Caleb walked on.
The smile on his face wasn't just a mask anymore. There was a lightness in his step—tonight's revenge plan made his chest feel a little less heavy, like part of the burden of living as the ButtManiac had finally lifted.
But behind it all, his mind was starting to wander. Wild. Hard to rein in.
His eyes locked on Lucy.
I'll start asking about Mom…
He moved closer, cutting straight to the point.
"So… where did you meet my mom? And what did you mean by saving her from that 'place' you mentioned?"
Lucy looked at him, then gave a faint smile. "She was a savior to a lot of people."
Her voice was calm, steady. She took a slow breath, like she was piecing together a story that had been buried for years.
"Back then, there was this company. They chained their workers with insane contracts. Exhausting hours. Penalties that were like a death sentence."
Her gaze softened. "Your mom… Melisa… she was pregnant with you at the time."
Caleb stayed silent, waiting.
"She just stopped by a convenience store. We talked for a bit. And… I don't know why, but I felt safe. I told her everything." Lucy twisted a strand of hair around her finger, glancing at the floor for a moment. "Then… with help from your idiot dad…" Her voice sharpened when she said your dad. "…that company got into huge trouble. Employee exploitation became a hot topic everywhere. A lot of us moved to work for your dad's company—and… your mom guided us personally."
"My mom was that amazing?" Caleb asked. His tone was thin, but there was something in it—a hint of pride.
"Of course. She was kind, open, always willing to listen to anyone. She never judged." Lucy's eyes brightened slightly.
"Never judged, huh…" Caleb looked down. So different from the mom I've been living with all this time… he thought.
"I never really understood it," he went on. "Mom wouldn't even let me talk about it. Every time I asked why we didn't live with Dad, she'd just say… we've got a new challenge. She called it a game. Always said it with a smile."
Faded memories began to surface.
Caleb blinked quickly, wiping the dampness from the corner of his eye. "Turns out… I never really knew anything. Even now, I don't have any grudge against Dad… or that woman named Maya."
Lucy stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on his back.
"Your mom did her best. She never wanted you to suffer or carry that weight. She… was always strong."
…Of course. She didn't even kill me back when I was a kid.
The thought flashed through his mind, dragging up the dark secret he'd once dug out of Lucy for the sake of a quest.
Caleb's brows pulled together.
"Then… why did she change? Was it because of the divorce? From what I remember, the moment she took me away… my whole life shifted. She kept telling me not to be nice to everyone. That's nothing like the story you're telling—back then, she could help you even when you'd just met."
His voice slowly faded. Caleb went quiet.
Lucy stayed silent too, her eyes fixed on him for a long moment. Something flickered there—not just hesitation, but pity.
She drew in a slow breath. Her lips parted… then closed again.
"Caleb… keep your emotions in check, okay? This might hurt—more than you think."