مكتبة
بحث
بيت / A House Without a Place for Me / Chapter 12

مشاركة

Chapter 12

مؤلف: Rui Rui
Maybe my prayers worked. Maybe it was sheer willpower. But Mom's condition stabilized when every doctor had given up hope.

A month later, she came home.

I moved back into the house—the one that had been built on so much love and so much misunderstanding. I quit everything and stayed by her side.

I learned to make soup. Learned to give massages. Learned to tell jokes when the chemo made her sick.

I spent every moment trying to make up for what I'd done.

One day, Dad called me into his study.

"You
استمر في قراءة هذا الكتاب مجانا
امسح الكود لتنزيل التطبيق
الفصل السابق الفصل التالي
الفصل مغلق

أحدث فصل

  • A House Without a Place for Me   Chapter 12

    Maybe my prayers worked. Maybe it was sheer willpower. But Mom's condition stabilized when every doctor had given up hope.A month later, she came home.I moved back into the house—the one that had been built on so much love and so much misunderstanding. I quit everything and stayed by her side.I learned to make soup. Learned to give massages. Learned to tell jokes when the chemo made her sick.I spent every moment trying to make up for what I'd done.One day, Dad called me into his study."Your mom's treatment costs money. And you can't waste your life."He handed me a bank card."This is your startup fund. Go do what you've always wanted to do. Don't be afraid to fail. We'll always be here."I didn't refuse.I used the money to start my own marketing consultancy.Dad didn't micromanage. He just quietly introduced me to every contact he'd built over a lifetime.On opening day, Garrett and Vanessa showed up.Vanessa stood in front of me holding a huge fruit basket, eyes red, looking u

  • A House Without a Place for Me   Chapter 11

    I opened to the first page. Mom's handwriting:[June 3rd. Sunny.Got the test results today. It's confirmed. Stage four pancreatic cancer. The doctor said I have less than a year.I didn't cry. I just felt bad for Benjamin and the kids.But I can't tell Sandra. She's under so much pressure at work. I can't distract her.][June 10th. Cloudy.Benjamin and I went to look at houses in Meadowview Estates today. Beautiful area.We picked the biggest south-facing one with a garden. I imagined Sandra living there—planting flowers, getting a cat, sitting in the sun on weekends. She'll love it.The realtor said it's three million. We had to mortgage Benjamin's company shares and drain our savings.But if Sandra's happy, it's worth it.][July 5th. Rainy.Started chemo today.It's unbearable. I can't keep anything down. My insides feel like they're being torn apart. Benjamin cried. But I didn't mind the pain. I just kept thinking about the look on Sandra's face when she sees the deed. That makes i

  • A House Without a Place for Me   Chapter 10

    I completely lost it.I abandoned my luggage, shoved through the crowd, and sprinted toward the information desk.I didn't even look back at Garrett, still on his knees.Only one thought pounded in my head: Apologize to Mom and Dad!"Excuse me!""Coming through!"Travelers jumped out of my way as I tore down the path they cleared.Tears streamed down my face, unstoppable.Sandra, you selfish piece of shit. You stupid, selfish fool!How could you do this to them?Then I saw them—Mom, Dad, standing by the information desk—and my heart lurched. I opened my mouth to call out."Mo—"But before the word fully left my lips, she collapsed backward, ten feet away from me."MOM!!"Dad lunged and caught her before she hit the ground, but he wasn't strong enough. They both crumpled to the floor together.My heart stopped.I ran to them and pulled Mom into my arms.Her face was ghost-white. Her eyes were closed.In her hand, she clutched a photo—my college graduation picture.Dad didn't even regist

  • A House Without a Place for Me   Chapter 9

    Garrett's face went bright red. He looked furious with himself."That was my screw-up!" He slapped himself on the cheek."I took the family photo and tried to edit it on my phone—just to brighten it up. But I accidentally hit delete on your section and then saved it like an idiot!""Mom saw it and was so pissed. She told me to fix it and send her the right version. But when I texted her... I sent the wrong file. The messed-up one. She didn't notice—her eyesight's not great—and she just forwarded it to you. She thought it'd cheer you up, show you how happy everyone was..."I covered my face, a broken sob escaping my throat.One stupid mistake. One poorly timed accident. And it had destroyed me."And Dad... why did he..." I couldn't finish. That word hurt too much."Dad pulled the funding because he knew you'd always wanted to start your own business, but you were too scared to leave your high-paying job.""He said you're too proud. That unless he forced your hand, you'd never take the l

  • A House Without a Place for Me   Chapter 8

    "What... is this?" My voice cracked.Garrett looked up at me, tears streaking his face."Sandra, the house. The whole house. It's yours.""Mom and Dad bought it for you. Only you.""The rest of us... we're just your tenants."Tenants?The word exploded in my brain."That's not possible..."Garrett grabbed a stack of bank statements from the pile and shoved them at me."See for yourself."I took them. Three years of transactions.Every month, on the fifteenth, five thousand dollars deposited into my account.Memo: Living expenses.I'd always thought it was a performance bonus. It came in with my paycheck, so I never questioned it.Garrett's voice broke. "That's Mom and Dad's pension. Their savings. They said you were working so hard, and they didn't want you to struggle. But they knew you'd never accept it, so they... hid it."My hands shook so hard I almost dropped the papers."Why didn't they tell me?""Because you're too stubborn, Sandra. Mom said we'd help you quietly, so you'd thin

  • A House Without a Place for Me   Chapter 7

    Sandra Phillips.My name. Broadcast for the entire airport to hear.I froze, thinking I'd imagined it.Then I turned toward the information desk.And my heart sank.They were there.My family.Dad was talking frantically to an airport employee. He looked like he'd aged a decade overnight—hair completely gray, shoulders hunched.Mom sat in a chair nearby, sobbing into a tissue, her eyes swollen.Garrett was showing my photo to random travelers. "Excuse me, have you seen this woman? She's my sister."Aaron crouched on the floor, redialing my number over and over, muttering, "Sandra, please. Just pick up..."I stared at the scene, feeling... nothing.What was this? Some kind of performance?Who were they putting this on for?Wasn't it enough to destroy me? Now they had to stage a tearful reunion at the airport?I let out a bitter laugh, grabbed my suitcase, and turned to leave.But then I spotted Vanessa, standing in the back, arms crossed, looking annoyed.She was complaining to Garrett.

فصول أخرى

قد تعجبك أيضًا

استكشاف وقراءة روايات جيدة مجانية
الوصول المجاني إلى عدد كبير من الروايات الجيدة على تطبيق GoodNovel. تنزيل الكتب التي تحبها وقراءتها كلما وأينما أردت
اقرأ الكتب مجانا في التطبيق
امسح الكود للقراءة على التطبيق
DMCA.com Protection Status