Her shoulders shook as fresh tears fell. He almost reached for the video proof but stopped himself.
Tyler was already fucked up—adding fuel to a burning house didn't make sense.
So instead, he placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to calm her down. Right now, emotional support was all he could offer.
'I can't believe things turn out like this too quickly,'
Because of his change, she, who was nearby, also adjusted her actions. That shift led her to uncover her husband's dirty secrets.
That meant the future he remembered would change drastically—but only within his immediate surroundings. Events in other cities would likely stay the same.
'Or could it be? What if this news triggers a chain reaction?'
For example, someone who was meant to become a key figure in the future might see the news, got late because of it, and end up dying before the apocalypse even began.
There was also the possibility that his uncle was supposed to cross paths with others—clients, contacts, maybe even someone important.
It was like walking on cracking ice—each step risked breaking the whole surface. The more he moved, the louder the fractures grew.
Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts away. There was nothing he could do about it now. It was better to focus on his own growth and progress.
Just as her cries began to quiet down, a group of people suddenly came rushing toward them.
Effie stood up. "Tiffany—"
SLAP!
The hit landed across her face, sending her railing in pain.
Terrence jumped up, stepping in front of her.
"What the hell are you doing?" he said through clenched teeth.
Tiffany stared at him like she didn't recognize who he was. It took a few seconds before someone finally said his name.
"Terrence..."
Her expression twisted with anger.
"You… ungrateful child. I can't believe you did that to my brother. Your uncle!"
He didn't back down. This was one of the relatives he hated most—her attitude was always rude, just because she married a well-off businessman.
"I did the right thing,"
"Shut up! You're nothing but a loser who leeches off your uncle's kindness and your parents' inheritance. And now you put him in this situation? Do you feel proud about yourself?"
He didn't respond. Arguing with someone like her felt beneath him.
"And you?" She turned to Effie. "He took you in when you had nothing but a pretty face, and you actually threatened to report him? Don't you feel any shame after spending all his money?"
Her hand whipped up again, but Terrence caught her wrist before it could land.
"Watch your mouth, Aunt Tiffany, or Uncle Tyler won't be the only one I deal with tonight."
She didn't believe him at first, but then a female officer spoke up. "If I were you, I'd listen. Your brother got beaten so badly—we had to put stitches on his face."
Tiffany quickly pulled her hand back.
However, her husband stepped forward and grabbed Terrence's shoulder. "Watch your tone, kid. That's your aunt you're talking to."
Terrence caught his wrist and squeezed.
"AHHH!" He crumpled to his knees, jaw clenched against the pain.
The female officer looked away. She knew the crime Tyler committed, so she didn't like seeing these people take out their anger on the wrong target.
Meanwhile, Trevor, one of his cousins, stepped forward—but before he could get close, Terrence's grip tightened.
"One step closer, and I'll smash your face after I'm done with your father."
Trevor stopped, shocked. Terrence looked at him like he would really kill him if he came any closer.
They were schoolmates before and remembered him as cowardly and weak. But now, there wasn't a trace of that left.
"Terrence, stop this. We're family," Trevor said, trying to reason with him.
He let out a harsh laugh, shaking his head. "Family? You don't get to use that word here, not after how you started treating us."
"You're all getting something wrong," Terrence sneered. "We might be related, but that doesn't give you the right to cross the line. I'm not a kid anymore. Try anything, and I'll pay it back—times ten."
He shoved his uncle to the ground, and Trevor helped him up.
"If anyone's to blame, it's Uncle Tyler. We just did what was right. He's a criminal who belongs in jail."
A bitter laugh slipped from Aunt Tiffany. "Right—beating up your own family? Is that what you call doing the right thing?"
"Hypocrite," he snapped. "You hit Aunt Effie first. So what? She's not family?"
She clenched her fist. "You could've told us first. We could have handled this privately. Do you know what you did? You didn't just damage his reputation—you ruined our family name!"
Terrence let out a dry laugh. "So in the end, it's all just about your precious reputation."
Her face twisted. "Our reputation was built through generations, something you'll never understand."
Terrence's eyes burned with annoyance as he took a step forward.
"Understand?" he said, voice barely controlled. "If you really cared about family, you would've disciplined your brother from the start. You let him get away with everything."
Everything went quiet for a few seconds. Then he yelled, "SO DON'T ACT FUCKING SURPRISED NOW!"
No one dared to say a word.
"Aunt Effie, let's go. No point arguing with people who only think about their reputation."
He grabbed her hand and stormed out of the police station.