The Ex and Her Riches

An old man around the age of sixty was standing outside.

His hair was white, and he had a gray beard. He also had defined features—something not most Chanaeans had.

Cedrick could somewhat recall who he was—the biochemistry professor, Eugene Yortz.

He had been the one who gave Benedict the book about Abnormal Psychology, so Cedrick later contacted Joshua and found out about the man.

Nevertheless, Cedrick solemnly stared at Eugene, wondering why Benedict seemed nervous earlier.

“Professor Yortz, what can I help you with?”

Eugene scratched his head and scoured through his memory to figure out who was the man standing before him. “You must be Benny’s father.”

“Yes, that’s me,” was the only polite answer Cedrick gave to Eugene.

Eugene let out a laugh, a hint of mockery entering his eyes. “It’s rare to see his parents caring for him. In that case, I won’t disturb your time with him. Please continue with your conversation.”

With that said, he turned to leave.

“Stop!”

Cedrick grabbed his hand and forcibly lifted Eugene’s hand. As it turned out, Eugene was holding a book.

Its title was How Do People With Paranoid Personality Disorder Turn Into Murderers?

Cedrick’s heart lurched, finding the book title spine-chilling.

In a stern voice, he confronted Eugene, “You’re bringing an inappropriate book for my son again. As a professor in the lab, why aren’t you trying to be a good role model? Why are you trying to lead a child astray? What are you trying to do?”

Eugene found his words absurd. “How is this book a bad book? It’s just a book about humanity. You’re always absent despite being his father, so what’s wrong with me talking about books with him when I’m free? Why are you accusing me of something so outrageous? You’re strange.”

Strange? Don’t you know who’s the strange one here?

Cedrick tamped down his anger as he gritted out, “Benny’s only five—an age where he’s naive. Why are you teaching him about humanity with books like these? What are you trying to do?”

Eugene flung his hand away, annoyed. “Naive? He’s your son, so don’t you know his character well? He likes books like this, so I brought this for him. It’s not as if he had learned anything bad from these books. He’s smart and much more mature than kids his age. I’m sure he can judge for himself.”

Cedrick did not wish to continue talking to Eugene, however.

that you’re still doing this, I might report this incident to Federal Bureau of Investigation. Wicked people shouldn’t be staying in a lab like this and should be terminated from their

fell silent. After a scoff, he left

stairwell before returning to the room and

on his face, and the tension in the

if he knew the mistake he

lying just

out a thin ruler from the bedside table’s drawer before passing it

punish me. I’m

saw him roughly flipping his hand around and making the blood flow back into the tubing, his heart skipped

“Benny…”

the boy before turning his hand around and massaging his

his lips, not daring to look at his father. “I need to write with my right hand, so maybe you should hit my bottom like how you used to punish

ill boy since young, and he spent most of his time on a lab bed. Thus, Cedrick never

when he asked to be

I just hope that you’ll keep a distance away from Mr. Eugene from now

blinked. “But… I lied too. Are you not angry with

lied. Hence, Cedrick pinched his cheeks, only using

rule. I’ll let things slide this time. If you don’t change and continue lying, I’ll definitely punish you severely. I’ll make it so painful you’ll never

face paled, a little fearful of his

I won’t

red spot he had pinched earlier, unable to bring himself to say anything harsher

my fault. I couldn’t keep you company that often. From now on, I’ll find ways to come here

gloomily. “It’s not your fault. I’m a big kid already. I don’t need

eye on him, he

his father

therapies, he had been able to easily divert her attention. His father,

was clear that the boy was thinking of nothing good from

any pranks you want to do, you can tell

was normal for children to be mischievous, but there was something

Benedict had been influenced by the books Eugene had brought to him, but he was certainly taken aback when he heard that Benedict wanted to

thought of a wicked

that he was going to slowly

his neck and leaned over. “Daddy, what are you thinking about? Are you really going to accompany me for all

asked,

out with a tense

Cedrick took a toothpick and passed him a slice of peach.

…