*****
Xavier's eyes were currently bloodshot, looking as though he were going to commit a killing spree.
His fists were also tightly clenched, and his breathing had become labored, listening to his mother's recounting.
Initially, Xavier hadn't lost his sanity at Jennifer's house because he believed his parents couldn't have had it worse, given that Jennifer had given them the remaining money from selling off his assets. However, he now realized how foolish he had been.
Jennifer had really given his parents the remaining money as she claimed, but;
"She—she really claimed that the remainder after selling off all my properties and paying for that bastard's medical expenses is $100?" Xavier, refusing to accept the figure he just heard inquired with a strong tremor, his entire body feeling cold.
Seeing her son like this, Laura sighed heavily and thought on the past, recalling how shocked she and her husband had been as well when they learned that Jennifer had sold their son's properties and shamelessly brought them $100. The memory almost brought her to tears.
She and her husband had even been beaten badly when they tried to reclaim their son's possessions, not wanting them to be sold. However, Laura wasn't going to share this information, fearful of what her son might do.
"Just don't dwell on it anymore," Laura suddenly said with a sigh, raising her hand to pat Xavier's head.
Although she and her husband had suffered significant suffering over the past five years, so much to the point that they are barely holding on now, Laura, seeing her son return whole, felt relieved and all that suffering wasn't worth mentioning now.
Just then, her eyes became filled with tears as she looked at Xavier from head to toe, startling Xavier badly.
"Mother, are you okay?" He quickly inquired with concern, and that was what broke Laura's camel's back again.
"Look at how thin you are!" she burst into tears, suddenly sobbing uncontrollably. "You must have endured so much suffering and starvation over the past five years!"
"This…" Xavier couldn't react for a moment, dumbstruck by his mother's sudden outburst, so he stared at her in a stupor.
He had thought his mother's abrupt sob was because she recalled the hardship she had endured when he wasn't around, but as it seemed, it was because of him.
Xavier clenched his fists tighter, and the self-remorse consuming him became stronger.
"To think I made a damn bitch my next of kin, handing over my entire life and assets to her when I have such loving parents!"
Xavier almost broke down in tears but knew that doing so would only cause his mother more heartache, so he forced back his tears and managed a gentle smile for her.
"What if I tell you I was treated like a king during my time in prison?" He inquired seriously, but then his mother chuckled tearfully, clearly not believing him.
"My son is a king, so, why wouldn't he be treated like one?" She responded, making Xavier speechless.
"I'm telling you the truth, though, mother." He said seriously. "I made a lot of friends during my time and was even treated like a king by every single person around me."
"And I believe you, son. I know you're telling the truth," his mother said, her smile finally brightening as she patted Xavier's shoulder, hiding the pain in her eyes.
This instantly made Xavier not know whether to cry or smile, knowing that his mother only thought he was trying to lighten her mood.
'But I was saying the truth,' he thought speechlessly in his mind but decided not to argue again.
Xavier suddenly looked around the supposed-to-be-abandoned and rundown house, noting the buckets scattered around to catch the leaks from the roof whenever it rained.
"Where is Father, though? I haven't seen him since I returned," he asked, trying to conceal the pain and distress in his eyes, and instantly, Laura's eyes widened as if she suddenly remembered something crucial, and she immediately jumped to her feet, panicking.
"I have completely forgotten about him!" she clamored nervously. "I was about to prepare his breakfast and take it to his workplace when you returned, and he must have long been waiting for me as he hadn't eaten anything in days."
"Huh!" Xavier's eyes widened.
"What—what do you mean that father hadn't eaten anything in days?"
"This—" Laura, who had only subconsciously spoken out was stunned, but just as she was going to respond, Xavier interrupted her.
"What about you? Have you eaten in days?" He inquired seriously, his voice so heavy and filled with an emotion Laura had never heard in his voice before.
"I—I…" she stuttered before eventually forcing a smile. "Obviously, we've eaten in days; I just made a mistake," she said, trying to hide her uneasiness, but when she realized that Xavier did not believe her, she continued.
"What I meant to say was that your father hadn't eaten anything other than the one he had last night."
Xavier, seeing his mother doing everything to convince him clenched his jaw so much from pain and rage. He wasn't mad at his parents, but himself.
He did like this for a moment before heaving a deep sigh. "Okay, Mother," he responded, causing Laura to also subconsciously heave a sigh of relief.
"Where does father work now? I will go call him over so that we family of three can go eat out?"
"Eat out?" Laura suddenly cried out as though the term was fearful, confusing Xavier.
"Don't you know how expensive the foods outside are compared to homemade foods?"
"This…"
He went tranced for a moment, causing Laura to instantly realize that she had once again allowed Xavier to realize how poor they were now.
"I—I meant to say that I and your father prefer homemade meals now to eating out."
Xavier, "_"
Xavier again, "_"
He stared dazedly at his mother for a few seconds before eventually nodding his head subtly.
Obviously, he didn't believe her explanation, but… he added all the strength he could muster to his fists, causing them to crackle loudly while his expression remained unchanged.
"Were you looking for the wood you needed to prepare the breakfast earlier?" he asked and Laura nodded her head absent-mindedly in response.
"I will go gather some then, Mother," he said, and his mother hurriedly returned to her senses.
"You've just returned from confinement, and I'm sure you must be weak. Why don't you rest while I gather the wood?" she offered but Xavier only offered a wry smile before shaking his head.
"You should rest, Mother," he replied, standing up and walking away. As he turned around, his eyes became filled with rage and flashed with a hint of murderous intent.
"Jennifer and Victor, Xavier will make the two of you regret ever coming into this world! You two shall pay dearly for what you've done to my parents," he mumbled to himself and two painful tears then fell from his eyes.
Meanwhile, staring at Xavier's lonely back disappearing, Laura, who had no idea that her son had sobbed, also cried.
"He must have endured so much pain and torture over the past five years to have changed this much," she mumbled through her tears, recalling how frightening the once-gentle Xavier had been earlier.
Eventually, she sighed heavily before resting back against the backrest.
Unknown to Laura, this return of her son would not only mark a new beginning of a new era for herself and her husband, but it would also bring about a massive storm to the world.
But before then, "Old Witch, GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE AND WELCOME THIS FATHER!"
An arrogant and rude voice suddenly echoed through the house, badly startling Laura.