She did not ask any questions or show any surprise. She simply looked at Lizzy calmly.“What happened?” she asked. “How can we help?”Lizzy opened her mouth but did not answer immediately. Her gaze turned back toward Ken. She clearly wanted to speak with him, not with a stranger she did not even know.But Ken remained several steps behind Audrey. He did not move closer, nor did he show even the slightest intention of starting a conversation. That distance already explained everything.Lizzy swallowed, but she did not want to give up.“I... want to talk to Ken.”Ken did not answer.Audrey glanced at him briefly before looking back at Lizzy.“If there’s something you want to say, you can tell me.”Her tone remained calm. She was neither judgmental nor forceful.Perhaps because of that, Lizzy looked even more uncomfortable. She lowered her head, her fingers gripping the strap of the bag she was carrying so tightly that her knuckles turned white.“I’m sorry for bothering you this late at

Ken remembered what had happened the night before, then let out a small sigh before finally getting out of bed.When he left his room, the first thing he saw was Audrey.The woman was already sitting casually on the sofa with her laptop on her lap. Her hair was still slightly messy, but her expression had returned to normal, as if the strange incident from last night had been nothing more than a minor disturbance that was not worth disrupting her morning routine.Ken instinctively looked at the other empty sofa. He then looked at the table in the middle of the living room.There were two sandwiches and two cups of coffee sitting there.He immediately recognized the packaging. He walked closer and stared at the food for a few seconds.“From her?”Audrey did not raise her eyes from the laptop when she answered with a simple hum, then added, “A thank-you.”Ken nodded slowly without asking anything further. He took one of the sandwiches and sat on the sofa opposite Audrey, casually unwrap

“Your father is in the hospital now.”Ken immediately straightened up. His gaze, which had previously been fixed on the backyard, shifted into the distance, but his mind was no longer there.“Why, Mom? What happened?”“He had a bit of trouble after getting into an argument with your cousin.” His mother paused for a moment and let out a helpless sigh, as if considering whether she should say more.“Your father is receiving treatment now. It’s all right. You don’t need to worry too much.”Ken’s fingers slowly curled into fists.A bit of trouble? An argument with his cousin?He knew very well how his aunt’s family had treated his parents all this time. However, hearing that his father had ended up in the hospital made him furious. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, he could not find the right words to say.“How is Dad’s condition now?” he finally asked, trying to keep his voice steady.“The doctor said he has a minor fracture. He needs to stay in the hospital for about three more days

“This city is more developed in almost every aspect compared to the small town where your family lives. The healthcare facilities are more comprehensive, there are more job opportunities, and your younger sibling could have better access to education too. If you can provide them with a decent place to live, there's no strong reason to reject the possibility.”She paused briefly before continuing in a more serious tone. “Besides, moving them here could also help distance them from the source of their problems. As long as they live close to your aunt's family and remain in the same situation, it will be harder for them to truly break out of that cycle.”Ken let out a long breath. His gaze wandered across the backyard again.He imagined his mother being able to rest without constantly worrying about other people's demands for money. His father could go about his days without having to get involved in unnecessary arguments. His younger sibling could also have better opportunities instead o

"Son, your money is your money. I'm already very grateful that you're willing to help ease our burden. You're an adult now, with a job and a life of your own. Your father and I would be happy just knowing that you're living a better life than we did."She paused for a moment before gently stroking the back of Ken's hand with her fingers, which had grown rough after years of hard work."But we can't depend on you. You still have so many things you want to accomplish. I don't want you to sacrifice your own life just because you feel responsible for us.""Mom, I'm not burdened by—""I know you don't mind," his mother interrupted gently, without raising her voice in the slightest. "That's exactly why I'm worried. You always think you can handle everything yourself, sometimes forgetting that you need to think about your own life, too."Ken fell silent. Her words sounded familiar, as if she were talking about the person he'd been in the past, when he used to take any job he could find just