Chapter 222 A Dream About the Past
Somerset Mountain was a poor and remote mountainous area. Few people really lived on the mountain except for a gang of human traffickers, so Rachel hadn’t had any friends since she was little.
Then, she met Justin, who was abducted and trafficked to Somerset Mountain. The days since then had been one of the few times in her childhood that she felt truly happy in the company of someone around her age.
“My home is on fire, Justin! I have to go back!” “You mustn’t go back, Katie!” “You should leave first, Justin.”
“Katie!” In the burning courtyard, a man with a scar on the corner of his eye stood at the door of the house and threw the emptied can of kerosene aside. After looking around, he came out and stared at the burning fire as the flames spread out of the courtyard.
“My mom is still inside!”
“Keep quiet!”
The teenage boy covered little Rachel’s mouth, and he wouldn’t let go of her no matter how she cried and shouted. He kept waiting until the man with a scar on the corner of his eye left, whereas Rachel cried so hard that she nearly passed out.
However, the fire was too big. Before the two kids could run down the mountain slope, the thatched cottage collapsed in an instant, turning the courtyard into a sea of flames as the fire kept spreading toward the peak of the mountain.
“Run, Katie! Run!”
“Mommy! Mommy!”
When Rachel suddenly heard a child’s voice, she woke up from her nightmare in a daze and noticed the tiny figure standing beside her bed. Her eyelids felt so heavy that she could hardly open her eyes, and her voice was very weak. “Why are you here, Samuel?”
“Today’s the weekend. What’s wrong with you, Mommy?”
“I’m feeling a little ill. Can you order some food by yourself?”
“Okay.”
As Samuel’s sensible and obedient voice reverberated in her ears, Rachel soon closed her eyes and fell back into a deep sleep.
After the young boy touched Rachel’s hot forehead with his tiny hand, he immediately went out and got some ice packs from the fridge. Then, he wrapped the ice packs in a towel and put them on Rachel’s forehead to help her cool down her body temperature. After doing all that, he stood beside the bed for a while, and his face scrunched up when he saw how uncomfortable Rachel looked. It’ll be bad if her temperature doesn’t come down. As the thought occurred to him, he immediately picked up his school bag and left home.
It was already afternoon, and Justin was reading a magazine in the Burton Residence. He had been in a bad mood all day because of Rachel. Even though he recognized every word in the magazine, he couldn’t concentrate on reading at all. Instead, he couldn’t stop himself from darting a look at the door from time to time as he read the magazine.
Ding dong! Just then, the sound of the doorbell ringing could be heard outside.
Justin immediately put down the magazine, but he didn’t see the person he was expecting when he opened the door. Instead, he saw a cute little boy standing behind the carved iron gate across the courtyard with a school bag shaped like a beetle on his back. The boy was pushing the gate with his tiny hands as he demanded in a forceful manner and said, “Open the door for me.”
“Why are you here?” Justin stepped out of the house. “Did you come alone?”
Samuel replied, “Open the door for me first.”
Justin reluctantly opened the gate, but he pressed Samuel’s head with his hand and refused him entry. “I’m not letting you in. Tell me first—what are you doing here?”
Samuel shook his hand off in displeasure. “I’m here to see you. Hurry up and come with me.”
“Go with you? Why?”
“My mom is ill. Come to my house with me.”
Justin let out a cold sneer. “You’re only a child, yet you’re already lying without thinking. I just saw her yesterday. Not only was she as fit as a fiddle, she even plotted against an old fox with her friend. How dare you tell me right now that she’s ill?”
“I’m telling the truth. I’m not lying.”
“I don’t care whether you’re telling the truth or lying. I’m busy. If she wants to see me, tell her to come here in person instead of using her kid to make a fuss.”
“I’m not lying to you. Hurry up and come with me!” As Samuel got anxious, he grabbed Justin’s arm and tried to pull him outside.
“Let go of me!” Justin was already in a bad mood in the first place, so he became even more impatient right now. Since he wasn’t careful with his strength while swinging his arm, he directly flung Samuel out of the way, causing the latter to take a pratfall.
“Ugh…” Samuel moaned in pain as he fell to the ground.
Justin was also stunned for a moment, but he adopted a stern countenance soon afterward. “It’s your fault for insisting on pulling me. I’m telling you again—if your mother wants to see me, tell her to come in person instead of using such contemptible means.”
Since Samuel was hurt during the fall, his big eyes—which looked like black grapes—instantly misted over with tears. With an aggrieved look, he then yelled at Justin, “You pushed me! My mom said that adults who hit kids are bad people. I hate you, and I don’t want you to be my dad anymore! I’ll go to Mr. Peters instead!”
Justin was somewhat regretful at first, but his expression changed the instant he heard Samuel’s words. “I’m not your dad in the first place.” After finishing his sentence, he immediately closed the gate and went back inside without looking back.
Samuel got up from the ground and stood angrily outside the gate for a few seconds before he left in a fury. I don’t want to see Justin ever again, nor do I want this person to be my dad anymore. Mr. Peters is 10,000 times better than him; even Mr. Hernandez, that womanizer, is ten thousand times better than him!
Shortly after Samuel walked out of the villa area, a figure stood in his way. He looked up at the man before him and said, “You’re blocking my way, mister.”
The man leaned down toward him. “Come with me, little kid.”
In the meantime, Justin had just returned to the living room. He plonked himself down on the sofa and picked up the magazine he hadn’t finished reading, but he could hardly concentrate as his mind was preoccupied with what Samuel had just said. How could that brat say he doesn’t want me to be his dad when he is by no means related to me? Does he think he can intimidate me by doing this? That’s simply ridiculous. Also, how could Rachel feign illness to seek my pity after doing something wrong? That’s the last trick that’ll work on me. She should come back by herself if she’s so capable.
“Daddy!” Just then, Charlotte’s voice was heard upstairs. Her white puff-sleeve nightdress reached down to her ankles as she walked downstairs barefoot while using the handrail to support herself. As she had just woken up from her afternoon nap, she still looked somewhat dazed. “Daddy, I think I heard Samuel’s voice.”
“Why did you come downstairs barefoot?” Justin immediately put down his magazine and went upstairs to carry Charlotte down.
Charlotte wrapped her arms around his neck, but she was still thinking about Samuel. “I really heard Samuel’s voice. Is he here? Where is he?”
“He just left.”
“Did Samuel really come?” Charlotte immediately became awake. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
Justin replied perfunctorily, “You were sleeping just now. Haven’t you forbidden anyone to disturb you while you’re sleeping?”
“How could Samuel be one of those people? He’s my brother!”
Justin frowned. “He isn’t your brother.”
“Yes, he is my brother! How could you speak of him in such a way, Daddy? Didn’t you promise me to be nice to Mommy and Samuel from now on? Where’s Mommy?”
“She’s busy with something else.”
“You’re lying!” Charlotte pushed Justin away and struggled to get out of his arms. “I won’t believe you anymore. I’ll find Mommy by myself!” After finishing her sentence, she ran to the dressing room and got changed.
“Charlotte!” Justin could only go out with her since he couldn’t make the little girl change her mind. They then reached Rachel’s home, but no one answered the door after they rang the doorbell several times.
