Chapter 2: I really hate you.

Ethan lay prone on the damp ground, his body battered and bruised from the vicious beating he had just endured. The patter of raindrops on his face served as a cruel reminder of his pitiful state.

The distant murmur of students, who had inflicted the savage attack and now walked away, echoed in his ears. Ethan's eyes slowly closed, his body succumbing to the overwhelming pain and exhaustion.

With aching limbs and bruised ego, Ethan gathered his wits and started the long, painful trek back to his humble abode. Every step felt like an act of sheer will, as if he were a puppet being dragged along by invisible strings.

Eventually, he arrived at his shabby dwelling, a narrow shaft of a building tucked away beside a notorious club where the downtrodden gathered to drown their sorrows in alcohol.

The structure was nothing to boast about, with peeling paint and rusted metal grates guarding the entrance. It was a meager abode, but it was all Ethan could afford in this unforgiving city.

"I'm so hungry." Ethan trudged towards his apartment, his stomach grumbling in protest.

The thumping beats from the nearby club grew louder as he approached the door. With a lifeless expression, he gazed at the doorknob before him.

Sighing deeply, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. "I'm home," he announced to the empty space. A man's shoe caught his eye, lying haphazardly on the floor. The sight of it only added to his mounting frustration.

Living alone with his widowed mother, Ethan felt a constant sense of abandonment. She was never around, and when she was, she paid him little attention. He couldn't fathom how she earned money or what she did with it.

The lack of connection between them only fueled his resentment towards her.

As Ethan made his way towards the living room, he pushed aside the curtain to reveal a scene that made his stomach churn.

His mother was sitting on the lap of a man, whose entire face was adorned with piercings, including one on his tongue that seemed to glint in the dim light. The man had his hands on her chest, groping her breasts as if they were his property.

On the center table, bottles of alcohol and cigarettes were strewn about haphazardly, as if they were the only decorations in the room.

'Of course she comes home with another man.' Ethan said to him, as he surveyed the scene before him, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of disgust at the sight of his mother entangled with yet another man.

His eyes fell upon the table littered with cigarettes and alcohol, a clear indication of their debauchery.

Abruptly, the stranger interrupted his thoughts with a gruff voice, "Hey, Didi, who's the brat?"

His mother sneered in response, her eyes piercing with contempt as they landed on her son. "Oh him," she spat, "He's just my son...What do you want?! You're making him uncomfortable."

Ethan shifted his gaze to the side, feeling a knot forming in his stomach as he struggled to speak. "I'm...I'm hungry," he managed to force out.

Didi sighed, her frustration palpable. "And what do you want me to do about it? I already gave you money today," she said, her voice laced with annoyance.

"That was three days ago," Ethan replied, his expression neutral and calm as he stared at his mother.

"Uhn?" Didi sneered.

The man suddenly laughed, "Give the boy some space… here, go get yourself something, you brat." He pulled out a dollar bill and wiggled it in the air.

Ethan's eyes sparkled as he stared at money, he was not bothered about the man's condescending tone. Taking a few steps he reached out to take the money nonetheless. "Thanks," he muttered before turning to leave the room.

Ethan hurriedly made his way to the nearby supermarket, his stomach growling with hunger. He scanned the aisles for something to eat, finally settling on a pack of instant noodles.

As he walked back to his apartment, the streets were quiet, illuminated only by the soft glow of street lamps.

Once inside, he sat on the edge of his bed, his eyes fixated on the window. The full moon cast an eerie glow over the room, illuminating his tired face as he took slow, methodical bites of his meal.

But then, as he got ready to head to bed and end the day, the lewd noices of his mother getting fucked in the sitting began to echo inside his from.

"Ahhh~"

"Oh my God, Jhon~, heee~.. I'm going to lose my miiiiidddd~~".

"I'm not done with you… I'm gonna fuck your lights out!" The man groaned, his laugh adding to the moans Didi was making.

Ethan's body sank into his mattress, the sensation of disgust and frustration overwhelming him as he tried to block out the lewd noises emanating from the sitting room.

With his pillow pressed tightly against his face, he muttered through gritted teeth, "I really hate you".

The words were spoken with a venomous hatred that cut through the air. Of all the things that Ethan despised in the world, his mother was the one that he held in the highest contempt.

The sounds of her intimate encounter only served to deepen the rift between them, reminding him of all the ways that she had failed him in the past.

….

As the morning sun streamed through the window, Ethan made his way towards the front door, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

As he walked past the sitting room, he couldn't help but notice his mother lying motionless on the floor, her naked body covered in disturbing belt marks.

Despite the shock and horror that filled him, Ethan managed to keep his composure and muttered in a low, tense voice, "I'm heading out".

He turned his gaze away from the painful sight and continued out of the house, while still carrying the same calm and composed expression on his face.