Chapter Two

Morris sneered as he entered the room. When he saw Chris lying there, he was fumed with anger.

"How dare this brat sleep when he is supposed to be repenting?" He growled and struck Chris's cheek.

"Wake up!" He yelled.

Chris's eyes peeled open, and when he looked at the figure in front of him, he realized it was his father and not his mother. 

The realization sent grievance through his fragile body. 

Chris was suffocated, depressed and shaking. Last time he checked, he was also Morris's son, but it seemed like, his father have forgotten. 

"Stand up!" Morris ordered but Chris could barely lift his feet.

Seeing how reluctant he was, Morris was irritated. A quick snort from him made his insides turn.

"I said stand up you dimwit!" He yelled again at Chris, stomping his feet hard on the ground to threaten him.

"I can't..." Chris's voice was shaky, betraying the stiffness of his body. 

Morris flared up in anger and grabbed Chris's hair whilst yelling at him-

"You coward. After pushing my child down the stairs, how dare you disobey me as well. You need to be taught a lesson." Morris dragged Chris out of the attic to the first floor and nudged him to the ground.

"Have you admitted your error?" Morris yelled again.

Despite being weak, Chris tried to remain on his knees but he was staggering.

"I didn't push him down the stairs." Chris sobbed, repeating his words over again but all he got was-

"How dare you?" Morris struck Chris on his face. 

As if that wasn't enough, Morris dragged Chris to towards the door and picked a baseball bat by the corner, he swung it in the air with a croaked smile.

Then he held the baseball with both hands and hit Chris on his back.

Chris squeezed his body, taking in the pain that sent his body twirling and squeezing on the floor.

He couldn't move after he was hit again, he cried out helplessly, "I didn't push Ivan down the stairs." He wailed.

His voice was quivering and tears unceasingly rolled down his cheeks, but still, Morris only felt irritated by how stubborn Chris was.

When Teresa saw that Chris wasn't bending to their will, she flared in anger. She was frustrated that Chris wasn't begging to be forgiven. 

"I told you he is a spoilt brat. He deserves to be beaten hard." She berated him.

Morris jammed his fists into his cashmere trousers as he stared down at Chris, "How dare you behave so pridefully? Why are you finding it difficult to apologize to Ivan???" He swung the baseball bat again and hit Chris.

Ivan felt his stomach jump for joy, as he watched how Morris was beating Chris up.

He stared at the Amulet around Chris's neck, and his brow raised scornfully. 

A few minutes after grasping for breath, Chris stared at their faces one after the other. He caught the smirk on Ivan's face. He shook his head in disappointed and then scoffed.

"You are laughing? What is funny?" Teresa was deranged. The teenager had so much gut that he looked into her eyes with no bit of remorse.

"Hit him again! Hit him again, Morris." She yelled. It didn't matter if Chris doesn't survive Morris torture, in fact it would be beneficial for Teresa.

Her son would finally be the only heir to Morris's wealth with Chris gone.

Teresa smiled as Morris aimed the bat at Chris but then-

"Father please." Ivan held onto his father's sleeve, and when Morris looked at his son, he could see how frightened Ivan was.

"Please don't hit him anymore." Ivan was not just a good actor, but he feigned a good amount of tears as they scribbled down his cheeks.

When Chris saw this, his thumbs balled into fists. 

"Ivan is so compassionate, you pushed him down the staircase but he wants to save you. And instead of you to apologize you keep lying to our faces." Morris was pleased at Ivan's compassion. 

A blissful smile appeared on his face as he patted Ivan shoulder, "I'm so proud of you son. Unlike your dimwit of a brother, you have proven to be a good leader, but Chris needs to be taught a good lesson, if not he might become a criminal." 

After those words left his lips, Morris threw the baseball across the room and dragged Chris front yard. 

Snowflakes fell on the ground and the gust of cold wind sent shivers through their spine. It was winter, and the courtyard was filled with snow. 

As Morris nudged Chris on the snow, Chris felt his body starting to freeze. His lips instantly dried up. He wore only a single pair of clothes with no shoes.

Morris saw how shaking Chris were, but he looked away and felt this was the best way to teach him a lesson so Chris wouldn't become a hardened criminal. 

"If you refuse to apologize and repent, you will spend the night here." Morris threatened, he waited for a moment thinking Chris would quickly apologize but he was wrong again, before he could lash out, Ivan held his hand.

"Here's a coat for you father." Ivan lent a coat to his father.

He stared at Chris holding on to an extra coat. He squeezed on it for a while before he bent on his knees attempting to cover Chris. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Morris dragged Ivan away from Chris.

"I'm trying to cover him up, he is freezing." Ivan feigned tears. "It's all my fault. If I didn't asked for his Amulet, he wouldn't have pushed me down the stairs." Ivan's crocodile tears were so convincing, and when Teresa saw this she flared up.

"Did you hurt my son just because of a stupid Amulet?" Teresa was furious.

Morris couldn't believe his ears. Something as petty as an Amulet almost cost him his precious son. 

He pulled Chris closer and struck his cheeks, then he violently removed the Amulet around Chris's neck and gave it to Ivan.

"It's yours now, it's Chris's punishment for hurting you because of something so frivolous." He turned towards Chris and pointed at him disgustedly, "You will remain here. Reflect on your mistakes." 

"The Amulet is mine, give it back to me." Chris cried out but Morris turned his back to Chris and walked into the house with Teresa.

Chris's sobs filled the air as he struggled with the cold that was further stiffening his body. 

"See, I told you I could get the Amulet from you if I wanted." Ivan smiled proudly.

"Give it back!" Chris begged.

"Why should I? To be frank, I'm no longer interested in it." He stretched it towards Chris, "You want it back? Have it!" Ivan smiled wickedly.

Just when Chris stretched to reach for the Amulet, Ivan dropped the Amulet on the ground and stepped heavily on it.