In early April, Yugh woke one morning and headed to the kitchen. From a distance, he saw his mother on a phone call. As he drew closer, her agitated words became clear: š§
"That was three years ago! Why are you digging up old dirt now? I've already given you $150,000! What do you need more money for?"
Yugh pretended not to hear and walked into the kitchen. The moment she saw him, his mother's face went pale. She hurriedly ended the call. š
He acted normally, greeting her and taking his breakfast plate to the table as if nothing was amiss. But as he ate, his mind raced. What old dirt? What is she being blackmailed for? His mother's strained smile and nervous energy were impossible to ignore.
Midway through his meal, she abruptly announced she had to run an urgent errand and left. A heavy suspicion settled in Yugh's gut. š„
Where is she going? I need to see. Leaving his half-finished meal, he followed her at a careful distance, moving silently through the familiar neighbourhood.
His mother walked for about fifty meters before stopping at a small, weathered wooden house. She knocked. The door was opened by a man dressed entirely in black, with a menacing air about him. š
What business does Mom have with someone like him? I need to get closer.
Creeping nearer, Yugh hid within earshot. He heard the man speak first. š£
"So, the madam has finally come, hasn't she?"
"I can't give you any more money," his mother's voice replied, trembling yet defiant. "You should stop this blackmail. If you don't, you'll regret it." š°
The man in black responded not with fear, but with a strange, chilling smile that made Yugh's blood run cold.
This was no simple debt. This was something darker, a secret from three years past that had just clawed its way back to the surface right next door. š¤„