Chapter 17

Chapter 17

If Jamie could make a wish right now, he'd probably choose to be reincarnated into a story where the plot was as predictable as a well-worn book, sparing him the consequences of his turbulent life.

He trudged home in a storm of frustration, each bruise and cut on his body a searing reminder of the chaos he had just endured. The last thing he wanted was to face his mother, but there was no avoiding it.

The female guard's eyes flickered with a mix of sternness and sympathy as she escorted him to his mother's room. Despite her professional demeanor, she couldn't hide her concern for Jamie's battered state.

Jamie's mother's chamber was a palace of extravagance, a stark contrast to his own modest quarters. As Jamie stepped into the room, the opulence only fueled his bitterness. His mother lived like a queen, while he was left to grapple with his frustrations alone. His resentment was not just about the disparity in their living conditions but the neglect that gnawed at his pride.

"Hi, darling," Yoon Lira's voice was smooth as silk, yet carried an icy undertone. Clad in a stunning white dress and draped in sparkling jewels, she was the epitome of elegance and power. Her regal presence made Jamie's pulse quicken. The air crackled with tension as he stood before her, struggling to mask his pain.

"Yes, mother?" Jamie's voice was edged with weariness. Her cold, calculating gaze met his, and in a heartbeat, her demeanor shifted from aloof to furious.

Smack

The sting of the slap left Jamie reeling, his cheek burning with the impact. The room seemed to spin, but before he could recover, another slap followed.

"Why did you do it? Why are you always causing trouble?!" Her voice cut through the air like a blade, her eyes flashing with disdain. "You're always stirring up chaos! Do you have any idea what you've done? Your father has been nothing but lenient with you, and yet you repay his kindness with scandal!"

"W-What?" Jamie could barely get the words out, his voice trembling.

"Why are you such a disappointment? You had a quiet life before! I heard from the school director about your fight with those students! Your brother is now arranging a meeting with the parents of the ones you hospitalized. I can't believe you're capable of such cruelty!" Her voice was a symphony of fury, her perfectly arched brows drawn together in a mask of contempt.

"Have you heard the whole story?" Jamie's voice was a low growl, each word laced with defiance despite his bruised state.

"They said it was bullying," she retorted, her voice icy.

"They were bullying me. I acted to protect myself," Jamie tried to explain, his frustration rising.

"You're too young to engage in such barbaric acts. You should be focusing on your studies! Your grades are already slipping. I can't deal with you anymore. You're just like your weak father," she sneered, her final words dripping with disgust. Jamie felt as if he'd been slapped again, the sting cutting deep.

"If you knew the full story, you'd understand they outnumbered me and had been bullying me for a while. I couldn't stand by while they degraded me like that." Jamie ignored the pain searing in his chest, pushing aside the mockery she aimed at him for having a different father. The words felt suffocating, nearly choking him.

"Your brother is already handling the situation. You should be grateful and hope your father won't be disappointed again. It's a miracle enough that he's been kind to you, despite you not being his biological son." She shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips. Folding her arms across her chest, she sank onto a couch, eyeing him with a disdainful gaze that made him feel small and worthless.

"Try to be good. You're dismissed." Her tone was dismissive, as if she were speaking to an errant servant.

Jamie clenched his fists, the rage bubbling inside him. He bolted for the door, ignoring the bow of the female guard as he stormed out.

His eyes burned with fury as he raced to his room, nearly running. Once inside, he collapsed onto the couch, trying to control his breathing. Anger, shame, and pain mingled in his chest, leaving him feeling raw and exposed.

Her last words left a bitter taste in his mouth. Admitting how deeply they hurt was a struggle. He didn't want to voice the pain inflicted by the woman who was supposed to be his mother.

Lee Gongyun's mother had been everything Jamie had ever wanted: warm, kind, and endlessly caring. She had shielded him from nightmares, cooked for him when he was ill, and loved him with a selflessness that Jamie could only dream of. She had made his well-being her top priority, contrasting sharply with the coldness he faced now.

"Fuck," Jamie muttered, the word escaping his lips like a desperate plea for relief.

Tears streamed down Jamie's face, the pain of missing his mother and the pity for the young boy who had been hurt was overwhelming. He felt utterly exposed, as though he were stripped bare, sobbing inconsolably in the solitude of his room. Jamie had always been someone who shielded his emotions, rarely allowing himself to cry. He had always been a beacon of positivity, secure in the knowledge that his family would support him no matter what.

But now, reality had hit him with a brutal force. He was truly alone. No mother to shower him with love, no sister to offer guidance and support, and no friends to stand by him against the world's cruelties.

Jamie's isolation felt like an icy plunge, each shiver penetrating to the core. It was as if he had just graduated from a grueling course in a hellish university, now facing the harsh lessons of the real world. How had he been so careless, underestimating the challenges of this new life?

The stark reality echoed the desolation of his past existence. In his former life in hell, he had learned to rely solely on himself. There was no one to offer protection or solace. The emptiness of his previous life seemed to resurface, leaving him disoriented and adrift.

He imagined Gongyun mocking him for his arrogance, for reaching for the stars while still mired in the muck. The thought was infuriating, an insult to the legend he believed himself to be.

Jamie's tears had long since dried, leaving him with a heavy, sinking feeling. The sting of his bruised cheek and the weight of his own weakness became acutely apparent.

He closed his eyes, the exhaustion from his emotional turmoil and physical pain overtaking him. As he slumped into a lotus position on the couch, he allowed himself to be vulnerable, succumbing to his weariness. His chest clenched with the ache of his loneliness and the longing for home, for the comforting presence of his cat, Dabi.

He yearned for the warmth of his mother's embrace, the only time he promised himself he would recall it was in moments of despair.

"I want to go home," he whispered softly, his voice barely audible in the quiet of his room.

End of Chapter 17.