Chapter 7

Mom and Dad quickly built new families of their own. Before I turned 18, they would deposit my living expenses into my account every month. They were never late and always sent quite a generous amount. But two months after my 18th birthday, the money stopped coming.

It had been more than ten years now, and I had not received a single call from either of them.

I did not even know where they lived. I did not know if they were still in this city.

Yet here Mom was right now, calling me affectionately, "Yulia, do you have time to grab a meal together?"

I thought maybe this was God showing me mercy, making sure I would not leave this world too lonely. I went to the restaurant she mentioned. In the private dining room, she was seated at the table, and beside her sat a young boy. He looked about ten years old.

When she saw me enter, she waved enthusiastically. "Yulia, come over and let me have a look at you. This is your younger brother, Zachary Quinn."

"Zachary, greet your sister."

I looked at the little boy in front of me with a cold expression. His face was full of resistance as well.

But Mom gently patted his shoulder and said with more force, "Greet your sister!"

I was not stupid. I shook my head and said, "Forget it."

Within five minutes of sitting down, I learned something new—my mother was capable of smiling. She smiled and said I had grown up, that I was beautiful now.

Then, she patted her chest with exaggerated relief. "I always knew you were an independent child. It looks like you’ve been doing well all these years."

I had no idea where she got that impression. But I did not want to sit here any longer. "I thought you left this city a long time ago."

She nodded and looked at her son with a face full of motherly affection. "I did, but I came back specifically to see you."

Ten years…

And she said she came back specifically to see me. I felt like throwing up.

"I need to use the restroom."

…

Inside the restroom, I vomited until I was dizzy. When I walked out, still lightheaded, I stumbled straight into a firm chest. Then came a familiar voice.

"Yulia, you've been having a good time lately, huh? Drinking like this—do you have a death wish?"

I looked up to confirm my guess. I forced myself to stand properly despite my weak legs. "It's none of your business."

Yannick grabbed my wrist. "Didn’t you tell my mom you were out partying? Let’s see exactly who you’ve been partying so hard with."

I chuckled. "Sure."

When Mom saw me return to the private room with someone else, her expression darkened. "Yulia, this is…"

"This is my friend."

Yannick’s gaze flickered between us a few times, and he instantly understood the situation. I thought he would leave, but instead, he pulled me into a seat beside him.

My mother’s expression looked even worse. "Yulia, I wanted to have a private conversation with you."

In other words, Yannick shouldn’t be here. But he acted like he did not hear her and casually poured himself a cup of tea. "It’s fine, you two talk."

Seeing my mother’s awkward expression, I decided to cut to the chase, "Mom, it’s been over ten years since you last contacted me. I assume you need something. Just say it."

She bit her lip, and suddenly, tears started falling. "Yulia, your brother is sick. Please, I’m begging you to get a compatibility test and save him!"

Of course. She would not have come otherwise.

Yannick sat quietly, saying nothing.

I closed my eyes for a moment. "What do you need from me?"

My mother’s eyes lit up with hope. "A kidney! Please, I’m begging you to save him!"