Home / Pricing Every Hug in a Loveless Home / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Pricing Every Hug in a Loveless Home: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

11 Chapters

Chapter 1

My teacher, Ms. Alice Hudson, gave me a star sticker.It shimmered under the light, resting on the back of my hand like a real star.The other kids lifted theirs up to show their moms, but I didn't. I carefully peeled mine off and tucked it deep inside my pocket.I kept my fist clenched around it all the way home while my mind raced.My father, Henry Malone, had taught me that everything needed to be evaluated to offset against my "education budget".How much was this sticker worth? Ten cents? 20 cents?I was nervous. If I guessed too high, Dad would say I was being dishonest. If I guessed too low, I'd be letting Ms. Hudson down.When I got home, my mother, Esme Lowe, was mopping the floor.I ran over, dug through my faded bear purse, and fished out a single coin before holding it out to her."Mom, I want to buy a hug," I whispered.Something flickered in Mom's eyes, but it vanished just as quickly. She straightened up and opened her arms.I leaned in.One second.Two seco

Chapter 2

In the middle of the night, a fever hit me. My body swung between freezing cold and burning hot.I felt terrible.I wanted to call for Mom, but I didn't dare.I quietly unzipped my bear purse. Inside were just two coins and a few "Family Love Vouchers" I had drawn myself.Getting sick meant Mom had to take care of me, and that came with a fee. Nighttime service was bound to be even more expensive.I didn't have enough money. I couldn't afford it.And I was terrified of running a negative balance. Dad always said that owing a debt was disgraceful.So, I wrapped myself tight in my blanket, clutching the candy Aunt Sophie had given me. It was the only free thing I had.I endured the misery, praying for the morning sun to hurry up.The next morning, Mom came to wake me. The moment her hand touched my forehead, she gasped.Her hand was cold, and it felt so good against my skin.Dad's instant reaction, however, was to pull out his phone and open his ledger app."Estimated medical

Chapter 3

The next day, the house was deathly quiet.Mom and Dad were giving each other the silent treatment, not speaking a word to each other.There was no breakfast on the dining table, and no one was in the living room.This only made me more determined to go out and "earn money".I got dressed and slung my bear purse over my shoulder. Inside were my two coins and a few "Family Love Vouchers" I had drawn with hugs and smiley faces.I also brought the candy Aunt Sophie had given me, which I still hadn't dared to eat.This was my entire net worth, as well as my credit verification.At the front door, I hesitated for a moment and looked back at the silent home.I whispered into the empty air, "Mom, Dad, I'm going out to earn money for our family."Then, I turned the handle and walked out.Guided by memory, I walked to the neighborhood garden where I had seen the strange man yesterday.Luckily, he was there again. The moment he spotted me all by myself, his eyes lit up, and a warm smi

Chapter 4

I felt like I was growing lighter, floating up into the air like a single feather.Everything before me went pitch black. My body didn't hurt anymore, and I wasn't scared at all. Just a little cold.I saw another "me", dressed in my clothes, lying on a cold iron bed.The man who had offered me the candy was talking to another stranger. "This batch of 'goods' is top quality. You can settle the bill now."I didn't understand what they were saying, but I had completed the "payment" for that candy.Maybe, just like the picture I drew, I had "earned" a whole lot of money for our family.When Mom and Dad saw the receipt, they were bound to be so happy.I missed Mom.The moment that thought crossed my mind, I drifted upward, floated right through the walls, and returned home.The house was still as quiet as ever. Mom and Dad sat on the couch, neither saying a word.I saw the drawing I had left by the entryway, along with those few crooked words: "I went to earn money".I was thrill

Chapter 5

I saw Dad's face crumble, and then Mom collapsed.A crowd rushed over, their voices a noisy blur.I floated beside Dad, but he stood frozen like a statue. It made me anxious.At the hospital, Mom finally woke up.She didn't cry or scream. She just stared blankly at the white ceiling with hollow, vacant eyes.Aunt Sophie held her hand, begging her to let it all out and cry, but Mom didn't react at all.I tried to touch her face, but my hand kept passing through her body, over and over again.I really was just air now, unable to stir even the faintest breeze.Eventually, they went home.The apartment felt colder and quieter than when I had left it.Mom walked inside like a sleepwalker, heading straight for the study.That was where Dad's computer was—the one hosting our shared family ledger, which recorded every expense and emotional transaction.Mom turned on the computer. As the screen lit up, Dad's last entry about me was still sitting right there. "Educational ROI: Non-mo

Chapter 6

I stayed behind with Dad.He went to the bank and withdrew all the money from his accounts. I watched as stacks of green bills piled up on the table like a small mountain.Dad really had a lot of money.Why did I have to pay for even a single hug back then?He didn't go home. Instead, he went to a newly rented, empty little apartment. Inside, there was only a bed and a table.He hung a whiteboard on the wall, just like the one he used to use for our family budget planning.But when he picked up the marker, the first thing he wrote at the top of the whiteboard was my name, Kevin Malone.Right after my name, he drew a massive equal sign. On the other side of that sign, he started writing a string of words. "The traffickers' lives, their families, their fear, their despair…"Looking at that whiteboard made me shudder.He began liquidating everything he owned—our home, the car, and the stocks in his account.He had only one demand for the real estate agent. "Turn it all into cash

Chapter 7

Dad got his hands on the first set of files, which belonged to the driver of that white van.It included his photo, home address, daily commute, and family details. Everything was laid out in crystal clarity.Dad began gathering his tools—a hammer, thick rope, and black industrial gloves.Seeing these items in my world made me feel terrified and lost.He wasn't the dad who argued over the price of a single piece of candy anymore.I followed him into a dark alleyway without any security cameras.He waited there in the shadows.When the driver came strolling down the alley, humming a tune and stumbling under the influence, Dad stepped out from the dark.Before the driver could even react, a wave of excruciating pain split his knee open. He shrieked and fell to his knees.Dad crouched beside him and whispered into his ear, "Consider this… the transportation fee."Then he raised the hammer and shattered his other kneecap."Account settled," Dad said softly.I screamed, desperat

Chapter 8

I saw Aunt Sophie standing at Dad's doorway. Her eyes were rimmed with red.She asked Dad if it was him, in the exact same tone she used back when she confronted him about splitting every expense with me.Dad didn't answer. He just looked at her coldly.He was no longer the dad I used to know.Without waiting for his response, Aunt Sophie pushed the door open and rushed inside.Her eyes immediately caught the massive whiteboard on the wall as well as the names crossed off in red marker.The truth was laid bare right in front of her.Aunt Sophie started crying.She wasn't crying for the human traffickers Dad had "settled accounts" with. She was crying for Dad, for Mom, who was still lying in bed refusing to eat or drink, and for me.She screamed at him, "Henry Malone! Look at what you've turned yourself into! You've made yourself into a monster too! Kevin is watching you from above! He would never want to see you like this!"Hearing Aunt Sophie say that I wouldn't want to see

Chapter 9

I followed Dad into the tiny interrogation room. It was the same place he had come to report my disappearance before.I saw the senior detective sitting across from him.The detective pushed a stack of files in front of Dad, flipping through them page by page."This driver… has a kid about the same age as your son, diagnosed with leukemia just last month."And the guy in charge of watching the kids got involved for the very first time just to raise money for his paralyzed mother back in his hometown."Dad cut him off coldly, "Their excuses don't justify my son's death. That's a separate issue entirely."The detective raised his head. "You're right. It's a separate issue. Your son's death is one matter, and the law will pursue it to the very end."But your assault is another matter entirely, and the law will hold you accountable all the same. Mr. Malone, you're a smart man. You should understand this better than I do."Dad fell silent.The officer told him that the police had b

Chapter 10

Both the police and Aunt Sophie were keeping a close watch on Dad, but all they saw was him performing complex financial transactions.They thought he had finally given up on violence and retreated back into his familiar world of numbers.Though full of suspicion, the senior detective could find no evidence that he was planning to break the law."Accountant" took the bait.Through layers of encrypted channels, he contacted Dad's shell company.After several rounds of testing each other out, they agreed to perform the capital verification and trade at an abandoned harbor.I followed Dad to the port.It was dark, cold, and damp—so much like the place I was kept in right before I lost consciousness."Accountant" showed up.He was a refined-looking middle-aged man in gold-rimmed glasses and a tailored suit. He looked just like Dad used to.Dad showed "Accountant" the enormous sum in the account, enough to buy the entire port.Then, he pressed a button. A photo of me—the one wher

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