Chapter 001: Kicked Out

"Get out! Get out of here! I, Edward Bennett, have no son like you!"

Accompanied by a resounding slap and a beast-like roar, the shout rang out from a plainly decorated building in Ning City. As the angry voice echoed, half the lights in the once brightly lit homes of the neighbors instantly went out.

"Old Xu, he's your son!" On the second floor, in front of a wooden door, a woman in her forties, her face still retaining a gentle charm, was now filled with terror. She spread her arms, shielding a young man in his early twenties behind her. Though her body trembled, she stood like a lioness protecting her cub, staring fiercely at the tall, burly middle-aged man inside the room.

"I have no such son! Get out! If you don't get out, I'll skin you alive!!" With the middle-aged woman's angry shout, the man inside the room suddenly widened his eyes, bloodshot and glaring viciously at the young man outside. With a stride, he came to the woman's side and raised his hand to push her away.

"Xiao Yu, go! Hurry!" As the man moved, the woman cried out in fright without looking back, mustering all her strength to cling to the doorframe. No matter how hard the man inside pushed, she did not budge an inch.

The young man outside seemed stunned just now, but the woman's scream snapped him back to reality. Seeing the fierce look in the man's eyes, he shuddered, frozen in disbelief that the man would look at him that way.

"Go! Your dad really will beat you to death!" As the young man hesitated, the woman screamed again, jolting him awake. Glancing at the man inside, who was trying to push the woman aside, the young man finally came to his senses.

He—he really treats me like this?

At some point, his eyes had filled with tears. Suddenly, the young man shouted at the man inside, "Even you don't believe me?! Even you don't! I, Grace Bennett, have never done that thing!!"

After the outburst, Grace Bennett seemed to weaken all at once, as if that shout had drained all his strength. With eyes full of anger, he gave the two inside a deep look, then turned and strode downstairs.

Even he doesn't believe me?

At this moment, Grace Bennett's heart truly broke. Men rarely shed tears, but now, hot tears streamed down Grace Bennett's face as he ran.

He dashed down the stairs like the wind, then ran madly forward as if fleeing for his life. After running over a hundred meters, Grace Bennett suddenly felt a wave of weakness wash over him. Fighting the urge to faint, he quickly stopped, braced himself against a large tree by the roadside, and gasped for breath.

Gradually, as the fresh air rushed into his lungs, the world around Grace Bennett began to revive before his eyes and ears.

This was a tranquil courtyard, where dim yellow lights shone down, making the already stifling autumn air even more oppressive.

"Isn't that Secretary Xu's house? He got out?"

"Shut up, let's go!"

※※※

As Grace Bennett's mind swirled with anger and grievance, struggling to recover his strength against the tree, a few meters away, a faint whisper suddenly sounded. Then, another voice, tinged with fear, followed, and hurried footsteps quickly retreated.

The two whispers snapped Grace Bennett back to reality. He turned his head, only to see two familiar figures quickly disappearing into the night.

In the past, whenever the owners of those figures met him in the courtyard, they were always overly enthusiastic. But now, they avoided him like the plague. This scene made the already miserable Grace Bennett feel another wave of sorrow.

At this moment, he really wanted to shout to the sky that he truly hadn't done that thing.

But the last shred of reason in his heart told Grace Bennett clearly that even if he did shout, no one would believe him. After all, even his own father, Edward Bennett, didn't believe him—who else would?

Taking a deep breath, a trace of ruthlessness flashed through Grace Bennett's mind. Since no one in the world believed him, what was the point of staying here?

Supporting his barely recovered body, Grace Bennett walked toward the courtyard gate. Even though his steps were unsteady, there was no longer any hesitation.