Chapter 35: Child Vs. Monster

Little Eli knelt on his bed, his small hands clasped together in prayer. "Please help my mommy, Mr. Dante," he whispered, a deep worry settling in his chest. After hanging up, he hurried to call Grandma Martha, his voice trembling as he explained everything.

Martha's sharp intake of breath echoed in Eli's ear. "I'll go to your mommy right away," she said, her voice shaking with anger. "Uncle Jonas will come for you. You won't be alone in that mansion." Eli felt a mix of relief and fear; he needed his mommy.

Eli closed his eyes, whispering a small prayer to God for his mommy's safety. Just as he felt sleep creeping in, loud laughter and shouting from the ground floor jolted him awake.

Curiosity pulled him out of bed, thinking it might be his mommy's voice. He tiptoed down the stairs, his heart racing. To his surprise, he found his father in the living room, surrounded by men who looked just a few years older than him.

The men laughed boisterously, drinks in hand, their voices echoing in the room. His father wore a wide grin, his happiness glaringly apparent. Eli wrinkled his nose at the sharp scent of cigarettes and alcohol that filled the air.

He felt a twist in his stomach, unable to understand how his daddy could celebrate after the police took his mommy. They never had friends over, yet here they were, drinking and laughing. A dark realization hit him, his father seemed to be enjoying his mother's misfortune.

"I can't believe you'd do that to your own wife, Victor. Truly, I'm amazed! You just tossed Julia into the bars," a man exclaimed, a hint of admiration in his voice.

"Oh, you know Victor. When it's about his mother, mercy doesn't exist," another man chuckled, raising his glass to his lips.

Victor leaned back, propping his hand against the sofa's headrest, and took a deep sip from his drink. The bitter liquid burned as it went down. "That's exactly what she deserves. She betrayed me! I gave her everything, but she still managed to steal from me. She even disrespected my mother."

Eli stopped in his tracks, a heavy weight pressing on his chest. He was just a kid, yet he could sense that his mommy didn't deserve this anger aimed at her. She would never turn against his father. She wouldn't steal. And she had never disrespected Grandma Evelyn; it was Grandma who stirred up so much trouble.

Laughter filled the room once more, but soon the mood shifted to something heavier. "But… Victor, may I ask? Did Julia really do that to you? Did she… really steal from you? I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm on your side. But your wife doesn't seem like someone who would steal. If you look at her, she doesn't appear materialistic."

Anger bubbled inside him, wanting to shout that this was entirely wrong. His mommy would never do something so awful. Yet he stayed silent, trying to listen as if he were an adult.

Victor halted at that question, a frown forming on his face. It was a tough question. Deep down, he couldn't accept the idea that Julia would ever steal money from him. She wasn't materialistic. She had never once asked him for money.

He knew for sure that Julia was betraying him, that she was unfaithful. The proof lay in her having an illegitimate child. But stealing? That was different. She was a cheater, but… could she steal money from him?

But if she didn't steal from him, then who did? No one could get past his company's strong security. And how did she manage to set up her own agency? His mother believed that Julia was the one responsible. Her disrespect towards his mother and her infidelity pushed him to have her arrested.

"Hey. Do you really think she's the one who stole?"

Victor stared blankly at his friend, a shoulder shrug the only response. "No one else could do it but her. We all know she has no money, no job. Plus, living together means she could access the company without me noticing."

"Your wife is something else, isn't she? She looks like an angel on the outside, but she's evil on the inside," one of them sneered.

The men's laughter rang out once more. That was when Eli's resolve broke. He had fought back tears for too long. He wanted to be brave. But hearing his father say hurtful things about his mommy felt like a knife piercing his heart.

Unable to stay hidden any longer, he stepped forward. "That's not true! Mommy is not a thief. She's innocent! I'm so disappointed in you, daddy. You are her husband, you should be her first protector. But you're the one saying hurtful things about her…" His voice trembled with tears as he spoke.

The men froze, surprise flickering across their faces. They hadn't expected him to be awake at this late hour. It was almost midnight.

The shock on Victor's face quickly morphed into fury. "Who told you to come down here and interrupt us, huh? You rude little brat!" Victor bellowed, his voice booming like a raging bull.

Eli felt a shiver run down his spine at his father's fierce look, but a stronger urge pushed him to defend his mommy in their own home.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, daddy. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but you're talking about my mommy. I can't just stand by and listen to you speak badly about her," he said, his voice trembling with pain.

"What do you care if we discuss your shameless mother? She deserves every bit of it! I'll make sure you never see her again because she'll rot in jail!" His neck bulged with angry veins.

Victor had downed several bottles of alcohol, the room spinning around him. He swayed, trying to find his balance as words stumbled out, but the sound of this annoying kid's voice cut through his haze, snapping him back to reality.

Victor's so-called friends exchanged uneasy glances, clearly unwilling to be part into the quarrel. They stood up quietly and mumbled that they were leaving, eager to escape the tension.

Victor brushed off his friends, locking his gaze onto Eli. With Julia gone, the rules changed; he could unleash his anger on this bastard child in his own home. He had always held back when Julia was around, but now he could let Eli feel the weight of his disdain—the bitter product of Julia's betrayal.

Victor rose to his feet, closing the distance to Eli. The boy's heart raced, nerves dancing in his stomach, yet he stood tall, determination shining in his eyes. He would defend his mommy no matter what.

"You, little brat, I've put up with your annoying presence for too long! Do you know how much I hate seeing you?" Victor spat, his words dripping with bitter venom.

Eli felt a sharp pain in his chest. For so long, he had dreamed of his daddy looking at him, actually talking to him. Now that dream stood before him, yet in such a painful way. As a child, he often pondered why his daddy never spoke to him, why he never show love. So many questions tugged at his heart. All he wanted was for his Daddy to love him.

"It's okay if you're angry with me, daddy. If you don't want to see me, I understand. But please, don't involve mommy. You know she's innocent in your heart," he pleaded, his voice faltering. He felt a tightness in his throat as he fought to hold back the tears.

Without a word, Victor turned and staggered toward the stairs. He took a few steps but then lost his balance, swaying unsteadily. Just as he began to fall, Eli rushed forward and steadied his father by grabbing his arm.

Annoyed, Victor yanked his arm free, struggling to regain his footing. "Don't touch me!" he barked, rage seeping into his words.

He made another attempt to climb the stairs, but his feet slipped again. Eli rushed to support him once more, his small hands gripping Victor's arm tightly.

Frustration boiled over, and Victor shoved Eli aside with a harsh shove, sending the small boy crashing against the wall, tumbling down a few steps.

A cold smirk crossed Victor's face. "I told you not to touch me," he said, his voice dripping with contempt.

With his head bowed low, Eli pushed himself up from the floor. He stepped closer to Victor, then put his small arm on Victor's shoulder, straining to help him lift his body.

Victor squirmed, trying to escape Eli's touch, but the dizziness overwhelmed him. With Eli's steadying hands guiding him, he stumbled to his room. As soon as he entered, he fell to the cold tiles with a soft thud.

Eli hurried to his side, concern etched on his young face. In frustration, Victor swatted at him. "Why are you so annoying? I told you to stay away from me!" he roared, his voice echoing in the room.

"Don't worry, I'll come out when you're in bed, daddy," Eli said quietly, still keeping his head down, his face concealed from view.

Victor's mind twisted with anger toward this innocent heart. "Daddy?" Eli's voice broke through the tension. "Don't call me daddy!" Victor scoffed, his bitterness bubbling over. "You want to know why I can't love you? Because I'm not your father. You're not my child!" He shouted, his words striking hard.

He wished to see the pain flicker across Eli's face. He imagined the shock in those innocent eyes, the tears that would surely follow, the boy begging to take back his words.

But Eli's reaction was nothing like he expected. The boy met his gaze, his expression blank, as he continued to try helping Victor to the bed.

"Hey! Did you hear me? You.are.not.my.son! No matter what… I can never love you!" he snapped. Deep down, he was sure Julia would never tell Eli the truth. She would keep it hidden forever; this was his chance to break the boy's heart, to let him feel just a fraction of his own pain.

Eli gently draped a blanket over Victor, concern in his eyes. He looked up at him, but his expression was unreadable. "Don't worry, daddy. I know I'm not your son," he said softly.

Victor spun around, shock flashing across his face. He knew he wasn't his child?! How did he know?!