Page 74 of His Untoward Hate

Elvie’s words shattered Jude completely.

“We never had a son, honey,” Francisco corrected harshly. “And we would never allow ourselves to have a faggot son.”

Jude had once thought hearing that word before was already the most painful thing imaginable, but hearing it directed straight at him, whom he considered his father, his whole nineteen years of existence tripled the agony clawing through his chest.

“In fact,” Francisco continued venomously, “You never came from my sperm and blood. You’re not biologically mine because you’re just an adopted mistake, and I thank God for that every single day. A gay freak like you will never ruin this family’s reputation!”

Engulfed by rage, Francisco suddenly grabbed Jude by the neck and tightened his grip around it. Francisco’s eyes dilated, and the veins in his neck almost popped out.

“I’m grateful you’re not my son! Drill that into your head every second of your miserable life!”

Big balls of tears rolled uncontrollably down Jude’s cheeks. After what he had overheard the other night, he thought he had already begun accepting the fact that he was adopted. Somehow, with Sky beside him, he managed to come to terms with it little by little. But hearing it directly from the man he had called his father his entire life felt completely different.

It crushed him in ways he could not endure.

Jude felt as though his heart was being torn apart, leaving him utterly devastated.

“Honey, that’s enough,” Elvira said as she hurried toward Francisco, trying to assuage him.

“Go to your room, Jude. Now.”

“Pack your things and get out of my sight. I’m giving you an hour,” Francisco ordered before storming out of the house.

Jude flinched slightly when the door slammed shut with enough force to shake the walls. Through his blurry vision, Jude looked at Elvira with hesitation. Still kneeling on the floor, he clenched his trembling hands together, trying to gather whatever strength he had left. His heart broke into infinitesimal pieces at the sight of her because, despite everything, she was the one person he had hoped would stand by him and listen to his side. Somehow, Jude still loved her even when she had always treated him differently.

“M-mom,” Jude’s voice cracked.

“Just go, Jude,” Elvira said dismissively, her tone cold. “You’re old enough to take care of yourself, and I hope this will be the last time we ever see each other.” She pressed her lips into a thin line, her face completely unreadable. “You’re finally free now.”

***

Jude had already told himself countless times to refrain from crying, but he could no longer hold back the tears endlessly streaming down his cheeks. The scene from an hour ago kept replaying inside his mind over and over again, especially the cold look in his mother’s eyes when she stared at him without a trace of affection.

Jude sat blankly at the side of the busy street of Sitio Dawilwil, his gaze fixed aimlessly on the void. Though countless cars passed by, and their dim headlights flashed around him, everything felt like a blur. Hours slipped by unnoticed. The cold night air slowly settled against his skin, reminding him of how utterly alone he was. Then came morning. Then afternoon. Then night again.

Maybe the world really was cruel.

But then again, Jude realized he should stop questioning it, because life had always been cruel to him from the very beginning.

The sky offered him no mercy. As if mocking his misery, the rain suddenly came pouring down, making him break even more. Too numb to care, Jude stayed where he was and let the rain drench him completely. He did not bother protecting his belongings, allowing everything around him to soak alongside him. The weight inside his chest grew heavier and heavier until there were no tears left for him to cry.

Trembling from the cold and hunger, Jude tried to get back on his feet, but his legs had gone numb. He stumbled to the ground, and the world before his eyes slowly faded into darkness.

And before his eyes fully closed, Jude thought one final prayer—to never see the sun again.

29

“Fuck…” Sky muttered under his breath when Kevin’s name flashed across his phone screen.

“The hell are you calling for?” Sky snapped as soon as he answered, frustration dripping from his voice.

“What the—did you seriously forget about the meeting?” Kevin shot back, doing his best to keep his irritation in check. “We’re all at the warehouse waiting for you, bro. Everyone’s here except you.”

The reminder instantly brought Sky back to the instructions he had given Kevin earlier, and realizing it only made his mood sour further.

“Damn it…” Sky rubbed his forehead in exasperation. “I can’t make it.” he continued.

Sky cursed mentally multiple times.