When I finally regained consciousness, I was already at the police station.

The wound on my head had been sloppily bandaged, and the blood was still seeping through.

Cynthia stood nearby, her expression detached as she spoke to the police officer. "My son was bullied at school because of the rumors he spread, and my mother is still in the ER because of him. He's the one who started the fight. I have the security footage to prove it."

The bystanders from the hospital backed her up, pointing fingers and shouting accusations at me.

With Cynthia's statement and the witness testimonies, I was placed under a 15-day administrative detention.

Before Cynthia left, she glanced back at me one last time. "Take this time to reflect on yourself. This was such a minor issue, and you just had to blow it out of proportion."

Shortly after she left, I received a text from the cemetery manager. "I am so sorry, Mr. Houghton. The graves were heavily damaged, and your parents' urns were…"

The sheer absurdity of the world washed over me.

My constant compliance and compromise had cost me absolutely everything.

On the day I was released, my boss, Ewan Hawkins, called me.

"Daniel, your application for the overseas transfer has been approved. If you're lucky, you can settle down abroad permanently."

In the past, because of Cynthia, Mia, and the life I had built here, I could never bring myself to leave.

But now, I had nothing left to care about.

When I got back to the apartment, all my belongings had been stuffed into a cardboard box and dumped out in the hallway.

Bradley happened to open his door just as I arrived. He looked surprised. "Oh, I thought you'd be gone a lot longer, so I was clearing your stuff out. You don't mind, do you?"

Hearing the commotion, Cynthia stepped out of the apartment.

Her gaze lingered on me for a fraction of a second. "A pipe burst in Bradley's place and flooded the rooms. It's too damp down there, and I didn't want it affecting Theo. He'll be staying with us for a few days."

She didn't sound like she was explaining herself. She was simply informing me.

I didn't argue, nor did I agree.

When Cynthia didn't get the reaction she expected, a flash of discomfort crossed her face.

She cleared her throat. "Mom made it through. She's recovering well. I'm planning a family vacation so we can all clear our heads. Let's just put all this recent drama behind us. You should come too."

I looked at Cynthia, my gaze completely dead. "When?"

"This Wednesday. The day after tomorrow."

The day after tomorrow was also the day I was scheduled to leave the country.

Noticing my completely indifferent face, Cynthia frowned. She looked annoyed.

"What happened this time was just a warning. Keep your mouth shut from now on. If you still want to make this marriage work, stop interfering with Bradley and me. Once Theo is a bit older, I'll cut ties with him completely."

She had already repeated these hollow promises to Mia a thousand times.

But I didn't care about that at all.

"I already booked the tickets. You'd better show up on time that day. Don't make Mom wait," Cynthia said.

I gave a half-hearted nod and reached over to grab my box of belongings from Bradley's hands.

"I have work at the office. I have to go now."

Cynthia opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something else.

But I didn't give her the chance. I shut the door behind me.

I stood in the hallway for five full minutes. I had protected this home for five years, but in the end, I was nothing but an outsider.

…

Two days flew by in a blur.

On Wednesday morning, Cynthia texted me almost immediately. "I'm waiting for you downstairs."

But barely five minutes later, she hurriedly sent another one.

"Never mind. Just meet us at the airport. I need to take Theo to buy a cake first. Wait for us at the gate. Mom wants to see you too."

I didn't reply to any of them.

Cynthia's flight was scheduled for noon, but my international flight was two hours earlier.

She was never going to catch me.

As my plane taxied down the runway, my phone vibrated continuously in my palm.

Cynthia's messages came flooding in, one after another.

"Daniel, where the hell are you? The flight is boarding, and you're still not here?"

"Where are you? I'll come pick you up. Daniel Houghton! Can you please stop throwing a tantrum…"

The screen went black as I turned the phone off.

I turned to look out at the thick blanket of clouds outside the window.

This time, I was never coming back.