The harsh screech of the school bell rang through the air, signaling the end of another miserable day for Lin Fei. The moment he stepped out of the classroom, the eyes of his classmates followed him, filled with derision and mockery. He was used to it now. The cruel taunts, the whispered insults, the snickers behind his back they had all become as much a part of his life as the air he breathed.
Lin Fei shuffled down the hallway, his body slumped with defeat. His clothes were slightly wrinkled, the fabric worn from years of use. The other students, well-dressed in their uniforms, moved past him, whispering in laughter. They often called him the "poor, pathetic loser" of the school, the kid who had no future.
"Hey, Lin Fei! Your mom's out shopping with her new man again, huh?" A voice called out from behind, sharp as a knife.
Lin Fei didn't even flinch. Zhao Wei, the leader of the school bullies, was the one who said it. A smug grin spread across Zhao's face as he turned to his friends, who snickered in unison.
"Poor Lin Fei. Abandoned by his own mother. She left him for that rich bastard," one of them jeered.
Lin Fei's eyes dropped to the floor. He didn't have the energy to argue or even respond. His mother, the woman who had once promised to love him, had long since walked out of his life. She left him and his father, her only son, for a wealthy man who could offer her a luxurious life. She had said it was for the best, that she would come back, but the truth was different. She never returned.
The memory of his father was a fading one now an image blurred by years of neglect and sorrow. Lin Fei's father had once been a respected but struggling middle class man. After his wife's departure, he had sunk into despair. His health deteriorated rapidly, and within a year, he passed away in his sleep, leaving Lin Fei to face the world alone.
His hand instinctively reached up to his chest where the pain lingered. Loneliness was a constant companion. It gripped his heart like a vice, squeezing tighter with every passing day.
The bullying didn't end there. Zhao Wei and his gang enjoyed tormenting Lin Fei tripping him, stealing his lunch money, and mocking him whenever they got the chance. Today, as usual, they took it one step further.
"Here, loser," Zhao Wei sneered, tossing a crumpled wad of paper at him. "This is all you're good for. Cleaning up our mess."
Lin Fei bent down to pick up the paper, but his hands trembled. His breath came in ragged gasps. He wanted to shout, to lash out, but the words never came. He couldn't muster the strength. He just kept his head low, pretending to be invisible.
It was a cycle that had repeated itself countless times. Every day felt like the same, trapped in the loop of humiliation and hopelessness. He had tried to study hard, hoping to change his fate, but it felt as if the world had already written his story, and no amount of effort could change it.
That evening, as Lin Fei returned to the small, rundown apartment he called home, the silence greeted him like an old enemy. His father's presence had long since faded, replaced by emptiness and echoes. He unlocked the door, stepping inside to find the faint scent of mildew in the air. There was no warmth, no love just cold, lifeless walls.
His mother's side of the apartment had been empty for years now. The room that once belonged to her felt like a ghost's haunting space. The silence only deepened his sorrow, making him feel like the last living soul on Earth.
Lin Fei collapsed onto the worn out couch, staring blankly at the ceiling. His life had been a series of disappointments one after another. His mother was gone. His father was gone. He had nothing. No friends, no hope, no future. Just the endless, oppressive feeling of being alone.
Tears welled up in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. Crying would do nothing. It wouldn't bring back his father. It wouldn't make his mother care. It wouldn't make the bullies go away.
But deep inside, beneath the layers of despair, a flicker of something burned. A desire for change. It was so small, so faint, but it existed. A tiny spark, just waiting to be kindled into something greater.
As night fell and darkness enveloped the room, Lin Fei curled up on the couch, trying to sleep. But his mind raced with thoughts of the life he wished he had a life filled with love, strength, and belonging. A life where he didn't have to face the cruelty of the world alone.
That night, as he drifted into a restless sleep, he heard something strange a voice, faint and distant, as if it came from the very depths of his soul.
"You will not be alone. This is not your end."
The voice was calm and reassuring, like a whisper from the past. It was so surreal that Lin Fei thought it might have been part of a dream. But there was a warmth in it, a sense of certainty that he hadn't felt in years.