章 27: Farewell
"Can you two please talk somewhere else? I'm trying to sleep here," I interrupted, having enough of hearing them talk about my past.
It was hard for me not to show that I had heard their conversation and I had my fists clenched tightly as I was struck with flashback after flashback of memories that I had suppressed and tried to forget.
They both apologised briefly before heading to their rooms, seeing as though it was getting late, but they were both worried about the same thing.
"Do you think he heard us talking about his past?" whispered Angela as they neared their rooms.
"I hope not..."
With that, the two of them went into their rooms and fell asleep.
-
Hours passed, and it was around 4 AM that I got up to leave.
Putting on my shoes near the apartment door, trying my best to be quiet, I tutted as I heard Angela get up and head my way.
I wanted to leave quietly in the middle of the night, but it seemed as though my plan had been seen through.
The entire night, my mind was clouded with memories of my past and I just wanted to get outside and clear my mind so that I could focus on the mission issued by the system.
"Was I that loud?"
"No, but I thought you would probably leave," answered Angela quietly, not wanting to wake up Bella as she also put on a pair of shoes.
She was in her sleeping gown and I asked in confusion, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to lead you out. The security won't let you out without a pass and you will get detained by them. And I just wanted to stretch my legs," she answered.
"This place has security this late at night?"
"Ssshhhh. If Bella wakes up and finds out that you are trying to go and that I am helping you, she will kill us."
Hushing me, she carefully opened the door to her apartment, trying her best not to make any noise, before closing it gently after we left.
Taking the lift, we were quiet, unlike the day before, and Angela was half asleep, while I was deep in thought.
"What's on your mind?" she asked, barely able to open her eyes fully.
"Not much. I'm just worried about my mother."
That was partly the truth, but I was mostly thinking about how on earth I was supposed to recruit members for a gang.
Do I just go to random people and offer them a position as a petty criminal in a gang that hasn't even been formed yet?
"I am sure she's fine," Angela tried to reassure me, probably thinking about my tough past.
We fell silent as we reached the first floor, where security was confused as to how I had gotten into the building.
"He came in with me, and if you don't remember, then maybe you aren't doing your job properly," said Angela as she showed her apartment card before dragging me out of the building.
In truth, she had gotten Bella's help from the inside to smuggle me in through a closed-off back entrance that they weren't meant to use.
But the security guards were too exasperated and uninterested to argue, as they let us out.
-
Outside the building, she got me to take out my phone, before reciting to me hers and Bella's numbers.
"Call us if you ever need anything and it would be good to meet up again," she said.
"What about my number?" I ask before she responded, "I already got it."
She flashed me a smile, before taking out a scrunched 20-dollar bill that she had in her chest pocket.
"What's this for?"
"For you to get a taxi if you need it. It should be more than enough to get you home, wherever that is," she said before walking back into the building.
"Thanks, sugar mama," I call out jokingly and walk off, causing her to turn back.
However, she was too tired to bother responding to what I called her as she chuckled to herself while watching me walk off in the direction that I believed my home was in.
After recognising a restaurant near her apartment building, I finally realised how far I was from home, but I still wanted to walk to clear my mind.
I was always pretty good at getting around and remembering routes around the city, so I wasn't worried about getting lost.
And unlike what I was used to, there were bright street lights, and the streets were pretty clean without barely any people around, so there wasn't much to worry about.
However, I couldn't get rid of the uncomfortable feeling of being watched and I couldn't tell from where I was being watched or who was doing it, but I wanted to avoid it.
Speeding up my walk, no matter how many corners I turned, somehow I was still being watched.
Suddenly slipping into an alleyway, I bolt towards the end of the alley that appeared to have a dead end.
Jumping onto a large trash can, I climbed over the wall at the end of the alleyway, before making a break for it and dashing out of the other side.
I did the same thing multiple times through multiple different alleyways and made the route I took home very complex, until finally, I felt as though I wasn't being tailed any longer.
I couldn't help but praise the incredible Gangster Instincts that the system provided me with, and since having them, it has been easier to gauge things about others and always be alert.
Although it could be annoying at times, I was starting to understand it more, and it truly was like a sixth sense that my body could innately use.
-
Meanwhile, a middle-aged man dressed in ordinary clothing and had a blank expression put his finger to his ear before reporting, "Lost sight of the target. Should I pursue and risk being found out?"
"No. Forget about the target for now. Secure the perimeter before returning to your position," instructed a voice in response through his earpiece.
"Yes, sir."
-
Confident that there was nobody tailing me any longer, I walk slowly towards my flat building as I tried to clear my mind from all the bad memories that kept arising.
It was hard to forget everything my father put me and my mother through, and no matter how much we pretend that we are over it, a part of me is still not satisfied that he is allowed to live.
What Angela forgot to mention was that my father essentially got away with all he did.
Sentenced to stay in a mental asylum for a decade was nowhere near enough for such a filthy scumbag.
Calming down, I knew he wasn't worth even a second of my time, as I tried my best to forget about him.
But still, I couldn't stop the flashes of memories that would occur randomly and frequently.
His cold blue eyes would glare at me as he beat my mother mercilessly, before striking me soon after.
And that wasn't the worst of it.
Being locked in cupboards for entire days until he finally decided to let me out and feed me like a dog was common.
Clenching my fists, I vow to myself, "I won't turn out like him," remembering that he used to be a gangster.
Thinking about the fun that I had with Angela, and the fact that I had made two new friends and also acquired the system, I smiled to myself.
My life was finally changing for the better and I will make sure my mother gets everything and lives the life she deserves.
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