Beyond the Divorce

"I don't know who told her about it later, but she came here with some people, asking me what the master had said to me. I didn't know what she wanted to know, but I refused to admit that I had any private dealings with the master, even if she wanted to beat me to death. I insisted that I was just a gardener." Kenny wiped his eyes, then continued, "So she beat me half to death and ordered some people to ransack my place. But they found nothing, so it ended there."

"What a viper!" I cursed, then asked, "What happened afterwards?"

"Even though I was seriously injured, she refused to let me get any medical attention. I think she didn't care whether I lived or died. I was just an insignificant ant to her. She wanted me to perish!" Kenny gritted his teeth.

"I persisted, telling myself I couldn't die because I had to fulfill the task the master had entrusted to me. I had to keep the keys he had given me safe, so I would be worthy of the master." He looked at Atlas with a face full of joy. "You've suffered, Kenny," Atlas said sincerely. His eyes turned slightly red.

"So that was why you were injured?" I asked.

"My injuries took three months to heal. But they didn't heal properly, which gradually resulted in my current condition, and that's how I became a hunchback," he spoke softly and indifferently.

this place?" Atlas looked at Kenny with gratitude in

but I didn't know who to ask. The people here had

and nodded seriously to show

be able to discover you, since my health was deteriorating. That's

best to wait here if I wanted to see you. If you were alive, you would return one day. You would return no matter how far you went, because this

she hadn't insisted on visiting this place, I might not have come here, and I wouldn't have known that you were still here," Atlas

is

started to leave one by one until, eventually, not a single elderly person

the master entrusted to me. I was afraid I'd never see you again! Thank goodness! You're finally back!" Kenny looked up at Atlas with a face full of tear marks, straining

Kenny's hunched body, "You've suffered,

their eyes, and I've finally completed the task the master entrusted to me. Now that I've handed the keys to you, I can