Shutting the door, Nancy gripped Rachel’s arm.
“Why would you find him a job?”
Rachel, however, was dazed. Grandpa Irwin is our neighbor and he is always good to me. If he were to move in, you could take care of each other! Besides, you don’t know a lot of people in Riverdale, so it’s a win!
Seemingly anxious, Nancy frowned and mumbled, “You don’t have to worry about me.”
What’s wrong, Grandma?
“Irwin… However, Nancy stopped after muttering his name. “Nevermind. I’m sure it’s hard for him as well, being so old and living without his children. We’ll go as you wish, then. Plus, he gave us a lot of help back then.”
Revealing a smile, Rachel grabbed Nancy’s hand.
I know what you’re worried about, Grandma. Often, those who approach us come with ill intent, but not all people are evil, are they?
Besides, seeing Grandpa Irwin today reminded me of many fond memories from my childhood.
“Really?” Nancy asked, her eyes shimmering.
Yes.
Rachel sternly nodded her head.
At the sight of Grandpa Irwin, Rachel was able to piece together many fragments of her memory, including the one when he bought her a cotton candy from town and it was her mother that opened the door for him.
“Cotton Candy for Rae! Do you like it?”
“Say your thanks, Rae.”
Her mother whispered into her ears. The scene was rather unreal. After all, this was the first time Rachel had recalled it after twenty years.
Pondering on it, Nancy expressed, “Must have been fate. Some things are meant for you to remember.”
Very soon, Victor returned with the chives and Nancy promptly started making the dumplings.
Meanwhile, Rachel contacted the management team about the security post, which the administration kindly agreed to.
‘Where do you live, Grandpa Irwin? I’ll help you move to the workers’ hostel tomorrow’
Grandpa Irwin shook his head and rejected, “It’s fine. I don’t have much to transport. I’ll go home later and return tomorrow. You just carry on as usual, Rae. Now, I can easily take care of your grandmother!”
Upon hearing that, Nancy was visibly annoyed as she revealed a scowl.
“The pierogi is done!” Victor then served the main dish on the table along with some condiments.
“Eat up before they get cold, Madam Tiller and Rachel. I shall go home now.”
However, Nancy quickly interjected, “Join us, Victor!”
“It’s fine. My grandma’s waiting for me to have dinner with her and it’s getting late.”
Upon hearing that, Rachel caught his arm. ‘Let me send you back.
“There’s no need for that, Rachel.”
After giving her grandmother a signal, she grabbed her bag and put on her shoes, thereafter walking out the door.
In response, Grandma uttered, “Go on. Drive safe!”
Following behind Rachel was Victor, who scratched his head and was forced to follow her lead.
Having sent Victor to his doorstep, Rachel gave him a box of pierogi and told him to share it with his grandmother.
Victor was taken aback by this, and he murmured, “That’s too much, Rachel.”
After shoving the container into his hands, she pulled an envelope from her bag and placed it on his knees.
Stunned, he opened the envelope and saw a neat stack of hundreds. He was utterly stupefied by this and asked, “What’s all this, Rachel?”
In response, she showed him a pre-written message.
I’m lending this money to you, so remember to write me an IOU. Take this money and sign up for night school. Take up classes that you’re interested in so you can take care of your grandma even better and let her be rest assured!
Victor peered at Rachel dumbfoundedly and hastily turned away.
Meanwhile, she could hear choking voices from the co-pilot seat.
As she was about to comfort him, he pushed open the car door, fearing that she would see his weeping face. It was not until he was far away that he shouted, “I’ll pay you back for sure!”
Rachel beamed and started driving the car amid the night.
Unfortunately, she didn’t notice that when she had left the alley, Victor was stopped by several unknown figures.
“What are you doing?”
“Grab him!”
As soon as he heard those words, he was restrained by two big men and his face was pushed against the unpainted concrete wall. Eventually, he started bleeding as a result of rubbing his face against the wall.
Meanwhile, the pierogi and envelope had fallen to the ground.
From the dark, a woman in a pair of heels appeared and bent down to pick up the envelope. “And I was wondering why you’ve been so distant with me. It seems to me you have found yourself a new mommy, huh?”
“Give my stuff back!”
“Your stuff?” The woman got closer to her and patted his face with the envelope. With a vile expression on her face, she pressed his head down and sneered, “So this is what you’ve been doing for me?”
“F*ck you! Who agreed to help you, anyway? You begged for a favor, and it’s solely up to me whether to fulfill it or not!”
Upon getting spit on her face, the woman grew infuriated as she thundered, “Sick of life, aren’t you?”
“F*ck me up if you have the balls to do so, b*tch!”
“You think I wouldn’t dare?” The woman took a step backward. “Go on! Rough him up!”
The young man let out screams of pain as he was trapped in a corner.
After a while, the woman stepped on Victor with her heels as she looked down on him. Then, she grabbed the money from the envelope and threw it all over his body.
“What happened today is merely a lesson. If you fail to meet my expectations by the end of this month, I’ll make sure that nobody finds your body. Just know that I was only sparing you some pride, you son of a b*tch!”
“Let’s go.”
After the gang of men departed, Victor, who was lying flat on the ground, eventually helped himself up with tremendous effort.
Accordingly, he picked up all the cash on the ground and attempted to press it flat before keeping it safely. Seeing how the box of pierogi was smashed to bits, he gazed at the ruined pieces and finally found some intact ones. He placed them back into the container, cherishing every untouched piece like they were gems.
After that, he wiped the bloodstains on his face and returned home as if nothing happened.
That night, Rachel had a nightmare.
In the dream, she was holding her child’s hand and was running across the field.
Out of the blue, the sky turned dark and she could only feel the air in her hands. No matter how hard she tried, she could never find the child again.
All of a sudden, Justin’s face appeared out of thin air.
“Just do what you’re expected of. Don’t even think of anything you shouldn’t.”
The view then cut to Hans with a bloody face. “He broke my leg and caused me to die, yet you’re bearing his child and living a happy life with him? That’s so unfair, Rachel!”
Meanwhile, she was surrounded by countless mockeries and scoffs, as if the demons and their underlings had been unleashed from hell and were staring at her with their green, demonic eyes.
“Ah!”
She shrieked huskily. Upon being awakened by her nightmare, she got up with her back drenched in sweat.
By then, the sun was already shining brightly.
While her heart was still palpitating, she subconsciously touched her abdomen.
It had only been two months, yet she could already feel the tiny life inside of her.
Are you comforting Mommy, Baby?
However, Mommy is too weak to protect you as countless people would hate to see you being born.
Hans has died… Uncle Hans, the one who was always kind to Mommy has died, so she can’t shake your father off herself.
How could Mommy give birth to your father’s child?
I’m sorry, Baby!
As numbness tingled Rachel’s nose, tears started dripping down her face.
