19 move

I spent the morning lying to my mother about how the strange imaginary man had offered me a scholarship and how we could move out of this place. 

I even told her that she could meet him if she wanted to, so in the end, she agreed to meet the man and decide what to do next. 

After I ensured everything was covered, I contacted Aunt Uriel with my ring and told her about the made-up story, which made her laugh, "You sure are your father's son. Your imagination is simply too wild." After seemingly praising me, Aunt Uriel told me that she would take care of it, and the following day, a new pharmaceutical company was created, and its owner came to our trashy apartment to talk to my mother personally. 

I don't know how, but the man sure knew his way around words and was able to convince my mother that accepting the scholarship was the best course of action for my future. 

He even talked about how the "drugs" were still not fully ready to come out and made her sign an NDA, which made the story more believable.

In the end, the man told my mother that he would help her divorce Jack and also provide her with a job and a new apartment to live in.

Honestly, even I would have gotten suspicious after getting such a reasonable offer. Still, the man assured my mother that nothing was amiss and even asked her to contact Polis and other government officials to ask about him and the company. 

My mother didn't accept right away, but after the man left, he called and started researching the company and the man personally, making sure that nothing was wrong.

"it's simply too good to be true…" she mumbled after finding nothing on the man.

She found a few articles online about the man who talked about how he had a charity that supported at-risk mothers and kids. 

So, in the end, even though she still had her doubts, she agreed to everything, not wanting to lose such a good opportunity.

The next day, I didn't want to leave my mother until everything was settled, so I asked Aunt Uriel to contact Hercules and tell him about it.

The day after that, everything was over, and with the help of a famous lawyer, my mother got divorced without even seeing Jack again. 

"Alex, are you sure about this?" my mother asked for the hundredth time. 

"I'm sure, Mother, you have checked and double-checked everything yourself, so why are you so hesitant." 

"It's just…. Too good to be true." My mother said, still not believing that she was awake. 

"it's about time something "too good" to happen to us, Mom just accept it," I said and helped her pack the few things she wanted to take with us. 

We were moving to our new home, which would be on the other side of the city.

I asked the man to ensure the apartment was small and cozy so my mom wouldn't find it too strange and uncomfortable, and he assured me that everything would be taken care of.

Two hours later, two men came to our apartment to help us with move and grabbed the boxes.

When we got to the new apartment, my mother stopped at the door, reluctant to go in; she turned to me and asked, "Are you sure?" 

I grabbed her hand and pulled her inside the house, "I'm sure."

I walked into the apartment, feeling excited and a little anxious. My mom was beside me, also taking in the new surroundings. The first thing I noticed was how cozy the place was. The living room was carpeted and painted a warm cream color. A white couch and two chairs with matching ottomans greeted us.

As we made our way through the apartment, it was clear that the rooms were small but well-designed. The smaller of the two bedrooms was positioned at the end of the hall, and it was perfect for me or a guest. The bed was pushed against the wall, with a plush comforter and matching pillows. A bedside table with a small lamp and a chest of drawers completed the simple yet functional setup. The large window let in natural light, and it was nice to see the neighborhood beyond.

The primary bedroom was next, and it was a little bigger than the first. That was going to be my mom's room. The queen-sized bed was covered in a white comforter and matching pillows – making the room feel light and inviting. The bedside tables were plain but practical, with lamps that gave off a warm glow. The large closet was perfect for her clothes – big enough to store everything but not so large as to be overwhelming.

The kitchen was small, but we both felt that it was more than adequate for our needs. There was a stove, oven, full-sized refrigerator, and microwave. The cupboards were well stocked with everything that we would need. We sorted our boxes that had arrived and found dedicated spaces for our things, making the space feel even more like home. The dining area was adjacent to the kitchen and conveniently placed for mealtimes. The small table and chairs were perfect for my mom and me.

Lastly, the bathroom was clean and tidy, with neatly stored towels and some toiletries to add to the homey feel. The bathtub was deep and inviting. It was clear that the previous tenants had moved out quickly, but with some work and care, we could make the apartment feel like our own.

We started to unpack our boxes and started to furnish the apartment with some of the things we had brought or found homey pieces at neighborhood thrift stores. Within a short time, we had a cozy space we could call our own.

"It feels like…" my mother started to say but could not finish the sentence, so I finished it for her, "home."

It certainly felt like home. a home only for the two of us. 

"Now we only need to cook, so it's officially considered ours." I joked and went to the kitchen. 

My mother smiled and followed me into the bedroom and started making dinner. 

_ _ _ _ _ _

After settling in the new house, I gave an excuse to get out and took a taxi to an address that Aunt Uriel had given me. 

Strangely enough, the address she gave me took me to a hotel.

Not sure what to do next, I called her and told her about it, to which she answered, "Just go in and introduce yourself; the hotel manager will guide you to the room and take care of the rest. You don't need to worry about anything else. Everything is taken care of, enjoy."

There and then, I swore to myself if I ever had kids, I wouldn't leave them alone with Aunt Uriel. 

Forgetting about how easily she had agreed to a sixteen-year-old's request for murder, she even told me to enjoy it. 

I sighed and walked into the hotel. When I introduced myself, the hotel manager came rushing to me, greeting me like I was the country's president. He personally guided me to a secret room under the hotel, which was accessed only through a special elevator in his office. 

"you don't need to worry about anything, young master." The man said.

'Young master?' I thought to myself, 'Who did Aunt Uriel tell him I was?' 

I followed the man into the spacious elevator, and he pushed the -5 button.

When we got to the said floor, he looked at me, speaking with an apologetic tone, "This is as far as I go, young master; just go to the end of the hall. There is only one door on this floor, so it shouldn't be hard to find."

He then gave me the passcode for the door and told me I should just get in the elevator and come back up wherever I was done. 

Walking toward the end of the hall, a thousand different thoughts and scenarios went through my head, making me feel hesitant for a few seconds. 

I stopped before the door without entering the passcode, thinking that this was it. I could become a killer, and nobody would care. 

There was nobody to punish me, and there were no consequences whatsoever.

I took a deep breath, gathered my thoughts, and finally entered the code into the pad.

The door opened with a clicking sound, but I stood there, still not pushing it. 

'do I really want to do this?' I thought to myself, and another part of my mind immediately answered, 'Yes.'

I pushed the door open and walked into the dark room. 

In front of me, tied to a chair, Jack sat with his head down.

As soon as opened the door and light penetrated the dark room, Jack closed his eyes and turned his head away, asking with a shaky voice, "Who is there? What do you want?" 

I stopped in my tracks, looking at him with contempt; suddenly, all the doubt in my mind had gone away, "I want you to suffer." I said.