The young woman, carrying a child, did not respond at all. Even her steps did not pause. Feleena, who was close to 70 years old, pursed her lips, hesitated for a while, and then stepped on the footprints left by the woman. She chased after her at the fastest speed.
"Lady—"
Feleena pulled up Belyna's arm, wanting to ask again if she needed some help, but when her gaze fell on the baby in Belyna's arms, she exclaimed.
"Oh, this child!" Feleena stared at the dazed Belina, angrily said,"Don't you notice that the child is almost frozen to death!... And how long have you not given him anything to eat?!"
Belina looked coldly at the interfering old grandmother. When she noticed the sign of an orphanage hanging from a dilapidated, low-rise building beside her, her lifeless eyes flickered for a moment, but she still said nothing.
Belina's strange behavior made Feleena's brow furrowed. She looked at this young lady who seemed to have suffered a great blow, holding her clothes tightly and not letting go.
"Alright, wait here--"
After a while, with no response in sight, Feleena heaved a deep sigh. With a look of pity towards the baby, she said, "Stay here. I'll go fetch some clothes and food for this poor little fellow!"
As she spoke, she released her hand and turned to leave.
However, Belina did not follow the old grandmother's advice. As soon as her arm was freed, she took a step forward and continued to walk on.
"Hey, wait a minute, what's going on with you?"
Feleena, who only reacted after a few seconds, shouted. Then she followed her.
But, she was very old, and her steps were no longer as agile as before. The thick layer of snow piled on the road also caused her great trouble. She stumbled and staggered through the snow, trying to catch up with Belina, whose speed had obviously increased.
Ignoring the grandmother's pursuit and shouts behind her, Belina stepped quickly and left. She didn't know why she was doing this, she just let despair drive her hollowed-out body.
The pursuit continued for about a hundred feet. Eventually, Belina stopped her footsteps on an old, dilapidated arched bridge.
The fierce cold wind that hit her face restored some rationality to Belina. She forgot about the old lady who had slipped and fallen to the ground with her foot on the wrong spot, and then looked at the small river below the arch bridge, which was 10 feet wide, with ice and snow already covering its surface.
Feeling an impending bad event, the baby in her arms cried out with all the strength from its tiny body, hoping for someone to save its life.
"Shut up your mouth--"
The baby's shrill and wailing cry made Belina's despair and hatred, like magma, roll up in her heart. Her clear face, dusted with dirt and snow, gradually became twisted and ferocious.
"You and I, appearing in this world is an absolute mistake!"
Saying this, she raised the baby over her head, took a step across the low railing of the arch bridge with anger and determination, and directly plunged towards the river surface!
"Oh, dammit!"
Feleena had already foreseen this scene and struggled with difficulty in the snow, her old arms and legs struggling. She endured the severe pain in her waist, almost crawling to the arch bridge as the young lady ruthlessly poured out her anger on her child.
"Are you crazy!"
Seeing both women about to fall into the river, Feleena threw herself with all her might, catching them just in time and bringing them both down to the ground.
After rolling a few times on the ground, the loose coat covering the baby expanded, and in the cold and snowy weather, the baby's weak cry quickly became almost inaudible.
"Get away from here, old hag. It's my business, and it has nothing to do with you!"
Belina struggled to kick away the old grandmother who was holding her ankle.
"You this woman... you're a madwoman..."
Feleena, who had two slaps on her cheeks and was on the verge of fainting, clenched the remaining half of her teeth. She held onto Belina's calf with all her might, determined not to let go. However, she was clearly no match for a twenty-something-year-old woman who was full of hatred and rage. She could only hold on for about ten seconds before a kick to her scapula made her feel half of her body go numb and she unconsciously let go of Belina's calf.
Fortunately, the recent scuffle had brought Feleena closer to the baby in the snow. So, she thought quickly and, while Belina was still trying to get up from the snow, rolled over and fell on top of the crying baby, firmly protecting it beneath her.
However, Belina, who was at a dead end, seemed to be possessed as she let out a wolf-like howl and rushed towards Feleena, pulling her hair. She shouted loudly and kicked her arms at the same time, showing no sign of letting go of the baby.
But even though the stars were flashing in front of her eyes, Mrs. Feleena did not hesitate for a moment. She determined to protect the baby with her frail body.
The fierce attack, like a storm, lasted for two full minutes before it subsided. Belina stood up, panting, and looked at the old grandmother standing before her, trembling. At some point, the hatred in her eyes had disappeared.
"Why...?"
Belina asked in a daze, "His father doesn't want to look at him anymore. Neither does his grandfather or grandmother. His birth is a mistake, and he deserves to die just like me..."
"It's you who deserve to be cursed, not the innocent child!"
Mrs. Feleana squinted her eyes, staring at Belina with a fierce expression.
"Whew..."
Belina shed tears, revealing a wretched smile.
"You're right, I'm a complete and utter bastard... it's me who should be cursed... he's innocent..."
Feleena was stunned for a moment. Before she could react, the young lady beside her turned decisively, took two steps to the other side of the arch bridge, and stepped onto the railing. She leapt into the air midway.
The scene unfolded so suddenly that it was not until the crackling sound of the ice shattering and the splash of falling into the water reached her ears that the elderly Feleena realized what had happened.
"Oh, heavens--"
Suppressing the pain in her body, Feleena clutched the baby and supported herself to get up. By the time she reached the railing, where a large hole had been created by the impact of an ice-covered face, all she could see was a head.
"Someone come help her!"
Confused and frantic, Feleena screamed around her, but the howling wind and snow drowned out her cries. The urgent sound disappeared completely after only twenty feet.
Expecting a woman nearing seventy to jump into the river to save someone was not realistic, and Feleena was well aware of this. She jumped up and down in a panic, circling the railing repeatedly and shouting frantically. Yet, no one replied.
"You're a good person, lady, I'm very sorry for what I did to you just now. Please take care of this child for me--"
As the cold, numbing water completely submerged her head, Belina shed tears and smiled.
"You are his mother, this is your duty, how dare you expect an old woman who has almost lost her teeth!"
Feleena was still trying to save the foolish woman's life.
"Please, lady."
Before the water completely swallowed her, Belina, determined to die, closed her eyes.
"The name of the child is--Amosta Bren..."
