"Erick! Let me go!" Elly shrieked, her voice splintering the silence of the deserted apartment courtyard. She struggled, trying to wrench her arm from Erick's fingers, which felt like iron clamps, but his strength was far superior. A dull ache began to radiate from her whitening wrist.
"Ma... Mama..." A tiny voice beside them trembled violently.
Felix stood there, his face deathly pale with terror. Yet, seeing his mother being harmed, the boy ignored his fear. He stepped forward, approaching the stranger who loomed tall and looked utterly menacing in his small eyes.
"Take your hands off her, Sir! Don't hurt my Mama!" Felix shouted. His voice was high pitched, a desperate attempt to sound brave even as his legs shook.
Elly's chest tightened at her son's courage. "Felix... sweetie, go inside. Go inside right now!" she cried out in a panic. She looked down, seeing Felix square his shoulders as if he intended to attack Erick to protect her. She was terrified that Erick would do something violent to the boy.
Erick did not release his grip. Instead, he looked down, shifting his cold, piercing gaze to the child below him.
"You stupid brat! You think you can fight me?" Erick hissed. He glared, projecting an intimidating aura that could make even an adult wither, let alone a small child.
Elly flinched, her heart skipping a beat. Her blood boiled and froze all at once. Her son was being snarled at by a man from her past, a man who, unbeknownst to anyone there, was the biological father of the boy he was currently berating.
An overwhelming sorrow struck Elly's heart. For years, she had imagined a meeting between father and son, but the reality was more painful than any nightmare. There were no hugs, no affection. There was only a thick shroud of hatred and eyes full of rage looking at his own flesh and blood as if he were trash.
Seeing his mother in pain, little Felix lunged forward. With the last of his courage, he hugged Erick's leg tightly and sank his teeth into the man's calf with all his might.
"Felix, no!" Elly screamed, her heart dropping at her son's recklessness.
"You insolent brat!" Erick growled. Without a second thought, he jerked his leg back with immense force. Felix's small body was thrown off, breaking his hold until the boy went sprawling hard onto the cold concrete.
"Felix!!" Elly's scream pierced the night. She struggled with total desperation, taking advantage of Erick's momentary shock to break free. As soon as the grip loosened, she threw herself toward the ground, dropping to her knees to cradle her son, who was now shaking uncontrollably.
"Mama... Mama..." Felix began to sob hysterically, burying his wet face in his mother's embrace. The sound of his broken weeping was agonizing.
Erick stood like a statue. For a split second, his expression wavered. A flicker of awkwardness and guilt crossed his eyes as he saw a child that small sent tumbling because of his actions. However, the ego that had hardened over the years quickly swept the regret away. He steeled his features once more.
"It's okay, sweetie... Mama's here," Elly whispered, trying to soothe Felix even though her own hands were shaking uncontrollably.
"What do you want?!" Elly screamed without glancing at Erick. She remained crouched, hugging Felix tightly, using her own body as a shield to protect her son from the man's wrath.
"So... the boy's name is Felix?" Erick asked. The sound of his heavy footsteps drew closer.
Elly pulled Felix even tighter, as if she wanted to hide him inside her own body.
"A disgusting bastard!" Erick spat the insult in a sharp, hate filled tone.
Immediately, Elly covered Felix's ears with her hands, refusing to let those vile words poison her son's hearing.
"It seems you're living quite happily here. You truly are skilled at enticing wealthy men to provide for you, Elly!" Erick continued, his voice saturated with cynicism.
"Mama, let go... Mama," Felix struggled slightly, trying to pull his mother's hands away from his ears.
"Why? Are you afraid your son will find out how depraved his mother is? Just how cheap the woman who gave birth to him really is?" Erick asked. Every word that left his mouth felt like a dagger being plunged into her repeatedly.
"STOP IT!" Elly screamed, trying to silence Erick's heartless tongue. She looked up, her eyes burning with a rage he had never seen before. "Insult me all you want! Trample on my dignity! But don't you ever dare insult my son, let alone hurt him!"
Erick let out a dismissive chuckle, a cold sound that didn't reach his eyes. "And what exactly can you do, Elly? You are nobody here."
Erick leaned down, grabbing Elly's hands and pulling them away from Felix's head by force. "Take your hands off him! Let this bastard know who his mother really is!"
"You call him a bastard?" Elly stood up, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her emotions pushed to the brink. "You know... he is—"