Chapter 2

“Are you alright?”

I looked up and found myself looking at the other host of tonight’s banquet. It was the old woman’s son.

What a coincidence this was. I knew this man, too.

This was the man Elena said had brought her into investing and caused her bankruptcy, Hanson Sinclair.

On his advice, Elena had invested everything she had and ended up losing everything. However, it seemed that the only ones who had ended up with nothing were Mom and me.

There was a flash of malice in Hanson’s eyes, but it was gone so quickly that it was hardly noticeable. I avoided Hanson’s helping hands, intent on getting up on my own, when a foot kicked me.

I fell back down on my back like an overturned turtle. This attracted everyone’s attention in an instant.

Even Elena had turned this way.

In the time she took to totter over on her high heels, I had swiftly gotten up and left.

I refused to let her see me in such a pitiful state.

Once I was out of the building, my phone buzzed.

A stranger had added me on Facebook. After accepting the request, I immediately received a video.

The video featured Elena and Hanson tangled up together.

Hanson’s husky voice sounded abruptly, “How long do you want to play with that silly man?”

Elena chuckled. Her cruel words echoed in my head as she spoke them. “If it weren’t for that between us, I would have never lasted this long. His mom’s sick. If he knew I was rich, he’d surely think up some way to ask me for money.”

I was flabbergasted. So Elena knew that Mom was sick!

She had seen all the texts I had sent asking to borrow some money, but she had chosen to ignore them.

When I stumbled back home, I looked at the cramped basement and laughed self-deprecatingly. Should I have been impressed by Elena’s commitment? She had lived in this basement with me for three years. She had put on such an amazing act. While living with us, she had always taken care of Mom.

Elena had claimed that since both of her parents had passed away, it had been a long time since she had had a family. That was why she was always appreciative of the home we had.

After Elena had failed in setting up her business, I had sold our house to pay off her debts. Even Mom had sold the bracelet Grandma had left her.

I would never forget the look on Elena’s face when she received that money. She had been very touched and had promised not to attempt any bold or risky endeavors anymore. She had promised to spend the rest of her days with me honestly.

Her tears that day and her smiling visage from tonight were like night and day.

Looking around at my tiny home, I finally could not hold back anymore and sobbed loudly.

Before meeting Elena, I was somewhat successful myself.

I was the only college graduate from my village. After settling down in this city, I quickly brought Mom to come live with me.

I met Elena at a dinner when she was being harassed by an executive. Back then, she stood in a corner in a bright white uniform, not even daring to do anything in protest.

Using the excuse of having a toast, I dragged the executive away and won a grateful look from Elena.

Later on, when Mom brought me lunch at the office, she bumped into Elena, who was choking down a dry sandwich.

From then on, Mom always made me bring an extra lunch for Elena.

After that, we had very naturally gotten together.

Our wedding had been a simple affair, but Elena said that it was the happiest moment of her life. Not too long after, she tried setting up her business and failed, yet Mom and I remained her strongest supporters.

Alas, it seemed that everything had simply been a game between rich people.

In this game, I was the only one who had invested my true feelings in it.

Mom had loved Elena because she loved me. However, she had lost her life because of that.

Before I could dry my tears, the hospital called me.