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Chapter 2

Auteur: Big Six
A week later, I was working overtime when I got a call from an unfamiliar Seahaven number.

"Hello?"

"Evan. It's me."

It was my dad, Tom Clark.

He sounded tired.

I stayed silent.

"Are you really going this far? Won't you even answer our calls?"

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Your mom is sick. She has high blood pressure. She's in the hospital."

My heart sank, but it soon grew cold. "Is it serious?"

"The doctor says she needs to stay for observation." He paused before adding in a commanding tone, "Go on leave. Come back for a while."

"I'm busy. I can't."

"Is work more important than your mother?" He raised his voice.

"Yes," I said calmly. "Because I can't rely on my mother. I can only rely on my job."

I could hear his breathing grow heavy. I knew he was upset.

"Evan, you've grown wings, haven't you? Are you abandoning your parents over some money?"

"Dad, that's not just some money. That's 600 grand." I corrected him. "That was my chance to build a life in Seahaven, and you ruined it."

"That was our money! We can give it to whoever we want!" he roared.

"Exactly." I nodded. "So my time and energy belong to me. I'll give them to whoever I want. Right now, I choose my work."

"You–" He was so upset he couldn't say a word.

"Mom's in the hospital. You're there, aren't you? What about your precious nephew? He just received 600 grand from you. Shouldn't he show some filial piety?"

"You ungrateful brat!" He yelled.

"Dad, let me do the math for you," I cut him off.

"I make four grand a month. One day off costs me about 300 bucks with deductions and bonuses. Round-trip train tickets cost over a grand. Add time lost, one trip back costs me at least 1,500 bucks."

He didn't say anything, but I could hear his breathing grow heavier.

"Insurance covers most of mom's hospital bills. You'll pay a few hundred bucks at most. Don't you still have 300 grand saved for retirement? Is it that hard to spend a few hundred bucks on her treatment?"

He gasped. "How do you know we still have 300 grand?"

That sentence got rid of the last bit of warmth in me.

"So you do have 300 grand left."

I laughed coldly. "Last week, Edith told me you spent everything on Logan's new house and barely had anything left from your retirement fund. I almost believed her."

They weren't dumb. They kept a safety net.

It just never included me.

"You had 900 grand. You gave 600 grand to Logan and kept 300 grand for yourselves. I'm your son, but I couldn't even borrow 150 grand from you," I said each word firmly. "Dad, what are your hearts even made of?"

There was a long silence.

"Evan–" He seemed to want to explain.

"Don't bother." I cut him off. "You have 300 grand for Mom's treatment. You have time to look after her too. Logan has time as well. Whether I go back or not doesn't matter."

"Are you really not coming back?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'm not," I said. "Take care."

I hung up and blocked the new number too.

The office lights were harsh and made me look like a ghost.

I slumped over my desk, and my shoulders shook uncontrollably.

It turned out I really did mean nothing to them.

They'd rather spend their money on outsiders or save it up for themselves than give a cent to me.

That was fine.

It just made it easier for me to walk away completely. I had no regrets.
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  • The Good Son's Comeback   Chapter 12

    Another year passed.Christina and I got married. The wedding was simple. We only invited a few close friends.Grandpa came from back home. He sat at the main table while smiling nonstop.My mom had on a proper dress. She sat beside him. Her eyes were full of tears the entire time she watched us.After the wedding, I handed her a card."There's 30 grand here. It's part of the money from selling the old house. Keep it. Use it for daily expenses. You can spend it on food you like."She pushed it back. "No, we have retirement income. It's enough. Your dad's rehab costs a lot every month. You already have enough pressure.""Take it." I pressed it into her hand. "Christina is pregnant."She froze. Her face lit up with overwhelming joy."R-Really?""Really." I smiled. "Next year, you'll become a grandmother."She was so emotional she couldn't speak. Her tears kept falling.That night, Christina leaned against me and asked, "Have you really forgiven them?"I stared out at the moo

  • The Good Son's Comeback   Chapter 11

    That night, in the hotel room, I didn't sleep a wink.Christina held me and comforted me in a soft voice."You did the right thing," she said. "Some barriers need to be crossed."At three in the morning, my mom called."Evan, we agree." She sounded exhausted and humiliated.The next day, my father's surgery turned out successful.He was moved to a regular ward, but he still remained unconscious.Outside the ward, my mom bowed to Christina and me right in front of Edith."Evan, Christina, I'm sorry. Your dad and I were wrong. We lost our way back then. We shouldn't have treated you like that." Tears streamed down her face. "We wronged you, and we wronged Ruby too."I looked at her graying hair. The weight in my heart that I'd been carrying for years finally felt a little lighter."It's all in the past," I said.In the following days, I handled everything back home.I sold the house through an agent for 175 grand.I found Logan hiding in a rented apartment in a neighboring c

  • The Good Son's Comeback   Chapter 10

    In the end, I went back.Christina came with me.On the train, she didn't ask a single question. She quietly booked a hotel and arranged everything."No matter what you decide, I'll support you," she said.I looked at her with mixed emotions.When we arrived at the hospital, I saw my mother for the first time in two years at the ICU entrance.She had on an old, faded jacket. Her hair had turned completely gray. Her back was hunched. Wrinkles covered her face. She looked like she had aged twenty years overnight.When she saw me, a flicker of light appeared in her clouded eyes. She stumbled toward me."Evan, you're finally back!"I held her steady. She smelled like disinfectant and old people."How's Dad?""He's still inside. The doctor says it's not looking good." She clutched my hand like it was her last lifeline. "D-Did you bring the money?"I looked at her but didn't answer.I went to speak with the attending doctor first. He said my father's condition was critical. Surg

  • The Good Son's Comeback   Chapter 9

    Two peaceful years passed.My relationship with Christina was stable. We were already talking about marriage.My career flourished. My annual income crossed six figures. We planned to upgrade to a bigger home next year.One night, while discussing our wedding plans, I received a call from an unfamiliar number in my hometown.I hesitated before answering."Hello, is this Evan?"It was my mom. Her voice was weak and frail. It sounded like she was pleading.My heart clenched. "It's me. What's wrong?""Your dad's in the hospital." She broke down crying. "It's a brain hemorrhage. It's serious. He's in the ICU right now."I heard a buzzing sound. My mind went blank."How did that happen?""He argued with Logan last night. He got too angry and collapsed–""They argued? Why did they argue?""Logan lost money in business. He's over 150 grand in debt. He asked your dad for money. Your dad refused. He said terrible things. He even said the money should've been his anyway and that it

  • The Good Son's Comeback   Chapter 8

    After returning to Seahaven, I threw myself entirely into work and making money.With that 205 grand, I bought a 600 square feet one-bedroom apartment in Quentaris. After the down payment, I still owed the bank over 300 grand. My monthly mortgage was 1,750 bucks.The pressure was immense, but it also gave me endless motivation.I practically lived at the company, working over 16 hours a day. Due to my outstanding performance, I was promoted to sales director after six months. My salary doubled.I paid back the few grand I had borrowed from friends. Life was gradually getting on the right track.The apartment was small but clean. For one person, it was enough.Every weekend, I video-called Grandpa. He would tell me about things back home, but he never mentioned my parents.I knew they hadn't signed the affidavit, but they also never contacted me again. We became two parallel lines that never intersected.Occasionally, I heard updates from Edith."Logan's wife gave birth to twin

  • The Good Son's Comeback   Chapter 7

    No one dared to step forward.My dad stared at the paper. His lips trembled, and he couldn't say a word.Serena's face went pale too. She hadn't expected me to go this far."Evan, you're trying to drive your parents to death!" she exclaimed shakily."Drive them to death?" I sneered. "When you all pushed me to the edge, did you ever think of that? When my girlfriend left me and I was barely surviving alone in Seahaven, where were you?""You–""I'll ask one last time." I looked at my dad. "Are you signing it or not?""I'm not signing!" he suddenly roared, grabbed the affidavit, and tore it into pieces. "I don't have a son like you!""Fine." I nodded calmly and retrieved another identical copy from my bag."I printed ten copies," I said calmly. "Tear one, I still have nine."He froze completely. He looked at me like I was a stranger."Evan." My mom crawled toward me. She was crying and trying to grab my pant leg. "Don't do this. We're family."I took a step back and avoided he

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