Everyone was resting peacefully inside the three-story Monoblock house except for one person who was lying wide awake in his bed. Liu Lixin had been waiting for this day for years and it was finally here. His heart raced as he listened to the sounds of the house.

Once he heard the rhythmic snoring coming out of the master bedroom, he knew it was time. However, despite every effort to remain calm, he couldn't stop the fear that had begun to take hold of him.

A sense of panic swept over him, and he began to have doubts about his escape plan, wondering if it was already doomed to fail. He had never been a great actor. What if they had seen through his ploy? No, that shouldn't be. He perfected the act of pretending to be a perfect broken doll.

But just the thought that they might have noticed something sent chills down his spine. Because he knew if they caught him, the hell he was in now would seem like a vacation spot. Though he feared the consequences of being caught, he wouldn't let that stop him from trying to leave this place.

After slowly peeling back the bedsheet, Lixin slid his feet onto the cold hardwood floor and stood up. The creaking of the wood made him pause, listening for any sign that he had been discovered.

Once he was sure it was safe, he tip-toed across the room and opened the closet door. Reaching inside, Lixin felt around until his hands found the hidden panel. He pressed it gently until it clicked open, revealing an array of items he had been collecting - a bag filled with essential supplies, some money, and a few keepsakes.

Grabbing the bag, he opened it and grabbed a pair of sneakers and a sweatshirt he stole from his father. He didn't have any normal clothes of his own. His stepmother made sure of that. Even when she took him into town as a reward, he would have to wear things that were meant for indoors.

Lixin slipped out of his pajamas, revealing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt he stole from his stepsister's closet. It wasn't as if that ***** would miss them anyway. Especially with all the clothes she had.

After putting on the sweatshirt, he swiftly slipped on the sneakers, keeping an eye out for any movement. Once he was dressed, he re-zipped the bag before carrying it with him to his bedroom door.

With the patience of a turtle, he opened the door and walked down the hallway, careful not to make a sound that would wake his family. He really couldn't explain why the sound of everything felt so magnified when it was night. It was only when he reached the bathroom and closed the door behind him that he felt safe to release his breath.

For two years, he had searched for a way out. Lixin had just been about to give up hope when he learned the bathroom was the answer all along. One day, while he was brushing his teeth, he learned that the security sensors they had set up didn't work in this section of the house. He knew this because a cat had gotten on the roof and it had triggered nothing.

Fortunately for him, he was present to witness how it escaped. He would use it for himself.

Heaving open the bathroom window, he tossed his bag onto the roof and hurriedly followed after it. With each step, he feared he might slip and fall from the slick tiles. However, with fervent determination, he managed to make it to the tree without taking a single misstep.

Once he was safely on the ground, he ran as fast as he could, the cool night air filling his lungs. The sound of his heartbeat beats like a drum as he runs. The night air is freezing, and his breath curls out of his lungs in thick plumes, but he doesn't feel it.

All he could think about was being free. Pulling out the watch he had tucked into his pocket earlier in the day, he saw it was 3:15 am.

Whenever he had the chance to explore outside, he kept an eye open for anything that might be of use. Eventually, he discovered a bus service that runs from twelve in the evening until five in the morning, every half an hour.

Anxiety surged through his veins as he began sprinting down the street, desperate to make it in time. His heart raced, his breath came in ragged heaves, and sweat trickled down his back as he pushed himself harder and faster.

Lixin couldn't miss that bus, he just couldn't. His father wouldn't wake up until seven or eight in the morning, and his stepmother would probably sleep in too. His stepsister, on the other hand, was a different story.

She loves to go out and have a good time, usually not coming home until the early morning hours. When she returned home, she was usually intoxicated and liked to walk into his room and taunt him.

But once she finds out he's not there, all hell will break loose. Pushing himself harder at the thought, he continued the trek to the bus station.

He raced around the corner, his heart pounding and his feet aching. As he arrived at the station, he could see the bus in the distance, its bright lights glowing and the engine rumbling closer. Was he too late? He watched anxiously and as it pulled into the station, relief washed over him.

Lixin sprinted up to the ticket booth, removing some money from the bag on the way. He kept his head down as he handed over a fifty-dollar bill, snatching the ticket out of the agent's hand before darting over to the bus. Climbing on board, he stumbled to the back of the bus and fell into a seat, his breaths coming out in ragged gasps.

As the bus rumbled to life, a weight seemed to lift off his chest. With each yard the bus traveled, he felt a wave of joy. Tears of happiness glistened on his cheeks as he gazed out the window, knowing he was escaping the clutches of the very people who had terrorized him.

Wiping his eyes, he clutched the bag against his chest. He began zoning out, thinking of what he should do once he reached the next town.

Staring out the window, he became lost in his thoughts as the bus trundled along. Suddenly, a cacophony of honks pierced his consciousness. He jerked his head forward just in time to see a bright red pickup truck barreling down the highway towards them, its headlights blazing and its horn blaring.

As the bus and truck collided, time seemed to slow down for him. Lixin watched as a twisted piece of metal flew through the windshield, hitting the driver squarely in the face and killing him instantly. As the driver's body fell on top of the steering wheel, it jerked to the right, sending the bus into a series of spins.

The driverless bus spun into the railing, crashing into a barrier before continuing on, and then tumbling into the darkness below. He screamed as he was thrown out of his seat, his body slamming against the side of the bus, as it hit the ground with a violent thud. The bus skidded for a few yards and then came to a halt.

Everything went black. He couldn't see and he couldn't hear. All he could do was feel. He felt the shards of glass digging into his skin; the blood trickling down his head.

He thrashed against the confines of the bus, desperate to make his escape, but the moment he saw the fire, he was paralyzed by terror. Flames surged and engulfed the vehicle, and his last thought before the bus exploded into a fiery abyss was that he should have known he would never be free.

~

Author Says:

MomoCatt: After all you've been through, let me offer you some tea.

Lixin: Thanks, I could use a cup. What kind do you have?

MomoCatt: Red Hot Cinnamon Citrus Tea. You’ll like it. It's hot like the fire that killed you.

Lixin: …

"Ahhhh!"

A terrified shriek pierced the silence of the small hotel room, shattering it like broken glass. It was so loud that it echoed through the walls, bringing the guests who were occupying the rooms on either side to a halt. Their eyes widened in terror as they turned to face the source of the noise. Only to be frightened once more when they heard the thump of a body hitting the floor.

However, contrary to their imagination, which included murder and mayhem, it was actually caused by a recently resurrected black-haired boy. In the absence of that information, they relied on their instincts and dialed the help desk from the room phone.

While the guests were telling the operator their concerns, the boy in question had awoken in a panic. With a scream on his lips, Lixin jolted upright, his heart beating frantically. He winced as he took in his new surroundings.

However, it was as though two realities were overlapping in his mind. One where he was still trapped on the bus being engulfed by fire and one where he was in a hotel room. And for the life of him, he couldn't tell which one was real.

Despite this, he knew his senses wouldn't lie to him. He could smell the smoke and hear the crackling of the flames. He could feel the heat on his skin. Which meant he was still on the bus.

It felt as though his chest was going to burst as fear of what was to come filled his brain. His only thought was to escape, and his feet moved before his mind caught up.

The bedsheet that entangled him after he fell out of bed foiled his attempt to flee, trapping him in place. The harder he struggled, the more the sheet constricted him, generating even more fright.

Lixin thrashed around, his arms and legs flailing wildly in an attempt to get away. His mind was too far gone to notice that he simply had to take his legs out from under the sheet.

He was in terror's grasp and it was slowly strangling the life out of him. Within minutes, his vision became blurry and his breathing became more erratic, rendering him unconscious.

It wasn't until someone started banging on the door that he came to. Although he was still somewhat disoriented, he was more aware of his surroundings. Removing the sheet from his legs, he got up once more and looked around the room.

For a split second, he considered the possibility that maybe he had been rescued and was in the hospital. However, his musings were cut short when he looked down at himself and noticed he had no bandages. He also couldn't feel any pain, all of which served to put an end to that particular train of thought.

Slowly, he made his way to the door and opened it, revealing the worried faces of the hotel staff.

"Are you okay, sir?" one of them asked, eyeing him carefully.

Lixin took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "I-I'm fine," he stuttered. "Just had a nightmare."

The staff members exchanged glances before one of them said, "We heard a scream. Are you sure you don't need medical attention?"

Lixin shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine. Thank you for checking on me."

Without letting them speak, he closed the door before letting out a shaky breath. His hands trembled as he swept his fingers through his tangled hair before slowly dragging himself back over to the bed.

Gingerly, he sat down on the edge of the bed, taking a deep, steady breath as he did so.

‘What the hell is going on?’ Lixin wondered, confusion etched across his face. ‘Didn't I die?’

However, from the looks of things, that couldn't be so. Because here he was, all his one piece. So the only plausible answer, at least for him, was that he dreamt the whole thing.

'But it felt so real,' he thought.

Suddenly, he heard whales singing. Startled, he looked around, perplexed, only to discover that it was coming from a fish-shaped cell phone on the bedside table.

Getting up, he walked over to where it was and grabbed it. He didn't know why, but it felt strange to see it. It was the same phone he had saved up for months to get. However, as he looked at it, he saw a flash of his dad throwing it out the car window, destroying it.

Shaking away the memories of what he hoped was just a nightmare, he unlocked his phone. When he clicked on the notification, he discovered it was a text from Mr. Johnson.

For a moment, he couldn't remember who that person was. It was only when he opened up the text and read its contents that he realized it was the detective his mother hired.

Although his memory was hazy, he remembered encountering a man after running away. Mr. Johnson brought him to a restaurant and got in touch with his mother. It was then that he found out that his father had lied to him about his mother abandoning him; instead, it was his father who had taken him away from her.

That's how he ended up in this hotel because his mother had paid for a week's stay since he didn't believe her story. Even though his father had some shortcomings, he still trusted him; he was the man who had raised him, after all.

However, because of that trust, he was tricked by that man. He could only blame himself. After everything he experienced leading up to this, he should have known better.

As he was reflecting on his memories of how he ended up here, a strange thought popped up. 'If what happened to me was just a dream, why is my memory so foggy about things that should have happened a day ago?'

That's when it hit him. What he experienced couldn't have been a nightmare, because dreams don't affect memories, only time does.

'That must mean that every single thing I experienced was real.' The revelation made him feel as if a vice was tightening around his chest.

The phone he was gripping so tightly creaked in his hands, and he felt a hot stream of tears pour down his cheeks. His stomach filled with sickening dread as the reality of what he had endured sank in–the betrayal, the humiliation, the pain. It had all been real.

As the memory of his previous life played in his head, like an old movie reel, he threw his phone down on the hard floor. He didn't care if it broke or not.

"I hate them! I hate them!" he snarled, rage coursing through his veins.

Grabbing the nearest pillow, he punched it, picturing his father, that stupid *****, and her spawn in its place. The pillow exploded as his fist tore into it, cotton flying everywhere. It was only after the thing was completely demolished that he was able to calm down.

As Lixin clenched the ripped fabric of the pillow in his fist, the only thing left of his outburst, a sly smile appeared on his face. He realized he had been given a second chance. A chance to change the outcome of his life.

Any anger or sadness he was feeling previously was replaced by sheer determination. He would not let this gift go to waste.

"This time things were going to be different."

~

Author Says:

Lixin: I see you’re here again. Are you going to offer me some more tea?

MomoCatt: Yup. But this time it will actually help you.

Lixin: Oh, really? How?

MomoCatt: Just drink it and see. This Chamomile tea will erase your sadness.

Feeling somewhat calmer now, Lixin swept the shredded fabric and cotton off the bed before bending down to retrieve his phone from the ground. Praying that he didn't damage it during his outburst, he pressed the power button, letting out a sigh of relief when it turned on.

'Thank goodness,' he thought as he unlocked the device.

He was unsure of what he would have done if his phone stopped working. Not only would he have lost his mother's contact information, but the detective's as well.

Once he was sure that the phone was functioning correctly, the first thing he did was click on the calendar. He needed to know exactly where he was in the current timeline so he could plan accordingly.

Lixin's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the date. April 15, 2083. It was a day he could never forget because it was the day his father deceived him into returning home.

No, that place wasn't worthy of being called home. He could only think of it as a brothel.

One where he was a toy to be tossed about and degraded. His veins filled with boiling rage as he remembered the shame he endured.

Each recollection was like a needle piercing his heart, an anguish that would never cease. If he could, he would find a way to make their lives as miserable as they made his.

But he was only 15 years old, with no evidence of their crimes. The only thing he could do was get his freedom. However, there was something he knew he was capable of and that was punching the living shit out of his father if he ever saw him again.

Lixin still couldn't wrap his head around it. How could a father stand by and do nothing while his son was being taken advantage of?

The pain of the man's betrayal weighed on Lixin's heart and mind, but it didn't shock him. His father had always been wicked. He had just been too naïve to see it.

If he could, he would go back and smack some sense into his past self. There were so many red flags during his life, especially when he was younger. His fist clenched tight as memories came flooding back of how much he had to struggle to take care of responsibilities that should have fallen on his father.

He had to learn how to clean the house, cook meals, and shop for groceries when he was only seven years old. A child that young shouldn't even know how to tie their shoes, but he was clipping coupons, wondering how to save money for the household.

If that wasn't a clue that something wasn't right, then he didn't know what was. Although he shouldn't beat himself up, he really was stupid.

He even deluded himself, thinking things would change when those hateful women came into their lives. It was silly, but he actually thought they would become a normal family.

Ha. Family.

The only things those bitches brought were betrayal and harassment. They really had him fooled. He gave them that.

If only he hadn't tried to make his father proud by preparing a grand meal. Lixin knew that was the turning point in his life that led to the mess he was in.

Even though it might seem unreasonable to blame everything on dinner, it wasn't. If it wasn't for the dinner he prepared, his dad wouldn't have come up with a way to curry favor with his boss, the woman he loathed most.

~

Lixin's father wasn't great at his job, but he had one talent that got him far: he knew how to suck up to the boss. For this reason, he decided to host a dinner party for everyone in the office, but his true intention was to invite Hailey Koller, his boss.

Due to this dinner, Hailey took note of his father, or rather, his cooking - something his father was eager to take all the credit for. Consequently, she asked him if he could cater her daughter's birthday party, and of course, Lixin's father readily agreed.

Although things were going smoothly up until this point, Hailey wanted the food to be prepared at her home. At that moment, Lixin's father had no choice but to reveal that he had a son - and that he wanted to bring him along as a 'helper'.

The catering turned out fine, and then Lixin was asked to mingle with the other children. On his way out of the kitchen, however, he bumped into Hailey. Her first words when she got a good look at him were about how attractive he was. She also said that if she was a few years younger, she would have shown him a good time.

Lixin was taken aback by such a comment and tried to hide his surprise by just offering a polite smile and laugh. But maybe if he hadn't tried so hard to conceal what he was thinking, things might have been different - for after that encounter, Hailey Koller started taking a liking to Lixin's father.

At first, Lixin didn't think too much of Hailey's attention toward his father; he assumed it was a simple sign of admiration. Little did he know it was all part of her plan to get closer to him.

With each passing visit, it became increasingly clear to Lixin that the woman wanted more than just what the two had been exchanging. No matter where he moved, her gaze followed him, like a hawk watching her prey. He desperately wanted to tell his father what was happening, but when he did the man just laughed it off and told him he was overthinking things.

When Lixin started to become close with Hailey's daughter Solar, she assured him that her mother was always an overly friendly person. She also said that she was that way with her friends as well. Therefore, he started to believe his father and forget about it. But no matter how much he tried, the feeling of unease wouldn't go away.

After Lixin and his father moved in with them, the situation became worse. He tried to tell his dad about the inappropriate affection Hailey was showering him with, but once again, his father just gas-lit him.

Knowing that he had to get away before things got intolerable, he applied for an apprenticeship at Blue Jay, the most renowned restaurant in the country. The only one he told about it was Solar, who was passionate about cooking as well.

Solar thought this was a wonderful opportunity and decided to join him, but her cooking skills were very subpar, even with Lixin's help. So when he got accepted, but she didn't, she became jealous and resentful. In retaliation, she told her mother about his plans, which led to the woman canceling the apprenticeship without his knowledge.

This caused everything to come to a head. All this time, Hailey was being patient with Lixin, believing that one day he would fall in love with her. However, upon learning that he loathed her, she decided to take what she wanted from him.

What she did next was horrible. With her daughter's help, she drugged his food.

However, as someone who deals with food every day, he could tell that something was off about the food. But knowing his stepsister's skills in the kitchen, he decided to eat a bit to be polite.

Lixin's niceness was always his downfall. Because after he ate the food, he started to feel strange. That's when he realized it had been laced with something.

It was only after both of them carried him to a bed that he snapped out of it. Knowing that he only had one chance to escape, he pretended to still be dazed. Yet he was hyper-aware when Hailey walked back into the room alone and started stripping her clothes.

Lixin made sure nothing showed on his face except a drugged-out smile that she seemed to buy. Waiting for his chance, which came when she started crawling on top of him, kissing him as she did, he lunged forward and grabbed the lamp, knocking her out with one blow.

As she lay there on the floor, not moving, he knew that this was his one chance. Taking the bag he had prepared earlier from his room, he dashed out of the house. But when he was just a few steps away from the house, he heard someone call out for him in the darkness.

It was Mr. Johnson. Before helping him into his car and driving him to the hotel he was in now, the man informed him that it was his mother who sent him.

At the time, he didn't think his father knew what his stepmother and stepsister had planned. However, after he was tricked into going back, he found out the man knew all along.

From the start, he was using him to land a wealthy wife.

"That ******* scoundrel," Lixin angrily whispered as he came out of his thoughts.

He didn't even want to remember what happened when he returned to that place. Because he would never let it happen again.

Scrolling through his contacts, he called his mother.

~

Author Says:

MomoCatt: Your stepmother is twisted.

Lixin: You only speak the truth.

MomoCatt: One day she will get what she deserves.

Lixin: I hope so.

MomoCatt: Here, have some Turmeric Tea. It is good for pain.

Lixin: I don’t think it's for my kind of pain but sure.