574: [Bonus chapter] Lost embrace

[Bonus chapter] Lost embrace

[TRIGGER WARNING: THE CHAPTER CONTAINS SENSITIVE CONTENT. READ WITH CAUTION.]0

When Silas witnessed how his father hurt his mother, he instantly hated him. Even though Olivia told him otherwise, he just didn't want Leon anymore. What he witnessed was unforgivable and, even at a young age, it scared him that his mother might die in Leon's hands. Therefore, he didn't look for him even when they lived somewhere far from the environment he grew up in. 

Olivia and Silas lived on a farm somewhere far from the city. He didn't know how far they were, but he did remember riding a ship for days and then taking a long bus ride before reaching this place. Their house stood in the middle of acres of land. There were already workers on the farm, but only Silas and Olivia lived in the lone two-story house.

His mother knew some of the people already and, according to Olivia, they were some people who used to work for her grandfather on the same farm. Grandma Zhu continued the business on the side just to carry on the memory of her good friend. Therefore, Olivia was deeply grateful to Grandma Zhu for keeping her grandfather's memories alive. 

Grandma Zhu offered her many things, as she wanted to keep supporting them even if the divorce was settled. She wanted to do this to compensate her for what her son had done and also to make sure Silas wouldn't have to struggle. However, Olivia refused everything except for this piece of land Grandma told her to keep it. 

"It was yours to begin with. And I'll be more at ease to know you have a livelihood. I'm sure you can manage that," was what Grandma Zhu said, and with that, Silas and Olivia lived a peaceful life away from the noise of the city and the tricky family matters of the Zhu family. 

They were happy. Silas could say that with confidence. His mother started smiling again. The people on the farm were also very kind to them. His fear that Leon would come home and beat up his mother also disappeared. 

They thought this peaceful and simple life would continue for a lifetime. They truly believed it would be. After all, they were very far and thus, they should be safe. Grandma Zhu also promised to keep their whereabouts a secret, just like how she kept her promise to help Olivia get the divorce she wanted. 

Months after Olivia and Silas moved into this place, she received a mail that contained her approved divorce papers and Silas's birth certificate without the Zhu family name in it. Silas remembered celebrating it with his mother. He still didn't know what was there to celebrate, but he knew those papers meant good news and that his mother was elated. 

Olivia's shine returned in no time. She became lovely again, and she didn't cry in the corner all alone. The farm kept her busy and Silas helped her out on the farm. Everything was going well for them. They were just very at peace and happy despite this change of lifestyle. 

Until two years later…

Silas stood motionless by the door. His expression was plain, eyes up at the woman swaying in the air with a rope wrapped around her neck. Her body was swaying a little due to the mild wind coming from the open window of her room. 

"Mommy?" he called quietly, approaching his mother, who was hanging in the middle of the room. "Mom —"

Silas halted as he heard a crisp sound underneath his feet. Gazing down, his brows furrowed. He bent down to pick up a piece of paper. When he skimmed the paper, recognized the handwriting. It was Dominic's and by the looks of it, it was a response to the letter Silas sent him last time. 

Another quiet air blew past the window, reaching Silas's figure. He slowly looked away from the letter and then gazed up at the woman a few steps from him. 

"Mommy?" he called, reaching for her feet to wake her up. When his little hand touched her feet, he flinched at how cold and stiff her feet felt to the touch. "Mommy, stop playing there. I think you fell asleep. You should go back to your bed and sleep there instead."

Silas continued to tug her feet, making his mother's body sway. He ignored how cold and hard her feet were, thinking she was just playing and fell asleep while hanging there. 

"Mommy?"

"Mommy… wake up."

"Mommy…"

*

*

*

[PRESENT TIME]

Silas slowly opened his eyes, still hearing his own voice that night when he was waking up his already dead mother. His gaze instantly caught the high ceiling, and he let out a shallow breath. Having these dreams of the past was nothing new to him. Back then, he would wake up, gasping and sweating. One of the reasons he turned to alcohol and drugs for help. 

But now, he was calm like a still lake. 

Another shallow breath slipped past his lips before he propped his elbows against the soft mattress to stand up. He flung his legs out of the bed, sitting on the edge with his arms resting on his spread leg. 

"It's been a while," he murmured to himself, staying in that position before turning his head. 

Silas pushed himself up from the bed and then marched away from the bedroom. He went straight to the kitchen, getting a glass of water, which he chugged down in one go as if he was unfazed by his hand tremors. Knowing he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, he dragged his feet to the bar counter to pour himself a glass of whiskey. On the outside, he might appear calm, but every time he dreamed of that night, his entire body would shake uncontrollably.

Alcohol would help his body calm down. Therefore, he didn't hesitate to drink a mouthful of whiskey in one go. He hissed as the alcohol lined down his throat. When he put down the glass, he reached for the decanter of whiskey to pour himself another glass. However, just before he could, the floor-to-length glass wall across from him caught his attention. 

Silas slowly raised his head, only to see his faint reflection from the glass wall of the penthouse he was living in. He slowly veered his gaze up, catching a pair of feet hanging not far away from his back. Nothing was behind him, but in that reflection, those pair of feet and that long dress that reached the ankle were as clear as day. 

"I… will soon get the justice you deserve, Mom."

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