Chapter 1

Women are like poison. Women are bad. They may look beautiful and gentle on the outside, but who knows how despicable the soul is.

That's what stuck in his mind in the cold, foggy morning, when his mother woke him up. At that time he still spent his nights crying. Crying because he had been separated for nearly two weeks from his beloved younger sister, from his gentle and kind father.

Now he is forced to live with his mother, who takes his away from home and then lives with her male friend's house.

Even though he was young, he could read that this man wasn't just a friend to his mother. His mother embraced the rich man affectionately, allowing the man to kiss her cheek in public. The mother slept in the man's room, while he was placed in a cold and lonely room, alone.

He was young, but he knew for sure that his mother didn't love the man. The woman grabbed the son and took him, not because she wanted him but because she wanted to hurt his father. Without the heart his mother separated him from the people he loved. He hated his mother, he hated her!

It was early morning when his mother woke him up, fingers tapered with fiery red nail dye, touching his little shoulder, shaking him in a hurry.

"Get up, wake up, you have to get up soon, Mom will take you."

He woke up, rubbing his eyes in confusion.

"Where are we going, Mom?" His voice was small and weak, still hoarse, his eyes were difficult to open because of the swelling, crying all night.

"Mom will escort you. You know, I have a job overseas and I can't take you, so I'll leave you temporarily at a friend's house."

He immediately sat up, still confused, and only obeyed when his mother led him to the bathroom, telling him to wash his face. When he came out of the bathroom, his mother had already arranged his clothes into the little backpack that he always carried around.

"Bring your own violin, let's go." His mother carried his backpack outside, while he hurriedly followed, grabbing the bag containing the heavy and large dark red violin. This violin belonged to his father, a famous violinist who for some reason, couldn't play the violin anymore. That was the cause of the separation of his father and mother, which caused his mother to leave his father and their family apart.

However, the violin was his most precious treasure. His father's. A good father with big fingers that always rubbed his little head. His father, who with his soft smile always embraced the son affectionately, put the son on his lap after the fun violin practice sessions. If he could choose, he would want to be with his father. He knew his father had genuine love, he knew he really wanted him.

Unfortunately, he was only a child who had to submit to the decisions of the elders, because he was still powerless.

He hugged the violin tightly and then followed his mother who had stepped out of the house. There a car was waiting, his mother got into the car first, and he had no other choice but to follow his mother into the car.

The car sped across the road and they passed it in silence. His mother stared straight ahead silently, while he sat on the far end of the chair. He stared blankly at the window and wondered where his father and sister were now? Are they okay? Will he be able to see them again?

• • •

The car enters the white gate of a very beautiful house. His mother came down first and let him follow her. The house door opened and the middle-aged couple opened the door. It seems that they are one of his mother's friends, because they immediately smile when they see his mother.

The boy and his mother were then welcome in and sat in a very magnificent living room. The couple smiled gently and approached the boy.

"Introduce me Anna. You can call me ibu. Hope you feel at home here, son." The middle-aged woman said.

Her tiny fingers stroked the child's head, making him think of his father. Instantly he knew that this middle-aged woman in front of him was kind and sincere. He will be treated very well while living here … until his mother picks him up again.

Moments later he was shown to another room while the adults chatted. A kind servant led him to the playroom next to the living room. There were lots of toys that looked like they were new, some of them even wrapped in plastic. The servant has prepared a glass of warm white milk and a plate of mouth-watering chocolate cake. With affection the servant told the child to play as he pleased.

However, of course he didn't dare. The toys looked new, and of course someone had, right? It is possible that the owner is the son of that kind middle-aged couple. He was afraid of breaking the toy and getting scolded.

He sat in the small chair provided and drank his milk thirst, finding that he was hungry. Last night he couldn't swallow his food because he held back the feeling of wanting to cry due to his longing for his father and sister. Now his stomach is asking for food. He also ate a slice of the sweet, very delicious cake.

After finishing one piece of cake and gulping the rest of the warm milk, he suddenly heard the roar of a car driving away from the house.

Is that his mother's car? Has his mother left? Why didn't his mother say goodbye to him?

He immediately ran outside and hit Anna, a middle-aged woman who asked to be called by ibu. Anna half kneeled, then hugged him with teary eyes for some reason. The woman then stroked his hair with affection.

"Your mom is gone. She was in such a hurry and didn't have time to say goodbye. It's okay son, from now on you live here, okay? We will all take good care of you, don't you be sad." Anna then took the child's little hand gently. "Come here, honey. Let me show you your room."

Before leaving, Anna's eyes darted to the toys in the playroom that the child hadn't touched and smiled gently. "Don't be afraid to play all of them. They are all new and specially purchased for you, they are all yours."

The child is escorted to a room that is so beautiful. A special room for the kids that looks like it's been freshly painted and redecorated. The walls are blue in a beautiful airplane pattern, the bed also has light blue sheets. Various toys were there too, as if to keep him from getting lonely.

"Rest here first, honey. Later when breakfast is ready, ibu will call you." Anna called herself a ibu, whispered softly and helped him into bed. The child is still sleepy due to being woken up too early by his mother.

Anna covered him with a thick blanket, then kissed his forehead softly before leaving. After Anna came out and closed the door behind her, he felt something wet on his forehead. Tears? Why is Anna crying?

Out of curiosity, he got up again and got out of bed, trying to peek out. There he saw Anna sobbing in her husband's arms.

"Never mind, Anna. Don't get carried away by your feelings, later the child will see it and be confused." Her husband, a middle-aged man with a soft face, seemed to comfort Anna.

"But I'm so sad every time I see him. Such a good and handsome child, just thrown away by his mother just for the sake of a wad of money to pay for his living abroad. She really is a bad mother." Anna wiped her tears, looking so sad.

"But you are the mother now, Anna. His birth mother had given up the child and she had no intention of returning. The child is indeed a poor child, but with our love, he will be all right. We will love him and make him forget his mother.'

The child, who was still peeking at the edge of his bedroom door, froze at the conversation. He may be a child, but he understands more or less.

His mother had left him here, not leaving him to pick him up in the future, but selling him. Yes, the mother has abandoned the child, sold him for a wad of money.

His tears melted, and he ran up to the bed, sobbing until his eyes stung. He wants to be with his father, he wants to be with his younger sister.

If the mother really wants to abandon the child, why isn't he just left with his father and sister?

His mother is really bad. His mother was heartless, hurt his father, hurt his sister, hurt him. Maybe all the women are evil like their mother.

All women are bad!

After a while, being too tired of crying, he fell asleep. His little body was lying on his stomach on the bed, with his cheeks full of tears.

Until then a finger gently stroked his hair and lulled him into a hug. He woke up and realized his tiny body was in Anna's arms.

"Sleep in peace, honey. You're safe here with us. I love you, my son."

Anna hummed a lullaby. The child closed his eyes again, his eyes relaxed. Before falling asleep, he thought that maybe Anna was one of those women who weren't bad. He felt he could trust her. From now on, Anna is his mother. He will forget his birth mother, the evil woman who threw him away without a heart.

But it turns out that Anna's love still can't heal his pain. Until he grows up, he still keeps the wound. The wound that created deep hatred for the being called 'woman'.