Chapter 3
Misael Ellison scoffed, a mocking glint in his eyes. "That woman Vanessa isn't just cheap herself. Her brat is just as much of a disgrace."
Kamron let out a sharp scream, like a startled little animal, and darted forward to snatch up the stones.
He said, "They're not garbage! They're not garbage! These are the stones Mom kept for Dad to build a house! You can't throw them away.
"Mom said these stones are super strong. They can build a building as tall as the sky!"
Misael suddenly froze in place.
"Build a building?" he echoed in disbelief.
He remembered five years ago, back when he was hauling bricks at the construction site. Vanessa was the same way, always picking up any nice-looking piece of rubble, wiping it clean, and saving it for him.
She used to say, "Misael, one day we'll use these stones to build a place that's just ours."
The memory jabbed at Misael's heart like a needle.
But he quickly shoved those feelings down, letting a deeper hatred take their place.
"Build a building? What does a shallow, vain woman like her know about building a home?"
Misael rolled down his window.
The wind whipped in from the overpass, tossing his carefully styled hair into a mess.
He snatched up a handful of stones, plus half a bread roll, and, right in Kamron's face, hurled them out the window.
"No!" Kamron screamed.
He was sobbing uncontrollably, his tiny fists pounding desperately against the car window.
He said, "That's for Dad! That's the money for Dad! Mom didn't eat so she could save that! Sob... That's our money!"
The stones tumbled off the overpass, lost to the darkness in a heartbeat.
Watching my son break down in tears felt like my heart was being ripped apart.
Those stones were the ones I'd set aside on purpose while picking up scraps at the construction site, hoping to exchange them for a little cash.
Every single one was saved from skipping lunch, squeezed out from the gaps between my teeth.
I told Kamron those stones were valuable, and that once we saved up enough, we could build a big building for Dad.
Kamron believed me completely, guarding those stones like they were his life.
Now, Misael had just tossed his life away without a second thought.
Misael, fed up with Kamron's wailing, grabbed his chin and yanked his head up.
"Shut up!" He shot Kamron a vicious glare. "Cry one more time and you're going out the window next."
Kamron let out a loud hiccup, tears still clinging to his lashes, his whole body trembling all over.
But even then, he stared at Misael with stubborn defiance, his little mouth quivering as he choked out his protest.
He cried, "Bad guy... You're a bad guy... I want Mom... I want Mom..."
Misael let go, wiping his hand on the seat in disgust.
"Your mom sold you off to me for cash," he said, his voice icy cold. "Stop hoping. She's never coming back for you."
I collapsed onto the car roof, completely spent. My tears had dried up, leaving only burning, empty eyes.
Misael had no idea that what he threw away wasn't just trash.
It was the only dream my son had of his father, and the last piece of love I had left to give this world.
He threw it all away, not a single thing left behind.
Misael took Kamron back to the villa on the hillside.
It used to be the home we dreamed of, but now another woman was living there as the new lady of the house.
Kamron stood in the entryway, staring at the spotless marble floor, refusing to take another step inside.
"Dirty... I'm dirty..." he mumbled.
He glanced down at his filthy feet, then at the pair of spotless white slippers waiting for him, and shrank back in fear.
Misael gave him a cold stare. "Get inside."
Kamron flinched, then tiptoed in, barely letting his feet touch the floor, creeping in like a guilty little thief.
He refused to sleep in the children's bedroom Misael had set up for him.
The room was way too big, and the bed was so soft he didn't feel safe at all.
He hugged his only belongings, a few crumpled candy wrappers, and crawled into an empty cardboard box in the storage room.
That was the "home" he was used to.
Early the next morning, Malaya showed up.
She was dressed in silk pajamas, bossing the servants around like she owned the place.
When she saw Kamron curled up in the cardboard box, her eyes flashed with disgust for a second before she switched to a fake smile.
She said, "Oh wow, why's this kid sleeping here? Poor thing."
Malaya strutted over, acting all concerned as she reached for Kamron, but used her body to hide it and gave him a nasty pinch.
Kamron yelped in pain and shoved her hand away without thinking.
Malaya pretended to stumble and crashed into the display cabinet next to her.
A priceless blue-and-white porcelain vase crashed to the floor and shattered into a million pieces.
"Ouch! My hand!" Malaya yelped.
She started crying on the spot, putting on a show. "I wasn't even rough with him, so why did he shove me?"
Misael rushed over, and when he saw the shattered pieces on the floor and Malaya putting on her pitiful sobbing act, his face instantly darkened.
"What happened?" he snapped.