All Chapters of The Game of Atonement: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

My mom lay in the morgue, without a single trace of life.I crawled over and grabbed her hand. The very hand that used to hold me was now as cold as a block of ice."Your mother committed suicide at 9 p.m. last night. We called your phone, but you didn't answer."Mr. Walker, please accept our condolences. You've already pushed your body past its limit, so you shouldn't get too emotional."I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.At 9 p.m. last night, Aria Walker punished me by locking me inside a walk-in freezer. And because of that, I missed seeing my mom for the very last time.Thinking of the scene I had witnessed outside the office, I lost all my strength and collapsed to the ground. I wanted to hate Aria, but at this exact moment, even the strength to feel hatred had been drained from me.It wasn't until my mom was placed into a small urn that I finally broke down into heart-wrenching sobs.Holding the divorce papers, my hand trembled as I dug out a number I hadn't used

Aria quickly covered his eyes, casting a careless glance at me."This is what he deserves."What I deserved?My lips twitched into a bitter laugh."Conrad, what are you laughing at?"I calmly met Aria’s scrutinizing gaze, spitting out each word deliberately. "My greatest punishment was falling in love with you in the first place."Because I fell in love with her, I lost my dad, my mom, and my child. I was humiliated and trampled on by everyone. The once brightest star of Stepford was now worthless."What did you say?"Aria’s face turned pale, utter disbelief flashing in her eyes. She knelt to reach out and pull me up, but Tom immediately held her back."Aria, you just found out you were pregnant today. Don't let his bad aura rub off on you."Aria nodded, taking Tom's hand with a gratified smile. "You're the only one who truly cares about the baby. Unlike some people..." Saying this, she glared at me with pure venom.Seeing her like that, the memory of my own poor child f

"His dad broke the law, his mom was up to no good and caught a nasty disease, and he's just a useless man who can't even conceive a child. Ms. Carter is truly miserable for being saddled with him."Every single word felt like a poisoned dagger, carving my heart into a bloody mess. I curled my body as tightly as I could, hiding my ruined face in the shadows."Mr. Robinson is here!""Mr. Robinson is so handsome! I’ve never seen that suit before. It must be a custom haute couture piece from a Hillsbalt designer."I lifted my head, meeting Tom’s provocative stare. However, the moment my eyes locked onto the suit he was wearing, my breath completely seized in my throat."That's the suit my mom left me!"My voice was incredibly hoarse. Struggling to my feet, I stumbled forward and lunged straight toward Tom.Aria instantly cut me off, blocking my path. "Conrad, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"I stared at her with pure resentment, tears streaming down my face like rain.

So where could Conrad possibly be right now?He had no family left in Stepford and hardly a circle of friends. Just who on earth could have taken him away..."And what happened to these people?!" Aria pointed a trembling, furious finger at the horrific remains of the vagrants."According to our current timeline, it appears this group assaulted Mr. Walker right before they were killed. Their hands were completely covered in his blood…"The officer was trying to put it delicately, but to Aria, the words landed like a physical blow to the head.These wretched b*st*rds dared to lay a hand on her man?! They deserved every bit of what happened to them!"How did a pack of vagrants even get into this district?! If I remember correctly, this area is under constant security patrol. Conrad shouldn't have been left vulnerable in the first place!"Robert was breaking out in a cold sweat, his eyes wide with sheer panic. "It was Mr. Tom who arranged it all..."He told us to call off the s

"It's getting colder, so I knitted a scarf for you."Cleo tilted her body playfully towards me. "Thank you, Conrad. I love it."Our foreheads brushed against each other, leaving us close enough to feel each other's breath. It was as if an electric shock had zapped through me, and I hastily took a half-step back."Um... if there's nothing else, I'll head back inside first..."I turned to leave, but Cleo caught me by the arm."Don't be in such a rush, Conrad. I want to take you to see someone."She led me deep into the underground vaults of the Parker Estate. Walking all the way to the absolute end of the corridor, I was brought face-to-face with two people. One was Tom, and the other..."You! You're actually still alive!"It was Bob Cooper, the man who had worked for my dad since I was a child. Years ago, when my dad was framed, Bob was the one who had stepped forward with fabricated evidence to nail him to the pillar of shame.The moment Bob saw me, he burst into a hyste