Atticus wailed, his heart shattering as he clung to Belle's still-warm body. "Mom! Please don’t leave me! You said you would watch me grow up! You promised!"

  He hadn’t cried when the bullies had humiliated him, when they’d called him a bastard and kicked him to the ground. He hadn’t cried when he’d been pushed into the dirt, stripped of dignity. But now, with nothing left but his mother’s cold body in his arms, he broke. His sobs were raw, heartbreaking.

  Clarissa’s eyes burned with tears, her own heart aching at the sight. Regardless of whether Atticus was the 'Atticus' or not, she couldn’t remain indifferent, not to this, not to him.

  The crying went on for what felt like an eternity, the room thick with grief and silence. Clarissa stood there, unsure of what to do.

  Eventually, the sobs faded, leaving a haunting stillness in their wake. Clarissa took a hesitant step forward and slowly picked up the fallen lunch box from the floor.

  She glanced at the mess, the spilled food, and looked around, unsure of how to clean up the mess in the room. Atticus didn’t move at first, but then he turned his head toward her, his expression cold, like a stranger.

  "You... haven’t left yet," he said, his voice devoid of warmth.

  "I’m sorry," Clarissa whispered, her voice soft with apology. "Are you hungry? I can bring you more food..."

  Atticus shook his head and turned away, his face hardening. "Go."

  ......

  Two days had passed since that day.

  According to Clementine, no relatives had come to claim Atticus. The neighbors had heard that Atticus’s mother was dead, and they all started whispering behind his back. They called him the reincarnation of an evil star, a jinx who had killed his parents. Now, they avoided him, crossing the street to steer clear of his house.

  Clementine sighed heavily. "It’s so sad. With this heat, if he doesn’t bury her soon, the body’s going to start smelling."

  Clarissa paused with her chopsticks halfway to her mouth.

  Clementine immediately panicked. "What’s wrong? Did I ruin your appetite? I won’t say anything else…"

  "It’s okay, Mom. Let’s just eat," Clarissa replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

  "Alright," Clementine said, relieved, and resumed eating.

  But despite her words, Clarissa found it hard to ignore the thoughts that kept creeping into her mind. She really didn’t want to involve herself in Atticus’s problems. Whether he was a villain or not, she didn’t want to be part of some tragic supporting role. But no matter how hard she tried, the image of what she had seen at his house kept playing in her mind.

  Her grip on the chopsticks tightened.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Mom, maybe we should go over there and check on him," Clarissa said, surprising even herself with the suggestion.

  Clementine was shocked. "Clarissa, are you serious? You want to go? He’s still got... well..." She faltered, unsure how to phrase it. "He’s still got a dead body at home."

  Clementine felt uneasy. A dead body next door for days with no sign of it being taken care of was uncomfortable enough, but the thought of the child having to live in that same space made her skin crawl. She didn’t know how he could sleep in the room with his mother’s body still there.

  A few days ago, the landlord had been shouting on the street, cursing Atticus and calling him a jinx. He’d said if there wasn’t a contract, he’d throw him out in a heartbeat. Everyone in the neighborhood had started leaving, afraid that living next to a place like that would bring bad luck. The landlord was angry, of course, losing his tenants, and now he cursed Atticus even more.

  Clarissa understood the underlying worry in her mom’s voice. She hesitated before speaking.

  "I was thinking... since we’re the only ones around here, if the body really starts to smell, we’ll have to deal with it, right?"

  "Clarissa! Stop talking! I just ate!" Clementine shuddered at the thought.

  Clarissa laughed nervously, trying to lighten the mood. "Okay, okay, I won’t say anymore. But seriously, we should check on him. If we can help, maybe we could cremate or bury the body. It’s the right thing to do, and we can at least feel like we’ve done something good. What do you think?"

  Clarissa wasn’t just thinking about being kind, though. She remembered the Atticus from the book—the one who rose up in the end to take revenge on everyone who had wronged him. She’d seen his eyes, full of hatred. If he really was that Atticus, maybe helping him now would mean that, in the future, when he got his revenge, he’d spare her.

  Clementine, after thinking it over, agreed. She didn’t want to move out of here. She had saved for years to buy this house, and she was not going to just leave because of rumors.

  So, Clarissa asked her mom to prepare some food and fruit, and the two of them decided to pay a visit to Atticus’s house.

  When they arrived, Clarissa knocked on the door, but there was no answer.

  "Is he not home?" she asked.

  "Where would he go alone? Maybe he’s asleep. Knock again," Clementine suggested.

  As Clarissa knocked a second time, they suddenly heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. The distinct thuds of several people, stomping in sync.

  Clarissa turned to look, and her eyes narrowed as the leader of the group came into view. He wore a strange suit, his neck adorned with tattoos, and his expression was all business. Behind him, a younger guy with dyed hair swaggered forward, radiating hostility.

  As the group neared, the leader’s gaze flicked over Clarissa, lingering on her for just a moment.

  Clementine instinctively moved in front of Clarissa, her protective instincts kicking in. Clarissa, however, frowned, feeling deeply uncomfortable with the group’s presence.

  The leader smirked. "Hey, bro, you like her?"

  The younger guy snorted. "Let’s focus on business first."

  Without warning, the leader kicked the door open with a violent swing, as if it were nothing.

  The door to the building was weak to begin with, and without any security system, it splintered the moment it was kicked.

  Clarissa stepped forward instinctively but stopped when Clementine grabbed her arm. "Clarissa, don’t go," she said urgently. "Those people look dangerous."

  The way the leader had looked at her daughter made Clementine uneasy. She couldn’t risk putting Clarissa in harm's way.

  Clarissa glanced at her mother. "But Atticus..."

  "Clarissa, we need to leave," Clementine urged, her voice trembling. "We can’t get involved in this. It's too risky."

  And Clarissa finally realized it. A moment of pity could put them both in real danger. Atticus was the big villain, the one who would do unspeakable things when he grew up...

  Clementine didn’t know that, but Clarissa did.

  She bit her lip, but under her mother’s guidance, she turned away, letting herself be led down the stairs and out of the building.

  If you like my work and support me, welcome to follow me and read 25 chapters ahead on Patreon. My link is Annerwl