All Chapters of Mom, I'm Sorry… I Just Wanted to Go Home: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

I hung my head in shame. "But I don't have the money to pay you back."The blond guy and his friends froze for a moment, staring at me like I was stupid. "You don't have to pay. Just have dinner with us, and I'll give you the money for your ticket right after."It only took one meal to earn enough to return home. The thought made my heart leap. I wanted to go back so badly.Last week, Grandma had gone out of her way to call me from the corner store in the village. She said she had already restuffed my quilt with the softest cotton and had dried a whole batch of my favorite raisins in the yard. She wanted me to take them back to school to share with my classmates and teachers and asked them to take care of me.Grandma had raised me on her own. She was 78 years old this year and had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year. Every visit felt like time slipping through my fingers. Even thousands of miles away, she was my home. I had to get back to her.I clenched the 350 doll

Grandma came back into the room. I leaned my head gently against her back, just like I had as a child. The familiar scent of her soap and lotion filled me with comfort. I wished this moment could stretch on forever.She put on her reading glasses and carefully lifted an old box from under the bed. She opened it slowly, revealing three parcels swaddled in faded floral cloth.The first parcel contained a bankbook. She smiled softly and said, "This 50 thousand dollars is everything I've saved my whole life. I'm leaving it for Nina. When she marries, it'll be her wedding gift. With money in her hands, she can hold her head high and never be wronged in her new home."Even though she was terminally ill and couldn't even bring herself to buy medicine, she was leaving everything to me. My eyes filled with tears. I realized that even ghosts could cry.The second bundle contained two golden bangles, polished to a shine even though I had never seen her wear them.Grandma fell into a reverie.

Mom arched an eyebrow and sneered. "What could possibly go wrong? She's just throwing a tantrum, trying to make me cave. "Let me make this clear—no way! If she refuses to write that self-reflection or acknowledge her mistakes, I will never forgive her."Dad opened his mouth to protest, but Mom's glare immediately shut him up.Grandma clutched Mr. Miller's arm and pleaded, "Please, tell me the truth. What happened to Nina? Did something go wrong?"Before Mr. Miller could answer, a police siren wailed outside. Two uniformed officers rushed into the yard with grim expressions.They surveyed everyone in the yard, finally resting their gaze on my parents. One officer said firmly, "We are here to verify the situation regarding Nina Graham. Yesterday, she was at a rented apartment near the train station when an accident occurred. Sadly, she has passed away."Mom's face went pale as she yelled, "No! My daughter was fine! How could she be dead? You're wrong! She's just hiding to frighten

The counselor said coldly, "What struck me most about Nina was the day she arrived for her college registration. Almost every other freshman had their parents with them, but she came alone, carrying a threadbare backpack. "She was so small and slim, standing in the crowd like a delicate blade of grass ready to be swept away by the wind."Mom and Dad instantly recalled that day, which also happened to be Hugo's first day of kindergarten. They thought that I should be able to handle things on my own at 18 years old. Hugo was too young to be left alone, so they sent me to register by myself. They never considered that I had never even been to the city center, let alone traveled by myself hundreds of miles to the capital. I must have been terrified and completely helpless.Dad's eyes were red with tears. "It's our fault. We let her down."The counselor led them to my dorm. My three roommates stared at my parents as if they had committed a crime.I had very few belongings. All I had

On the seventh day after my burial, Grandma passed away, too. Following our village customs, she and I were laid to rest together in the cemetery at the eastern edge of the village, where the view stretched out to the millstone at the village entrance.As a child, I would stand by that millstone every day, hoping to see Mom and Dad return home. Later, whenever I went away, Grandma would wait there for me to come back.Mom and Dad didn't continue running the breakfast joint. Instead, they used the remaining family savings, along with my scholarship and the school's compensation, to open an orphanage in the village, naming it "Nina's Loving Home".They welcomed children without anyone to care for them, and with the hope of making up for what they had failed to give me, they showered them with love, ensuring they grew up in a safe, nurturing home, untouched by the neglect I had suffered.Mom, who had once been strict and overbearing, had softened into a patient and gentle woman. Dad,