Chapter 4

Daniel was in his room, nursing the injuries he had gotten from the bouncers a few days earlier. He had been knocked unconscious and had only woken up the previous day to find himself in the small space made for him in the garage of the house.

Daniel was glad that he had been allowed back into the house and even given food, but he hadn't had enough time to clean himself properly, considering how badly he was injured. He was still wearing ragged clothes, though they were a bit cleaner than the ones he had been wearing before.

When Daniel woke up from his coma, Jordan's mother told him to go to school, even though he was in so much pain. He had to comply. Jordan and his parents were his only hope.  

Three days after the incident, Jordan's mother asked him to do something else while he was on his way to school. He stood in front of her, waiting for her to speak.

"This is your last chance," she said, handing him some money. "Get me more groceries, but this time, don't steal them and come home to lie to me. Otherwise, I'll make sure you never see another day."

Daniel took the money and felt a chill down his spine at the threat. But he was determined not to disappoint her this time.

"I promise I won't disappoint you again," he said, but she hissed at him.

"I don't need your empty promises," she said. "All I want is for you to bring me the groceries I asked for - not stolen, but bought with the money I gave you. Do you understand? Because if you don't do as I say, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

With trembling hands and weak legs, he struggled to speak. Her threat had left him speechless. He turned and left, ashamed, hoping he wouldn't disappoint her again.

Daniel arrived at school and, as usual, he was met with jeers and taunts. 

"Here comes the school clown," one student yelled, smacking the back of his head.

As always, the taunts started as soon as he arrived at school. "Here comes the school clown," someone yelled behind him, smacking him on the back of the head.

"Look at him, stupid and dirty, just like always," another student sneered, and the hallway erupted in laughter.

Daniel's cheeks burned with shame as he slipped into his classroom, keeping his head down and his mouth shut.

Despite the lecturer's best efforts, the bullying continued throughout the class. Things were thrown at Daniel, and when the lecturer paused to investigate, the other students blamed him for everything. Nasty messages were passed to him, adding to his emotional pain. He felt like there was no escape from the bullying and no way to defend himself.

After class, Daniel ventured to the grocery store where Jordan usually shopped, hoping to find a little respite from the torment he'd endured in the classroom. He'd been there before with Jordan, and he hoped the staff would let him shop for what he needed. 

As he entered the store, he greeted the attendant with a warm smile, only to see her expression change when she realized he was alone. He couldn't understand why her face fell, but he pressed on, hoping to find what he needed.

He hadn't walked far from the lady when he all of a sudden felt someone following him. 

Daniel's smile faltered as the woman approached him, flanked by the security guard. 

Her expression was stern and unfriendly, and when she told him he wasn't welcome in the store, his heart sank. 

He couldn't understand why he was being treated this way, and he felt a wave of anxiety wash over him. His palms were sweaty, and he struggled to maintain his composure. 

He tried to think of a way to turn the situation around, but nothing came to mind.

"What do you mean by that?" Daniel asked, confused and a little hurt by her words. "Jordan shops here all the time, and I'm just following his lead. I just need to get something for his mom." He hoped she would understand his perspective, but her expression remained hard and unyielding.

As he attempted to walk past the woman, she shoved him away. 

He stumbled back a few steps, his heart pounding in his chest. He tried to stay calm, but the words she had spoken cut deep. The security guard grabbed his arm, and he fought to free himself. 

Daniel could hear the woman shouting, "He's a thief, get him out of here!" but he knew he had done nothing wrong.

As the commotion grew, shoppers began to gather around, staring at Daniel with curiosity and judgment. He felt their gazes upon him, like a million eyes boring into his skin. 

He tried again to explain that he wasn't a thief, but the security guard just dragged him out of the store. He struggled to free himself, but it was no use.

As the murmur of the crowd grew louder, Daniel felt a knot of shame in his stomach. Some of the shoppers knew him and shared his story with the rest of the crowd. They spoke of his struggles, his poverty, and his desperation. 

Their words stung like knives, and he struggled even harder to escape the security guard's grasp.

“Take him out, and if ever he comes back here, call the cops on him because we don’t accept wretched looking people in this executive store.”

The lady slammed the door of the supermarket shut, leaving Daniel alone on the street. 

He sank to his knees, feeling utterly defeated. The harsh words of the woman and the other shoppers echoed in his mind, and he felt the full weight of his hopeless situation. 

He was alone, rejected, and without any way to improve his life. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he tried to hold them back.

“When will all this embarrassment end? Why must people treat me like trash because I am not wealthy?” Daniel's lamentations turned to anger, and he began to walk faster and faster, his mind racing with dark thoughts. He felt like an outcast, a failure, a nobody. He had never felt more alone, more rejected. His mind swirled with questions and doubts, and he walked until his feet hurt and his heart ached. He had no destination, no purpose, and no hope.

His thoughts were so scattered that he didn't notice the well-dressed man in front of him until he bumped into him. Daniel quickly apologized, not wanting to risk another embarrassing encounter. He didn't want to draw any more attention to himself, and the thought of getting on someone else's bad side filled him with dread.

Daniel tried to walk past the man, but something stopped him. The man looked at him with such compassion, such kindness, that it brought tears to his eyes. The man's eyes were filled with emotion, with understanding, and Daniel felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. The man's hand on his shoulder was comforting, and he found himself unable to move. He felt overwhelmed, but in a good way - like he had found an ally in this stranger.

Daniel's stutter showed how shocked he was by the man's reaction. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. The man's tears fell on his shoulder, and he could feel the man's body shaking. "What's wrong?" he asked, but the man didn't respond. Daniel didn't know what to do. All he could do was stand there, frozen in place, as the man sobbed.

The man's tears soaked through Daniel's shirt, and he could feel the man's shoulders heaving with each sob. He was overwhelmed by the feeling of powerlessness and confusion. He felt trapped, like he couldn't escape this moment. 

His smile felt strained and false, and he could tell that it wasn't fooling anyone. He was stuck, and he had no idea what to do next.

'Gush, let this get to an end already.'

Daniel's mind was racing, and his thoughts were jumbled. 

He didn't know what to do next, but he felt like he had to do something. He kept up the facade of comforting the man, even though his heart was breaking. 

Something about this situation was deeply upsetting to him, and he couldn't figure out what it was. The man's crying was getting louder, and it felt like the whole world was focused on this moment.

Daniel felt a knot in his stomach, and his hands trembled. 

He struggled to contain his own fear and uncertainty, but it was impossible to ignore the raw emotion of the man in front of him. The sound of the man's crying filled the air, and Daniel felt his own heart breaking in response.

In the midst of the tension and turmoil, one thought stood out above all the others: "I need to help this man." Despite his own confusion and distress, Daniel felt a surge of compassion and determination. He had to do something, anything, to help this man.

"Sir, please..."

The man's crying slowed, and he turned to look at Daniel. His eyes were red and puffy, and his face was wet with tears. 

"I... I don't want to be beaten?" Daniel uttered, his voice shaky.

Daniel swallowed hard and continued his statement. "I didn't do anything wrong," he added. "I'm not a thief, I'm not a bad person."

The man's gesture was unexpected but not unwelcome. 

Daniel felt a little comforted by the man's touch, and he took a deep breath. The man looked him in the eye and spoke in a quiet voice. "It's okay to be scared," he said. "But you don't have to be afraid of me."

Daniel's world seemed to spin around him as the man's words hit him like a tidal wave. "You are my son." The man added. 

There was a confidence in the man's voice that left no room for doubt. 

It was clear that he truly believed what he was saying, and he was willing to explain himself.

The man's words left Daniel reeling, and he struggled to process what he had just heard. His brain felt like it was swimming in molasses, and he couldn't wrap his head around the idea that this man, a complete stranger, was claiming to be his father. 

"I... I don't understand," he said, his voice trembling. "Please, explain."

The man took a deep breath, and his eyes seemed to shimmer with emotion. "It's a long story," he said. "But I can start at the beginning, if you'd like."