Chapter 161 Mom, should we call the police? Part 1

Betty kicked off her shoes, her usually pristine appearance now marred by a lack of grooming and makeup, and slumped onto the couch as if her soul had vacated her body.

She sat in silence, the fruitless search of the night weighing heavily on her.

After a moment of contemplation, she picked up her phone and dialed again, only to be greeted by the familiar tone of a powered-off device.

It seemed she was trying to reach me again, perhaps thinking I had turned off my phone in a huff.

In reality, I had thrown the phone she bought me into the rushing river waters, lost forever.

Time ticked by slowly, and when it was time for Betty to go to work, she remained motionless, her mind clearly elsewhere.

"Mom, should we call the police?" Michael finally broke his two-hour silence, now fully dressed, his expression one of fear and anxiety, lacking Betty's worried demeanor.

Perhaps deep down, he hoped I would never return, removing what he saw as an obstacle.