Chapter 5
“What the hell are you talking about? Vivian is fine! How could she be dead?”
“Keep spreading lies like that and I’ll have you arrested!”
The commenter, feeling their good intentions were being thrown back in their face, fired back
angrily:
[If you don’t believe me, look it up yourself.]
[I’m just trying to help. What would I gain from lying to you?]
Julian’s chest heaved as he sat frozen in place.
[ust then, the livestream comments exploded again:
Why isn’t the kid moving? Is he dead?]
Holy shit, isn’t that a crime?]
Should someone call 911?]
ulian immediately cut the stream and spun around toward our son.
Liam lay barely breathing on the bench, clinging to his last thread of life.
floated above, grabbing Julian’s shoulders desperately:
‘Julian, save him! Liam won’t survive much longer!”
The next second, Liam violently coughed up blood. Julian’s face drained of color as he trembled, scooping Liam up and rushing him to the car. He sped off to the hospital, only breathing a sigh of
relief once Liam was admitted.
Audrey, who had followed them, sat beside Julian trying to comfort him:
“Don’t worry, Liam will be fine.”
For the first time, Julian gave her a suspicious look:
“Before the livestream, I told the servants to just pretend. They weren’t supposed to actually hurt Liam.”
“Why did they hit him so hard?”
Audrey’s eyes betrayed a moment of guilt before she perfectly concealed it:
“You’re suspecting me?”
“The servants are idiots who don’t know their own strength. Poor Liam had to suffer for it.”
“Julian, I never imagined things would turn out this way.”
She covered her face, producing convincing sobs–she knew this act always worked on Julian.
Sure enough, the doubt in his eyes immediately diminished.
After sitting in the hallway for a while, Liam was wheeled out of surgery.
Julian rushed forward anxiously:
‘Doctor, how’s my son?”
The doctor stepped back, regarding him warily:
‘Are you the child’s parent?”
‘Yes! I’m his father!”
‘As his father, were you aware your child has been subjected to long–term abuse?!”
Julian’s face turned ashen: “What… long–term abuse?”
Nearby, Audrey nervously wrung her hands.
The doctor sighed:
“This child has been malnourished from an early age. His growth and development are severely delayed. He has numerous injuries, both old and new.”
“Most critically, his throat has been burned with sulfuric acid. Even after recovery, he’ll likely have permanent speech difficulties.”
“And those whip marks on his back–I suggest you investigate thoroughly. Someone was clearly trying to kill this child.”
I gently stroked my son’s pale face.
Before Julian appeared, Liam had endured hardship with me as we struggled to survive.
After my death, he suffered this terrible abuse from Audrey.
In this lifetime, I could never repay the debt I owed my son.
Hearing the doctor’s words, Julian staggered backward, mumbling:
“How could this happen?”
“Before I left, I only told my parents to punish Vivian a little, just let people criticize her.”
“Why would Liam suffer long–term abuse?”
“How did everything turn out like this?”
I laughed bitterly.
Your parents? Just punish a little?
Hah! They WERE the beginning of my nightmare.
