Chapter 5

My son kept his word. That evening, he went home, packed his things, and left.

He only took his study materials, a few clothes, and essential ID. He left everything else behind.

As he left, he gave me a particularly defiant ultimatum: “Unless you solve my dad’s financial problems, even if you roll out the red carpet for me, I won’t come back!”

“I’ll just re-study in that hot, cramped room in the city’s older district. Then I’ll be too hot to study anything, and next year I’ll score even worse than this year, maybe not even enough for community college! In the end, I won’t find a decent job and will end up doing manual labor in a factory. My life will be completely ruined!”

I didn’t say a word.

He stood there for a few minutes, then finally walked away with his backpack.

This was his second time running away from home.

The first time was three years ago.

That’s when I heard his aunt Chloe had money, so I sued her to get my money back.

His dad found out and was so angry he ended up in the hospital.

Liam also got anxious and forced me to withdraw the lawsuit.

When I refused, he ran away from home.

He rode the bicycle I bought him to his dad’s place overnight.

No matter how I tried to convince him, he wouldn’t go back to school.

I was worried.

Afraid he’d fall behind in school, I had no choice but to compromise and withdraw the lawsuit.

He even made me apologize to his aunt Chloe in front of everyone.

Only then did he reluctantly come back with me.

Now, looking back, I truly regret it.

The past cannot be changed.

But the present and future are in my hands.

I won’t make the same mistake again.

I contacted a real estate agent that night and put my apartment up for sale.

At the same time, I contacted someone to find me an affordable place in a small, remote town.

The agent was efficient and got back to me the next day.

They sent me several small apartments that cost only tens of thousands of dollars.

The temperature there was around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, a natural summer retreat.

It gets very cold in winter, but with floor heating, it wouldn’t be an issue.

On the day I arrived at my new home, my son, who had been silent for a week, suddenly called me.

“Mom, where are you? Why can’t I get into the house anymore?”