Chapter 5: Cruel Leverage
The quiet of the house is different now, heavier, charged with an almost palpable anticipation. The parents are gone for a trip. His mother, her face a mixture of lingering concern for him and excited anticipation for her getaway, had given him a long, worried look before stepping into the taxi. Mark, his stepfather, had offered a curt nod, a silent warning in his eyes, before joining her. Now, their absence hangs in the air like a held breath. The house is to themselves.
For the first day, a fragile peace holds. He maintains his imposed penance, laboring in the yard, raking leaves that cling stubbornly to the damp earth, scrubbing grime from the garage floor. The physical exertion is a dull ache, a constant reminder of his punishment, but it’s also a perverse k
