C38 The Smell Is Unbearable

Before he left, I hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. “Mom, Dad… something strange happened today.”

They both looked at me. “Everyone congratulated me for solving the system breach… except Ben.” I paused. “And people who saw him said he was completely different today. Cold. Unapproachable.”

A heavy feeling settled in my chest. “Could this be related?” I lowered my head. “Dad… I’m sorry if I’m bringing unnecessary trouble.”

My father smiled gently and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, son. Mr. Wood is not a bad man. It’s very unlikely he would interfere in matters between young people.”

That calmed me slightly. But something still felt off. This had never happened before. And yet… today, everything felt different. After my father left, I returned to my room and opened my laptop, trying to focus on something anything to clear my mind.

At the same time, at the Wood residence…Quinton arrived quickly at the large property, slightly out of breath from the urgency of the call. But when he arrived, he noticed something unusual.

Kelvin Wood was not there. Instead, Ben’s mother, Tracy Wood, stood waiting near the entrance. “Good evening, madam,” Quinton said respectfully. “I came as quickly as I could.”

Tracy Smiled & acknowledged him. Her attention was fixed on Ben, who stood nearby looking visibly irritated. “This garden,” Ben snapped, “has been completely ruined.” He pointed toward the neatly arranged flower beds.

“I told you not to touch anything but you insisted on planting new flowers. Now the smell is unbearable. How am I supposed to sleep like this?” He spoke quickly, almost angrily, as if he had been holding it in all day.