Chapter 3

I just didn’t understand. We all worked so hard, so why were we always so poor?

To save money when we were kids, David and Sarah moved us to a run-down trailer park on the edge of town.

Almost every kid here came from extreme poverty. Their families put all their hopes on them.

So, the kids here were incredibly tough and studied hard.

Sarah never complained about the harsh life. Instead, she grabbed my hand excitedly.

"In an environment like this, Chloe, you will definitely grow up to be strong and successful."

I turned to look at Austin, my innocent eyes wide.

"I hope Austin will be as independent and strong as me."

But not long after, Austin fell and became paralyzed.

I was consumed by guilt. I used to sit by Austin's bed and slap myself hard across the face.

I believed my stupid mouth had cursed him to be bedridden forever.

To make up for it, I started working part-time while going to high school.

But a student could only get the most brutal, lowest-paying gigs.

In the scorching ninety-degree summer heat, I stood on the asphalt handing out flyers.

When I was dying of thirst, I couldn't even bear to spend a dollar on a bottle of water. I would pick up half-empty bottles discarded by strangers, saving the plastic bottles to sell later.

To fight the homeless people for those plastic bottles, I was cornered in an alley. They stuffed trash into my mouth, kicking and punching me to warn me off.

With a mouth full of blood and bruises all over my body, there were times I wanted to buy cheap painkillers.

But I forced myself to save every single cent for Austin's treatment.

To numb the pain, I resorted to rubbing soot from trash fires into my cuts.

When David and Sarah found out, they gave me a huge thumbs-up. "Our daughter has incredible resilience. You already have the mindset of a successful leader."

But they had no idea how excruciating it was to rub trash ash into open wounds.

I didn't dare make a sound. Even asking Sarah for a simple hug felt like a selfish luxury.

Because every minute I wasted meant less money earned.

I looked at the sweet cupcake on the table, a dark resolution forming in my mind.

Just then, Sarah walked in, sat on the edge of my cot, and gently stroked my hair.

She looked apologetic. "Someone recommended a great specialist. We've saved up a bit of money recently, and we want to take Austin out of town to see him. Maybe... just maybe, he can stand up again."

It was such a normal farewell, but it felt like a knife twisting in my chest.

They had traveled to see doctors with Austin before, but this time, it would be my final goodbye.

I pushed my grief aside, scrambled up, and pulled all the cash from my bag, forcing it into Sarah's hands.

Seeing Sarah's shocked expression, I lied with red eyes.

"It was just Valentine's Day. A lot of rich couples got into fights and threw away expensive gifts. I got lucky, found some, and sold them."

Sarah hugged me, her face full of pride. "Take care of yourself at home. We’ll be back soon."

I leaned against the window frame, watching their figures slowly disappear down the dusty road.

Only then did I realize that in my desperation to save Austin, I hadn’t left a single dollar for myself.

Tears streamed down my face. Through the blur, I saw the plastic bag that had wrapped the cupcake on the table.

I took a tiny bite of the remaining cupcake. The sweetness exploded in my mouth.

To have Sarah's final gesture of love was enough for me.

I pulled the plastic bag over my head and slowly pulled it tight around my neck.

The sweet smell of vanilla made me feel like I was drifting into a dream. My hands hesitated.

But I quickly forced myself to focus. This family couldn't afford another sick person.

Without me as a burden, they could focus entirely on curing Austin.

I clenched my teeth and pulled the plastic tight. Soon, the dim light in the room was swallowed by an endless, silent darkness.