The next day, Ayden bought Jane a gift. Even though Jane's lost feelings didn't return, she tried to understand. Ayden promised that such a thing would never happen again—because he did it under pressure. As time passed, Jane was not allowed to leave the mansion because her husband was extremely possessive of her.
Jane never argued with him due to the hidden fear in her heart. She had always been beaten by her father and mother. Jane believed that the man she loved and trusted would never hurt her—but he already had. And if it had happened once, there was no guarantee it wouldn't happen again.
However, another part of Jane's heart denied that reality. She tried to convince herself that Ayden loved her, that he loved her and their child, that he was the one. The first man she had ever loved. Jane always told herself that Ayden was just in a bad mood. Wasn't it natural for humans to make mistakes?
Because Ayden was the only person who had ever given her love, Jane constantly fooled herself into hoping that one day, everything would get better. Jayden was now three years old, and Jane taught him at home because they couldn't go outside. Jane's entire day was spent doing various activities with her son—gardening, baking, reading, watching cartoons together.
"Why do we have to plant roses?"
"Because Mommy loves roses," Jane smiled while adjusting her son's small hat.
"Jay, you can sit down and rest. The sun is very hot."
"I'll help Mommy."
"You're such a good boy."
"Why doesn't Daddy help Mommy?"
"Your daddy is busy. He has to work to buy Jay delicious snacks. He loves you very much, so he has to work hard."
Jayden's father loved him very much. Jane repeated this over and over, including the origin of Jayden's name. She kept saying it because she wanted her child to know that even if his father didn't have time for him, he still loved him. However, deep down, Jane knew she was deceiving both herself and her son. That afternoon, Ayden came home with an irritated expression. Jane smiled to please her husband and set the table with plenty of food.
"Why is there so much food? Learn to be frugal. Money isn't easy to earn."
"Sorry, I'll prepare less next time."
"What is this? You're an adult—why are you still spilling food?" Ayden yelled at Jayden just because he had spilled some food. Jayden was startled. Jane immediately got up to clean it. "Why haven't you taught him? How many times do I have to tell you?"
"He's still little. It's normal for kids to spill food sometimes."
Then Jayden started crying.
"Hah! So annoying!" Ayden stood up so quickly that his chair fell over. Hearing the loud noise, Jayden cried even harder. "Why are you crying so loudly? Huh? If you want to cry so much, I'll teach you a lesson!"
"Phi, don't hit our child!" Jane immediately stopped him, but he pushed her away without holding back. Jane quickly got up again to stop him. "Phi, stop. Phi, stop. Phi, you can do it to me, but not to our child."
"So, you're offering yourself now, huh?"
That night, Jane couldn't bring herself to sleep beside her husband. She sat in Jayden's room, her body covered in bruises, her lips cracked, red marks on her face. She clenched her teeth tightly, holding back tears while tending to her child's wounds.
"I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry."
"Is Mommy hurt?"
Jayden's simple question made Jane unable to hold back her tears anymore.
"It's okay, it's okay, baby." She hugged him tightly. "Mommy's okay, everything will be okay."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
Days and nights passed. Sometimes, Ayden came home drunk, destroying things, beating his wife and child, then locking them in the mansion with no way out. Other times, when his mood was better, he would apologize, say that he loved them, and act kind. Ayden was suspicious that Jane would try to escape, so he always locked the massive gate. Jane couldn't run away because the gate was made of tall iron bars. All communication lines were cut off.
Once, Jane tried to find a way to escape. She dug under the fence, hoping to get Jayden out, but the fence was buried deep underground, and she couldn't dig any deeper. In the end, Ayden found out, and Jane was severely punished. She was beaten and chained in the basement. Ayden told Jane that because he loved her, he didn't want her to leave him. She had to understand that.
Ayden also told Jayden that because he loved his mother and child, he had to do this. Jayden didn't cry. He couldn't anymore because he knew—the more he cried, the more beatings he would get. The face of the five-year-old boy was strangely full of sorrow. Jane blamed herself thousands of times for choosing this man as her child's father, as her life partner. She blamed herself for being too weak until it was too late, forcing Jayden to go through all of this.
Jayden refused to move. He just sat there, staring at his mother. The two of them held each other tightly.
"Mommy loves you, Jay. I'm sorry. Hiks. I'm so sorry."
Jayden felt that his mother didn't need to apologize for everything that had happened. Mommy did nothing wrong. Why did she have to say sorry? Two days later, Ayden came to tie Jane up again. He did the same thing—telling her he loved her, then buying her gifts as an apology. Jane could only accept them, because if she didn't, she would get slapped.
One day, while Jane was cleaning the house, she secretly noticed that Ayden had left some keys on his desk and had forgotten to lock his office door that day. When Ayden went to work, Jane didn't hesitate to sneak into the office— a place she was never allowed to enter. She quickly grabbed the keychain. Maybe it was the key to the big gate.
Jane saw a syringe that seemed recently used, placed on the side of the desk. When she looked closer, she realized it contained something… drugs…
"You have to be careful, Miss. Don't be fooled by his innocent face. I was in prison for years because of that!" Ayden's father's words echoed in her mind.
Jane quickly left the room. Thinking about it, it wasn't surprising that Ayden was using things like that. Her heart, already pounding fast, raced even harder. She felt short of breath. Quickly, she grabbed Jayden's hand and headed to the front door, praying in her heart that this was the right key. It had to be. She remembered the big gate key looking like this.
And the front gate opened. Jane grasped Jayden's hand tightly and ran. Since the mansion was on a mountain—not too big, but still high—Jane avoided the main road, fearing she would be found. She ran without knowing the direction, only thinking that if she kept going downhill, she would reach the base and maybe find help.
"Jay, are you okay?"
"Yes."
"Hold on a little longer and keep running. We're almost there. We'll find help."
"Yes."
Not long after, they managed to descend the stairs. The outside world, which she had not experienced for years, stretched out before her. Before she could think of anything else, the sound of gunfire rang out. Jane was terrified and turned toward the sound.
"…Phi," she cried, her body trembling. Ayden fired another shot. Jane fell to her knees, clasping her hands together as if pleading. "Phi, please let Jay and I go. I promise I won't tell anyone about this. I won't call the police either. I beg you. Let us go…."
Ayden did not respond. He grabbed Jane's hair roughly. Jayden tried to stop him, but he was pushed to the ground.
"Jay! Ah!" Jane tried to run to her son, but her hair was yanked back harshly.
"Since this child was born, you seem to have stopped listening to me," Ayden said while pointing the gun at Jayden. Jane, seeing the weapon aimed at her own child, nearly lost control.
"No!" Jane struggled with all her strength. When she finally broke free, she used her body to shield her son. "He's our child, please. You can do anything to me. You can kill me, but please, let Jay go. I beg you. I won't ask for anything else."
Ayden grabbed Jane's head and gently stroked it. "I won't let you go anywhere. I love you so much."
Jane sobbed uncontrollably.
They were forced back into the mansion by car. Upon arrival, Jane was shoved to the floor. Her eyes widened as she saw Ayden take out a knife. Jane backed away in fear.
"What are you going to do? What are you going to do?"
"You're like a bird. Even when caged, you still try to fly. But if your wings are cut, you won't be able to escape from me again."
"No, no, no! Aaaahhhh!"
Jane was forced to sit in the same rocking chair. Both of her legs were wrapped in bandages. Her Achilles tendons had been cut, rendering her unable to walk for the rest of her life. What Ayden did severely affected Jane's mental state. However, even so, Jane kept thinking of a way for Jayden to escape. For her, it was fine if she had to stay there, but Jayden had to get out.
Ayden's voice was deep and sweet. He bent down, gently stroking Jayden's head. The little boy just stood there without saying anything. "You're not thinking of running away, are you? Because your mother is here."
"…" Jayden did not respond, which earned him a slap across the face.
"Answer me!"
Jane couldn't bear to see it, so she shouted, "He will stay with me!"
"Stay out of this! I'm asking him!" Ayden yelled, then spoke again in a soft tone, "Jay, answer me."
"I will stay with Mom."
"Good boy."
Then Ayden went upstairs. Jane called Jayden and gently stroked his red cheek.
"Does it hurt, sweetheart?"
Jayden shook his head.
Seeing that, Jane's heart shattered even more.
"Does Mom hurt?" Jayden asked in return. Jane shook her head while holding back her tears. She was in deep pain—physically and emotionally. She lied, hoping it would make her son feel less bad… Just a little would be enough.
"Jay is such a good boy and cares for Mom."
"And Mom is also a good mother and cares for me."
"Haha, you speak so sweetly." Jane lovingly patted Jay's head. "Mom loves you so much."
"I love you too."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
The cruel days between mother and son continued. Jay was now six years old, and the atmosphere in the mansion seemed to worsen. Ayden rarely went out and spent time in his study, and Jane knew what he was doing there. Today was the day Jane decided she had to do something.
"Jay, get Mom an apple and a knife. I'll peel an apple for you to eat."
"Okay." Jay went to fetch what his mother asked for. Jane slowly peeled the apple for Jay to eat. After finishing, she hid the knife behind her back so Jay wouldn't see it.
They chatted aimlessly for a while. Jane heard footsteps from upstairs.
"Jay, Mom wants the book in your room. The brown one. You remember it, right? Get it for me, and I'll read it to you."
"Okay." Jay obediently did as he was told. The little boy quickly disappeared. Jay wouldn't return anytime soon because the book didn't actually exist in his room. But Jay would surely search for it until he found it.
Ayden descended the stairs unsteadily, appearing drunk. Jane called out to him in a deliberately sweet voice.
"Phi, I want to go to the bathroom. Can you help me?"
"Hah, you're such a hassle."
"Please."
"Fine." Then Ayden approached and reached out to carry Jane. Jane took the knife she had hidden behind her back, aiming to stab Ayden in the eye. If she stabbed anywhere else, she wasn't sure Ayden would die immediately. If she aimed for the heart, she might miss. Jane thought the eye was a sure spot. However, Ayden managed to dodge, causing the knife to injure Jane's own eye instead. Jane fell to the floor.
"Aaaahhhh! What the hell is this! You tried to kill me?!" Ayden screamed, clutching his bleeding eye. "You! You're truly evil!" Ayden grabbed the knife, but Jane refused to let go.
"I will kill you!" Jane screamed in rage. She was far weaker than Ayden and couldn't even stand. In the end, Ayden overpowered her and took the knife. In his fury, he beat Jane to death in a pool of blood.
"Damn it!" he cursed furiously. He hurriedly tended to his wound. Jayden, who had finally found the book, ran to his mother. When Jayden saw his mother lying in a pool of blood, his eyes widened in shock. He immediately lost consciousness.
After treating his wound, Ayden buried Jane's body in the backyard and dug up roses to plant over her grave. Jayden woke up with a dazed expression. He didn't remember what had happened earlier. He quickly asked when he didn't see his mother.
"Where's Mom?"
Ayden pointed to the red roses in the garden.
"There. That's your mother."
Jayden spent the entire day staring at the red roses. He easily understood what his father meant, but he still couldn't accept the reality that his mother had been killed and buried beneath the red roses she loved. There was a bowl of oatmeal nearby. Jayden had made a simple meal for his mother because she couldn't walk.
"Mom, it's lunchtime. You need to eat so you can live. You always said humans need to eat. Mom, please eat so you can stay with me."
"Stop cooking for her, it's a waste of time!" Ayden shouted from inside the house.
"She has turned into a rose! You should water her! What's the use of food? If you make it, you eat it yourself!"
Jayden took a small bite of the oatmeal, placed the bowl down, then sat with his "mother" again. Only he and his father remained, living separately. Jayden didn't care about his father at all. He spent all day tending to his "mother," watering the roses, and staying up late at night. His father was lost in drugs. Sometimes he destroyed things or beat Jayden, but no matter how often Jayden was hit, he never reacted—he was like a doll in Ayden's eyes.
Today, something was wrong. Jayden heard people coming from the front of the house. Ayden looked out the window, appearing anxious and restless. He tried to find a place to hide. Jayden did the same, even though he didn't know what was happening. His instincts told him it wasn't safe. Jayden hid in the cupboard under the sink because it was the closest hiding spot.
Peering through the vent, he saw many people rushing into the mansion. Soon after, Ayden was dragged to the center of the house. They talked about something Jayden didn't fully understand. He only caught that it was about money. Then Ayden was shot in the head, and they left his body behind. Jayden stayed hidden for nearly an hour until he was sure they were truly gone.
He stepped out of his hiding place. As he passed his father's corpse without looking back, he thought, "Time to water Mom's roses."
A few days later, his father's body began to rot, but Jayden didn't care. He continued his usual routine. As he sat in the garden, he didn't hear or notice someone else arriving. He tried to find a hiding place, but this time he was caught.
"Why didn't they clean up the body? They were really careless. And this child," said a middle-aged man in a neat suit. "Is he the only one left?"
"Yes, sir."
"With his father's corpse rotting in the middle of the house?"
"There's also a woman's body in the garden."
"His mother?"
"Seems like it."
"Hm," the man pondered for a moment. "Does he have any relatives?"
"None."
"Good. I'll take him," he ordered. Even though Jayden struggled, he couldn't fight back. "I feel this child will be useful."