Chapter 231

I studied Philip and Brian sitting across from me, immediately noticing the prominent red swelling on the boy's cheek. The contrast between them was stark-a Wall Street tycoon and a kindergartener, both wearing expressions far too similar for comfort. I didn't speak immediately,instead observing this father-son pair, trying to read the unspoken story in their postures and expressions.

Philip sat rigidly, his perfectly tailored suit unable to mask the tension in his shoulders. His face, usually the picture of confidence that graced business magazines,now looked haggard. The circles under his eyes suggested he hadn't slept much. Brian, despite his small stature,maintained a composure that seemed eerily mature for his age. The child's hands were folded neatly in his lap, his gaze unwavering as he met mine.

"What's going on?" I finally asked, my voice calm but carrying enough weight to command attention.

Brían's eyes brightened, as if he'd finally found a lifeline. "Philip hit me,"he stated simply, his finger lightly touching the inflamed area on his cheek.

I turned my gaze to Philip, my expression unchanged,but I allowed my eyes to linger on his face. This man who once exuded confidence in every business meeting now looked somehow diminished, cornered.

"You hit a child?" I asked quietly, contemplating his choices as a father.Interesting how often those who appear most successful in the professional world make the most fundamental mistakes in family relationships.

"He didn't hold back at all," Brian added, his voice steady."You can see online. This slap almost made me deaf."

The child's words made me frown slightly. That hard? I had no interest in meddling in other people's family matters, but I had my principles. And striking a child crossed my line. My thoughts drifted to Lucy,imagining if someone had treated her this way. My reaction would likely be something Philip couldn't handle in his current state.

Philip met my gaze,seemingly sensing my thoughts. He hurried to defend himself: "You only see that I hit him, but aren't you going to ask why I would suddenly do such a thing?" His tone carried a barely detectable panic, as if searching for justification for his loss of control.

I looked at him, deliberately weighing each word before speaking: "Regardless of what happened. you should have talked to him properly instead of hitting himn. Violence solves nothing. Do you understand?"

Observing Philip's reaction was more meaningful than expressing anger.I've never believed emotional reactions solve problems, nor did I think placing myself on moral high ground would help.

"Even if he deliberately convinced Sarah to abort our child?" Philip countered, a flash of anger in his eyes.

This accusation surprised me slightly. What an odd argument-how could a five-year-old child influence an adult woman in such a significant decision? I silently considered the logical gaps in this reasoning.

A soft sound from the doorway drew my attention. Annie walked in,and I felt a subtle sense of relief. Her gaze immediately fell on Brian's swollen cheek,her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"What happened?" Annie asked calmly, coming to stand beside me.

"Philip hit Brian," I summarized briefly."We're trying to understand why."

Philip,seeing Annie. grew more agitated, eager to justify himself: "Annie.you know what Brian is like. Sarah said he-"

Brian didn't let Philip finish, interrupting with unexpected passion: "The evidence is right in your face, and you're still trying to smear me? Philip,I'm not stupid! I'm not mute either! I have a mouth and can explain myself,okay?"

Philip whirled toward Brian, his voice rising: "Shut up! When adults are talking. you have no right to interrupt!"

I raised a hand to stop Philip's impending outburst: "Calm down." Then I turned to Brian: "Explain what happened."

Brian's expression relaxed somewhat, like he'd found someone willingto listen. He began explaining in detail: "After Sarah forced him to get a vasectomy, she was afraid he'd be angry, so she threatened to abort the baby..."

As I listened to Brian's narrative, I felt somewhat surprised: why would this child understand so many complex adult situations?

"Sarah was crying in front of him,claiming that I said awful things to her,which deeply affected her and made her want to abort the baby."

Brian continued, his face showing disdain beyond his years: "This kind of excuse-anyone with half a brain wouldn't believe it. Unfortunately, some people don't have brains."

I noticed Philip taking deep breaths, clearly struggling to control his emotions.

"He rushed to my house and hit me hard! To prove my innocence,I posted the evidence online, but then he blamed me for doing that too."

I turned to Philip. contemplating this complicated situation: "Is what he's saying true?"

Before Philip could answer. Brian added: "I have evidence to prove everything I'm saying is true."

Philip reluctantly admitted: "Yes." Then tried to justify himself: "Even if Sarah wrongfully accused you..."

Brian interrupted: "What do you mean 'even if she wrongfully accused me'? You're making it sound like she did nothing wrong, like I'm deliberately causing problems for her."

I saw Philip's expression darken as he suddenly stood up, clearly intending to strike Brian again. I calmly stepped forward,positioning myself between them: "Whatever needs to be said can be discussed properly. If you try to hit him again, don't blame me for being unpleasant."This wasn't a threat, merely a statement of principle.

Philip was forced to sit down, but remained dissatisfied: "Even if it was Sarah's fault, did you have to post the evidence online? Do you know this could ruin the Baker family?"

"If I didn't post it online, how else could I prove my innocence?" Brian replied with unusual composure.

"You could have shown the evidence to me," Philip said.

Brian countered: "If you were truly a man who believed in evidence, then after hearing Sarah's claims, you wouldn't have impulsively come looking for me. You would have first considered whether what Sarah said made sense,then made a judgment. Or perhaps gathered evidence to prove she was right before confronting me."

I had to admit. Brian's logic was remarkably clear.

"But the reality is, after Sarah made some ambiguous provocations, you were immediately controlled by your emotions and came to my home to bully me. In that situation. if I had given you the evidence..."

"You probably wouldn't have looked at it, then destroyed it in front of me,and continued to hit me." Brian's words made me marvel at his insight.

"Philip. I'm just a child now. I don't act with the same caution as adults.So after obtaining evidence, wanting to prove my innocence, I could only post it online. Let everyone see that I'm not the person you and Sarah claim I am. This was the best choice for me."

I listened quietly, objectively evaluating the conversation. Brian's thinking patterns and logic indeed seemed unusual for a typical five-year-old-intelligent in a way that reminded me of Annie. Meanwhile, Philip, as an adult, striking a child based on someone else's words was clearly questionable behavior.

Philip,unable to counter Brian's logic, resorted to pulling rank: "I am your father!"

Brian responded coldly, his voice calm but firm: "Not anymore."

That brief statement completely shattered what remained of Philip's dignity.He turned to me, almost pleading: "Do you think his way of handling this is right?"

I felt Annie's gaze meet mine, both of us understanding this was more than a simple family dispute. Looking at this child with extraordinary mental abilities despite his young age, I couldn't help but wonder: what kind of inner world had his experiences shaped?

Regardless, one thing seemed clear to me: violence is never the solution.especially with children.