Chapter 2

Vivienne finally tore her gaze away from my scarred and ruined face, her voice sharpening with anger.

"No matter how angry you are, you can't just vanish like this. Whatever misunderstanding there is between us, we can talk it through."

She snatched away my crutch in frustration, then bent down to help me up.

But without the support, I pitched forward and crashed hard to the ground.

The stumps where my legs had been were already raw and swollen from weeks of intense training. The impact sent white-hot agony straight through me. The color drained from my face.

Vivienne stared at the empty, folded fabric of my trouser legs. She stood there, rooted, helpless.

"Your legs ！ where are your legs?"

Just then, a man walked in leading a boy of about five or six years old.

Looking at a face that was once my own, it took me a long moment to recognize him� Connor Ashby.

Vivian arranged surgery to give Connor my facial features, and I with his face, my fate was changed to a darker version.

He glanced at Vivienne. "Vivienne has been turning this whole city inside out looking for you."

The little boy broke away and ran to Vivienne. "Mommy! I missed you!"

Vivienne lifted him naturally into her arms. "Mommy missed you too, baby."

I looked coldly at Vivienne, but directed my words at Connor. "She's been so busy hunting for me ！ still found time to have a child with you?"

Vivienne's expression stiffened. I didn't look at her. I braced my crutch to stand.

Seeing my struggle, she set the boy down and moved toward me.

"Let me help you up."

I swept her hand away with my crutch. "Get away from me."

Vivienne's face darkened. "Do you want your parents to see you like this too?"

I hauled myself upright. Connor picked up the boy and came closer. "Say hi to your Uncle Ethan."

"Ethan, take the mask off. Let us see your face."

Before I could stop them, my ruined face was exposed for all to see.

"Mommy ！ a monster! I'm scared!"

The boy buried himself in Connor's arms, wailing, screaming that he wanted to go home.

My mother rounded on me. "Cover that face of yours right now!"

My father hurled a stack of banknotes at me.

"Take it. Get some plastic surgery. Stop frightening my grandson."

"Refusing to come home, showing up at this pathetic little sideshow ！ you're trying to humiliate us, aren't you? If Connor hadn't told us you were here, God knows how much shame you'd have put us through."

The crisp edges of the fresh checks sliced across my scars. Tiny threads of blood welled up and fell.

My knuckles, trembling and bloodless, betrayed the fury I was fighting to keep buried.

I bowed to them. Smiled. Thanked them.

"Thank you. You're both very generous people. May you live long, healthy lives."

My father heard the venom beneath my words ！ heard, too, that I hadn't called them Mom or Dad ！ and ground his teeth together in rage, cursing me as an ungrateful son.

My mother told me to watch myself, then left with Connor and the boy.

I lowered myself on my crutch and began gathering the scattered checks from the floor. Vivienne seemed unable to watch. She pressed her hand over mine.

"What happened back then ！ I owe you for that."

"I'll marry you, Ethan. I'll take care of you for the rest of your life."

The hand gathering checks went still. Behind my eyes, hatred surged like a tide.

"All right," I said. "Give me time to finish what I've started."

Vivienne wanted to come back with me to my place and help me pack. Just then, Connor called her.

"Vivienne, the boy's been crying. He won't stop asking for you."

I gave a cold laugh. "Go."

"I don't have legs anymore. Where am I going to run?"

Vivienne left her number and told me to call whenever I needed anything.

The moment she was gone, I blocked her contact, called uber, and left.

I reached out to a man I'd done time with, and moved into the room he was renting.

Only when I heard no trace of Vivienne searching for me did I finally begin to breathe.