Chapter 228:

At that moment, everything turned upside down. The thirteen-year-old boy had disappeared, replaced by the much taller Kwon Chae-woo, who held Yoon Joo-ha’s hand tightly.

If they parted like this, they might never see each other again. Kwon Chae-woo had experienced that future already and fell into a somber silence.

Even though he had longed to see his mother, he could only breathe heavily, unable to utter a word.

Yoon Joo-ha cried quietly, her age not much different from the age of the current So Lee-yeon in his memories. Yoon Joo-ha looked much younger, less prepared, and more immature than the mother in his memories.

After meeting his extended family, they emphasized the urgency of breaking free from the kidnapper’s brainwashing, even for a day. Kwon Chae-woo was subjected to relentless torment by psychiatrists with their laughable notion of deprogramming. In this manner, the doctors took turns peeling away layers of Yoon Joo-ha’s love and berating him.

“Mr. Chae-woo, a real mother who loves her child wouldn’t hide in the mountains and abandon her child. You claimed you never attended elementary school, right? Moreover, Mr. Chae-woo is malnourished and lags in both height and weight.

“Apart from Yoon Joo-ha, you seems to have no experience of genuine human relationships. You even questioned the existence of your brothers yesterday. Is this behavior of someone who received healthy love? Yoon Joo-ha, she’s not your mother; she’s your kidnapper.”

Every time, Kwon Chae-woo felt a strong resistance and anger, but at the same time, he felt a profound darkness creeping into his heart.

Throughout the years of growing into an adult, his actions boiled down to doubting love and nurturing an invisible loathing.

He seemed to long for his mother, almost like an anchor. In reality, he realized that he resented her more than anyone else since meeting So Lee-yeon.

He had awakened to the fact that he had been “fooled again.”

He despised being manipulated and controlled once more, and the emotions he had tried to suppress and ignore surged with intensity.

He painfully scratched his face and returned to his stoic expression.

“I’m sorry, Mother. I wanted to destroy the Kwon family.”

He clenched his eyes shut, grinding his teeth. “I’ve been thinking about whether I should inherit that darn household.”

It was something Chae-woo loathed more than death. But now, he was declaring that he would discard the foundation that had composed him.

“I will leave now, Mother.”

His beloved music had been taken from him after losing his mother, but now he felt that without her...

The now grown-up son had suddenly knelt and apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

This time, it had to be different. He wanted to protect the one he loved for a long time. Lee-yeon.

“Thank you for stealing me, for raising me as a human, for teaching me love.” He sobbed, “I will live as a sinner for the rest of my life.”

His mother and the young Lee-yeon, were his childhood. Lee-yeon in his life now was his new music.

As he finally let go of the hurtful thoughts, Chae-woo’s vision spun once again.

Meanwhile, Lee-yeon, who had brought the intoxicated man to the hotel room, witnessed this entire bewildering situation.