CHAPTER 1. THE PAINFUL FREEDOM

"Oliver... your father is dying."

The words hit Oliver like a sledgehammer. The joy of freedom instantly vanished, replaced by deep worry. He had been in prison for a year and was finally free. But, instead of seeing the faces of his parents or his girlfriend, who welcomed his freedom, he was greeted with bad news brought by his friends.

Oliver's world seemed to come to an abrupt halt. His heart skipped a beat, pumping blood that felt frozen in his veins. his father? Dying? How is that possible? He had just been released, and the first news he received was this?

"Wh-What do you mean?" Oliver's body trembled violently. He gripped the collar of his friend's clothes with his eyes wide with shock.

His face was deathly pale. He didn't come out of prison to get painful news like this. Especially when it came to his family. The only thing that has kept him going to this point, besides his girlfriend.

"You will know once you get there. We're coming to pick you up." His voice was muffled. Their faces were filled with anxiety and tension.

The air seemed to disappear and made Oliver's lungs feel constricted. He struggled to breathe because of the panic that attacked him. Fear of losing the father he loved so much. his mind was in turmoil and he couldn't think straight.

His world seemed shattered even though he was just about to start a new life.

Without thinking, Oliver left with his friends. All the way home, the image of his father's dying face kept haunting his mind. What happened while he was behind bars?

When they finally got home, his steps were heavy as he entered the small, rusty, worn gate. The air was heavy and cold, stuffy, and made it difficult for Oliver to breathe.

As soon as he stepped inside, the atmosphere in the house made his chest feel tight. The once warm living room was now cold, filled with painful silence. Especially when he saw his mother curled up in a corner against the wall blind.

"Wh-What happened," Oliver whispered hoarsely. He crumpled his bag when he saw his mother's parched condition. He looked unkempt with several bruises and a wrinkled face.

The image of his mother one year ago, who still looked fine, turned into a nightmare. Especially when he looked around the room which was almost empty without any furniture. There were no chairs, no television, just a single worn-out fan near his mother.

"Oliver..."

"What happened while I was in prison?!" he shouted out of control. his eyes were wide with anger and devastation. Angry at himself and devastated that he knew nothing, and wasn't even there when his family was destroyed.

"The Hanover family is demanding huge compensation... the house is barely left, and your father had a heart attack due to the pressure from the debt collectors," he informed him. His voice trembled with sadness and pity.

Oliver shook his head in disbelief. "Oh, god…"

"She has sold everything she can sell. Even this house is no longer in their name. It's only a matter of time until they tear down this house to make way for a new building. Your parents... they even borrowed money from a loan shark, and right now, they're having trouble paying it back. Even for the interest. And they always come to the house to cry. Your father had a heart attack because of their violence."

Oliver's bag fell to the floor and his body crumbled. He clamped his mouth shut, feeling like vomiting from all the stories he had heard about his parents. Everything seemed so horrible as his mother and father went through a series of frightening and depressing life crazes while he was in prison. He knew nothing and could do nothing.

He was too late. There was nothing he could do but regret that he would remember for the rest of his life.

"Oliver, is that you?" His mother's raspy voice made Oliver freeze.

Oliver's heart broke when he saw his mother walking slowly toward him. Oliver immediately ran to her, with tears he was trying so hard to hold back. He embraced his mother with his hands that were shaking violently.

"Mom, it's me. Oliver. Your son," he said in a broken voice. It felt like Oliver was looking at hell right now. Something he never expected to happen to his parents, and it was all because of him.

Regret always comes too late. And right now, Oliver hated himself more than anything.

"O-Oliver?" Her mother's voice trembled with the sadness that suddenly evaporated into the air. She sobbed while clutching Oliver's arm, the sobbing felt so deafening it echoed throughout the room. Making Oliver's heartbreak even more.

"F-Forgive me." That was all he could say to his mother.

"Are you back?"

"Yes, yes. I've come back, Mom. I’m sorry, Mom. Please forgive me…."

Oliver froze as his mother embraced him tightly, her touch gentle and full of warmth.

"You had been through so much, my son," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "I knew you did what you thought was right, even if it cost you your freedom. None of this was your fault."

Tears welled up in Oliver's eyes, and he bit his lower lip, trying hard to hold them back.

"I'm sorry, Mom... for everything. I never wanted it to be like this..."

His mother cupped his face, her own eyes glistening with unshed tears. "There was nothing to be sorry for, Oliver. You did what you had to do, and I stood by you. Your father... he was proud of you, even if he didn’t say it. He knew you had always had the strength to protect those you loved."

“Mom…”

"But look at him," Oliver choked out. "He was dying, and I couldn’t help him... we couldn’t even take him to the hospital…” His mother shook her head, wiping away a tear from her cheek. "We weren’t giving up, Oliver. We were going to fight this together. You weren’t alone in this, and no one was blaming you. You had already suffered enough."

Oliver gritted his teeth. He got up with his mother and carried her into the room. There, when he saw his father lying helplessly with his breath coming in. The bruises on his face even still looked fresh as if he had just gotten them, leaving Oliver with a growing sense of guilt.

Oliver's body stiffened. He didn't even dare to take a step closer. The only thing he did was cling to his mother's body tighter as if it were his way of survival.

"There's no hope for your father..."

"No, no. It's still there," Oliver said firmly. He shook his head in protest, not wanting to lose the father he loved.

"Mom, I've learned skills in curing diseases while I was in prison. I believe I can save Dad and make him well again..." Oliver swallowed hard as he stared at his mother's face. “I swear I will return everything to how it was before."

"How? How are you going to do it?" she asked.

"There is a way," Oliver replied. He was silent for a moment before speaking again. "But... Where's Katie?"

Her mother's expression changed instantly. Anger burned in her empty eyes. "You still dare to ask about her when everything that's happening right now is because of her!"