Chapter 36 Cruel Life

William didn’t ask the familiar officers in the precinct to send Eric home. Instead, he found two strangers to drive him to his doorstep.

 

In the alley, Eric sat in the car, turned his head, and said to the middle-aged driver, "Bro, don’t come in with me. I’ll be right out after I grab something."

 

"Alright, we’ll wait here." the burly man nodded in response.

 

Eric pushed open the car door and walked about 600 feet. He turned and entered his small yard. He reached out to pull the door of the single-family house he shared with Ava, but found it locked from the inside.

 

"Open the door," Eric shouted.

 

"Just a second," Ava quickly responded.

 

"Hurry up," Eric urged impatiently.

 

After about three or four minutes, Ava, wearing a robe and with disheveled hair, opened the door. "Are you back? Why didn't you come home during the day? I thought you were working overtime."

 

Eric didn't have time to explain and stepped into the house. "Where’s the black bag I gave you that day?"

 

Ava was taken aback. "What black bag?"

 

"The one I gave you with the living expenses," Eric questioned.

 

On that day, when Paul gave Eric the money, Eric was still in the grief of parting and wasn’t thinking about the money or the bag. Moreover, Paul’s words weren’t clear, so Eric just thought Paul was telling him to contact him through the information in the bag if he ever faced difficulties. Eric never connected the contact information with the supplier and didn’t treat the bag as something precious. He just handed it over to Ava along with the living expenses for safekeeping.

 

Ava, slightly flustered, brushed her hair. "The bag was pretty old. I took the money out, but I forgot where I put it."

 

"What?" Eric almost never spoke to Ava in such a tone, but he was truly anxious at this moment. He shouted with bulging eyes, "Hurry up and find it. Think about where you put it." 

 

"Okay, I’ll find it," Ava replied.

 

"Let's find it together," Eric added.

 

"You rest... I... I’ll find it myself. Let me think where I put it." Ava, panicked, started rummaging through the cabinet by the window.

 

"That thing is really important and can’t be lost." Eric, restless, couldn’t sit still and also bent down to search the house.

 

Ava, squatting in front of the cabinet, glanced at Eric out of the corner of her eye. Seeing him standing by the wardrobe, she panicked and lied, "I remember now. I used that bag when I went shopping that day... It got dirty, so I... I threw it away..."

 

Eric, who had just opened the left door of the wardrobe, turned around and shouted, "What? You threw it away?"

 

Seeing Eric open the wardrobe, Ava froze, her eyes wide open.

 

Eric sensed something was off with Ava’s expression. He turned his head to the wardrobe and was instantly stunned.

 

Inside the wardrobe, a person in white, holding two pieces of clothing, was blinking at Eric.

 

Eric took two steps back, his face pale, and turned dark to Ava.

 

"You... I..." Ava stood up, trembling, not knowing what to do.

 

"You didn't work overtime. Why are you coming back for the package?" A familiar voice sounded, and the person in white walked out of the wardrobe barefoot. "This is awkward."

 

Eric clenched his fists, his heart filled with rage. All the grievances he had suffered recently burst forth. He turned and charged at Ava, kicking her in the stomach and shouting, "I almost lost my life out there. Are you having an affair at home?"

 

The person in white walked out of the wardrobe and stood by the battery lamp, revealing his true identity. He was none other than George, who had coincidentally attended Eric’s wedding banquet that day.

 

George wasn’t too flustered. He sat down in a chair, putting on his clothes and cursing, "The officers in the police department took money but didn’t do their job! I told them to make you work overtime, so why are you back?"

 

Eric, like a madman, grabbed Ava by the hair, pinned her against the wardrobe, and began to beat her, completely losing his mind.

 

Eric, tears in his eyes, kicked and shouted, "I feed you, clothe you, give you a legitimate identity in Pine City so you can live like a decent person. How dare you have an affair with someone else. What did I do to deserve this? We’ve only been together a few days, and you’re already with him?"

 

"That’s enough. What are you doing? Haven’t you had enough?" George shouted.

 

Hearing George’s words, Eric was about to explode. He rushed to the door, pushed it open, and grabbed the snow shovel outside.

 

"Got guts, huh? Taking up weapons now?" George sneered, put on his coat, walked to the door, and asked, "What are you gonna do, kill me? You're too small in stature."

 

 

George sneered, put on his coat, walked to the door, and asked, "What are you gonna do, kill me? You're too small in stature."

 

Eric raised the shovel, aiming to smash it on George’s head.

 

"Eric... is that you?" At this moment, the iron gate in the yard made a noise. Eric's blind sister, Sophia, holding a cane and wrapped in a coat, stood in the yard and asked, "What’s going on... Mom woke up... She’s worried... and told me to check."

 

Seeing his frail sister, Ericseemed to cool his rage instantly. He stared blankly at his mother’s room across the yard, his hand holding the shovel trembling.

 

"We’re adults now. Why are you so impulsive?" George grabbed Eric’s wrist, smiling. "Come on, calm down. Put the shovel down. Let’s talk."

 

Eric, full of hatred, turned his head to George.

 

"Don’t you care about your mom? Your sister? Want to fight me? Can you afford that?" George smiled, pressing Eric’s raised arm down, and shouted to the outside, "Sister, go back inside. Nothing’s wrong. We’re just talking."

 

Sophia stood in the yard, not moving or shouting, just standing quietly.

 

George closed the door and looked at Eric. "You bought her, right? For $600?"

 

Eric gritted his teeth, his mouth twitching but silent.

 

"Here’s the deal!" George took out a big wallet, pulled out all the money without counting, and threw it on the cabinet. "Here’s $1000, you take it. I’ll take Ava. We’re getting along well."

 

Eric’s eyes were dark, his body trembling.

 

"Why aren’t you talking?" George poked Eric’s chest. "We all know each other here. Who are you fooling? You bought her for $600 and I’m giving you $1000. Isn’t that enough? You know your situation better than anyone. Can you keep Ava with you? Today, I’m willing to give you $1000. Tomorrow, if she falls in love with me, you won’t get a dime."

 

Eric glanced at Ava, his voice trembling. "Just because I have some burdens... you bully me like this?"

 

"Even the cafeteria staff at the police department say you wash the cook’s socks just to bring home some food. Do I need to bully you to feel good about myself?" George spat, pushed the door, and said, "Take the money. I’ll wait for Ava outside."

 

With that, George left.

 

Eric stood dumbfounded at the door, then turned to Ava and said, "I earn money to support you. But you strip me of my last bit of dignity."

 

Ava lowered her head, silent for a long time, then said, "Eric, when you bought me, you bargained three times. Did you consider my dignity?"

 

Eric was stunned by these words.

 

"We’re all just trying to survive. What's the point of talking about feelings now? You support me and I have sex with you, wash your clothes, cook for you, and clean the house. George offers better, so I want to go with him. In the past, when times weren’t so chaotic, people spoke more tactfully, leaving some room for each other. Now, times are chaotic, and people are more direct. But essentially, nothing has changed, that’s all," Ava said.

 

"Get out!" Eric closed his eyes, pointing outside.

 

Ava took her coat, roughly tidied her hair, and calmly walked out. "In twenty days, you even made a profit, you’re not losing out."

 

"Get out!" Eric shouted, clenching his fists.

 

Ava left.

 

George stood at the gate, urinating. Seeing Ava come out, he said, "Damn, $1000, that’s my week’s profit spent on you."

 

"I’m going with you," Ava said.

 

"Of course. Who would choose a loser if they had other choices!" George led Ava out of the yard.

 

Inside the house, Eric slumped to the ground, dizzy, staring at the ceiling, as if his soul had left him.

 

He wasn’t Andrew, the son of a high-ranking officer, never receiving special treatment; nor was he Alexander, carefree and reckless. He always bent his back in the police department. But even so, until today, he remained optimistic and tried to adapt to the times and society, using every means to support his mother and sister.

 

But today, life shattered all his dreams again, cruelly punching him to the ground.

 

Paul was brutally killed, Ava betrayed him, and he was entangled in a major case.

 

The only way to turn things around, the black bag, was gone.

 

Eric used to retreat when faced with problems, but now, he was at the edge of a cliff, with no room to retreat.

 

Injustice, unwillingness, and resentment surged in his heart.

 

With a creak, the door opened. Sophia, holding a cane, stood in the icy outdoors. "Eric, she’s not a good woman. We have nothing to be sad about."

 

Eric turned to look at Sophia, his confused eyes clearing.

 

Eric thought, 'Am I living like a loser just to die without dignity?'

 

A voice in Eric’s mind screamed, and he slowly stood up, wiping his eyes. "Get inside and help Mom pack."

 

"What’s wrong?" Sophia asked.

 

"Just pack." Eric decided to take a gamble.

 

The black bag was lost, and he couldn’t explain it to William. If he went back, he might never come out again.

 

Thinking of this, Eric lowered his head and swiftly dialed Andrew’s number.