Chapter 7
In the past year, Jennifer had never cooked a single meal. Joseph and Lucas ate takeout every day.
Lucas had special health conditions and had to go to the hospital frequently.
They had spent all the money from selling the house and still couldn’t find a job.
Mr. Willson from a rival company had ordered that if anyone hired Joseph, they would be going against him. Big companies didn’t want him, and small companies thought he was too old.
What completely broke Joseph was that Jennifer, once again, abandoned him because he was poor.
So, with his last bit of money, he came to find Ember.
“Joseph, we are already divorced. Don’t try to guilt–trip me, and stop disturbing me, okay?” Ember told him coldly.
“Ember, how could you be so cruel? Lucas is your real son. Even if you hate me, you can’t deny the son you’ve raised for ten years. Look at him now! Don’t you feel pain?” Joseph pleaded.
Lucas had stopped going to school. Every day, he just played games in his room.
When he was hungry, he ate chips, and when he was thirsty, he drank cola. In just one year, his eyes sank in, his complexion turned yellow, and his body was nothing but skin and bones.
He was no longer the lively and cute boy he once was.
“Mom, I’m sorry. I know you do it all for me. Jennifer Auntie doesn’t care about me, and that’s why I became like this. I hate her so much. Mom, can you please help me again? I promise I’ll be a good son!” Lucas pleaded, his eyes filled with regret.
Despite their attempts, Ember didn’t let them into the house.
Instead, they found an old temple to stay in. Every day, they tried to win her over, cleaning the chicken coop, carrying water, fertilizing the fields–doing all the dirty and tiring work.
The villagers even praised Ember, saying how lucky she was to have such a loving husband and son.
She smiled but said nothing. If it weren’t for overhearing their conversation, she might have been tricked again.
“Dad, since you and Mom are divorced, if she dies, will her property be passed to us?” Lucas had innocently asked.
12:11
Afte
Chapter 7
See? Some things about a person’s nature couldn’t change.
Joseph and Lucas had planned to feed the chickens medicine and then bring the dead chickens to Ember.
“Ember, I know you’re not going to change your mind. After this meal, we can part on good terms. I’ll never bother you again,” Joseph said.
“Mom, I made this for you with my own hands,” Lucas added, looking at her with sincere eyes, waiting for her to eat, waiting for her to die.
Suddenly, Ember realized just how tragic her life had been.
“Lucas, can I ask why you hate me so much?” she finally asked.
Lucas looked away. “I don’t hate you, Mom. The things before were all Jennifer Auntie’s fault. I didn’t want to frame you.”
“Mom didn’t let me play games or eat what I liked. Those were my favorite things, and you didn’t even let me touch them. That’s why I was influenced by Jennifer Auntie,” Lucas explained.
“Did you ever think about why I didn’t let you eat junk food? Look at your body after a year of eating all that unhealthy stuff. Do you like how it turned out?” Ember retorted.
“I understand now, Mom. I’ll eat healthy food from now on,” Lucas said, guilt in his eyes.
Ember served him a big chicken leg and some chicken soup.
“Then you should eat more meat,” she said.
Lucas’s face changed. He was still young and couldn’t hide things. He quickly looked to Joseph for help.
“Ember, we made this for you. Eat more, don’t waste it,” Joseph urged.
Ember crossed her arms and refused to move. Joseph awkwardly placed the food in front of her.
He called to Lucas, “Son, let’s eat.”
They ate all the dishes, but didn’t touch the chicken. Ember didn’t know what they had put in it, but they didn’t even dare to touch it.
“Officer, it’s them. They poisoned the food!” a villager yelled.
The villagers immediately brought the police in. Joseph was scared out of his wits. “What are you talking
about?!”
“We saw with our own eyes him feeding the chickens with arsenic, and then killing them to serve Ember.
12:11
Chapter 7
This is murder!” the villager explained.
Seeing that his scheme was exposed, Joseph tried to destroy the evidence, but before he could do anything, the police restrained him.
The chicken meat was sent for testing, and the toxicity levels were off the charts.
Joseph and Lucas were arrested on the spot. Jail time was inevitable.
Before leaving, Joseph begged Ember, “Ember, it’s fine if you hate me, but Lucas is your son. Please don’t let him go to jail. It’ll ruin his life!”
“Joseph, you destroyed him,” Ember said coldly.
Joseph was sentenced to five years for attempted murder.
Lucas was sent to a juvenile detention center and later to an orphanage. While in the orphanage, he was bullied, always hungry, and had no games to play. He tried to write Ember letters, but…
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