Chapter 163
As soon as Elle stepped into the hospital room, she saw Joanna slap her brother hard across the face.
“Mom” Ellie and Nancy instinctively moved in front of Aaron.
Kancy spoke up. “Joanna, it’s our family’s fault. If you’re going to hit someone, it should be me. I should have raised my son
better
Joanna looked at her son with pity, but her expression was serious. “It doesn’t matter who’s right or wrong. You can’t just storm into someone else’s house without considering your elders.”
Todd stood at the foot of the hospital bed, his expression a mix of embarrassment and concern. Joanna, it’s our fault for not raising our child properly. Please forgive us. Unable to take the tension any longer, Todd turned and left the room.
“Mom, Nancy, you two talk. I’ll step out for a minute, Aaron said, maintaining his composure as he exited. He didn’t forget to acknowledge the elders.
“Brother, Ellie called as the chased after Aaron into the elevator. They arrived in the small garden at the back of the hospital.
Sitting side by side on a bench in the garden, Ellie looked worriedly at her brother, sensing the helplessness radiating from
him.
Aaron gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
But when Aaron said “I’m fine, Ellie felt tears welling up in her eyes. Adult breakdowns are usually silent, just like her own feelings at that moment.
On the surface, they seemed normal–joking, playing around, socializing, working… They might appear calm, but deep down, they were carrying a heavy emotional burden that had built up over time.
She wouldn’t slam doors or throw things around, and neither would her brother. After being pushed to their limits, silence was all they had left. This was the helplessness of being poor in an adult world.
“It’s all my fault, Ellie said, tilting her head up to the moon in the sky. “If I hadn’t gone to save that person back then, Dad wouldn’t have lost a leg while saving me. All these years relying on medication to survive has left him with so many complications…”
Ellie gazed at the moon with tears in her eyes. The choices she made when she was naive forced her to carry the consequences into her mature years. It wasn’t just her burden; it extended to her family as well.
Choking back tears, she whispered, “I regret it so much.”
If she could go back to that summer, she would have chosen indifference over kindness. If she hadn’t gone to save that guy, her father wouldn’t have sacrificed his leg for her.
If her dad had been able–bodied, he’d be close to retirement by now.
If her dad hadn’t been disabled, she was sure he could have supported the family, handling all the responsibilities without watching her mom struggle alone and often break down.
She wouldn’t have been sent to live with the Warren family for over a decade. Her parents and brother wouldn’t be suffering and in need even now.
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Chapter 163
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If her dad hadn’t been disabled, the four of them would have lived a happy life, never allowing anyone to trample on their dignity or twist their spines under the weight of gratitude.
At that moment, Ellie hated her past self deeply.
Aaron wrapped his arm around Ellie’s shoulders, allowing her to lean against him. “No one can guarantee that every step they take is the right one. None of us have ever blamed you, not Mom or Dad, You don’t need to look back, don’t cry, and certainly don’t regret. Kindness may be free, but it’s not cheap.”
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