Global Film Emperor

Chapter 353 "The Effect" Part 1
One day… …

"Kyle? I forgot where the jam is, but it must be in the drawer. Can you help me look for it? I'm frying eggs and I'm too busy, honey."

"Are you sure it's in the drawer? I can't find it. Let me see, is it in the cupboard? Oh, here it is... um... not jam, is salad dressing okay?"

Catherine was carefully frying the eggs, afraid of accidentally breaking the yolks. Her anxious appearance suggested that her cooking skills were not very good.

Kyle crouched down and rummaged through the bottom cabinet until he found a salad. He stood up, picked up the salad, and gently shook it a few times in front of Catherine.

"If you like, of course, thank you, baby."

"It's my duty!"

Life is always warm in the ordinary. An ordinary young couple is eating an ordinary breakfast. Perhaps the two are different. Usually, couples of this age are always affectionate when they have breakfast together, but at this moment, Kyle is looking down at a book and occasionally picks up a milk to take a sip.

This did not displease Catherine; on the contrary, she was captivated by Kyle's artistic temperament at that moment. Perhaps the decisive factor in why she fell in love with an Asian man was his appearance during his school days.

The hand that was holding the knife gently extended forward, its fingers slender and its skin fair, and gently covered Kyle's hand. Feeling Kyle's warmth, she couldn't help but giggle.

"Honey, do you know how sexy you were when you were in school?"

"Is this your reason for making me read until you fall asleep every night? You have no idea how tired I am. I keep my eyelids open all day, but I can't concentrate at all. I can only steal a glance at you from time to time. As soon as you fall asleep, I throw the book away and fall asleep within three seconds."

Fortunately, although Kyle loved reading, he didn't become overly rigid. He imitated Catherine's expression every night when he secretly watched her, though there was definitely an exaggerated element to it, and he successfully made her laugh.

Her fair hands temporarily left Kyle's palms, caressing his face. Tenderness welled up in her eyes, and she parted her lips slightly, revealing two white teeth. She exhaled and gently kissed Kyle's lips.

"I love you, Kyle."

"I love you too."

……

Kyle teaches at the town's elementary school, while Catherine works at a car rental company. They both leave home and arrive at their workplaces at roughly the same time, but school starts earlier. Kyle leaves at eight o'clock every morning and arrives at school around eight-thirty.

After breakfast, Kyle packed the books he needed for the day into his bag, picked up his umbrella at Catherine's instruction, started the old Ford sedan in the yard, and said goodbye to Catherine, who was standing at the door watching him leave.

He lightly pressed the accelerator and slowly drove away from the yard. Liverpool always rains in June and July, and it can last for one to two weeks without stopping. The raindrops are usually small, just a drizzle, but they always make the unpaved roads muddy.

A gloomy day always puts a man in a terrible mood, especially when there are hardly any cars on the road and he can drive freely. He can't speed up, for fear that the vehicle will skid and go out of control. The feeling of being slow is something that men don't like.

Due to the significant temperature difference between the inside and outside of the car, a layer of fog condensed on the windshield. The wipers were working non-stop, but he still couldn't see ahead. Kyle picked up a towel and wiped away the fog with some frustration until the hazard lights of the car in front came into view. He slowly moved closer and honked the horn twice.

"Need any help, Reverend Crow? What happened to your car?"

Kyle was not a Catholic, but Catherine was, a very devout one, who never wavered even though she had to pay a hefty religious tax every month.

In fact, based on their income, they could easily afford a nice little house, but since their current residence is very close to the church, just a few minutes' walk away, this location is the truly luxurious place in Catherine's mind.

Going to church means getting up later, and you can pray after meals. With less financial pressure, you can also pursue spiritual fulfillment. This is the life Catherine has always dreamed of. In the end, Kyle respected his partner's idea and settled down here, where they lived for two years.

The car that broke down on the road belonged to the pastor from the church. They had become very familiar friends within two years, so when he saw the white-haired, white-bearded pastor looking annoyed, he hurriedly opened the car window to ask what was wrong.

"My car's front left wheel is stuck in a mud pit and I'm afraid of ruining the engine, so I'm not pressing the accelerator. The weather is terrible. Kyle, could you please help me pull my car out? I have a tow rope on the back of my car, is that okay?"

"No problem at all."

He got out of the car with an umbrella, broke off a few tree branches from the roadside and placed them in front of the wheels stuck in the mud. After attaching the tow rope, he had the elderly pastor get into his car to help him accelerate. Then he stepped on the gas pedal hard. Although a lot of mud splashed onto the pastor's car, fortunately, the car was finally pulled out.

"God, you're finally out! I waited by the roadside for half an hour, and thank goodness I met you. Thank you, Kyle. May God bless you, child."

Having been Pastor Crow's neighbor for so long, he was used to the pastor constantly talking about God. He accepted Pastor Crow's hug and didn't mind him stroking his hair. After the pastor finished his thanks, he reminded him to be careful, checked the time, and said goodbye.

This was just a minor incident in life, if his car hadn't also gotten stuck in the mud...

There weren't many cars on the road, but a few would pass by, since this was the only way for the children to get to school. He gave a thumbs up, hoping a car would help him, but all the vehicles drove away in front of him without stopping, not even the cars of his students' parents.

"Gan!"

He glanced at the time and figured he could still make it by running. He tossed his umbrella into the car, arranged the road signs around the vehicle, picked up his bag, and strode off towards the school. He was quite fast, even overtaking many carefully driven vehicles.

……

Good morning, Principal.

"What happened to you, Kyle? How did you get like this? Do you need a towel? Look, your clothes are all soaked."

As they entered the school gate, Principal Sherry was welcoming each child. Seeing Kyle, soaking wet and panting heavily, after passing the security check, she went up to him and asked him a question.

Please note that Principal Shirley's eyebrows are slightly raised, giving her a somewhat stern appearance, but it's clear from the fact that she can call out the names of all the children in the school after they enter that she genuinely loves them.

At this moment, she is wearing a gray office lady outfit. The camera is shooting from a slightly downward angle, reaching the ceiling, which amplifies the seriousness brought by Shirley's eyebrows, but the ceiling's oppressive effect prevents her from appearing arrogant. When this shot is played, sophisticated moviegoers who know a lot about film will definitely pay attention to this character. Characters and objects that are shown from the ceiling's perspective are usually closely related to the following plot.

"Forget it, I'm fine. The kids are waiting for class, and I'm going to be late. See you later."

He tidied his messy hair with the rainwater, then simply declined Shirley's suggestion and strode towards the classroom. Seeing this, Shirley shrugged at the teacher beside her.

"Asians are always hardworking and have an artistic flair..."

……

When he entered the classroom, the bell rang just in time, so he was not late. He breathed a sigh of relief, hung his wet suit on the bench to dry, briefly reviewed the knowledge points he had learned yesterday with the children, and gave them a few questions to test them.

Kyle enjoys being with children because they are the most imaginative and free-spirited children at that age. They are not as rigid in their thinking as adults, nor as naive as younger children.

But when he saw the child named Judy, his gaze was fixed on her. This child was different from the other children in the class. She had a quiet personality that was completely different from children of other ages, and she didn't care much about studying. There was nothing he could do but try to give her a little nudge without hurting her self-esteem by asking her to answer questions.

As expected, she didn't answer. She bit her pencil and remained silent, looking somewhat frail, which softened Kyle's heart.

Another reason he took this job was because he really loved children. He had been living with Catherine for so long, but she showed no signs of getting pregnant, so he inevitably gave some of his fatherly love to the children. This made him very popular among the students, even more so than Principal Shirley.

He didn't mind Judy not listening to his lessons, and was even a little worried that the other children would ostracize Judy because of his teaching. It was only when he heard Judy say that studying was useless that he really frowned.

"Therefore, you will have dignity and your own beliefs. You are different from pigs, dogs, cows, sheep, and any other life in the world. You are you, an independent individual... Your thoughts are worthy of praise. You can use knowledge to defend your rights and even fight against death."

"When you possess knowledge, you may not be able to use it to gain money, fame, or power. You may not become a great person, and you may not be remembered by the world, but you will have the freedom of your soul."

In the past, he was unwilling to preach these grand principles to the children, not only because the children might not listen, but even if they did, they would hardly have any understanding of them.

More importantly, he believes that life is something that needs to be experienced firsthand. It's normal for them not to realize the importance of knowledge at this stage. As long as they continue to learn, and when they reach a certain age, they realize its importance and are still learning, that's enough. The rest of the journey is up to them. Everyone can talk about grand principles, but the choice of whether or not to do them is actually in the hands of these kids themselves.

As expected, most of the children were confused. Although they instinctively felt that what Kyle said was important, they couldn't quite put their finger on why. Only one child's eyes sparkled with something different, which surprised Kyle greatly.

Although he didn't expect any children to understand him, he was gratified and moved when such children actually existed. Children who think about principles from a young age are extraordinary; at least it proves that they are not stupid, but rather quite intelligent.

For the remainder of the class, Kyle kept explaining new concepts, his gaze always fixed on Judy. Perhaps what he had just said had indeed inspired her, for she began to listen and quickly caught up with the other children's learning pace. After all, it was only the beginning of the semester, so catching up was indeed easy.

Kyle was pleased with her change, and only when the bell rang did he reluctantly close his book, clap his hands, and announce the end of get out of class to the children who were still half asleep.

……

"Is that all the plot for Elena? We've been acting for over ten minutes, and it's only the first few scenes? Wasn't she supposed to be the female lead?"

Depp was a little unhappy. After all, it was the first time he had seen his daughter in a movie, so of course he wanted as much screen time as possible. Hearing his complaint, the other drinkers in the Lionheart bar joined in, complaining that Elena had too few scenes. After all, they were all regular customers of Lionheart, otherwise Depp wouldn't have invited them.

They had all watched Elena grow up, and emotionally they were no different from her own uncles. Although forty or fifty uncles was quite intimidating, she was indeed spoiled like a little princess in the bar. Even when Elena was in school, these old hooligans would go to Elena's school in groups to cause trouble for the little brat who bullied her.

"Nominally I am the female lead, but the actual female lead is Fanny. Her role is more important than mine. There's nothing I can do about it. No one would entrust an important role to a newbie who has never made a movie before."

"Who said that? I think you acted very well. Isn't it easy to play the female lead? This movie is really boring. If it weren't for your scenes later on, I would have stopped watching long ago. Mickey really has run out of ideas. It doesn't feel as appealing as his previous movies."

"Yeah, I almost fell asleep watching it. I didn't go to bed until after 3 a.m. last night. If Depp hadn't called me, I would probably still be in bed."

Hearing her father and uncles' words, she shook her head helplessly. The film's strength lay in its later stages. Although she hadn't seen the complete script or the final cut, she could tell from the scattered scenes during filming that the film was impressive. However, she wasn't defending "The Effect" now; once they saw the later parts, they naturally wouldn't say such things anymore.

She didn't know why the filming had turned out this way, nor did she understand the filming techniques. She had only occasionally heard Mickey and Lu Ze mention things like "calm shots," which she didn't understand, but she really thought it was amazing.

As for Depp saying she acted well... let's just forget about it. Not to mention comparing her to Lu Ze, that monster, she couldn't even compare to six-year-old Fanny. At first, she would occasionally think that she had wasted so many years, but later she just accepted her fate. The difference in talent between people is really too great, and you can't force it.

Let's continue reading.

……

Some people believe that ordinariness is true happiness, and that a life without ups and downs is enough. They do not aspire to achieve great things. Others, however, have lofty ambitions, hope to achieve something, and forge ahead against the tide. They laugh at the first type of people who are willing to accept the dictates of fate and think that a peaceful life is a blessing.

Actually, this is a false proposition. Neither side's ideas are wrong. The fundamental reason is simply that different values ​​lead to huge differences in life. It's unrealistic to expect someone who is content with stability to forge ahead, and it's also unsettling to expect someone with great ambitions to settle for the ordinary.

It doesn't matter how others perceive the life you choose. What matters is whether you are satisfied with your current life and whether it's what you've been pursuing for a long time. As long as it is, that's enough. At least Kyle feels that he is living a good life now.

He is a book lover. As the saying goes, "A person with a wealth of knowledge naturally exudes elegance." His literary temperament is inseparable from his extensive reading, which may be why children like him. Even Judy, who used to be a loner, has now come to his office seeking his help.

"Kyle, I have a question I can't answer. Could you teach me?"

It's something no teacher can escape when students come to them for help in their spare time, but it's a bit strange that it happened to a first-year student. The other teachers in the office didn't think much of it, but they would occasionally sip their coffee and glance at the two of them, nodding to Judy in approval.

To Kyle's surprise, Judy's questions weren't about things he'd already covered in class, but about material that would be covered in about a week. While pre-class preparation exists abroad, it's rare for children this age to be able to learn things on their own in advance, and that's not a reason Kyle wouldn't teach her.

It must be admitted that she is really smart. Before, she just didn't pay attention in class, which caused her to not even know basic addition and subtraction within ten. Now that she is studying hard, she is making rapid progress and absorbing knowledge much faster than other students in the class. However, after Kyle finished explaining the part she didn't understand, she left before he could continue.

"This child is really good. It's so rare for someone her age to consciously ask her teacher questions in her spare time. What's her name?"

“Judy, Judy Carles.”

When a student is praised, the teacher feels honored as well. He smiled and answered the teacher at the next table, took a sip of coffee, and reopened the Old Testament he had been studying recently.

……

Teachers leave school half an hour after the students leave, but Kyle, who was reading, leaves even later. He puts on his bag, puts on his still slightly damp suit, and walks down the school corridor. Just by chance, he stops and knocks on the classroom door.

"Judy, why aren't you home yet? The last school bus has already left, are you still reading?"

"Yes, Kyle, I feel like... I've forgotten about time."

Kyle shook the watch on his wrist. If he went home now, Catherine would probably have just gotten home and started cooking. If he hurried, he could still have a hot dinner. Seeing Judy looking up at him, Kyle thought for a moment and then beckoned to Judy.

"Let's go, I'll take you home. Where do you live?"

Kyle didn't expect that Judy's house was also in Ilkurburg. If he were to go home, he would pass by Judy's house, which would save him a lot of time.

The car had already been driven back during lunch break, but not on the road. Instead, it was at the police station not far from the school. After learning that Kyle had abandoned the car to go to class and that the sheriff's son was also Kyle's student, the police station did not issue Kyle a ticket. They simply told him that if he encountered a similar situation again, he should call the police first.

And so, a car covered in mud slowly drove off. Kyle, relying on his memory, tuned the radio to the local private children's station. Judy's laughter never stopped throughout the journey, until they arrived at Judy's house, at which point she quieted down a bit.

Since it was their first time there, Kyle needed to confirm if the residents were Judy's parents. He took Judy's hand and pressed the doorbell. A short while later, a man with a bulbous nose, of medium height and build, opened the door, glanced down at Judy, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Where did you go? Why are you only coming back now? I was about to call the police! Your mother just called the school, but the security guard said you weren't there. You really scared me to death, Judy. Sorry, who are you?"

“Kyle Wong, Judy’s teacher, I’m so sorry. She came over to ask me a question and we both lost track of time. We’re sorry to have worried you. Now that Judy is home safely, I’ll be going.”

Kyle told Judy's father a white lie and originally intended to leave, but Judy's father, Carl, was an enthusiastic man. It happened to be dinner time, so he invited Kyle to have dinner with him. Unable to refuse, Kyle could only call Catherine and then went to the table. Under Carl's enthusiastic hospitality, he drank two glasses of whiskey.

Men always want to talk about something when they drink, especially when their wives and children have finished eating and left the table; then they're all very talkative.

"Why did you come to Ilkurburg? In my mind, young Asians should all have good education and shouldn't be living in a village full of cow dung, and only working as teachers in a primary school."

"So what do you think I should do?"

"Doctors, financial investors, computer programmers, researchers, the like—they live in nice apartments, drive nice cars, have decent incomes, and work diligently every day. That's it. Oh, and I haven't even asked which university you graduated from?"

The professions that Carls mentioned basically fit the common perception of Chinese people among Europeans and Americans, and the reality is quite similar. Many young Chinese people do these jobs, and Kyle was once a member of one of the industries Carls mentioned.

“I graduated from the University of St Andrews, and as you said, I did work in the real estate finance industry before.”

"Wow, St Andrews, you're much more capable than I imagined, buddy. The real estate finance industry must be very lucrative in London and Manchester, so why did you quit? Um... sorry."

Karls was a little drunk and asked a sensitive question. Of course, when he saw Kyle's somewhat downcast look, he immediately realized that Kyle was right. If real estate finance was doing well, who would come to teach in this godforsaken place?

Kyle picked up the glass and swirled the brownish-red liquor. Ice cubes bounced against the glass as the liquor swished against the sides. The angular glass reflected a crystalline light under the lamp. He swallowed the liquor in one gulp, his expression slightly pained. Once the effects of the alcohol subsided, he let out a long breath, savoring the lingering sweetness and smoky flavor of the liquor.

"Yes, there is indeed money to be made in real estate finance. As long as you want to do it, a lot of money will rush into your pockets. But... along with the money I spend, my personality is gradually being consumed. My desires force me to put the money in my pocket, but my mind stops me from doing so."

"People who enter this industry with dreams of making a name for themselves join in, but it's not as wonderful as they imagine. Gradually, they all turn into man-eating monsters, hypocritical, greedy, and treacherous."

Kyle's words puzzled Carl. Perhaps Easterners and Westerners have fundamentally different views on money. As members of a capitalist country, they could see more clearly what money could do. What are personality and ideas worth?
"If people live in a utopia, then why work? If you are like me, growing up here, smelling cow dung every day, with swarms of flies in the summer, dealing with crops your whole life, following the old path of my father, even my grandfather, getting married, having children, and working the land for your family until death, being raped by life every day! You can't even find the meaning of your life, because three generations are like they were carved from the same template, and I am just a microcosm of them. People often tell me, 'Oh! You are exactly like old Carls,' which sometimes makes me doubt whether I am my father, just young again. I... don't actually exist."

The conversation turned to life, and the atmosphere grew heavy. Carl smoked, his expression becoming somewhat blurred in the smoky light. Kyle wasn't sure if he had truly become blurred, or if this blurriness only occurred in his memory.

He couldn't understand Karls's helplessness and powerlessness because the concept of "thinking from another's perspective" simply didn't exist. You haven't experienced his life, so naturally you won't understand his suffering, just as Karls didn't understand him. Thinking from another's perspective is merely a result of good intentions. The inability to empathize with others is simply a lack of kindness in one's heart, and a pure response of evil.

But the inability to experience it firsthand does not mean that people cannot understand the tragic fate of a farmer's child, who is destined to become the next farmer from birth.

Family circumstances, short-sightedness, and lack of education all contributed to this situation and are difficult to change. However, few people can understand why a worker in a high-paying job would give up their current job to become a children's teacher.

This is related to the prevailing social values, but more importantly, the higher the social class, the more difficult it is to understand the psychology of people.

The idea that all professions are equal is just a lie told by the wealthy to appease the common people. Unless all the wealthy are driven back to the bottom, this value system will never change.

Tragically, more and more people have come to understand this truth, but by the time they realize it, their lives are already set in stone. The vast majority of people are unable to make any changes and can only comfort themselves with this lie while passing it on to their offspring, thus leading to "their" immortality.

How pathetic...

So Kyle couldn't answer Karl's question directly, took a sip of his drink, and subtly evaded the question.

"Different environments in which people grow up lead to different personalities and different pursuits."

"So what are you pursuing? What brought you to this remote and impoverished area to become a teacher who has to personally escort students home?"

Two people meeting for the first time shouldn't be discussing these issues, but alcohol quickly brought them closer, only to create a rift between them due to their differing values.

Kyle had initially answered the same question to his colleagues and was ridiculed by his European colleagues. He anticipated that after answering Karls, the result would be the same as before.

But a pursuit is a pursuit, and it shouldn't be something to be ashamed of.

"My soul... I want the freedom of my soul, so that it may sleep peacefully in the dead of night and rise like the sun, bringing me comfort and ending my wandering. It will have a place to belong, so that even in poverty, my heart can be rich..."

To Kyle's surprise, Karls did not show any mockery or sarcasm. Instead, like his daughter, she seemed very interested.

"How can we do that?"

“Judy asked the same question, but I couldn’t answer it because I was searching for it myself.”

“Judy? Hahaha, I knew Judy was different from all the other kids in the village. I told her from a young age not to follow in her mother’s footsteps. I thought she was too young to understand what I was saying, but I didn’t expect her to actually listen.”

"Yes, she is very smart and learns very quickly. I think she will go to a great university, leave this place, know what she needs, and have it. That is also why I came here to be a teacher. I hope that more children can leave this place and escape from their shackles."

Unexpectedly, the two, who originally had incompatible values, reached a consensus on this matter and resonated with Carl. Just like true friends don't need to have the same values ​​or aspirations, they only need to agree on one thing.

"If you had been my teacher when I was in school, my life would be completely different now. But there are no 'ifs'. I can only place my hopes on Judy and hope that she can escape this fate that has imprisoned generations."

"I think she will."

"By the way, you said before that people in the real estate and finance industry are envious, hypocritical, and greedy. What about the people here? What do you think are their shortcomings?"

This topic is quite sensitive. After all, he is in this village, and it's really inappropriate for him to speak ill of the villagers in front of them. If it gets out, it won't do him any good. Kyle isn't stupid, so at this moment he can only pretend to be stupid, pick up his glass and sip slowly without saying a word.

"Go ahead and tell me, it's just the two of us here, isn't it? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, trust me, please, come on."

"...blindly obedient, barbaric, indecisive, and too easily trusting of others."

"Well, that really hits the nail on the head... You're right. Having lived in this village for over thirty years, I can't argue with that. You're right. Come on, let's drink. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, because I know all too well what kind of people these days are."

"In fact, most people have this shortcoming, not just Ilklóbu."

Kyle still felt he had made a mistake and wanted to salvage something, but after speaking, he didn't feel it had any effect. He raised his glass with a wry smile.

The two were chatting so enthusiastically that they forgot the time. In addition, the alcohol made them lose control of their voices. Soon, Mrs. Carls, who was a bit overweight, stood at the top of the stairs looking at Carls with a dissatisfied expression.

"Karls, it's eleven o'clock, the children need to rest."

"I understand, I'll keep my voice down. Please don't bother us, okay? Let's chat a little longer. Anyway, tomorrow's the weekend, and the kids don't have to go to school."

"You're bothering me? Who's disturbing whose rest! Fine, I'm too lazy to argue with you. Now! That's it! This teacher, leave my house! The children need to sleep!"

"Is this your attitude of not wanting to argue? Get the hell up there! Why are you always the one who spoils the fun, fuck! I've had enough of you! I told you we'd be quieter! Why did you chase our guests away?"

"You son of a bitch, is that what you call 'keep your voice down'?! You son of a bitch, get out of my house! The kids should be sleeping for an hour by now!"

Mrs. Carls was a typical English country woman. Her nightgown made her look even fatter. As they argued, her face gradually turned red and contorted. She had no self-control and would spew out all sorts of vulgarities, regardless of whether the children upstairs could hear the obscene terms used to describe certain organs.

Kyle had no choice but to stop Carls, who was also cursing and spewing out all sorts of nonsense. He kept apologizing to Mrs. Carls, put on his clothes, and, ignoring Carls's attempts to stop him, accepted his apology and slunk away from his house.

There were no streetlights in the village, so he could only listen to the couple's mutual insults. Using the light from his house, he called Catherine, hoping she could come pick him up; it wouldn't take more than a few minutes by car anyway.

“Kyle, Kyle…”

Hearing someone call his name, Kyle turned around. Judy opened the second-floor window and peeked out, quietly watching him. She seemed used to her parents' arguments and showed no fear.

Kyle hung up the phone and waved to her. She smiled happily and waved back.

Kyle didn't dare to intervene when the couple argued. Instead, he put two index fingers into his ears and opened his mouth, gesturing for Judy to do the same.

She was amazed that such a simple action could essentially block out all outside noise, and her smile widened. She didn't wave goodbye to Kyle until Catherine arrived in her car. After Kyle left, she closed the window, hurriedly got into bed, leaned against the headboard, hugged her pillow, stuffed her fingers into her ears, opened her mouth wide, but her gaze was unfocused…

……

In the days that followed, Judy would frequently ask Kyle questions, and not just math questions, but even questions that didn't belong to any of the school's subjects.

Kyle wasn't impatient with any of this; on the contrary, he thought it was a good thing. Instilling some correct values ​​in her at this age would greatly help her life, something her poorly educated parents couldn't provide. He wanted to fulfill his promise to Carl and would do his best to help Judy leave this place in the future.

The two became increasingly close, and even in the eyes of other children, Kyle was somewhat biased. Kyle had to admit that he was responsible for every child in the class, but personal feelings would always be biased. He had no reason not to like this thoughtful and studious child.

Moreover, this child has shown learning abilities that are completely out of character for his age. At this stage, he needs more guidance, otherwise it will be easy for him to learn well, but also easy for him to learn badly.

……

"Kyle, what is justice? What is evil?"

After the first time he drove her home, she often hitched a ride with Kyle, claiming that a private car was more comfortable than a school bus. Kyle didn't mind taking this little burden home, since it was all the same route and there was no need to turn back.

On her way home today, Judy heard a children's story on the radio about good triumphing over evil and heroes defeating dragons. She turned off the radio and asked Kyle about it.

"Wow...that's a really profound question. I've heard many interpretations of good and evil so far. Would you like to hear my understanding of good and evil, or the views put forward by thinkers in their books?"

"Of course it's your idea; I want to hear your conclusions..."

He turned the steering wheel one full turn to the left, his right index finger tapping lightly on it. He didn't want to discuss this topic with a child this age, but since they had already come this far, he couldn't just avoid it. He turned to look at Judy, who had a look of curiosity on her face, organized his thoughts, and pondered for a moment.

"One explanation that can be put into the open is that good and evil are products of human civilization. Currently, the definition of good and evil depends on the moral standards created by humankind. Actions that benefit individuals and groups are defined as good, while actions that harm individuals and groups are defined as evil."

"What is that unspeakable understanding...?"

"You only need to understand the first one. When you grow up, do things that benefit the community and yourself. That's enough. Okay, you're home. This journey has come to an end. Judy's home."

Judy picked up her yellow backpack from the back seat, got out of the car somewhat unhappily, put it on, and hurriedly went around to the driver's side door, leaned her head in through the window, and pleaded with a hint of coquettishness.

"Tell me, what's the reason you can't tell me?"

“You should go inside now. Carl is watching you from the window. You should hurry home.”

He waved to Carl inside the window, stroked Judy's soft hair, and then tried to shift gears and leave, but Judy clung to the car door and wouldn't let go. This persistence made Carl feel very helpless. He shouldn't have answered her question. In the end, he could only give Judy an answer.

"It all boils down to one sentence: the winner is righteous, and the loser is evil, because in all the stories, evil has never triumphed over justice. Okay, that's the answer. Isn't it simple? Come inside, Karl is watching you. Go back now."

"Okay, Kyle, see you tomorrow, I...I love you!"

Hearing Judy say that, Kyle was slightly taken aback, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. After all, Europeans and Americans express their emotions, especially when it comes to love, much more directly than Asians. He shook his head, smiled, and gently patted Judy's head, replying with a doting tone.

"I understand. I love you too, Judy. Go home now, see you tomorrow."

She was really happy to receive Kyle's reply. She nodded vigorously and ran excitedly home. Her little yellow backpack bounced back and forth, looking a bit heavy, as if it were filled with the whole summer.

……

"I am back."

Catherine was preparing dinner in the kitchen when Kyle changed into slippers, hung his suit on a hanger, loosened his tie and tossed it onto the sofa, walked into the kitchen, stood behind Catherine, wrapped his arms around her waist, and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.

"I got home fifteen minutes late again today. Oh well, I'll go take a shower and get ready for dinner."

"I'm so sorry, Honey."

"You're not going to change anyway, are you? It's alright, you don't smell bad, but you still need to take a shower. Hurry up, I've already run the water for you, but it was done fifteen minutes ago. Since you're coming home late, take a cold shower."

Katherine pushed Kyle into the bathroom, and he took off his clothes and lay in the bathtub. It wasn't as cold as he had imagined; the water was still slightly warm against his skin. Outside the bathroom door, after Katherine put the ingredients in the pot, she went to the bedroom to find Kyle a loose-fitting outfit, folded it neatly, and placed it on the washing machine, her expression slightly hesitant.

“I think you should keep a certain distance from Mr. Carls’ daughter. You two have been getting too close lately. I know you like the little girl, but it’s not a good thing for a teacher and student to be so close, and for you to even walk her home after school.”

The splashing water on his chest stopped, and Kyle paused for a moment, staring at the figure behind the glass door with an amused expression.

"She's just a child."

"But she's still a girl, isn't she?"

Kyle thought about it and realized that Catherine was right. The two of them getting too close would inevitably have some negative impact on the class, although the impact was not significant, it was still there nonetheless.

"okay, I get it."

"That's good. Go wash up quickly, I made curry tonight."

……

"Fuck you! You fuck you! Why do you always have to spoil other people's fun? You're disgusting! Fuck you!"

"I'm disgusted? I'm a spoilsport? It's because you're always so enthusiastic about doing useless things! I'm so fed up with this kind of life! What man doesn't do part-time jobs to supplement the family income after finishing farming? And what are you doing?! You're a hopeless alcoholic! You're already a father of three! You should take on the responsibility of raising three children! You useless, pathetic coward!"

We gradually become paranoid in our own little world, constantly hurting our loved ones, with endless arguments, conflicts, and vandalism, ultimately exhausting all our feelings for others and extinguishing our own capacity to love. We know this is foolish, but…

To live foolishly is to be human.

Judy and her two brothers had already left the dining table and returned to their rooms. Using the method Kyle had taught her, she plugged her ears, opened her mouth wide, and stared at the empty wall with a smile on her face. However, she seemed to think of something and reconnected with the noisy world. She went to her desk, took out white paper and crayons, and began to draw.

In the painting, a man in a suit is holding a little girl's hand on a green lawn. Flowers are blooming, butterflies are fluttering, the sun is smiling, and red hearts are scattered in the air. In the end, she carefully put the painting into an envelope and placed it at the very back of her schoolbag.

……

"Who can answer this question? John, you're in charge, good luck, young man."

Judy was puzzled by Kyle's choice to call on someone else instead of her right hand. She wondered what was different about today. In the past, she was the one who should answer 70% of the questions in class, but today Kyle only called on her once.

Having spent the whole day of classes unhappily, she went to the classroom office with her books as usual, only to find Kyle packing his backpack and just picking it up to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Emm...of course we're going home. Judy, you should go too. There are still two school buses left, we still have time. Come on, let's go out of the school gate together, come on."

"But I still have two questions I haven't figured out..."

She always looked at Kyle with that soft gaze, and Kyle would always give in in the past. But today was different. After being reminded by Catherine, he knew he couldn't do that, and he shouldn't.

"But I'm short on time today. Aunt Catherine is waiting for me to come home for lunch. How about... you come over tomorrow at noon?"

“But even if you come home a little late, Aunt Catherine won’t let you go hungry.”

“Listen to me, Judy, we can’t take other people’s tolerance for granted as not having crossed their bottom line. We should do what we need to do according to the timetable we made with our families.”

He gently placed his hands on Judy's shoulders and answered earnestly, hoping Judy could accept that she was different from other children. Kyle thought she would understand, but unexpectedly, Kyle didn't see her understanding. He only saw tears gradually welling up in her eyes, eventually condensing and rolling in her eyes before finally flowing away...

"But you tutor me after school, that's my schedule. I... did I do something wrong? Kyle... you said you loved me, don't you love me anymore?"

"No, I love you Judy, but love isn't about binding. I need to spend more time with Aunt Catherine. There's only one school bus left. Please listen to me, okay?"

"Okay...this is for you..."

She took the envelope out of the book she was clutching and carefully handed it to Kyle. Kyle smiled, joking and coaxing Judy as he opened the envelope. He glanced at the picture inside, but his expression suddenly became very serious. He carefully put the letter back into the envelope and handed it back to Judy.

"I'm sorry, Judy, I can't accept this letter. I hope you understand."

"why?"

"You'll understand when you grow up. Shall I take you to the school bus?"

"No! Unless you accept it! Never mind... you can go, I'll take the school bus by myself."

“Judy…”

"I'll leave on my own! Unless you accept the letter."

There was absolutely no way Kyle would accept the letter. He hesitated for a long time, exhaled forcefully through his nose, nodded, told Judy to be careful and go home early, and finally slung his bag over his shoulder, stood up, and left...

……

"Hey Judy, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Principal Shirley was always the last to leave the school. When she saw a child squatting in the corridor, crying with her head down, she quickly recognized her. She walked up to Judy, gently squatted down, and stroked her hair.

"Judy, what happened? Why aren't you home yet? Look at you, you little slob. Don't cry. Tell the principal what's wrong, okay?"

“I…I’m fine, Principal Shirley, I’m going home.”

"But there are no school buses anymore, honey. How about I take you home? But before that, I need to wash your face. Come on, you little slob."

She pulled Judy into the bathroom and carefully wiped away the tears on her face. Her originally domineering face softened; she loved these children, every single one of them at the school.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Taking Judy home wasn't her main goal; she needed to understand what had happened to the child and why she was crying so loudly in the empty hallway.

She needed to be responsible for the children, but seeing Judy's silence, she couldn't force the children to reveal their unspeakable secrets. After all, many children have some heartbreaking gray memories during their growth, which even their parents may not know. As the principal, she hoped to reduce the occurrence of such psychological shadows in more children, but she was not God and could not help everyone.

Seeing that Judy was unwilling to talk, Shirley had no choice but to straighten Judy's clothes, prepare to take Judy home and tell her parents about the situation, but unexpectedly, Judy finally spoke up as soon as she came out of the bathroom.

"Ms. Shirley, do all boys have XX?"

"Huh? Oh... Of course, men and women are physiologically different. What? Did some shameless boy take off his pants for you? Tell me who it was, and I'll settle the score with him."

"But...why is Kyle's penis different from other boys' penises? It's like...a gun?"

"Sorry, I didn't hear you clearly. Who did you mean...?"

……

"Wang Defa!!!!!"

"How could she do this! How can she arbitrarily frame an innocent person? Just because she's young? Bitch! Kyle is a good person, why... Fuck!"

Depp had completely forgotten his unpleasantness at watching Lu Ze and his daughter being all lovey-dovey, and was completely absorbed in the plot. Seeing that the plot was finally on track, everyone in the bar was so angry that they felt short of breath and wanted to spit out a mouthful of blood.

Everyone present felt goodwill and affection for Kyle, because he was sunny, gentle, kind, well-read, and wanted to help many farmers' children escape the shadow of their parents. Who wouldn't like such a person? Who wouldn't admire him?
And what about the people in the bar? They are actually all workers, because Liverpool, like Manchester, is a working-class city. Although Liverpool has a port and most workers make their living by the sea, and maritime trade is very profitable, so they live quite comfortably, but that doesn’t mean they are not working class.

Therefore, they can particularly understand how tragic it is to be destined to become a certain kind of person, especially a manual laborer. They might even fantasize that Kyle was their teacher, and that with a decent family income, they could escape the fate of the working class. Although life has no "what ifs," fantasies are never excessive.

No one could stand by and watch Kyle suffer such severe defamation. Judy's diligent and studious personality, which had been trying to escape her fate, collapsed at this moment. Using words she had learned from her parents' insults, she made malicious accusations. They wished that such a person would live in the village forever and never come out to harm others again.

Inside the bar, Elena was probably the only calm person there, because she had witnessed the filming of the scene firsthand. She was furious at the time, but now, reflecting on it, all she could think about was human nature. Were children really so innocent and kind? Or was their naivety the greatest evil? She couldn't give an answer, and no one could give an objective and calm answer, because there are countless personalities, and they cannot be lumped together by age.

In the end, she could only secretly pour herself a glass of wine while her father was watching a movie and didn't have time to pay attention to her. She knew that the real storm was yet to come, so she might as well get drunk before the plot progressed to an even more desperate point, so as not to be so angry.

……

“First of all, on behalf of St. Borio School, I would like to apologize to Mr. and Mrs. Carls. I must admit that due to our inadequate supervision, some serious incidents occurred and Judy was involved. I am sorry.”

Even if the couple had argued a lot in the past, they still had to give the school principal some face when he suddenly came to visit. They served him a few cups of coffee and sat down on the sofa. However, the principal's words startled them. They looked at Judy, somewhat at a loss, wondering what serious matter had occurred that required the principal's visit.

“What’s wrong? Ms. Shirley, you don’t need to blame yourself. We can handle this. Please tell us.”

"I have learned that... one of our school's teachers did something to the children that... should not have happened between adults and children. I'm sorry."

This was truly like a bolt from the blue, stunning the Carls couple. For a moment, the room fell silent. Carls seemed to have thought of something, but he didn't want to speculate. He could only swallow hard, open his mouth, but found that no sound came out. He could only rub his face and calm down for a long time before he finally spoke.

"who is it?"

"Kyle King".

Shirley seemed to find it very difficult to say, she never imagined that the gentle and refined Chinese man would do such a thing. After slowly saying his name, she was met with Carls's stunned silence and Mrs. Carls's furious outburst.

The wife grabbed Carls by the collar and shook the dazed Carls violently, her face revealing an unprecedented ferocity that she hadn't shown in years of arguing.

“I knew it was him! Carl! Look what you’ve done! You’ve been inviting trouble, you know that?! You’ve ruined Judy! You bastard! Look at the mess you’ve made! Say something! I’ll kill you! Look at the consequences of your own actions! I’m going to kill you!”

Shirley saw Judy curled up on the sofa, revealing a silence beyond her years, and quickly stepped in to break up the fight, preventing their argument from hurting Judy further. She also told her that she had contacted the sheriff, who would be there soon. Interestingly, this time Carl didn't talk back, and even kept hitting himself.

The farce only ended when there was a knock on the door. The sheriff became somewhat more subdued in front of her, then turned his gaze to Judy, knelt down on one knee in front of her, and asked her in a gentle voice that was completely different from his fierce expression.

"Judy, could you please tell me what happened today?"

Whether what happened today was real or fictional, it was something Judy didn't want to talk about, so she remained silent, only glancing at her parents from time to time.

Seeing Judy remain silent, the sheriff and the principal exchanged glances, coughed, and continued to ask questions.

"Kyle, did your teacher do something really bad to you?"

"Yes……"

Did he... take off his pants?

At this moment, Judy seemed to realize that she had done something wrong. She lowered her head, just like when she first met Kyle, bit her finger, hesitated for a long time, and shook her head.

"No."

"Don't be afraid, tell me the truth of what you saw, okay? What did Kyle do to you? Did he take off his pants? Did he touch you in places he shouldn't have?"

……

"What kind of sheriff is this?! How could he ask such a leading question? What a country bumpkin! Even a low-ranking officer in Liverpool wouldn't say something like that!"

The insults inside the bar continued unabated, with constant questioning of the remarkably incompetent sheriff. But they couldn't interfere with the person on television, and they had to admit that sheriffs like this were actually quite common in their lives…

……

Judy knew she had done something wrong, but she saw an unprecedented concern in her parents' eyes. Perhaps to her, it wasn't really a wrong thing... After a struggle, she finally nodded.

"Yes."

After receiving confirmation, the sheriff stood up and gave Judy's mother a wink, signaling her to take Judy away and not leave her in the living room. He made his decision only after Judy's mother returned from dropping off the child.

"First, take Judy to the hospital for a check-up to see if she's been injured. Sherry, don't make a fuss about this. Notify the parents and let them check if their child is acting strangely. As for Kyle, you decide whether to suspend him from school. We'll conduct an investigation and gather evidence. Once we have enough evidence, we'll summon him according to the law. Okay, that's all. I'll be leaving now. God, my son is also his student."

After the sheriff put on his trench coat and top hat and left, the room fell silent again, with only Mrs. Carls sobbing intermittently, while Carls himself folded a piece of paper that appeared out of nowhere, looking somewhat preoccupied.

……

The next morning, all the parents of the children in Kyle's class were notified to come to the school. Shirley apologized to all the parents as she had the day before and explained the whole story clearly.

The parents were initially surprised that the perverted teacher was Kyle, because in all their impressions, Kyle was a very excellent and kind person. In the end, they overturned all their previous impressions of Kyle and redefined him as... a beast in human form.

When Kyle arrived at the school, he was supposed to go to class as usual, but he was unexpectedly notified that the principal wanted him to go to the principal's office.

"Please come in."

“Ms. Shirley, is there anything I can help you with? Hello, Sheriff John.”

Kyle closed the door and nodded to Sherry and the sheriff, but he was completely confused, wondering what the police were doing in Sherry's office. He pointed to a stool, and after receiving Sherry's confirmation, he sat down and waited quietly for Sherry to speak first.

"I didn't want to make a decision so quickly, but the matter on my mind is making me feel uneasy, so to put it simply, you're fired."

The gentleness towards children has completely disappeared; her facial expression is stiff and cold, as if it has been frozen in a freezer for several days, especially her eyebrows, which are sharp and glaring.

"Why? Have I violated any teacher regulations or laws?"

Kyle was not intimidated by her cold attitude. It concerned his job, and he had to find out the truth. He just wanted to know three words: Why?
"Don't you know whether you've violated the rules or not?"

"Of course I don't know."

Seeing the two confronting each other, the sheriff waved to Shirley, indicating that he would speak for himself.

"Kyle, someone reported you for child molestation, so you can't go to class now. That's the reason. Do you understand? Listen to me, cooperate with the investigation, go home, and wait for the police to summon you, OK?"

"Child molestation? Who? That's fucking ridiculous! So you're firing me because of this rumor? I may not care about my job, but I must care about my reputation. I don't accept this slander. Sorry, I have to go to class now."

Kyle was shocked that such a crime would be pinned on him. He looked incredulous and was so angry that he almost laughed. Ignoring the two of them, he turned to leave, but unexpectedly, a hand grabbed his arm. The force was so strong that Kyle couldn't break free. He was pushed by the sheriff and, in front of the students and teachers, was pushed out of the school gate.

"What are you doing! I have to go to class, I need to be responsible for my students, you have no right to make a decision without evidence!"

"Now you're not responsible for them anymore. Other teachers will be in charge of the classes. Listen to Kyle, if I weren't a cop, I would have fucking beaten you up already. You should be glad that I have children and a family, otherwise I would have shot a hole in your head! You bastard!"

"Then tell me who it was! Tell me, which child did I molest? I can't accept this inexplicable injustice. Is everything you say true?"

"I can't tell you, get out of here."

Kyle's mind raced, and finally, a flash of inspiration struck him. He couldn't think of anyone but Judy who would do this to him. But then a chill ran down his spine. He desperately wanted to ask Judy why...

"It's Judy, right?"

"I already told you I can't tell you. You'd better leave now and not force me to take action."

Seeing the sheriff's burly appearance, Kyle knew that a direct confrontation would be disastrous for him, so he picked up the backpack that had been thrown to him, nodded vigorously to the sheriff, and drove away. But he wasn't going home or running away; he was going to Karl's house to question Judy about what she was doing all this time.

……

"Karls? Karls, are you there? It's Kyle. I have something I want to talk to you about, and I also want to ask Judy something. Hey Karls, are you home?"

About half a minute later, the door opened. Carl, with a cigarette in his mouth and bloodshot eyes, looked noticeably haggard. After opening the door, he ignored Kyle, turned around, went back to the sofa, and poured himself a glass of wine.

“Karls, there’s something I have to say. Someone reported that I molested Judy. I really don’t know where this rumor came from. It’s complete nonsense. Is Judy here? Let her say it. This is absolutely not true!”

"Not true? Ha... Think about it yourself, Judy and you, who am I supposed to believe?"

"Judy said that? God... I admit Judy and I had some disagreements, but I really didn't touch her even a hair. You're my friend. Even if I did have that kind of perverted fetish, I wouldn't do that to my friend..."

"You still remember you're my friend!"

The square wine glass the two of them used was smashed to the ground and shattered completely. The word "friend" pierced Karl's heart. He grabbed Kyle's collar, his pain and anger mingling.

"I still remember how great our conversation was that night. You were the only person in this village who understood me, at least I used to think so... But now? I fucking trusted you! And you turned around and used my trust to sleep with my daughter?! I'll f*** you!"

"I fucking said no, and that's final! How do you expect me to prove it to you?"

"Kyle? Is that you? You've come?"

"Karls! How dare you let him in! Get him out! Get out!"

Hearing the argument, Judy and Mrs. Carl came downstairs at the same time, but their expressions were completely different: one was surprised and delighted, while the other was filled with extreme disgust and hatred.

"Did you hear me? Get out of my house! Get out right now! What are you doing!"

Upon seeing Judy come downstairs, Kyle broke free from Carl's grasp, ran to Judy, and, ignoring Mrs. Carl's beating, looked directly into Judy's eyes.

"Judy, tell them the truth! Tell them!"

"Get out of here!"

A large foot kicked Kyle directly in the face, knocking him to the ground. He felt dizzy and his ears were ringing. He could clearly hear his own heavy breathing. When he got up, he was met with a steel knife.

"There are no security cameras in Ilkurburg. I can kill you on the grounds of breaking and entering. If you don't want to die, you'd better get the hell out of here!"

Kyle knew Karl wasn't joking; at least, the steel blade gleaming in the sunlight didn't. He stood up expressionlessly, raised his hands, still feeling dizzy, and swayed as he opened the door…

He put the steel knife back in the kitchen, grabbed a wine glass, sat down, poured himself a full glass of whiskey, and downed it in one gulp. Seeing that Judy hadn't gone upstairs to rest yet, Carl comforted his daughter in the gentlest tone.

"Did I scare you, Judy? Go back and rest, my good girl."

"Dad, Kyle didn't actually do anything..."

Upon hearing Judy's words, Carls stiffened for a moment, then regained his composure, picked up two ice cubes, tossed them into his glass, swirled the drink, and finally drank another glass.

"You should rest now, baby."

……

As Kyle said, the people in Ilkurburg were ignorant, blindly obedient, and barbaric, and Kyle was right about everything. So when negative news about Kyle swept through Ilkurburg like a plague, people went from surprise to anger, and finally to unwavering belief, skipping the stage of doubt altogether.

Even parents who weren't students at St. Borio Elementary School suspected Kyle of their child's recent unusual behavior. How ridiculous... isn't it?

The parents' dereliction of duty is being shifted onto someone the child doesn't even know. They've even brainwashed themselves into believing it, thus turning hostility towards the innocent victims. Such an attempt to shirk responsibility is utterly ridiculous, yet it actually happened here.

"Hello, Ilkluburg Car Rental."

Are you Catherine?

"Um...yes, ma'am, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Go to hell, you bitch, I wish your whole family would die, you XXX."

Before Catherine could reply, the call was disconnected, leaving only a busy tone. Catherine was momentarily stunned by the scolding and, due to her professional background, could not retaliate, so she could only hang up the phone in frustration.

"What's going on? This is the third one today, right? Have you offended anyone?"

The colleague seemed to have heard the conversation on the other end of the phone and asked with concern. She hadn't left work yet and hadn't heard any rumors, but she felt that Catherine had offended someone in her life.

Catherine thought about it carefully, but was still completely confused. She shook her head helplessly. She had only received three phone calls this afternoon, and all three were insults. She was really stunned by the insults.

"Catherine, Catherine! Please come here for a moment."

"Supervisor, is there anything I can help you with?"

"I think you might need to rest for the next couple of days. I've approved a week off for you. Take good care of yourself at home."

"But...why is that?"

"You should go back and ask your husband..."

The strange expressions of some colleagues and the unprovoked abusive phone calls all seemed to have found their source. Since it concerned her husband, she couldn't say much more here, so she could only nod, pick up her handbag and leave, driving home at high speed.

I got home around 3 p.m. Strangely, Kyle was already home, dressed in casual clothes, and drinking on the sofa. It seemed he had been back for quite some time.

She placed the car keys on the door locker and inadvertently noticed the scars on Kyle's face. She sat down next to Kyle and tenderly stroked his face.

"what happened?"

Kyle's face was flushed with alcohol, and his breath reeked of it. He realized he was wrong. When pain strikes, all the knowledge he had gained from books is useless. He still needed alcohol to numb his nerves and ease the torment in his heart.

“Judy… said I molested her.”

"What! Does she even know what she said? This is no joke! What happened to your wound? What right did they have to hit you? Do they have any evidence? I'm calling the police, this is outrageous!"

"There's no need... The police chief's son is my student."

"But at least he's a policeman!"

“But he’s not a policeman to me. All…everything…the people who help you in your life, once they firmly believe you’ve made a mistake, whether it’s true or not, as long as they believe it, then they are no longer helpers, but weapons that hurt you. The more you need them, the more you will hurt yourself. So, I can’t rely on anyone.”

Perhaps this is the purpose of reading: it may not alleviate your pain, but it can help you rationally avoid secondary harm from the outside world.

"So what do we do?"

"You believe me?"

“Kyle, I’ve known you for seven years. I know you as well as I know myself. How could I not trust you?”

"Then do nothing, believe nothing, listen to nothing. I'm sorry, Catherine, because I've affected your life."

How could she not be saddened that her once cheerful husband had become so gloomy? Tears welled up in her eyes, and after wiping them away, she knew she couldn't put any more pressure on Kyle.

"Don't talk nonsense, and don't drink anymore. Get some sleep, baby. Everything will be alright."

She took away Kyle's glass of wine and covered him with a thin blanket. The alcohol played a crucial role; he fell asleep almost immediately and slept very soundly.

He didn't even hear when the window was smashed...

Catherine listened to Kyle, without complaining or calling the police. She simply cleaned up the broken glass, dumped it in the trash can, and began preparing dinner for the evening.

"..."

(End of this chapter)