Chapter 2

In the scene, Dad received a phone call and hurriedly left for the office. However, he forgot that a pot of soup was still boiling on the kitchen stove.

When Phoebe heard the rumbling sound from the pot, she curiously reached out toward the pressure cooker.

I quickly rushed over.

The pressure cooker let out a loud bang, and I instinctively shielded Phoebe with my body. She was unharmed, but my entire back was scalded, my skin torn and flesh wounded.

"Zack! You're bleeding so much!" Phoebe cried out while hiding in my embrace.

While comforting Phoebe, I called Dad and asked him to come home.

Just before passing out, I said to my sobbing father, "Dad, you told me to protect Phoebe, and I did…"

The display screen froze at this moment.

I saw a tear spill from the corner of Dad's eye. Then, as if he were recalling that scene, his body trembled uncontrollably.

The people watching also had red-rimmed eyes.

A woman kindly spoke up for me. "Zachary risked his life to protect Phoebe, so how could he possibly have abandoned her and let traffickers take her? Could there be some misunderstanding? No matter how you look at it, Zachary seems like a good kid!"

Upon hearing those words, I suddenly felt resentful. I had always been a good child who listened to my father. Why didn't he like me anymore?

Phoebe also nodded. She looked up at Dad and said, "Yes! Dad! I believe everything Zack did was for my own good. He wouldn't harm me!"

After hearing Phoebe's words, Dad's expression darkened again.

"Back then, Fifi was tortured by the traffickers until there wasn't a single patch of unbruised skin on her body! What misunderstanding could there possibly be?"

After saying this, he turned to question the secretary beside him. "Have you found Zachary? Did he collude with the traffickers and put on an act in front of us on purpose?

"Have the traffickers called? Do they want money? Tell them that even if they kill Zachary, I won't give them a single cent!"

The secretary wiped the sweat from his forehead and said nothing.

I stood in front of Dad, shaking my head desperately. "No, Dad, I didn't collude with those people… Like Grandma and Grandpa, I've become a star in the sky."

But Dad couldn't hear me.

I watched as my tears turned into wisps of white smoke. I reached out to grab them, but I couldn't catch them no matter how hard I tried—just like how I couldn't reach out to Dad.

At that moment, the display screen started playing another clip.

In the scene, Phoebe was covered in dirt, with a lot of blood on her arms. She sat on the ground, wailing loudly, "Zack, it was obviously you who stole the class fund! Why are you pinning it on me? And you even cut me!"

I angrily pulled her by the arm toward the office. "Phoebe! Come with me to explain everything to Ms. Lily clearly!"

During the struggle, Phoebe fell to the ground. Her knee started bleeding, and she cried even louder.

"You're obviously the one who stole the class fund! You're only pinning it on me because you're afraid Dad will hit you!"

Furious, I couldn't help but slap Phoebe.

When they saw me lay a hand on her, everyone pointed at the screen and berated me.

"Ms. Lily already said that Zachary was the one who stole the class fund! How could he make Phoebe take the blame for him?"

"A child like Zachary is born inherently bad!"

I looked at them helplessly, wanting to explain, but I could only keep crying.

Dad also scolded me angrily, "This ungrateful brat! Did I ever treat him poorly? How could he do such a thing?"

Phoebe buried her face in Dad's arms, crying and saying, "Dad, I really didn't steal the class fund!"

Dad patted Phoebe's back to comfort her. His voice was ice-cold as he said, "I told you long ago that Zack is nothing but trouble! He stole, refused to accept punishment, and even talked back to the teacher at the police station! I really should have let Ms. Lily properly teach him a lesson for me!"

In everyone's eyes, I was already a bad kid.

As though my body sensed something, the spot where Ms. Lily had hit my head began to ache.

I held my head as tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably. "Dad, let me explain. It wasn't like that…"

Sobbing, I tried to grab Dad's hand, but no matter how many times I reached for him, my body just repeatedly passed through his.

As I tried over and over, it felt like fireworks were exploding in my head. In that moment, it felt as if something was being pulled out of my body.

Immediately after, the scene on the screen changed again.

A scary man grabbed Phoebe by the back of her collar and lifted her into the air.

"Zack! Save me! I'm scared!" she cried out to me with a terrified expression.

Everyone watching held their breaths.

"The trafficker is so vicious! How could he target a kid?"

Everyone waited to see my reaction.

I stood to the side with my head wrapped in thick bandages. I had an indifferent expression as I declared, "Phoebe, I won't save you!"