Andrew

The talent show was a great success.

Matt handled the filming, while Steve was content to play the supporting role.

After a single performance, Andrew immediately became one of the most prominent figures at school.

At the party afterward, he even lost his virginity.

Given his personality, the fact that it was his first time, and how much he had drunk beforehand,

he should have been so nervous that it would have been easy to mess things up.

But things were different now. He had reached the Current Propulsion Realm.

His body had become exceptionally powerful.

That little alcohol was nowhere near enough to numb his nerves.

After letting himself go completely, Andrew felt as though his entire body and soul had been elevated.

"Erik was right. The me now is completely different from the me before, and what brought about all this was power!

"As long as I have enough power, I can get everything I want!"

Late at night.

Andrew flew home.

As he passed through the living room, the master bedroom was off to one side.

He saw his mother lying alone in bed, her blanket having slipped down slightly.

With a thought, he gently turned his mother over and pulled the fallen blanket back over her.

This kind woman had spent her entire life filled with unease and hardship.

Even now, she was still tormented by illness.

He looked around but found no sign of his father, Richard Demotte.

Andrew did not concern himself with it and simply went upstairs to his room.

Compared to his feelings for his mother, all he felt toward Richard was hatred and fear.

This firefighter, forced into retirement by an injury, did little all day besides drink heavily and beat Andrew.

Growing up in such an environment, Andrew had naturally become timid and insecure.

There was no doubt he had become a target for bullying at school as well, because to most people, someone with his personality was a freak.

But things were different now.

Thinking of this, Andrew could not help but smile.

He had become a big star at school, and he had finally lost the virginity he had kept for so many years.

He felt that his life was about to undergo earth-shaking changes.

He needed to say goodbye to the insecure, timid Andrew of the past.

From now on, he would be different!

Sitting in his room, Andrew fiddled with the camera as scene after scene flashed by in the playback.

There was the excitement of the talent show, the attention he had received at the party, and even some scenes unsuitable for children.

Just then, someone pounded on his door.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Andrew! Andrew! Fuck! I know you're in there! Open this damn door!"

The smile on Andrew's face instantly vanished when he heard that voice.

"Andrew! Where did you go? You have to tell me!"

Andrew did not answer. After shouting a few more times, Richard left as well.

Andrew felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over him at the height of his excitement.

All his interest vanished in an instant.

He fell back onto his bed.

The next morning.

Andrew heard noises coming from the bedroom downstairs.

He hurried over to check and found that his mother Karen's illness had flared up.

Ever since her medicine had run out and they had been unable to afford more, Karen's episodes had become more frequent.

And more painful.

Andrew was at a loss and shouted, "Dad! Where are you?!"

Karen moaned in pain on the bed.

"Andrew, please, I need my medicine..."

Andrew's eyes reddened as he frantically searched around the bedside.

"Don't worry, Mom. There might still be some, there might still be some..."

But the medicine had long since run out. There was nothing to find.

Andrew shouted anxiously, "Dad! Where the hell are you?! Mom is suffering, she needs medicine! Why haven't you bought any yet?!"

Meanwhile, Richard had appeared in Andrew's room.

"You little bastard, let me see what you've been secretly doing in here every day."

After searching around, Richard found the camera.

"Your mom is dying, and you hid a camera worth five hundred US dollars? How selfish can you be?!"

Rain was still falling outside.

It pattered against the windows.

Karen's episode had passed.

Father and son were now in the garage.

Andrew remained silent.

Richard said, "I watched what you filmed."

Andrew immediately grew wary. "What did you see?"

"I saw you acting like a loser!

"You think those people are your friends? They aren't! You're a disgrace! They're just messing with you!

"You run around everywhere every day, spending my money. Fuck! You'd better look at me when I'm talking to you!"

"I didn't spend your money, Richard."

Andrew's gaze turned cold, and the fist beneath the table slowly clenched.

"Because I don't have any money for you to spend. Look at me! Every cent, every cent goes toward your school and your mom's medicine!"

"School? I go to public school. It's free! Richard, public schools don't charge tuition, you idiot!"

Perhaps Richard had not expected Andrew to dare fight back.

Disbelief appeared in his eyes.

"What did you just call me?"

The long-term domestic abuse had made Andrew instinctively fear his father.

Having calmed down slightly, he could not help but lower his head again.

He responded with silence.

But Richard clearly had no intention of letting him off so easily.

Crash!

Richard flipped the table over.

"Did you call me an idiot? Are you saying your father is an idiot? Huh?!"

Slap!

Richard viciously slapped Andrew across the face.

But Andrew did not move an inch. Instead, Richard felt as though he had struck solid rock with all his strength.

He immediately cried out in pain. "Ah! My hand!"

Clutching his right hand, he doubled over in agony.

Andrew panted heavily as he looked at the screaming man before him.

He felt as though something was shattering bit by bit.

It was the fear he had accumulated since childhood!

Andrew stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar.

"Didn't you want to hit me? Then come on!"

Richard's wrist seemed to be broken, and he was still crying out in pain.

Andrew viciously threw him to the ground.

Bang!

"Trash!"

Andrew raised his fist, about to bring it down on him.

"Fuck fear! Today, I'll smash you into pulp!!"

Bang!

A figure crashed through the glass and rushed inside.

At the critical moment, he stopped Andrew, preventing Richard from becoming a pile of minced meat.

"Hey! Man! Calm down! He's your father. Don't forget the rules we set! Don't let anger cloud your judgment!"

There was still blood on Steve's nose.

He tightly held Andrew back. Although he looked bigger than Andrew, his strength was nowhere close.

Fortunately, he had Telekinesis to assist him.

The power of electric current surged through Andrew's body, and blazing electric light burst from his eyes.

But in the end, he still chose not to release it.

He flung Steve away.

Andrew shot into the sky and left the place at once.

Steve looked in the direction Andrew had gone. By then, he had already disappeared into the gloomy sky.

Then he looked at Richard lying on the ground and ultimately decided to stay behind and call emergency services.