box, which seemed to please Uncle George. He grinned widely before laughing with triumph.

"You shouldn't take it too hard, Heidi. I'm still your brother, so once Kingsley is dead, you can focus entirely on raising Vincent instead. He'll be the only one left to continue the Walker family line, after all."

Vincent quickly came to his senses and said hurriedly, "You can rest assured that I'll make sure you're looked after when you're old, as long as you leave that house of yours to me, Aunt Heidi."

Mom and Dad wept in despair on the side. There was no way the two of them could push Uncle George and the others off the box.

Their desperate wailing resonated through the air.

"We're really sorry, Kingsley!"

"It's all our fault—we shouldn't have come here in the first place! I'm so sorry, Kingsley!"

Uncle George and the others didn't budge. They looked coldly at Mom and Dad as they cried helplessly. They then exchanged a look and hopped off the box once all movement inside the wooden box stopped completely.

Mom and Dad also seemed to sense what had happened. Dad's eyes turned bloodshot as he shrieked in pure rage, "You're a monster, George! I swear I'll never let you get away with this if anything happens to Kingsley!"

Mom, on the other hand, had already fainted and collapsed to the ground due to excessive grief.

Uncle George and the others retreated a few paces, while a bunch of tribesmen moved in and pried the wooden box open, causing all four sides to hit the ground and kick up a cloud of dust.

I stood in the middle of the box, holding a snake in my hand, while the other small snakes scattered in all directions the moment the box opened.

Those present stared at me in absolute shock. "How is this even possible?"