Xavier was dreaming again.

In his dream, he cooked a terrible meal, which angered Ariella. She slapped him and forced him to kneel on the floor, forbidding him to sleep.

In the dream, he watched himself as a bystander, seeing how the woman continuously abused him from the age of ten to eighteen. He had eight long years of suffering.

He let out a cry of pain.

I woke up in the middle of the night to flashes of lightning and the sound of heavy rain outside.

Amid the rain, I could hear a faint, eerie sobbing sound. It was unsettling.

I quickly turned on the bedside lamp with a "click." Too scared to sleep, I grabbed my phone and used the flashlight to track the source of the sound.

Walking through the hallway, I realized the sound was coming from a small room in the corner.

It looked like Xavier's room.

The original owner must have forced him into this tiny room again, under the excuse of "saving space."

I knocked on the door, but there was no response.

I thought maybe he was still mourning his father, so I figured I'd leave him alone. Just as I was about to turn and leave...

I heard a heavy thud. What was that kid doing?

Growing concerned, I pushed the door, feeling some resistance. I had to use some force to get it open.

The lock was broken. No wonder he had used a chair to barricade the door.

A kid with no sense of security.

I turned on the light and saw Xavier lying on the floor. His face was flushed. The tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, and soft whimpers escaped his mouth.

He looked like a broken porcelain doll, fragile and shattered.

I rushed over and lifted him onto the bed, feeling the heat radiating from his body. He must have a fever.

I wanted to call the family doctor, but my phone had no signal. Strange.

In a flash of lightning outside, I saw... the grown-up Xavier!

His eyes were bloodshot, glaring at me with intense anger.

My heart skipped a beat. How could he be here? We hadn't even reached the part of the story where he was supposed to be an adult yet.

Another bolt of lightning struck outside.

He was gone again.

It felt like I had hallucinated his appearance.

Still shaken, I didn't want to stay in that room any longer.

I went to find Austin, hoping he could take care of Xavier, but his room was empty. Who knows where he'd gone in the middle of the night?

I couldn't just leave Xavier like that, so I nervously grabbed the first aid kit and went back to take care of him myself.

I put a cooling patch on his forehead. I wiped his sweat with a towel and decided to give him a little lecture.

"Xavier, look at how good I am to you. It's the middle of the night, and here I am taking care of you. When you grow up, you better remember to repay me," I teased.

The story's only just started, and I haven't done anything to hurt him yet. I just hope he grows up soon so I can take my inheritance and escape far away.

That way, if the plot unfolds and he tries to kill me or send me to a mental institution, he won't be able to find me, haha.

"Mom!" Xavier cried out in pain, calling for his mother.

"Missing his mom? Poor kid. No mother growing up, stuck with a deadbeat dad and a wicked stepmother."

Still, I hoped that with me here, he wouldn't turn out so crazy when he grew up. At least let me escape the main plot before he loses it.

I played a lullaby for him.

Singing wasn't an option. My voice is off-key.

He grabbed my thumb and didn't let go, slowly calming down.

In Xavier's dream, the scene shifted. A faceless older sister was protecting him, holding him, and singing a beautiful song.

Morning came with birds chirping outside, and sunlight streaming in.

Xavier's eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes. It was the first time he had slept so soundly. Since his father's death, nightmares had woken him up night after night, leaving him awake for hours.

He felt warmth in his hand and turned his head to see Ariella leaning against his bed, sleeping uncomfortably.

Memories from the night before suddenly flooded back.

Last night, he had... cried and called for his mother.

He was already ten years old. How embarrassing. Why was Ariella different from the woman in his dreams?

Suddenly, a man's voice echoed in his mind.

"Just wait until this wicked woman shows her true colors. Give me control of your body, and I'll help you."

"Who are you? Why are you talking inside my head?"

"I am you."

"You're me?"

"I'm you at 28. I traveled from the future to help you kill her."

"I can handle my problems. I don't need your help," Xavier said seriously.

"I've shared my memories with you for a while now. Haven't you seen this evil woman's true nature? In the future, she'll abuse you, and you'll suffer terribly. You're just a kid. You can't fight back. I'm here to help you because we're the same."

"So you're the reason I can't sleep. I don't want these dreams, and I don't want your memories. As for her, I don't think she's like what you remember. Just go back to your future," Xavier said, clenching his fists.

"Don't worry, I'll wait until you beg me," the voice weakened. "I'll be back."

Xavier decided to believe that the woman in front of him was different from the one in his dreams. She didn't hit him or stop him from going to school. She gave him delicious food, and last night, she took care of him when he was sick.

She must be a good person.

I woke up because my arm had gone numb. That's what happens when you sleep on it wrong.

I stretched, feeling my joints crack. As I straightened up, I met Xavier's eyes.

"Xavier, are you alright?" I still wasn't quite used to this. Last night, I had seen the fierce gaze of an adult Xavier, but this mini version in front of me was soft and adorable.

"Mother, my head doesn't hurt anymore. I'm fine."

Xavier paused for a moment, then said, "Mother, I'd like to change into my school uniform."

"Do you need help?"

I thought kids needed help with that, but then I saw Xavier's face flush red.

Xavier said, "No, thank you, Mother. I can dress myself now."

I walked to the door and turned back to Xavier. "Alright, get ready. Later, you can pick a room to move into. This room's door is broken."

"Okay."

"Oh!" I jumped. Austin was standing at the door.

We were just an inch apart. At this distance, we were either about to kiss or start a fight.

"Good morning, Mrs. Gomez."

Austin stepped back a few paces and bowed politely.

"Morning," I said casually. "By the way, why didn't you sleep in your room last night?"

Austin froze for a moment, the hidden dagger in his suit sleeve sliding down to his wrist.

"Xavier had a fever last night. I wanted to ask for your help to take care of him."

I yawned, getting ready to go back and catch up on sleep.

Austin hesitated, wondering if this woman was actually clueless.

But he slid the dagger back into his sleeve and maintained his composed, gentlemanly demeanor.

"Mrs. Gomez, I had trouble sleeping last night, so I went for a walk."

I waved my hand dismissively. "In that case, you take Xavier to school."

"Mother, I want you to take me," Xavier said.

Xavier opened the door, pouting in dissatisfaction.

"But..."

"Mother, if I go to school, does that mean I can only come home on weekends?"

Xavier tugged at the corner of my shirt. He looked up at me with those pleading eyes, cutting off the refusal about to leave my mouth.

"Alright. Austin, go get the car."

I just couldn't say no to a boy acting all cute. Anyway, sending him off to school would mean staying away from the male lead's storyline for a while.

Satisfied, Xavier grabbed my pinky finger and tilted his chin upward, casting a disdainful glance at Austin.

Austin caught his look, lowered his head as if lost in thought, and then smiled.

"Huh, it seems the kid has figured me out.

Well then, we'll have to move the plan forward."