chapter 2
After the tender "Dad" sounded, the hand gripping my neck loosened.
I lay on the ground, gasping for air.
And Harvey, whose eyes were bloodshot just now, immediately changed his expression upon hearing that "Dad."
He used all his strength to hold Felix, who had rushed into his arms, as if holding a precious treasure lost and found again.
His hands trembled, and he kept murmuring softly, "Albert, Albert..."
Who wouldn't be moved by this performance? Only I kept a cold face, unwilling to spare them even a glance.
If I hadn't lived again, I might have been so guilt-ridden at this moment that I'd wish to apologize with my life.
After all, I am directly responsible for Albert's death and indirectly caused Harvey to go mad and lose his sanity.
Noticing my cold expression, Mila cautiously said, "Charlotte, I let Felix call Harvey 'Dad' for your sake. You saw it too. Albert is gone, and Harvey's mental state..."
The worry on her face was unmistakable.
I sneered inwardly. Whether she did it to stabilize Harvey's emotions or for something else, she knew better than I did.
I said, "Is that so? That must have been hard on you, Mila."
Meeting my stern gaze, Mila instinctively looked away, then turned to comfort Harvey and Felix.
I didn't hesitate either and strode out of the ward.
This time, no one bothered to stop me.
Standing in front of the public phone booth, I took a deep breath before dialing that familiar number.
The voice on the other end said, "Hello?"
I said, "Dad, Mom, Albert is missing."
Almost the moment I heard the voices of my parents, George Simpson and Evelyn Simpson, my tears uncontrollably streamed down.
Hearing my tearful voice, George and Evelyn, who had angrily threatened to cut ties with me when I got married, also panicked.
After I haltingly explained everything, I heard a steady and reliable man's voice on the receiver.
He said, "Charlotte, don't be afraid. We'll definitely help you find Albert. Can you handle things over there on your own?"
Although I couldn't see the person on the other end of the phone, I still instinctively nodded like I did when I was a child.
I said, "I can manage. The transfer notice has been issued. I'll be back the day after tomorrow."
He said, "Alright, we'll wait for you to come back."
This gentle male voice reached my ears, inexplicably giving me a strong and reassuring feeling.
I returned to the ward and saw Harvey and Mila sitting on either side of Felix.
When they looked at each other, the sweet and clingy atmosphere almost overflowed.
I pushed the door open directly, interrupting the warmth filling the room.
Harvey, who had "returned" to normal, turned his head, not even bothering to spare me a glance.
Mila, however, stood up a bit embarrassed, then walked over to me and held my hand.
She said, "Charlotte, we've discussed it. In a few days, we'll find a time to transfer Felix to you and Harvey's name."
Her face was full of heartache, but the slight lift of her brows still revealed her true feelings inside.
Before I could speak, a small figure slammed into my waist.
Felix roared, "Bad woman! Don't think you can separate me from Mom!"
Then, he cried and threw himself into Mila's arms, sobbing, "Mom, don't you want me anymore?"
After all, Felix is just an eight-year-old child now.
Even though Mila had talked to him a lot before, he still couldn't control his emotions when truly facing abandonment by his biological mother.
I held my aching waist, looking at the scene of a loving mother and a filial child before me, sneering coldly in my heart.
Facing Felix's tears, a trace of reluctance flashed in Mila's eyes. But the next second, she steeled herself.
Mila said, "What are you doing? Hurry up and apologize to your mom!"
Felix stiffened his neck, like a stubborn little wild beast.
Mila raised her hand and slapped him, then shoved him hard onto me.
As soon as he got close to me, Felix grabbed my hand and bit down hard.
The sharp pain in my wrist made me throw him hard against the wall.
The scene was chaotic.
Harvey's mother, Freya Morrison, pushed the door open and came in.
She saw Felix crying loudly, while Harvey and Mila were frantically holding him to comfort him.
And I stood aside, looking as if it had nothing to do with me.
Freya said, "Charlotte, you wicked woman! You killed Albert, and now you want to kill Felix too?"
She grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall with her rough hands.
My vision turned blood-red as blood streamed down.
Mila screamed, drawing everyone's attention.