After all, if her son wasn’t actually impaired, then he would know he was about to be sent to prison. In that case, he would definitely try to find a way to escape this hellhole. He was a normal person—he knew prison was no place for anyone to be. If Carol hadn’t realized her son had recovered, she might’ve steeled herself and sent him in without hesitation. But now, knowing he was still sane, there was no way a mother could accept that. Her perfectly fine child—was he supposed to be locked away just like that? How could she possibly accept it? No one knows a child better than their mother.
Sure enough, Julian made his move the following night. That night, Carol had come downstairs to get a glass of water and saw Julian sneaking out. She froze on the spot, unsure what to say. The moment Julian saw her, his first instinct was to kill. After all, it was this very pair of parents who planned to hand him over to the authorities. If the truth—that he wasn’t mentally ill—got out now, he’d be the only one to die, especially with his father in this state, seeing nothing but money. There was no room left for a son like him. Julian understood clearly now—he had nothing left. His fiancée betrayed him. His parents abandoned him. But then he remembered. Lily was still waiting for him. He’d told her last time he’d be back in a few days. Now it had been far longer than expected. He didn’t know how Lily was doing. For some reason, he couldn’t shake the bad feeling in his gut. The thought made him even more anxious.
His unkempt hair had grown long enough to cover his eyes. His phoenix eyes, hidden beneath messy strands of hair, stared darkly at Carol. His right hand slowly curled into a fist. Julian was already prepared to be caught. Showing up here in the middle of the night was proof enough that he wasn’t actually impaired. So, if Carol tried to report him, he was ready to act first and take control of her. But in the next second, Carol calmly turned away, as if she hadn’t seen him at all. She even took a few sips of water in a composed manner. As she walked upstairs, she deliberately lightened her steps and muttered under her breath, “The east-side camera’s been acting up lately. I’ll need to get someone to fix it tomorrow.”
Hearing that, Julian’s heart gave a jolt—he instantly understood. His mother was letting him go. So, she was giving her silent permission? Julian thought she was in on it with Albert. But now it seemed… had he misjudged her? Still, the next second, Julian shook that thought away. After all, she had agreed to turn him in. Even if she was letting him go now, so what? Abandonment was still abandonment. Julian stiffly murmured behind her, “Thanks, but… Abandonment is abandonment. Take care of yourself.” His voice, once deep and steady, had become hoarse from disuse. The confidence and pride he once carried were gone. Carol’s eyes welled with tears, but she didn’t turn around. She quietly made her way upstairs without saying another word to him. She didn’t leave him with any final instructions. They were both adults—she believed Julian could take care of himself out there.