Is it retribution?

Louis Jon worked on a construction site in San Francisco during the day. At night, he worked as a waiter. Just when he thought his life would be mundane, his father was diagnosed with cancer, and his mother left with all the family's assets. Perhaps this period plunged his family into distress. They were not well-off to begin with, and now things were even worse.

On the 30th floor of the construction site, he collapsed. The news crushed the last straw in his heart. In that moment, he closed his eyes, and the world disappeared. Because he was truly paying a huge price. A tear rolled down his cheek as he quietly said sorry to his father, then he jumped from the 30th floor without looking back.

When he woke up again, he found himself in another place. In the basement residential room of the New York Garden District, during the summer of June, Louis Jon rubbed his throbbing temples and struggled to sit up. He was met with a shabby room. A mess. The yellow table was spilled with juice, and there were a few pieces scattered on the floor. Ten empty bottles. Where was he?

Louis Jon looked bewildered and confused. "I just jumped from a tall building, right? How did I suddenly end up here?"

"Mom, I'm hungry." Suddenly, a child's voice echoed in the dark room, followed by rustling sounds. Louis Jon couldn't help but feel even more puzzled, mechanically turning his body. On the nearby sofa, there was a little girl with two braids, her round eyes gripping him. Her small hands tightly held onto a woman's dress, her body trembling seemingly due to his transformation.

Louis Jon squinted in the dark room, finding it hard to make out the other person's exact features. When he saw the bewildered eyes of these two individuals, a strange memory flooded his mind. Louis Jon had to close his eyes again and accept that unfamiliar memory. The room fell silent once more.

When Louis Jon opened his eyes again, he had an intense light in his eyes. I've traveled through time! A parallel world on a blue planet. The owner of this body is also named Louis Jon. Does he belong to himself in that parallel world? Similar bodies, though with similar backgrounds, took completely different paths after college.

In the original world, after graduation, I became a lyricist and composer, but I didn't have a good platform to develop myself. I ended up on a construction site. On the other hand, Louis Jon from this world joined a boy group show after graduation and successfully debuted under the company's packaging efforts. However, he later fell in love with the then-popular singer Annabelle. This kind of idol without talent who only relies on looks, packaged by the company just after debut.

As long as the relationship is exposed, the final outcome is predictable. They both had to leave the entertainment circle and return to normal family life. After a happy time together, they celebrated their daughter Anna Jon, also known as "Cicc," and then got married. However, after the honeymoon period, Louis Jon started to drink heavily and domestic violence plagued their relationship. He began to blame Annabelle, feeling that his lost career was all her fault. He projected his ineptitude onto his wife and daughter. Until he time-traveled, just ending the domestic violence and then getting drunk.

"Beast!" Louis Jon cursed after regaining his memory, took a deep breath, and finally calmed the anger in his heart. In this world, Louis Jon could only be described as a beast, although he himself was a thug, he still felt responsible. Belonging to him. The others. Annabelle was a talented singer, while he was just a rookie relying on looks. If there was any burden, it was Louis Jon who burdened Annabelle. She never complained about his ineptitude, but he quickly blamed others! Louis looked at the mother and daughter huddled on the sofa, his expression complicated. He had never talked about love before, but now, after time-traveling, he became a father. How would he handle it? A complete novice in love, crossing two social strata!

Louis Jon frowned, contemplating what to do. The anxious Annabelle of the heart-throbbing child Cicc tightened, Louis continued to stare at her, her body shaking uncontrollably. She instinctively held Cicc tighter, tears welling up in her eyes. She fiercely kissed the demon in front of her, clenched her teeth, refusing to shed tears. They once left together, but she was an orphan with no support or money because the demon controlled all her family's finances. She had considered suicide but couldn't bear to leave her three-year-old daughter Cicc alone. So, enduring the beatings and stifling the cries, lest she startle the children.

"Sigh," Louis Jon finally deeply sighed. Since he was here, he should make some changes. It seemed that his purpose in coming here was to rescue the mother and daughter from the clutches of the beast. Louis rubbed his nose, feeling guilty all along, inexplicably burdened with responsibility. Leaning on the dining table, he slowly stood up, feeling a weak sensation that left him speechless, as the inherited body was in a disastrous state. It all began with a hellish burden! If he could, Louis would now collapse and scream to the sky in anger! What a mess!

He turned on the light, and the warm orange glow illuminated the entire room. The dilapidated furniture, worn-out sofa, and the strong smell of alcohol in the air added to the intoxication. Louis scratched his head at the chaotic scene before him. He first opened the window to let in some fresh air, then, based on memory, found a big trash bag and quietly began cleaning up the empty bottles in the room. Anna was still lying on the sofa, unmoving, but a hint of surprise flickered in her eyes. The demon had never cleaned the house before; he would only sleep after drinking.

This was a first. After a while, Louis finally cleaned up all the empty bottles and set them aside. Not wanting to disturb the mother and daughter, he picked up a towel from the kitchen and wiped the table clean. By the time the room was spotless, Louis was drenched in sweat. Smelling the lingering alcohol in the room, he widened his gaze and started taking the cleaned-up garbage downstairs to the bin. After handling the trash, Louis felt sore all over. Glancing at the time, it was already eight in the evening. He looked at the dirty kitchen, sighed helplessly. Alright, here goes!

Louis wiped his sweat, grabbed clean clothes from the bedroom, and headed to the bathroom. Anna watched the closed bathroom door, listening to the running water inside, feeling a bit relaxed, her tense body also easing. Seeing the room that he had cleaned, she appeared incredibly incredulous. Even the leftover alcohol was gone? Why? Was he out of his mind? She couldn't believe he had already become better. A demon is a demon.

"Mom, I'm hungry," three-year-old Cicc said. Unlike other children, Cicc wasn't fussy and was a bit shorter. Even with an empty stomach, she just looked at her mom with wide eyes.

"Cicc, be patient, Mom will cook for you soon." She tousled Cicc's hair and spoke softly. She had to wait for the demon to fall asleep before she could feed herself and her child. Cicc nodded understandingly, then turned to look at the bathroom door. Even children knew that they could only eat when Dad was asleep.