Chapter-4 Screems

Veronica had just reached the apartment when she heard loud bangs coming from inside, followed by the shouts of her three-and-a-half-year-old son.

Her heart nearly stopped.

He was still so young—so small and vulnerable.

"What happened?"

Dropping the grocery bags, she hurried inside.

The moment she opened the door, she froze.

Little Aaron was gripping a broom almost as tall as himself, wildly swinging it from side to side as he chased a frightened mouse around the room.

The tiny mouse squeaked in terror, desperately searching for a way to escape.

But it was trapped in a corner.

Aaron raised the broom high above his head.

"You stinky rat!" he shouted proudly. "Prepare to die! How dare you sneak into my house!"

Veronica's heart sank.

She saw the fierce determination in her son's eyes.

There was no fear.

No hesitation.

Only the desire to kill the tiny creature.

At that moment, memories of the future flashed through her mind.

If she failed to teach him kindness...

If she failed to teach him mercy...

How could he ever grow into a good man?

"Aaron, stop!" she cried.

But she was too late.

The broom came crashing down.

The mouse let out a painful squeak and stumbled away, dragging one of its hind legs.

"Aaron!"

She rushed forward, snatched the broom from his hands, and stared at him in disbelief.

Her son looked up at her proudly.

"Mom!" he said with a bright smile. "I protected our house! That bad mouse was trying to ruin our things."

To him...

This was protection.

But to Veronica...

It was cruelty.

She looked at the trembling mouse.

It could barely move.

Its tiny body shook with fear as it struggled to crawl away.

Veronica felt a sharp pain in her chest.

She grabbed Aaron's shoulders.

"Didn't you hear me when I told you to stop?"

He blinked in confusion.

"But, Mom... it's just a mouse."

"No."

Her voice trembled.

"It's not just a mouse."

"It's a living creature."

"It feels pain just like you do."

"Look what happened because of your actions."

She gently held his wrist and gave it a small squeeze.

"Ow!" Aaron cried, tears filling his eyes. "Mom, that hurts!"

Veronica immediately let go.

"Exactly."

Her expression softened.

"It hurt, didn't it?"

"I barely squeezed your wrist, and you were already in pain."

She pointed toward the injured mouse.

"Now imagine how much pain that little mouse must be feeling after being hit with a broom."

Arend turned to look at it.

The mouse was still trembling.

For the first time, the smile disappeared from his face.

Veronica took a deep breath to calm herself.

She fetched a clean towel and carefully wrapped the frightened mouse inside it, making sure not to hurt its injured leg.

Then she looked at her son.

"Aaron, bring me the first-aid box."

The little boy nodded silently and hurried away.

As Veronica gently examined the mouse, she sighed in relief.

Fortunately, its leg didn't seem to be broken.

It was badly bruised, but it could likely recover.

Still...

She couldn't stop thinking.

When had this cruelty begun?

Was this really how the villain's story had started?

No...

This time, she would teach him that true strength was shown through kindness, not violence.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***