홈 / Romance 단편 작품 & 소설 / The Weight of Thirty Years / 챕터 1 - 챕터 10

The Weight of Thirty Years의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 10

10 챕터

Chapter 1

"I volunteered for this Town Revitalization Program, so I'm staying until the town gets back on its feet. "Standing before the members of the project committee, I made that promise without hesitation.Quite a few people in the conference room had tears in their eyes. Most of those present today were about to leave for different remote communities to carry out aid work.For many of them, that was not the kind of job that brought fame or promotion. Those distant, barren places often meant being completely cut off from the prosperous world beyond.However, someone had to walk that road."Liam, come outside for a moment."My supervisor, James, had been my mother's closest friend before she passed away.Ten years ago, my mother died in an accident during a medical relief mission in a remote region. As my mother’s only child, James had never wanted me to follow the same path she had taken."Liam, think this through carefully. Things are not as simple as you imagine. You have a famil

Chapter 2

Wilson could tell he had won. Pulling Ruby into his arms, he said gently, "Ruby, don't say things like that. I'm only a manny, so it's only right that I do a little extra. Your dad works so hard. He has to make money and take care of this family. How can you say that about him? Hurry up and apologize to your dad!"Wilson's expression turned serious, and Ruby immediately looked intimidated. She shot me a dismissive glance."Sorry, okay?"There was not a trace of regret in her voice. If anything, she sounded arrogant, as though she were doing me a favor.Anyone who did not know the situation might have thought I was the manny.Eventually, Sheila sensed that things were getting out of hand and stepped in to smooth things over.However, from her point of view, I was a cruel and unreasonable boss, an irresponsible father, and the villain of the family. She could never stand to say a single good thing about me."Liam, let's go."Returning to reality, I realized I had clenched my fist

Chapter 3

Every word Ruby said felt like a sharp knife stabbing my chest."Ruby." I pressed my lips together. After a long moment, I slowly held out a hand. "I was wrong. Come here and give me a hug, okay?"The Town Revitalization Program was scheduled to begin that weekend. That meant I had less than two days left with my daughter."Get away from me! Who would want to hug you? You're disgusting!" Ruby snapped. "Mom was right. All you ever do is put on an act. I want to play with Wilson."Ruby rarely acted this unreasonably.Wilson sighed helplessly."Liam, why don't you go get some rest? I'll keep Ruby company for a while. We'll call you when dinner's ready."The word ‘okay’ was lodged in my throat. I could not force it out."Ruby."Maybe it was because our time together was running out.For once, I ignored my daughter's wishes. My eyes were filled with hope as I looked at her."Didn’t you hear what Wilson said?" she shot back.She pressed herself even closer to Wilson, her little f

Chapter 4

After sorting everything out in my mind, I finally slept well.It was the first good night's sleep I had gotten since Ruby broke my leg.I had spent countless prior nights wondering how things had ended up like this. I thought I had failed. I thought I had not been a good enough father and had not raised my daughter properly.However, I understood now.Life was not always about right and wrong.Ruby liking Wilson was not wrong. My wanting to pursue my own dream was not wrong, either. We simply wanted different things.I chose to let her have the little family she wanted.I hoped she would not be sad after I left.Honestly, with how much she liked Wilson, she would probably be happy.Knock! Knock! Knock!The knocking pulled me from my sleep.The sun had already set. Still groggy, I climbed into my wheelchair and rolled toward the door.When the door opened, Wilson was standing outside.He was actually a few years younger than me.Back then, I had felt sorry for him because

Chapter 5

Ruby kicked me again.Clutching my leg, I gritted my teeth against the pain."Ruby, go back to your room and rest.""I'm not going!"She stubbornly refused to move. Sheila crouched down and gently stroked her cheek."Go on. Be good, and I'll take you to see Wilson in a little while, okay? Let me check on Dad's injury first."Unlike Ruby, Sheila was an adult. She could tell that I was not pretending, so she found an excuse to send Ruby away."You’d better not be lying." Ruby blinked her big eyes, her smile immediately returning.That was how children were. Their anger came quickly and disappeared just as fast."Are you okay?" After Ruby left, Sheila reached toward my injured leg, though her expression remained stern. "This is your fault to begin with. Even though Ruby shouldn't have kicked you, you shouldn't keep targeting Wilson. Liam, consider this a lesson. I'm taking Ruby to find Wilson."With that, she withdrew her hand, which had been hanging midair. I wiped the sweat fr

Chapter 6

"Mom, where did Dad go?"On the other side, Ruby looked confused. In her mind, no matter how much she disliked me, I would always stay by her side.However, this time, I had truly left."Be good, Ruby. Daddy has work to do. Why don't you go upstairs with Wilson while I check on him, okay?" Sheila forced herself to stay calm as she spoke.For once, Wilson did not go along with her. He reached out and grabbed her wrist."Sheila, weren't we just coming back to grab some clothes? Did you forget? We already agreed we'd go out and have fun today. You're not going to break your promise, are you?"Liam will be fine. Didn't he say he was just going to work? He's a senior supervisor. He's always busy."The last few words sounded less like reassurance and more like a reminder.A flicker crossed Sheila's eyes."Right. He's a senior supervisor." The sarcasm in her voice was impossible to miss.She had completely forgotten how our relationship had begun.Back then, Sheila had been the one

Chapter 7

At midnight, Sheila sat alone in the living room and slammed her hand against the table in frustration.She wanted to ask why I still had not come home. That was when she discovered the truth: I had blocked her."Sheila, what's wrong?" Wilson walked out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Drops of water slid from his wet hair down his chest, and the outline of his abs showed faintly beneath the loose fabric."Who told you that you could parade around like this in this house?" Sheila snapped after staring at him for a few seconds. "Don’t you realize Ruby's still a child?"Her mood only worsened.Wilson froze in the middle of drying his hair. His face filled with hurt."Ruby's already asleep. I only came out to remind you to keep your voice down so you wouldn't wake her up. I never expected you to say something like that to me, Sheila."He tossed the towel aside and turned as if he were about to leave.Sheila panicked. She knew she should not have taken her anger out

Chapter 8

"Wilson, you—"Frowning deeply, Sheila tore through the house in search of answers. By the time she finished, her face had gone pale. All the cash in the house was gone, along with several valuable items. Wilson had taken everything, leaving behind only a note.[Since you used me, this is what you owe me. Otherwise, I'll tell everyone what happened last night. I'll tell them you tried to take advantage of me. No matter how it turns out, Ruby will definitely be affected.]Wilson had also left behind a photograph.Judging from the angle, it really did look as though Sheila had been the one forcibly pulling off his bathrobe."How could he do this?"Sheila finally broke.In less than twenty-four hours, she had learned that her husband had left, and her live-in manny had emptied the family’s savings before disappearing.Other than the house itself, she had almost nothing left to her name."Mom! Where's Wilson?" Ruby was too young to understand her mother's emotions. All she knew wa

Chapter 9

Thirty years later, the town I was stationed at finally achieved true prosperity. By this time, I was weak with age."Mr. Porter, come have dinner with us! Today is a day worth celebrating. The town is thriving again." Several townspeople came to invite me.I rubbed my leg, which hurt so badly it felt like it was on fire, and managed a smile."All right."Every step I took felt like torture. The pain was so intense that I wanted to scream, but on a day like this, I had to endure it.After all, I had succeeded. I had transformed this remote mountain town into a tourist destination known across the entire country.The muddy dirt road that once led out of town had long ago become a wide, smooth highway.The town that had once been isolated from the outside world by poverty was now firmly connected to the rest of the nation.The children no longer spoke with heavy local accents. Many had even gone on to college and stepped into a much bigger world.I had changed this place, and th

Chapter 10

I gently stroked her rough, weathered face as a tear slipped from the corner of my eye."Ruby."For the first time in thirty years, Ruby heard the voice she had longed for. A sob escaped her lips."I'm here, Dad."I gently patted her head."You're so much older now."She had grown old, too, but I kept those words to myself. From the looks of it, life had not been easy on her. Whether it was guilt that had haunted her for decades or the hardships she had endured along the way, the years had clearly left their mark."Liam."As if she were admiring the long-awaited reconciliation between father and daughter, Sheila finally spoke from where she stood nearby.She had aged badly. Her hair was completely white, and her hands trembled constantly. Anyone who saw her might have guessed she was eighty.In reality, she had only just turned sixty-five."You're still as handsome as ever. You've suffered for all these years."In Sheila's eyes, I was still the man she once loved. She looke

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