"Seeing the stupid old man's face, everyone in the upper circles of New York knew that, he was the only one imprisoned in the dark. So you deserve something like this." After saying that, Mark laughed.
At this moment, Austin only had one breath left, but he was still staring intently at the other man.
Hatred? Too bad Mark did not have time to pay attention to that expression.
The only thing he could think of right now was to end all of this and leave quickly, then never return.
"Austin, wake up," said a voice.
Austin wakes up from a nightmare and sees Aunt Hana calling out to him. For a long time, he could not recover.
Aunt Hana raised Austin since he was little, but before that, Austin had not seen her for more than four years.
After thinking about it, he got up and looked around.
This room is his room in the Jones family home in New York. Looking at the familiar furniture and layout, Austin subconsciously stroked his neck.
There is only tenderness there.
'How could this happen? Aren't I dead?' Austin thought.
"Austin, it is time to come down for dinner, and–" Aunt Hana looked at him doubtfully and said, "Your father seems to have something to say to you."
"Aunt Hana, what year is it now?" asked Austin doubtfully.
"The year 2022. What happened?" the woman asked again.
Austin's expression looked slightly different at this time, and his entire body emitted a chilling aura.
'Does he already know?' thought Aunt Hana.
Aunt Hana had watched Austin grow up since he was a child. After thinking about it like this, she could not help but feel a little depressed. She was about to sit by the bed and comfort him, but Austin raised his head at this point and said, "Fine, Aunt Hana. I am going down now."
Everything around him was too real, so he was reborn?
Austin saw one of his hands clenched into a fist and sat on the bed for a long time before getting up and out of the room.
*
His father, Ryan, was sitting at the dinner table eating, and when the older man saw him come down, he lifted his chin and motioned for Austin to come over for dinner.
The man was still what Austin remembered. From the outline of his facial features, Austin could sense that he must have been a handsome man when he was young.
Thinking of what Mark had told him before his death, Austin could not help but clench his fists.
Mark accused him of being blind and unwise at that time, but Austin's biological mother died when he was two years old.
All he knew was that his mother was suffering from severe depression. After being admitted to the hospital, she jumped out of the inpatient room window, but at that time, his father told Austin that his mother was suffering from postpartum depression, so she chose to end her life that way.
What can a two-year-old understand? Moreover, since then, his father has kept repeating the exact words in his ears, making Austin believe.
He was foolish, and now that he thought about it carefully, he could find many strange things, especially how other people looked at him, which was both sympathetic and mocking.
As Mark says, many people from the upper classes in New York are well aware of their family problems. Unfortunately, he was too naive-minded.
Seeing Ryan eating, Austin wanted to rush over to him and ask many questions about how he had treated his mother in the first place.
Over the years, even if he didn't say anything when he faced the so-called family members, he could still feel that there was quite a distance.
Austin worked hard to integrate with them, he was always very kind to these people, and even his monthly salary, excluding necessary expenses, was spent on them.
At that time, when they discovered that he wanted to humble himself to please them, would they laugh at his stupidity and naivety in their hearts?
"Austin, why are you silent? Aren't you coming for dinner?"
Ryan has always been strict with him. In the past, Austin thought it was because he was the eldest son in the family, but now it seemed that the person had no affection for him.
After releasing his clenched fists, Austin sat across from Ryan without saying a word.
"Come to my work room after dinner, I have something to tell you."
Austin remained silent, and Ryan had gotten used to it. Gradually, only the slightest sound of cutlery could be heard.
"Brother! You're awake. What did you eat?"
While speaking, Alta, who had just come down after taking a shower, put a hand on Austin's shoulder. Seeing that there were peeled prawns in the bowl, Alta threw the prawns into his mouth.
Alta is the person Austin thinks is the best in the family. Even though he was only two years younger than him, because of Ryan and Emma's teachings, Austin had treated Alta like a baby since he was a child.
Austin dropped him off, picked him up from school, played with him, and helped him take a bath.
In the past, Alta dominated. Then, when he entered high school, and his rebellion ended, he was better than Austin.
It is a shame that it is only pleasing on the surface. Thinking of how relieved he was at the change from the past, Austin could not help but show a self-deprecating smile.
The relationship between the two was not bad before. Seeing Austin ignore him, Alta said in confusion, "Brother?"
Austin looked at Alta, and then, he was so frightened by the scene in front of him that he backed away.
The Alta in front of him was shrouded in black mist, and his facial features became abstract and distorted as black air appeared like a living being.
This feeling was a bit like watching a ghost movie, but because it was close, the horror effect multiplied.
Austin gripped the spoon tightly and tried to hold back his screams.
Compared to Austin's softer appearance, Alta looks bright and energetic. This is also what Ryan has been most proud of in the past, saying that Alta's performances followed suit.
Thinking about what Mark had told him before his death, Austin finally came to his senses.
The black mist still had not dissipated, hanging around him. Austin did not know if it was a false vision or a psychological factor. After sitting up straight, he said, "I am fine."
His attitude made Ryan feel a little dissatisfied, but when he thought about what he wanted from Austin, the man could only look at Alta kindly and said, "Alta, sit down for dinner, the food is cold!"
When their family ate, they all had a fixed position—Ryan in the middle, Emma on the right, and Alta on the right. Austin faced them, forming a clear and opposite situation with them.
The two father and son were talking harmoniously at the dining table, and not long after, Emma, who was shopping, also returned.
Emma was the same age as Ryan but looked much younger than her age.
In her early years, she was responsible for the financial power of the family-owned plastic factory. In recent years, the woman had felt that she was getting older, and she hoped that Alta would soon be independent, so she chose to retire and indulge.