The Hero Returns with his Yandere Wife-Chapter 32 - 31

The laboratory was a sterile, cold expanse of white walls and steel countertops. Rows of beakers, test tubes, and glass cylinders lined the shelves, each filled with various neon-colored liquids. The scent of chemicals, a mix of acid and burnt plastic, lingered in the air. The faint hum of fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting pale illumination across the room. Machines beeped intermittently, indicating processes running in the background—calculations, synthesizing compounds, monitoring experiments that had yet to yield any results. The entire space felt lifeless, devoid of warmth, as if the walls themselves had grown weary of the experiments conducted within them.

Among the rows of equipment, a man stood hunched over a workstation, his blonde hair disheveled and unkempt. He adjusted his glasses with one hand while the other scribbled frantic notes onto a clipboard. His fingers, stained with the residue of chemicals, trembled slightly as he worked.

He had spent years perfecting his formula. He was close. So close. His eyes darted between the calculations and the bubbling solution in the beaker before him. He could feel it—this time, it would work. He had poured his entire existence into this research, ignoring sleep, food, even the outside world. It had to work.

Then a voice called for him over the intercom, summoning him to the boss’s office.

The shrill sound pierced the silence of the lab, making him flinch. With a heavy heart, he left his workstation and walked towards the boss’s office, already dreading what was coming.

"You’re fired."

He froze. The pen in his hand slipped, leaving a long streak of ink across his notes. His mouth opened and closed as if he were struggling to form words. "No, you don’t understand. I’m close—"

"You’ve been ’close’ for months," the voice on the other end interrupted. "Yet, nothing to show for it. Your research is costing us a fortune. The board has decided it’s time to cut our losses."

His breathing quickened. His pulse pounded in his ears. "Please," he said, his voice cracking. "I don’t need a salary. Let me stay. I’ll use the resources, nothing more."

"You’re done."

"Sir, I—"

"Security," the voice commanded, and the line went dead.

Before he could even process what was happening, the lab doors swung open. Two men in security uniforms stormed in. They grabbed him roughly by the arms, his protests falling on deaf ears.

"Let me go! I just need more time!" he screamed, thrashing against their grip. "You don’t understand, I’m right on the edge of a breakthrough!"

The guards didn’t listen. They dragged him through the gleaming white halls, past rows of scientists who averted their eyes. The doors to the lab slammed shut behind him, sealing his fate.

He was thrown out onto the pavement. The cold, unforgiving concrete bit into his hands and knees. He pushed himself up slowly, his vision blurred by the sting of humiliation. The weight of failure pressed against his chest like a crushing force.

The research he had dedicated his life to... gone.

That evening, he sat in his dimly lit apartment, slumped in a chair. Papers and formulas lay scattered around him, remnants of his work. His fingers were tangled in his hair as he stared at nothing.

He had lost everything.

A soft knock at the door.

He ignored it.

Another knock, this time accompanied by a gentle voice. "Daddy?"

He turned his head slightly, eyes dull. His daughter, a small girl with silver hair, peeked inside with a shy smile. In her hands, she held a muffin wrapped in a delicate paper casing.

"I got this from the bakery lady," she said, stepping forward. "She said it was a gift, here, have a taste."

His face twisted. His frustration boiled over.

"Not now," he snapped.

The little girl flinched.

She hesitated but took another step forward, her small hands offering the muffin again. "Daddy, are you sad?"

Her voice wavered slightly, her fingers clutching the muffin with a gentleness that contrasted his rigid form. She had seen him like this before—eyes heavy, shoulders slumped. She knew something was wrong, but she didn’t know how to fix it.

"Daddy," she tried again, softer this time. "Just one bite. Please?"

Something inside him snapped.

With a sudden burst of anger, he smacked the muffin out of her hands. It landed on the floor with a soft thud, crumbling slightly.

"Go study. Don’t waste time on pointless things." His voice was cold, devoid of warmth.

Her bright eyes dimmed.

She bit her lip, looking down at the crushed muffin. The crumbs scattered across the floor, tiny pieces of something meant to be shared, now wasted. She blinked back tears. "Did something happen?" she asked softly.

His temper flared. "I said don’t bug me!"

In his frustration, he shoved her aside.

She fell.

A gasp escaped her lips as she landed on the floor with a soft thud.

Silence.

Then—

He was suddenly slammed forward. An invisible force struck his back, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

Pain flared through his chest as he coughed, struggling to push himself up. His mind reeled. What just happened?

He turned his head slowly.

She was staring at her hands, wide-eyed and trembling.

She had pushed him—without touching him.

His breath caught in his throat.

Superpowers.

Something he didn’t have.

A slow, eerie silence filled the room before a strange sound broke it.

Laughter.

His shoulders shook as a laugh bubbled up from his chest. At first, it was soft, almost disbelieving. Then it grew—louder, manic, gleeful.

He surged forward, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her high into the air. He spun her around, his laughter ringing through the small apartment.

She, still startled, hesitantly smiled. "Daddy?"

He grinned up at her, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "Yes! This—this is wonderful!"

Could she be the key for the lock he was in?

Her little hands clutched at his shoulders. "Does my power make you happy?"

His grin widened. His eyes, once dull with grief, now burned with something else—something dark.

He pulled her close. His voice was almost a whisper, filled with unrestrained excitement.

"Oh, I’m very happy, sweetheart."

Then he smiled.

It was a wicked, terrifying smile.

She shivered.

Something about that smile wasn’t right.

The room suddenly felt colder.

The lights flickered.

The shadows seemed to stretch unnaturally across the walls.