Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 9

The shouting grew louder and louder.My father shoved my mother to the floor.I forced myself through the pain in my leg and crawled toward him. Then I grabbed the hem of his pants and whispered, “Dad, please stop fighting with Mom. I’m okay now.”The next second, he kicked me away.My already injured leg slammed into the table and chairs again.The pain was so bad my vision went dark. I curled up instinctively, trembling on the floor.But my father only glanced at me in disgust.“Stop pretending. When have you ever actually been sick? Every time we take you to the hospital, nothing’s wrong with you.”Then he turned to leave.My mother grabbed him with both hands and refused to let go.“What is that supposed to mean? He’s your son too. You’re really just going to walk away and leave him?”My father yanked himself free and snapped, “What do I mean? You’ve taught this kid to do nothing but lie. He’s exactly like you. Disgusting.”My mother froze.Then a wild look flickered i

That had been my first time at Dad’s house.I had given him that pouch as a gift.I shook my head desperately, hoping Dad wouldn’t say yes.Because that pouch held the blessing Grandma had given me to keep me safe.She was the only person who had ever loved me.It was also the last thing she left me before she died.I had given Dad the protection charm because I wanted him to stay safe.I didn’t want him to leave me suddenly the way Grandma had.But Dad didn’t care at all.He pulled the pouch out of a dusty cardboard box and handed it to Henry.Henry held it in his hands and looked up at him with a grin.“Daddy, did you ever open it?”Dad shook his head.“Why would I? It’s not like there’s anything useful inside.”I floated beside him and stared at his calm face as he said those words.A faint ache spread through my chest.But Henry opened the pouch without a second thought.A folded protection charm slipped out.Then he picked up a lighter and set it on fire.I rush

My lifeless body lay in the middle of the living room, giving off a sickening odor.A few flies buzzed around me.No one had to look closely to know what lay beneath my clothes had already started to decay.The neighbors who had come over to watch froze the moment they saw my body.Dad stood there in shock at first.Then he walked toward me and nudged me with his foot.“Stop pretending. Get up. Everyone’s watching.”But I didn’t respond.Instead, that nudge fully exposed the words I had scratched into the floor in my pain.‘Dad, it hurts so much. I really didn’t lie to you.’The handwriting was crooked and uneven, but every word was carved deep and clear.It was hard to imagine how much pain I had been in when I wrote them.Dad stared blankly at those words.After a while, as if he couldn’t smell the odor at all, he crouched down and waved the flies away from me.Then he coaxed me softly.“Calvin, get up. I promise I'll buy you toy cars.”As he spoke, he pushed me gentl

Those things filled the entire trunk.After Dad got home, he turned the only empty guest room in his house into my bedroom.He filled the closet with boys’ clothes and covered the desk with toys.I reached out, wanting to touch them.Only then did I realize the clothes Dad had bought were for a teenager.They wouldn’t have fit me at all.Then Dad took the photo he had been holding against his chest and placed it inside a wooden frame.He set it on the nightstand and murmured, “Calvin, I brought you home.”I looked up at him.For a moment, I felt like he really did love me now.But he still didn’t know me well enough.He didn’t even remember how old I was.Then he locked the bedroom door and sat down at the desk, leaving an empty seat beside him.He began teaching that empty seat how to play with each toy.There were beautiful model cars.There were building blocks that could be stacked high.The more I watched, the more fascinated I became, so I listened very carefully.

But when she was being taken away, she suddenly grabbed Dad’s arm, her face full of regret.“I didn’t mean to hurt our child. I really didn’t do it on purpose.”Dad looked at her with complicated eyes.Then he pushed her away.“I admit I lied to you, but you should never have taken all your resentment out on the child.”With that, Dad turned and left.Mom broke down crying behind him.After Dad went home, he became even quieter.No matter how much Henry cried or made a scene, Dad refused to respond.It wasn’t until Lucy slapped a divorce agreement down in front of him that Dad finally spoke.“What is this supposed to mean?”Lucy tugged the corner of her mouth into a mocking smile.“Sign it. Henry comes with me.”Dad didn’t say much.He only nodded and signed his name.Lucy glanced at the agreement, then went back to the bedroom to pack.That was when Henry’s face twisted into an expression no child his age should have had.He sneered and said, “Daddy. Oh, wait. I shoul