I hated him

Chapter 1.

Alice's POV

I woke up to the sound of my alarm. It was 6:45am on a Monday morning.

After switching it off, I started my usual morning chores.

As I was standing in front of the mirror, tightening my earrings, the phone rang and I went to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Are you Ms.Smith?" The caller asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"I'm calling from the orphanage. Ummm...its about your son." A woman informed me and I clutched the phone tighter in my hand.

"What about him?" My voice went suddenly hoarse and I had to clear my throat to make it sound normal again.

"Actually he...he is...I don't know how it happened honestly..." She sounded like she was confessing a crime that she had committed, that made me even more worried than I already was. "He's gone missing." She blurted out.

"What?" I gasped, suddenly feeling dizzy.

"Some kids...they were teasing him...we tried to stop them many times ma'am...but they-they weren't...they didn't listen! And then Charles...he didn't listen...and when we went to call him for breakfast this morning...he-he wasn't in his bed." She fumbled and stammered as she narrated the incident.

"He's just seven years old." I tried to sound calm. "You have to find him." My voice broke a little as I said the last sentence and I had to clear my throat again. "Please tell me that you've already sent someone to look for him."

"Of course...of course ma'am." She assured me. "And I understand that you've already mentioned...that-that you don't want to be involved...but I thought it was important to inform you about something...something like this."

"Yes...just please find him. And bring him back to..." I closed my eyes, for a brief moment, to recover myself. "To the orphanage of course."

"We'll keep you informed." She reassured me.

And I cut the call. My heart was racing, my palms were sweating and I had no clue what to do.

I needed help...I needed to talk to someone.

Maybe Hal? No...not Hal. He was out of town. I didn't want to call and disturb him.

I knew exactly who I felt the sudden urge to communicate with at this very moment. Charles...my-our son. He was something we both shared. But the two of us are still so young. And the biggest problem was, I hadn't told him.

The inevitable couldn't be avoided, I decided. As much as I hated the idea, I had to tell him everything.