Reborn with Nothing but My Farm and Vengeance in the Apocalypse

Chapter 536: Chapter 536: Obligation of Support

The police officer was in uniform and looked young. It was a face Melody Summers didn’t recognize.

He looked thoroughly impatient as he spoke to Grace Sutton, who stood before him. "Haven’t I made myself clear? This child’s immediate family is gone. You now have a legal obligation to raise him! This is your duty, a responsibility you must fulfill as citizens of this country. You cannot refuse!"

His voice was so loud that Melody Summers, standing a short distance away, couldn’t help but frown. ’A legal obligation?’

’...What legal obligation?’

Grace Sutton looked troubled and said anxiously, "But... but, Officer Hopper... this child really has nothing to do with our family!"

"He’s the son of my second sister-in-law’s sister. We’re not related in the slightest! How can we be expected to raise him? You should try to contact the child’s birth father!"

Hearing this, Officer Hopper’s frown deepened.

Just as he was about to speak, a woman’s voice came from behind him. "Aunt Grace, what’s going on?"

Grace Sutton turned, and seeing Melody Summers, she looked as though she’d just found her lifeline.

She rushed to pull Melody over and said, "Melody, you’re finally back! This Officer Hopper says your second uncle and his wife are dead, and he wants us to adopt Howard Fletcher!"

Grace Sutton hadn’t felt particularly shocked or saddened by the news of Caleb Summers and Zoe Kane’s deaths. However, Officer Hopper’s proposal that the Summers Family raise Howard Fletcher had given her a genuine fright.

The last time Howard Fletcher came to the Summers’ home, he’d stabbed Nina Summers. The wound on Nina’s shoulder had been so deep you could see the bone. The memory alone still made Grace Sutton’s heart race with fear.

’For someone so young to be so vicious... this kid is clearly trouble.’ Grace Sutton simply could not accept the idea of adopting a child like that.

She was blocking the doorway, trying to prevent Howard Fletcher from entering, but Officer Hopper was unyielding, insisting that she would be breaking the law if she refused to adopt the boy. Thank goodness Melody had returned when she did; otherwise, Grace truly wouldn’t have known how to handle the situation.

Melody Summers listened to her aunt, then turned to look. Sure enough, Howard Fletcher was standing beside Officer Hopper.

There was no telling what he’d been through. The boy’s hair was a mess, and his shirt hem and pant legs were stained with dirt. But despite his disheveled appearance, his expression was eerily calm.

As Melody Summers looked at Howard Fletcher, he happened to look up at her. Their eyes met for an instant. His gaze was dark, possessing a depth that belied his age, and it sent an involuntary shiver down Melody’s spine.

Just then, Officer Hopper turned to Melody Summers. "Good, you’re back. Your aunt is getting on in years and doesn’t understand the law. You young people should have some legal knowledge, right?"

Officer Hopper pointed at Howard Fletcher. "This child’s immediate family has passed away, which makes his grandmother his legal guardian. I heard he also has an older sister living here? She has an obligation to care for him as well!"

Melody Summers was speechless.

Melody felt just as conflicted as Grace Sutton. She was in no mood to dwell on how exactly Caleb Summers’s family had died. The thought of adopting Howard Fletcher just gave her a headache.

After a moment of silence, she managed to ask, "Officer, this child was adopted by my second uncle. His biological father is still alive, so logically, shouldn’t it be his responsibility, not ours?"

The implication was clear: Officer Hopper should be the one to take Howard Fletcher to find his birth father.

Officer Hopper’s face soured. He scowled at Melody. "Since all the adoption paperwork was legally finalized, this child is a member of your family. It doesn’t matter whether his biological father is alive or not!"

Of course, there was another, more important reason Officer Hopper left unsaid...

’At a time like this, where in the world was he supposed to find Howard Fletcher’s birth father?’

’Vast areas are underwater, the downpour is relentless, the floods aren’t receding, and all transportation has been shut down. Is he supposed to take the kid out on a rowboat to search for his family?’

’He didn’t have time for that!’

’The station was buried under thousands of cases. He’d just pulled an all-nighter dealing with a robbery crew and hadn’t even had a chance to catch his breath!’

’If Howard Fletcher hadn’t mentioned that his grandmother and sister lived at The Metropolis Residences—which happened to be where Officer Hopper’s own family was taking shelter—he would have just dropped the boy off at a disaster relief center. It was only because it was on his way.’

’After all, homeless people were a dime a dozen right now, and the number of orphans was staggering. The police didn’t have time to play family finder for every single one.’

Melody was once again left speechless by the officer’s words. ’I can’t believe it... Caleb Summers was useless at everything else, but he was incredibly efficient when it came to this kind of paperwork!’

’Whether it was changing Nina’s surname or adopting Howard Fletcher, he had somehow managed to rush through all the paperwork in the middle of a natural disaster...’

Before Melody could figure out how to refuse custody of Howard Fletcher, Nina Summers stepped forward. "Officer, I’m the daughter of Howard Fletcher’s adoptive father."

Officer Hopper looked at Nina Summers. "Ah, so you’re the boy’s sister... Good, you’re here. Your father drowned yesterday. Your mother couldn’t handle the shock; she committed suicide, taking your younger brother with her. The police have already taken care of their burials. My condolences."

Officer Hopper sized Nina up. He found it strange that her expression remained calm, showing no shock or grief at the news of her family’s death.

’Is she in shock, or just heartless?’

But Officer Hopper had no time to dwell on it. He pointed to Howard Fletcher again. "This brother of yours is the sole survivor. And since you’re of legal age, you should be capable of supporting a minor sibling. From now on, you’ll be taking care of him!"

Nina Summers’s brow furrowed, and she replied with a look of defiance, "Officer, I’m renouncing my claim to all of my father’s inheritance. Does that mean I still have to assume the obligation of raising him?"

Nina hoped that by renouncing the inheritance, she could also renounce the custodial obligation. ’Besides,’ she thought, ’Caleb Summers and Zoe Kane already transferred all their money to me, and the house is in my name. They don’t have an inheritance left to speak of.’

Officer Hopper let out a laugh of pure exasperation. "Of course you can’t!" he snapped. "What do you think this is, some kind of business debt? A child his age can’t survive on his own. You’re his older sister, shouldn’t you be the one to take care of him?!"

Officer Hopper was genuinely angry now. The young woman before him had a healthy complexion and was dressed well; it was clear she was living comfortably.

In stark contrast, Howard Fletcher, covered in filth, looked all the more pathetic.

Officer Hopper was young and hot-headed, and he couldn’t stand the sight of Nina’s selfishness. ’This woman won’t even look after her own brother! How can someone like that exist in this world?’

Officer Hopper glared at Nina, then glanced up at the imposing Summers Villa, and his anger surged.

’These people live in a mansion this huge, and they won’t even take in one child!’

’The rich are truly heartless!’

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He berated the group before him, "You all know what it’s like out there! How do you expect a child to survive on his own?!"

"You people live in this huge house. Can’t you spare a single room to give this poor kid a place to stay? Have you no conscience?"